ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Higher education associated with reduced heart failure risk after myocardial infarction
• Discovery may lead to a treatment to slow Parkinson's disease
• Potential new target identified for treating itch
• Why you'd better never have to ask the way when visiting the Northern Territory in Australia
• Many skin cancer patients still too likely to sunburn
• New study uses computer learning to provide quality control for genetic databases
• Juicy news about cranberries: Blocking bacterial infections
• Surface tension can sort droplets for biomedical applications
• 2016 climate trends continue to break records
• Using urban pigeons to monitor lead pollution
• Modern off-grid lighting could create 2 million new jobs in developing world
• Scientists create new thin material that mimics cell membranes
• Mitochondrial dynamics impair nervous system development in Wolfram syndrome
• Protein found to bolster growth of damaged muscle tissue
• Is fiction good for you? How researchers are trying to find out
• Electron spin control: Levitated nanodiamond is research gem
• Paleontology: Aftermath of a mass extinction
• Role for enhancers in bursts of gene activity
• NASA science flights target melting Arctic Sea ice
• New technique uses electrical conductivity to measure blood in dry blood samples
• Model helps identify drugs to treat cat eye infections
• Abnormalities found in 'insight' areas of the brain in anorexia
• X marks the spot at the center of the Milky Way galaxy
• Ancient rocks reveal how Earth recovered from mass extinction
• Minimalist swimming microrobots
• Can we protect against computers being fingerprinted?
• First widely protective vaccine against chlamydia
• Men more aggressive on dating sites, women more self-conscious
• What hibernating toads tell us about climate
• Helping racehorses put their best foot forward
• Mountain pine beetles infest and ravage thousands of acres of forest lands, Landsat satellites show
• Developing highly drought-resistant crops
• Can robots recognize faces even under backlighting?
• By causing cells to cannibalize themselves, researchers prevent lung injury in mice
• For ancient deep-sea plankton, a long decline before extinction
• Fighting life-threatening bacteria without antibiotics
• House-hunting ants know how to take the hassle out of moving
• On the path to controlled gene therapy
• Policy makers and ecologists must develop a more constructive dialogue to save the planet
• High fat diet improves cartilage repair in mice
• Elderly Japanese most resilient in wake of triple disaster, study finds
• Risk of low blood sugar differs among similar diabetes drugs
• Huge time-lag between erosion and mountain building
• A new tracking and quantification tool for single cells
• A mini-antenna for the data processing of tomorrow
• 'Big mama' bonobos help younger females stand up for themselves
• Scientists develop plastic flexible magnetic memory device
• Social behavior of male mice needs estrogen receptor activation in brain region at puberty
• Ship engine emissions adversely affect macrophages
• Climate research: How meltwater from the ice sheets disturbed the climate 10,000 years ago
• Massive diabetic foot disease costs
• New detector overcomes key challenge in using light for wireless communications
• Milk works best to extinguish the heat from chile peppers
• Patients with OCD are 10 times more likely to commit suicide
• Is schizophrenia a disorder of the immune system?
• How to increase the fat burned during exercise
• Beware of antioxidant supplements, warns scientific review
• Travelers import superbugs
• Microplastics - a cause for concern
• Chimpanzees who travel are more frequent tool users

Higher education associated with reduced heart failure risk after myocardial infarction Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:48 PM PDT Higher education is associated with a reduced risk of developing heart failure after a heart attack, reports a study in more than 70,000 patients.

Discovery may lead to a treatment to slow Parkinson's disease Posted: 19 Jul 2016 02:34 PM PDT Scientists have shown that the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease -- a mutant LRRK2 kinase enzyme -- contributes to the formation of inclusions in neurons, resembling one of the hallmark pathologies seen in Parkinson's disease. These inclusions are made up of aggregated alpha synuclein protein, which -- the research also shows -- can be prevented from forming by using two LRRK2 kinase inhibitor drugs now being developed for clinical use.

Potential new target identified for treating itch Posted: 19 Jul 2016 02:34 PM PDT Researchers have found how sensory nerve cells work together to transmit itch signals from the skin to the spinal cord, where neurons then carry those signals to the brain. Their discovery may explain why some people experience various types of itching, including chronic itching, and help scientists find ways to make some types of itching stop.

Why you'd better never have to ask the way when visiting the Northern Territory in Australia Posted: 19 Jul 2016 02:34 PM PDT Rather than using abstract directionals, speakers of Murrinhpatha make reference to locations of interest using named landmarks, demonstratives and pointing. And because pointing is necessary for direction giving, people of the region point a great deal.

Many skin cancer patients still too likely to sunburn Posted: 19 Jul 2016 01:13 PM PDT A recent study concludes that a substantial number of people with a history of the most frequent kind of nonmelanoma skin cancers still get sunburned at the same rate as those without previous history, probably because they are not using sun-protective methods the right way or in the right amounts.

New study uses computer learning to provide quality control for genetic databases Posted: 19 Jul 2016 01:13 PM PDT A new study helps to shed light on the transcriptomic differences between different tissues in Arabidopsis, an important model organism, by creating a standardized "atlas" that can automatically annotate samples to include lost metadata such as tissue type.

Juicy news about cranberries: Blocking bacterial infections Posted: 19 Jul 2016 12:22 PM PDT Illuminating traditional wisdom with chemistry and biophysics, a research team has characterized the role of compounds in cranberry juice that block the critical first step in bacterial infections, the ability of bacteria to adhere to surfaces and form biofilms. The results open a potential new area of focus for antibiotic drug development, particularly drugs to respond to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Surface tension can sort droplets for biomedical applications Posted: 19 Jul 2016 12:22 PM PDT Scientists have engineered a simple and inexpensive device that can sort droplets of liquid based solely on the liquids' varying surface tensions.

2016 climate trends continue to break records Posted: 19 Jul 2016 11:47 AM PDT Two key climate change indicators -- global surface temperatures and Arctic sea ice extent -- have broken numerous records through the first half of 2016, according to NASA analyses of ground-based observations and satellite data.

Using urban pigeons to monitor lead pollution Posted: 19 Jul 2016 11:47 AM PDT Tom Lehrer sang about poisoning them, but those pigeons in the park might be a good way to detect lead and other toxic compounds in cities. A new study of pigeons in New York City shows that levels of lead in the birds track with neighborhoods where children show high levels of lead exposure.

Modern off-grid lighting could create 2 million new jobs in developing world Posted: 19 Jul 2016 11:47 AM PDT Many households in impoverished regions around the world are starting to shift away from inefficient and polluting fuel-based lighting -- such as candles, firewood, and kerosene lanterns -- to solar-LED systems. While this trend has tremendous environmental benefits, a new study has found that it spurs economic development as well, to the tune of 2 million potential new jobs.

Scientists create new thin material that mimics cell membranes Posted: 19 Jul 2016 11:47 AM PDT Materials scientists have created a new material that performs like a cell membrane found in nature. Such a material has long been sought for applications as varied as water purification and drug delivery. The material can assemble itself into a sheet thinner but stabler than a soap bubble, the researchers report.

Mitochondrial dynamics impair nervous system development in Wolfram syndrome Posted: 19 Jul 2016 11:47 AM PDT Although mitochondria, the tiny capsules that produce energy for the cell, are known to play some role in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, the contribution of mitochondrial dynamics has been less clear. A new study highlights how regulation of mitochondrial turnover is important in the defects of neuronal development that underlie the human genetic disease Wolfram syndrome.

Protein found to bolster growth of damaged muscle tissue Posted: 19 Jul 2016 10:13 AM PDT Biologists have found that a protein that plays a key role in the lives of stem cells can bolster the growth of damaged muscle tissue, a step that could contribute to treatments for muscle degeneration caused by old age or muscular dystrophy.

Is fiction good for you? How researchers are trying to find out Posted: 19 Jul 2016 10:13 AM PDT It's assumed that reading fiction is good for your mental health, but evidence linking Jane Eyre or Anna Karenina to a broadened mind has been mostly anecdotal. A psychologist-novelist delves into that issue, arguing that reading or watching narratives may encourage empathy. By exploring the inner lives of characters on the page, readers can form ideas about others' emotions, motives, and ideas, off the page.

Electron spin control: Levitated nanodiamond is research gem Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:42 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated how to control the 'electron spin' of a nanodiamond while it is levitated with lasers in a vacuum, an advance that could find applications in quantum information processing, sensors and studies into the fundamental physics of quantum mechanics.

Paleontology: Aftermath of a mass extinction Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:42 AM PDT A new study of fossil fishes from Middle Triassic sediments on the shores of Lake Lugano provides new insights into the recovery of biodiversity following the great mass extinction event at the Permo-Triassic boundary 240 million years ago.

Role for enhancers in bursts of gene activity Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:42 AM PDT A new study suggests that sporadic bursts of gene activity may be important features of genetic regulation rather than just occasional mishaps. The researchers found that snippets of DNA called enhancers can boost the frequency of bursts, suggesting that these bursts play a role in gene control.

NASA science flights target melting Arctic Sea ice Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:39 AM PDT This summer, with sea ice across the Arctic Ocean shrinking to below-average levels, a NASA airborne survey of polar ice just completed its first flights. Its target: aquamarine pools of melt water on the ice surface that may be accelerating the overall sea ice retreat.

New technique uses electrical conductivity to measure blood in dry blood samples Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:39 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that electrical conductivity can be an effective means to precisely measure the amount of blood present in dry blood spot analysis, providing a new alternative to the current preferred approach of measuring sodium levels.

Model helps identify drugs to treat cat eye infections Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:39 AM PDT A new model of eye infections in cats can be used to test drugs to treat these conditions. Early tests of the model have pointed to a new drug for treating feline herpesvirus-1 that will soon head to clinical trials.

Abnormalities found in 'insight' areas of the brain in anorexia Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:38 AM PDT Abnormalities in brain regions involved in forming insight may help explain why some people with anorexia nervosa have trouble recognizing their dangerous, dysfunctional eating habits.

X marks the spot at the center of the Milky Way galaxy Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:30 AM PDT Two astronomers -- with the help of Twitter--have uncovered the strongest evidence yet that an enormous X-shaped structure made of stars lies within the central bulge of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Ancient rocks reveal how Earth recovered from mass extinction Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:30 AM PDT Scientists have shed light on why life on Earth took millions of years to recover from the greatest mass extinction of all time.

Minimalist swimming microrobots Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:30 AM PDT When scaling down robots to the micrometer scale for tiny tasks such as incising tissue and puncturing retinal veins, minimalism is key. To make smaller, simpler microrobots, researchers have developed a fabrication method which utilizes the minimum geometric requirements for fluid motion -- consisting of just two conjoined microparticles coated with bits of magnetic debris.

Can we protect against computers being fingerprinted? Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:25 AM PDT Researchers are working to find new methods of protecting against the "fingerprinting" of personal computers – and are now giving members of the community the chance to see firsthand their own computer browserprint.

First widely protective vaccine against chlamydia Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:25 AM PDT The first steps towards developing a vaccine against an insidious sexual transmitted infection (STI) have been accomplished.

Men more aggressive on dating sites, women more self-conscious Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:25 AM PDT Using data collected from Baihe, one of the largest dating websites in China, researchers developed a reciprocal recommendation system that better matches users who are mutually interested in and likely to communicate with each other. The data revealed behavioral differences between male and female users when it comes to contacting potential partners. In particular, males tend to be focused on their own interests and be oblivious toward their attractiveness to potential dates, while females are more conscious of their own attractiveness.

What hibernating toads tell us about climate Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:13 AM PDT The ability to predict when toads come out of hibernation in southern Canada could provide valuable insights into the future effects of climate change on a range of animals and plants.

Helping racehorses put their best foot forward Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:11 AM PDT An international research team is working to understand how horseshoes affect foot skeleton stress in racehorses, in a project that is likely to benefit the racing industry and protect horses from injury.

Mountain pine beetles infest and ravage thousands of acres of forest lands, Landsat satellites show Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:11 AM PDT In western North America, mountain pine beetles infest and ravage thousands of acres of forest lands. Landsat satellites bear witness to the onslaught in a way that neither humans nor most other satellites can.

Developing highly drought-resistant crops Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:11 AM PDT International research has found how plants, such as rice and wheat, sense and respond to extreme drought stress, in a breakthrough that could lead to the development of next-generation drought-proof crops.

Can robots recognize faces even under backlighting? Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:11 AM PDT Researchers have developed a novel technique to address the problem of vision-based face detection and recognition under normal and severe illumination conditions. This technique contributes to help robotic systems that use face information for providing user-dependent services to work well under a large variety of illumination conditions.

By causing cells to cannibalize themselves, researchers prevent lung injury in mice Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:11 AM PDT Study offers a new solution to prevent Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), the most common chronic lung disease in premature infants.

For ancient deep-sea plankton, a long decline before extinction Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:11 AM PDT A new study of nearly 22,000 fossils finds that ancient plankton communities began changing in important ways as much as 400,000 years before massive die-offs ensued during the first of Earth's five great extinctions. The research suggests that the effects of environmental degradation can be subtle until they reach a tipping point, at which dramatic declines in population begin.

Fighting life-threatening bacteria without antibiotics Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:02 AM PDT Patients suffering from liver cirrhosis often die of life-threatening bacterial infections. In these patients the immune cells are unable to eliminate the bacterial infections. Scientist have now discovered that type I IFN released by immune cells due to increased migration of gut bacteria into the cirrhotic liver incapacitate the immune system. Based on their findings, such infections can be contained by strengthening the immune response -- without antibiotics.

House-hunting ants know how to take the hassle out of moving Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:02 AM PDT Ants employ a few simple and flexible rules to ensure that moving a colony to a new nest does not end in chaos, especially if this is done over some distance. A new study indicates that when it comes to giving directions, ants have it down to a fine art.

On the path to controlled gene therapy Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:02 AM PDT The ability to switch disease-causing genes on and off remains a dream for many physicians, research scientists and patients. Researchers have now programmed a virus to transport the necessary genetic material to affected tissue and nerve cells inside the body.

Policy makers and ecologists must develop a more constructive dialogue to save the planet Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:02 AM PDT An international consensus demands human impacts on the environment 'sustain', 'maintain', 'conserve', 'protect', 'safeguard', and 'secure' it. But, policy makers have little idea what these terms mean or how to connect them to a wealth of ecological data and ideas.

High fat diet improves cartilage repair in mice Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:02 AM PDT Obesity is a well-known risk factor for osteoarthritis, but its effects on cartilage repair are unknown. In a recent study in a mouse model of cartilage repair, a high fat diet and increased body weight did not negatively impair cartilage repair, and it could even accelerate it.

Elderly Japanese most resilient in wake of triple disaster, study finds Posted: 19 Jul 2016 08:02 AM PDT Older people in Japan are more resistant to the impacts of disasters on their health than younger generations, a study suggests.

Risk of low blood sugar differs among similar diabetes drugs Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:58 AM PDT Adding sulphonylureas (SUs) to metformin remains a commonly used strategy for treating type 2 diabetes, but individual SUs differ and may confer different risks of abnormally low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. SUs -- which include newer generation agents such as gliclazide, glipizide, glimepiride, and glibenclamide -- stimulate the production of insulin in the pancreas and increase the effectiveness of insulin in the body.

Huge time-lag between erosion and mountain building Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT An unprecedented record of erosion rates dating back millions of years shows a significant time-lag between tectonic uplift and maximum erosion rates in the Argentine Precordillera mountains. According to a new study, tectonic shortening and exhumation of rocks peaked between twelve and nine million years ago whereas the maximum erosional response is detected roughly seven million years ago, i.e. two million years later.

A new tracking and quantification tool for single cells Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT Scientists have developed software that allows observing cells for weeks while also measuring molecular properties. The software is freely available.

A mini-antenna for the data processing of tomorrow Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT With the rapid advance of miniaturization, data processing using electric currents faces tough challenges, some of which are insurmountable. Magnetic spin waves are a promising alternative for the transfer of information in even more compact chips. Scientists have now succeeded in generating spin waves with extremely short wavelengths in the nanometer range -- a key feature for their future application.

'Big mama' bonobos help younger females stand up for themselves Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:57 AM PDT Bullying happens in the primate world too, but for young bonobo females, big mama comes to the rescue. Kyoto University primatologists report that bonobo females frequently aid younger females when males behave aggressively towards them. This partly explains how females maintain a superior status in bonobo society.

Scientists develop plastic flexible magnetic memory device Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:54 AM PDT Scientists have successfully embedded a powerful magnetic memory chip on a flexible plastic material. This malleable memory chip hails a breakthrough in the flexible electronics revolution, and brings researchers a step closer towards making flexible, wearable electronics a reality in the near future.

Social behavior of male mice needs estrogen receptor activation in brain region at puberty Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:54 AM PDT Testosterone plays a major role in controlling behavior associated with masculinity in many mammals. In early development, testosterone is involved in the formation and organization of "male" neural pathways, on which it then acts to regulate various behaviors in adulthood.

Ship engine emissions adversely affect macrophages Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:54 AM PDT Ship emissions adversely affect the health of inhabitants of coastal regions. This was the main finding of a study on the influence of ship engine emissions on macrophages in the lungs. Since macrophages also play a key role in lung diseases such as COPD, the study is important for understanding the health risks of ship exhausts.

Climate research: How meltwater from the ice sheets disturbed the climate 10,000 years ago Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:54 AM PDT How will the melting of ice in Greenland affect our climate? In order to gain an idea how that process might look like, researchers have taken a look into the past. In the early Holocene period -- approximately 11,700 to 8,000 years ago -- a large ice sheet melted in North America. By analyzing dripstones in caves (speleothems) and using computer simulations, an international team reconstructed the consequences.

Massive diabetic foot disease costs Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:54 AM PDT New research shows preventable hospitalization from diabetic foot disease is costing Australia hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

New detector overcomes key challenge in using light for wireless communications Posted: 19 Jul 2016 07:54 AM PDT In an advance that could one day make light-based wireless communications ubiquitous, researchers have demonstrated a conceptually new approach for detecting optical communication signals traveling through the air.

Milk works best to extinguish the heat from chile peppers Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:47 AM PDT The next time you bite off more than you can handle in regard to a hot chile pepper, your best bet is to drink some milk, according to new research.

Patients with OCD are 10 times more likely to commit suicide Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:42 AM PDT Patients with OCD are 10 times more likely to commit suicide, contrary to what was previously thought.A new study shows that the main predictor of suicide in OCD patients is a previous suicide attempt, which offers opportunities for prevention.

Is schizophrenia a disorder of the immune system? Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:42 AM PDT Using data from the largest ever genetic study of schizophrenia, researchers have shed light on the role of the immune system.

How to increase the fat burned during exercise Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:42 AM PDT When we exercise, our body's oxidation of fat and carbohydrates depends on the intensity and duration of the activity. A new study analyses the effect of consuming an alkaloid, p-synephrine, on the burning of lipids and refutes the value of "miracle" diets: it is not possible to lose more than a kilogram of fat per month.

Beware of antioxidant supplements, warns scientific review Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:41 AM PDT The lay press and thousands of nutritional products warn of oxygen radicals or oxidative stress and suggest taking so-called antioxidants to prevent or cure disease. Researchers have analyzed the evidence behind this. The result is a clear warning: do not take these supplements unless a clear deficiency is diagnosed by a healthcare professional.

Travelers import superbugs Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:41 AM PDT Many tourists returning from India were found colonized with multidrug-resistant 'superbugs'. Microbiologists also isolated a strain possessing a gene which can make these life-threatening bacteria resistant to the last active antibiotic option.

Microplastics - a cause for concern Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:38 AM PDT Plastics became widespread after the second World War, and as a material, plastic is still relatively young. Microscopic plastic particles, or microplastics, have caught the eye of researchers only quite recently. Microplastics come with plenty of questions, but for the time being, only few answers are available. "Microplastics are a Pandora's Box of a kind, or at least an infinite source of research questions. However, research evidence relating to microplastics and their effects remains scarce," says Researcher Samuel Hartikainen from the University of Eastern Finland. His research focuses on the chemical properties of microplastics.

Chimpanzees who travel are more frequent tool users Posted: 19 Jul 2016 06:17 AM PDT Travel fosters tool use in wild chimpanzees and it may also have been a driving force in early technological evolution by humans.

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