ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Does marriage affect drinking? A new study provides insights
• Wind power fiercer than expected
• We understand that social media does not equal social interaction
• Structural images shed new light on a cancer-linked potassium channel
• Emergency financial aid from call centers effectively prevents homelessness
• Visualization of newly formed synapses with unprecedented resolution
• Researchers 'reprogram' network of brain cells in mice with thin beam of light
• New insights into the evolution of cooperation in spatially structured populations
• Global warming's next surprise: Saltier beaches
• Hubble uncovers a galaxy pair coming in from the wilderness
• Much ado about nothing: Astronomers use empty space to study the universe
• Autophagy under the microscope as never before
• Unproven stem cell therapies for lung disease on the rise despite promise of new treatments
• Disrupting mitochondrial function could improve treatment of fungal infections
• Targeting the gut-brain connection can impact immunity
• Two Zika proteins responsible for microcephaly identified
• Lions in West and Central Africa apparently unique
• Dietary compound linked to heart disease may be influenced by gut microbiome
• Venus may have been habitable, NASA climate modeling suggests
• Watching molecular machines at work
• Historically robust natural ecosystems could collapse due to climate change, human activity
• Quantum dots with impermeable shell: A powerful tool for nanoengineering
• Marine animals live longer at high latitudes
• In a race for Cheetos, magpies win, but crows steal
• Crown gall disease: A tumor home to a varied bacterial community
• Orangutan able to guess a taste without sampling it, just like us
• Safer air travel: Existing navigation data can help pilots avoid turbulence
• Our ancestors: More gorilla than chimp
• Study sheds light on use, effectiveness of sexual assault hotlines
• Surveys of corn, soybean fields reveal implications for pollinator conservation
• Paraplegics regain some feeling, movement after using brain-machine interfaces
• World should consider limits to future internet expansion to control energy consumption
• Believe it or not: Exercise does more good if you believe it will
• Researchers have identified why cancer tumours resist drugs designed to 'starve' tumors
• Molecular features of biguanides required for targeting of mitochondrial respiratory complex I and activation of AMP-kinase
• Britain's last hunter-gatherers discovered using breakthrough analysis of bone fragments
• The fourth state of matter, plasma: A technology to improve bone healing?
• Health behaviors, management critical for spinal cord injury patients
• Students in government-funded school meal programs at higher risk of being overweight
• Researchers link senescent cells to most common form of arthritis
• Unearthed: The cannibal sharks of a forgotten age
• Patients with TB and HIV should receive prompt coordinated treatment for both conditions
• More than 200,000 crashes caused by road debris
• Car drivers are four kilograms heavier than cyclists, new study reveals
• Artificial skin tests for stopping sun damage
• Reducing the harms of alcohol through weaker beer
• Cancer drug for mums-to-be may curb baby girls' future fertility
• Are violent video games associated with more civic behaviors among youth?
• New, improved guidelines for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
• Many endangered species face long waits for protection
• Seawalls, coastal forests in Japan help reduce tsunami damage, study finds
• Managing climate change refugia to protect wildlife
• Adding milk, meat to diet dramatically improves nutrition for poor in Zambia
• First validated canine behavioral genetics findings of nine fear, aggression traits in dogs
• New PET scan tracer allows first imaging of the epigenetics of the human brain
• Children can benefit when adoptive, biological parents share adoption stories
• Surgery as treatment for myasthenia gravis
• New method for bone marrow transplants without using chemotherapy
• New hope for shock patients in intensive care
• Isotopic analysis of teeth may identify starvation in victims of the Great Irish Famine

Does marriage affect drinking? A new study provides insights Posted: 11 Aug 2016 02:16 PM PDT Are you more or less likely to drink often and heavily when in a relationship? That may depend on the relationship.

Wind power fiercer than expected Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:35 AM PDT As the US' first wind farm is installed in Rhode Island this week, a new study shows offshore wind may be even more powerful and turbulent than expected in the Northeast. The findings could have important implications for the future development of American offshore wind farms -- assessing how much wind power can be produced, what type of turbines to use, how many turbines should be installed and the spacing between them.

We understand that social media does not equal social interaction Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:35 AM PDT If you worry that people today are using social media as a crutch for a real social life, a study will set you at ease. A new study found that people are actually quite adept at discerning the difference between using social media and having an honest-to-goodness social interaction.

Structural images shed new light on a cancer-linked potassium channel Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:35 AM PDT Using cryo-electron microscopy, researchers gained new insights about how the channel functions based on what they saw in the section that spans the cell's membrane. The channel has been found in a number of cell types, including in tumors, where it is thought to have a cancer-promoting effect.

Emergency financial aid from call centers effectively prevents homelessness Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:35 AM PDT Nearly every major US city offers a hotline for people facing homelessness to call in order to request emergency financial assistance. Despite the fact that over 15 million people call these hotlines each year, little has been done to understand what effect they have on homelessness. In a new study, researchers examined a Chicago center and found that call centers have substantial positive effects on people facing homelessness.

Visualization of newly formed synapses with unprecedented resolution Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:35 AM PDT The spatial arrangement of synapses has a critical role in neuronal function, but the rules that govern this precise synaptic localization remain unknown. Researchers have identified mechanistic and functional elements that govern synapse formation and have established new insights about how synapses are formed in cortical neurons in early postnatal stages.

Researchers 'reprogram' network of brain cells in mice with thin beam of light Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:35 AM PDT Neurons that fire together really do wire together, says a new study, suggesting that the three-pound computer in our heads may be more malleable than we think.

New insights into the evolution of cooperation in spatially structured populations Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:32 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed a new mathematical model to investigate how a population's spatial structure affects the evolution of cooperation.

Global warming's next surprise: Saltier beaches Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:26 AM PDT Batches of sand from a beach on the Delaware Bay are yielding insights into the powerful impact of temperature rise and evaporation along the shore that are in turn challenging long-held assumptions about what causes beach salinity to fluctuate in coastal zones that support a rich network of sea creatures and plants.

Hubble uncovers a galaxy pair coming in from the wilderness Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:26 AM PDT Two tiny dwarf galaxies have been observed that have wandered from a vast cosmic wilderness into a nearby 'big city' packed with galaxies. After being quiescent for billions of years, they are ready to party by starting a firestorm of star birth.

Much ado about nothing: Astronomers use empty space to study the universe Posted: 11 Aug 2016 11:26 AM PDT An international team of astronomers reports that they were able to achieve four times better precision in measurements of how the universe's visible matter is clustered together by studying the empty spaces in between.

Autophagy under the microscope as never before Posted: 11 Aug 2016 10:16 AM PDT We don't tend to wrap our recycling waste in bubble wrap but that's essentially what cells do during the cellular recycling process called autophagy. Researchers have viewed the earliest stages of this encapsulation and recycling process in super resolution to reveal what's happening in unprecedented molecular detail.

Unproven stem cell therapies for lung disease on the rise despite promise of new treatments Posted: 11 Aug 2016 10:16 AM PDT Stem cell medical tourism and unproven stem cell interventions are growing and concerning issues for patients afflicted with lung disease. According to researchers, there are an increasing number of clinics worldwide offering expensive stem cell-based therapies that are ineffective or have no proven benefit.

Disrupting mitochondrial function could improve treatment of fungal infections Posted: 11 Aug 2016 10:16 AM PDT By identifying new compounds that selectively block mitochondrial respiration in pathogenic fungi, scientists have identified a potential antifungal mechanism that could enable combination therapy with fluconazole, one of today's most commonly prescribed fungal infection treatments. Severe, invasive fungal infections have a mortality rate of 30-50 percent and cause an estimated 1.5 million deaths worldwide annually. Current antifungal therapies are hampered by the increasingly frequent emergence of drug resistance and negative interactions that often preclude combination use.

Targeting the gut-brain connection can impact immunity Posted: 11 Aug 2016 10:16 AM PDT The brain and the gut are connected through neural networks that signal hunger and satiety, love and fear, even safety and danger. These networks employ myriad chemical signals that include the powerful neurotransmitter dopamine. Researchers have shown that manipulating dopamine signaling in the nervous system of the worm C. elegans can control inflammation in the gut. The study demonstrates that the immune system might be controlled using drugs originally designed to target the nervous system, such as antipsychotics.

Two Zika proteins responsible for microcephaly identified Posted: 11 Aug 2016 10:15 AM PDT Researchers have tracked down two Zika proteins potentially responsible for thousands of microcephaly cases in Brazil and elsewhere -- taking one small step toward preventing Zika-infected mothers from birthing babies with abnormally small heads. The Zika virus contains 10 proteins, but only NS4A and NS4B matter when it comes to microcephaly. These miscreant proteins, researchers discovered, have two shared life goals: to handicap fetal brain formation and to mobilize their malevolent forces.

Lions in West and Central Africa apparently unique Posted: 11 Aug 2016 09:05 AM PDT Lions in West and Central Africa form a unique group, only distantly related to lions in East and Southern Africa, biologists have discovered.

Dietary compound linked to heart disease may be influenced by gut microbiome Posted: 11 Aug 2016 09:04 AM PDT A new study reports new results that raise questions about whether circulating TMAO causes heart disease or whether it is simply a biomarker, or a sign, of developing disease.

Venus may have been habitable, NASA climate modeling suggests Posted: 11 Aug 2016 09:04 AM PDT Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and habitable surface temperatures for up to two billion years of its early history, according to NASA computer modeling of the planet's ancient climate.

Watching molecular machines at work Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:13 AM PDT When one cell divides into two, the newly born daughter cells have to be equipped with everything they will need in their tiny lives. Most important of all is that they inherit a complete copy of the genetic information from their mother cell. If this is not the case because a wrong number of chromosomes gets passed on during cell division, the daughter cells will often not survive, or worse, contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer or other conditions. Segregating chromosomes correctly is therefore of great importance and cells use complex molecules to carry out this process. How one of these "molecular machines" works has now been elucidated by researchers.

Historically robust natural ecosystems could collapse due to climate change, human activity Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:13 AM PDT Global change will strike the oldest and most complex ecosystems of the world hardest, regardless of their past stability, warn experts in a new report.

Quantum dots with impermeable shell: A powerful tool for nanoengineering Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:11 AM PDT Depending on their applications, quantum dots need to be tailored in terms of their structure and properties. Chemists have shown that quantum dots obtained by their novel method can be successfully functionalized with modern click chemistry. This achievement is of interest not only due to the numerous potential applications, but also because in hitherto experiments copper compounds used as catalyst in click reactions have always destroyed the ability of quantum dots to emit light.

Marine animals live longer at high latitudes Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:11 AM PDT After months of work by researchers, two patterns have emerged. The first reveals that, as a bivalve's lifespan increases, its growth rate decreases. The second shows that long life and slow growth are common among animals near the North and South poles, whereas tropical bivalves, close to the equator, are fast-growing and short-lived.

In a race for Cheetos, magpies win, but crows steal Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:11 AM PDT In urban neighborhoods, magpies often nest near their cousin corvid species, crows. Nesting near a bigger bird affords them some extra defense against predators. But do they pay a food penalty? To find out, ecologists presented the birds with a set of Cheetos challenges.

Crown gall disease: A tumor home to a varied bacterial community Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:11 AM PDT At present, an early diagnosis of the tumor-like crown gall disease affecting grapevines seems out of reach. Two researchers have taken a closer look at the tumors and found a very special environment.

Orangutan able to guess a taste without sampling it, just like us Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:10 AM PDT Without having tasted a new juice mix before, an orangutan in a Swedish zoo has enough sense to know whether it will taste nice or not based on how he recombined relevant memories from the past. Only humans were thought to have this ability of affective forecasting, in which prior experiences are used to conjure up mental pictures about totally new situations.

Safer air travel: Existing navigation data can help pilots avoid turbulence Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:10 AM PDT Detecting turbulence remains the Achilles' heel of modern-day aviation. The reports submitted by pilots, subjective and often very inaccurate, are the least expensive and the most frequently used method for trying to predict where it will occur. Scientists have now demonstrated that turbulence can be detected in a much faster and more precise way, using data already routinely broadcast by the aircraft operated by commercial airlines.

Our ancestors: More gorilla than chimp Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:10 AM PDT A new study that for the first time examined the internal anatomy of a fossil human relative's heel bone, or calcaneus, shows greater similarities with gorillas than chimpanzees.

Study sheds light on use, effectiveness of sexual assault hotlines Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:10 AM PDT Since the 1970s, sexual assault hotlines have grown in popularity in North America as conduits for survivors, their loved ones and professionals to unite for immediate support. Today, there are more than 1,000 crisis hotline affiliates in the United States alone. Yet, despite their widespread use, much remains unknown or unclear about their service efficacy.

Surveys of corn, soybean fields reveal implications for pollinator conservation Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:10 AM PDT What kind of insect pollinators are commonly found in corn and soybean fields? The answer to that question can be found in a new article, say researchers who used modified pan traps to compare the insect communities found in the two crops.

Paraplegics regain some feeling, movement after using brain-machine interfaces Posted: 11 Aug 2016 07:10 AM PDT Eight people who have spent years paralyzed from spinal cord injuries have regained partial sensation and muscle control in their lower limbs after training with brain-controlled robotics, according to a new study.

World should consider limits to future internet expansion to control energy consumption Posted: 11 Aug 2016 06:00 AM PDT The world should consider ways to limit data growth on the internet to prevent run-away energy consumption and help limit carbon emissions, say leading computer scientists.

Believe it or not: Exercise does more good if you believe it will Posted: 11 Aug 2016 06:00 AM PDT People benefit more from exercise when they believe it will have a positive effect, new research indicates. A psychologist and his team have conducted a study demonstrating that test subjects derive more psychological as well as neurophysiological benefits from exercise if they already have positive mindsets about sports. Moreover, the team provided evidence that test subjects can be positively or negatively influenced in this regard before engaging in the exercise.

Researchers have identified why cancer tumours resist drugs designed to 'starve' tumors Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:59 AM PDT New research helps us to understand how cancer cells resist common cancer drugs designed to 'starve' tumors. The findings demonstrate how cancer cells detect glucose levels and have the ability to survive with virtually no blood supply in the middle of a tumor mass.

Molecular features of biguanides required for targeting of mitochondrial respiratory complex I and activation of AMP-kinase Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:59 AM PDT The biguanides are a family of drugs with diverse clinical applications. Metformin, a widely used anti-hyperglycemic biguanide, suppresses mitochondrial respiration by inhibiting respiratory complex I. Phenformin, a related anti-hyperglycemic biguanide, also inhibits respiration, but proguanil, which is widely used for the prevention of malaria, does not. The molecular structures of phenformin and proguanil are closely related and both inhibit isolated complex I. Proguanil does not inhibit respiration in cells and mitochondria because it is unable to access complex I. The molecular features that determine which biguanides accumulate in mitochondria, enabling them to inhibit complex I in vivo, are not known.

Britain's last hunter-gatherers discovered using breakthrough analysis of bone fragments Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:59 AM PDT Archaeologists have identified rare human bones from the UK dating to the Late Mesolithic era (around 4000 BC, just prior to the arrival of farming in Britain) using an innovative new bone collagen analysis technique.

The fourth state of matter, plasma: A technology to improve bone healing? Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Cold plasma looks like the glow from the "Star Wars" blue light saber but this beam of energy, made of electrons that change polarity at micro-second or nanosecond speeds, could help bones heal faster, according to a study.

Health behaviors, management critical for spinal cord injury patients Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT A new, two-part series of studies examines health behaviors and management challenges in spinal cord injury patients. There are approximately 282,000 people currently living with a spinal cord injury in the United States.

Students in government-funded school meal programs at higher risk of being overweight Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Government-funded school meals are putting financially vulnerable children at risk of being overweight, a researcher has found. As many of the millions of kids who eat government-funded breakfasts or lunches head back to school this fall, most of them will participate in meal programs that may be part of the cause of the nation-wide obesity epidemic. Students from low-income families and those who live in the Northeast, South, and rural America are most susceptible to the problem, suggests a new report.

Researchers link senescent cells to most common form of arthritis Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Researchers have reported a causal link between senescent cells -- cells that accumulate with age and contribute to frailty and disease -- and osteoarthritis in mice.

Unearthed: The cannibal sharks of a forgotten age Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Scientists have discovered incredible fossil evidence that a 300-million-year-old shark, which mildly resembled a modern-day bull shark, cannibalized its babies.

Patients with TB and HIV should receive prompt coordinated treatment for both conditions Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Tuberculosis is a leading killer of people with HIV, and providing therapy for both illnesses simultaneously saves lives, according to new guidelines on the treatment of drug-susceptible TB. Treatment of TB in the presence of HIV infection is one of several special situations addressed in the new guidelines.

More than 200,000 crashes caused by road debris Posted: 11 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT More than 200,000 crashes involved debris on US roadways over the past four years, a new report announces. About two-thirds of debris-related crashes are the result of items falling from a vehicle due to improper maintenance and unsecured loads.

Car drivers are four kilograms heavier than cyclists, new study reveals Posted: 10 Aug 2016 07:45 PM PDT People who drive cars as their main form of transport are on average heavier than those who cycle, according to an ongoing Europe-wide study.

Artificial skin tests for stopping sun damage Posted: 10 Aug 2016 07:45 PM PDT Sunbathing without sunscreen can be dangerous. But it's not just your skin you need to be worried about: some substances in drugs, cosmetics and medicinal herbs can be toxic to the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. Experts call the phenomenon phototoxicity. It occurs when a substance absorbs light energy and is thereby chemically modified. Only the modified substance is toxic to the skin, which can cause redness, swelling or inflammation - similar to a sunburn. Companies can examine the phototoxicity of a substance with an in-vitro test method.

Reducing the harms of alcohol through weaker beer Posted: 10 Aug 2016 07:37 PM PDT Could a small drop in the alcohol content of beer or other drinks reduce the harmful effects of alcohol in society at large? A new review, which explores the evidence, suggests this approach may be worth pursuing.

Cancer drug for mums-to-be may curb baby girls' future fertility Posted: 10 Aug 2016 07:37 PM PDT Chemotherapy treatment during pregnancy may affect the future fertility of unborn baby girls, a study suggests. Researchers have found that a drug called etoposide can damage the development of mouse ovary tissue grown in the lab.

Are violent video games associated with more civic behaviors among youth? Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:10 PM PDT Whether violent video games influence the behavior of youth has been a debate that has split the academic community for years. A new study investigates this issue in a sample of 304 children in the United Kingdom.

New, improved guidelines for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:10 PM PDT A group of experts on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders has produced proposed clinical guidelines for diagnosing FASD, which can result when a mother drinks during pregnancy. The proposed guidelines include a new definition of documented prenatal alcohol exposure, guides to evaluating facial and physical deformities characteristic of FASD, and updated information about the cognitive and/or behavioral impairments seen in different FASD subtypes.

Many endangered species face long waits for protection Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:10 PM PDT The Endangered Species Act was enacted by Congress in 1973 to protect species threatened with extinction. To receive protection, a species must first be listed as endangered or threatened. A two-year timeline for the process was established in 1982 by a Congressional amendment to the ESA. Researchers found that many species are encountering much longer wait times. They believe that delays could lead to less global biodiversity.

Seawalls, coastal forests in Japan help reduce tsunami damage, study finds Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:10 PM PDT Researchers who analyzed a history of tsunamis along the Pacific coast of Japan's Tohoku region have learned that seawalls higher than 5 meters reduce damage and death, while coastal forests also play an important role in protecting the public.

Managing climate change refugia to protect wildlife Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:09 PM PDT Natural and cultural areas that will remain similar to what they are today -- despite climate change -- need to be identified, managed and conserved as 'refugia' for at-risk species, according to a new study. The study sets out, for the first time, specific steps to help identify and manage these more resilient and climate-stable havens for plants, animals and fishes.

Adding milk, meat to diet dramatically improves nutrition for poor in Zambia Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:09 PM PDT Adding livestock to poor households in developing countries such as Zambia is shown to improve their financial status, but how the addition of milk and meat to their diet effects their nutrition has not been studied. New research finds that adding a small amount of milk and meat to the diet dramatically improves the supply of nutrients -- specifically protein, calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin A, B2, B12, and D.

First validated canine behavioral genetics findings of nine fear, aggression traits in dogs Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:09 PM PDT Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States. And while much is understood about the biochemistry of anxiety, little is known about the genetic variation associated with it. A new study reports that genetic predisposition to aggression toward an owner or a familiar dog is distinct from that for fear and aggression directed at unfamiliar humans and dogs.

New PET scan tracer allows first imaging of the epigenetics of the human brain Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:09 PM PDT A novel PET radiotracer is able for the first time to reveal epigenetic activity -- the process that determines whether or not genes are expressed -- within the human brain.

Children can benefit when adoptive, biological parents share adoption stories Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:09 PM PDT 'Open' adoptions, or adoptions in which adoptive families have ongoing interactions with the birth family are becoming more popular. Now, communication researchers are studying the benefits of open adoptions. Their recent study shows that open adoptions in which communication is encouraged, can benefit the child and their adoptive parents.

Surgery as treatment for myasthenia gravis Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:09 PM PDT In a global study of myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and fatigue, researchers found that surgical removal of an organ called the thymus reduced patients' weakness, and their need for immunosuppressive drugs.

New method for bone marrow transplants without using chemotherapy Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:06 PM PDT Scientists have devised a way to destroy blood stem cells in mice without using chemotherapy or radiotherapy, both of which have toxic side effects. The new procedure could clear the way for patients to receive blood stem cells from donors more safely.

New hope for shock patients in intensive care Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:06 PM PDT Care for critically-ill patients with shock could be improved, it is hoped, after the first successful testing of a new machine to record oxygen consumption in real time. The new device combines laser spectroscopy and precise flow measurement of breath in a single medical device which fits into a standard ventilation tube.

Isotopic analysis of teeth may identify starvation in victims of the Great Irish Famine Posted: 10 Aug 2016 03:06 PM PDT Isotopic analysis of teeth may identify signs of starvation in human tissues from 19th century Irish workhouse residents, according to a new study.

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