ScienceDaily: Top News

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• World’s first ciliary stroke motion microrobots
• Invisibility cloak with photonic crystals
• High rates of suicide and self-harm among transgender youth
• Selenium status influence cancer risk
• Algorithms offer insight into cellular development
• Sabotaging bacteria propellers to stop infections
• Plastic crystals could improve fabrication of memory devices
• Scientists discover noninvasive technique to monitor migraines
• Pure oxygen in high-pressure chamber relieves symptoms of opiate withdrawal in mice
• New digital antenna could revolutionize the future of mobile phones
• The genesis project: New life on exoplanets
• Major step towards Alzheimer's blood test
• New theory, embryo geometry, proposes explanation for how vertebrates evolved
• New research uncovers the first steps of how human organs and tissues develop
• Dopamine: far more than just the 'happy hormone'
• Simple measures cut sepsis deaths nearly in half
• Shape of 'molecular graphene' determines electronic properties
• Magnetism under the magnifying glass
• New population data provide insight on aging, migration
• Data-cleaning tool for building better prediction models
• Researchers gain new understanding of how neutrophils latch onto vessel walls to protect from infection, clean up injured tissue
• Study assesses climate change vulnerability in urban America
• Which snowy owls thrive in Saskatchewan's winters?
• Pros and cons of supplementary materials in scientific publishing
• Cognitive behavior therapy could be key for children with autism getting enough sleep
• Data shows increasing political polarization on climate change
• Stem cell breakthrough unlocks mysteries associated with inherited heart condition
• Neural factors that predict adolescent alcohol use
• Nationwide study sets benchmarks for 30-day mortality following chemotherapy for breast and lung cancer in England
• Smokers more prone to bowel condition relapses, study suggests
• Smarter brains are blood-thirsty brains
• A lost century for forest elephants
• Experts urge rethink on health target
• A rare small specimen discovered from the age of flying giants
• Theorists solve a long-standing fundamental problem on atoms
• Standing still may help improve antennas that scan in all directions
• Study on diversity of microbial groups demonstrates the effects of human-caused changes in climate, land use and other factors
• Ethical concerns tied to research on human-animal embryos
• Written 'report card' decreases dentists' antibiotic prescriptions
• Plant roots built beachhead for life on land
• Understanding how the 'police' of the cell world deal with 'intruders' and the 'injured'
• Bipolar adolescents continue to have elevated substance use disorder risk as young adults
• Monkeys in zoos have human gut bacteria
• New drug for tropical disease Trypanosomiasis discovered
• Defend or grow? These plants do both
• Having children at home did not prompt parents to test for radon, secondhand smoke
• Diamonds and quantum information processing on the nano scale
• Addiction cravings may get their start deep in the right side of the brain
• The rise and fall of galaxy formation
• 'Morning people' self-sabotage less at night, night owls' less at sunrise
• Children with asthma attacks triggered by colds less responsive to standard treatment
• Affordable Care Act has improved access to health care, but disparities persist
• Friends are no better than strangers in accurately identifying emotion in emails
• Plants found to regulate leaf temperature to boost carbon uptake
• Peers, public perception influence firefighters against safety equipment
• Retinoic acid suppresses colorectal cancer development, study finds
• Cannabinoid receptor activates spermatozoa
• Making pesticide droplets less bouncy could cut agricultural runoff
• Variation in 'junk' DNA leads to trouble
• Operational mechanism of the 'acid-sensing ion channel' that recognizes internal body pain

World’s first ciliary stroke motion microrobots Posted: 31 Aug 2016 08:10 AM PDT Scientists have developed microrobots with high propulsion efficiency in highly-viscous fluid environments, applying propulsion techniques that mimic the ciliary stroke motion of paramecia.

Invisibility cloak with photonic crystals Posted: 31 Aug 2016 08:10 AM PDT Almost as elusive as unicorns, finding practical materials for invisibility cloaking is challenging. Researchers have new ideas how to solve that. They're using crystal "atoms" made of dielectric rods called photonic crystals.

High rates of suicide and self-harm among transgender youth Posted: 31 Aug 2016 08:08 AM PDT In a new study, 30 percent of transgender youth report a history of at least one suicide attempt, and nearly 42 percent report a history of self-injury, such as cutting. The study also discovered a higher frequency of suicide attempts among transgender youth who are dissatisfied with their weight.

Selenium status influence cancer risk Posted: 31 Aug 2016 08:08 AM PDT As a nutritional trace element, selenium forms an essential part of our diet. Researchers have been able to show that high blood selenium levels are associated with a decreased risk of developing liver cancer.

Algorithms offer insight into cellular development Posted: 31 Aug 2016 08:08 AM PDT Through RNA sequencing, researchers can measure which genes are expressed in each individual cell of a sample. A new statistical method allows researchers to infer different developmental processes from a cell mixture consisting of asynchronous stages.

Sabotaging bacteria propellers to stop infections Posted: 31 Aug 2016 07:28 AM PDT Researchers discovered how to stop bacteria motility and thus how to disrupt bacterial infections.

Plastic crystals could improve fabrication of memory devices Posted: 31 Aug 2016 07:28 AM PDT A novel 'plastic crystal' has switching properties suitable for memory-related applications.

Scientists discover noninvasive technique to monitor migraines Posted: 31 Aug 2016 07:28 AM PDT New UBC research has found that amplified electroencephalograms can produce diagnostic results of a brainwave associated with migraines and epilepsy that are comparable to the current, more invasive, standard -- a discovery that could lead to better treatment and diagnosis of these conditions.

Pure oxygen in high-pressure chamber relieves symptoms of opiate withdrawal in mice Posted: 31 Aug 2016 07:27 AM PDT A pharmacologist gave morphine-addicted mice pure pressurized oxygen before they began withdrawal from the drug. The mice had far less severe withdrawal symptoms than addicted mice that did not receive the treatment.

New digital antenna could revolutionize the future of mobile phones Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Researchers have developed a method that allows antennas to make the shift from the analogue to the digital world. The antennas currently in use are mostly based on technology developed half a century ago.

The genesis project: New life on exoplanets Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT Can life be brought to celestial bodies outside our solar system which are not permanently inhabitable? This is the question with which experts are dealing in a recent essay.

Major step towards Alzheimer's blood test Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:56 AM PDT A research team has made a significant step towards the development of a simple blood test to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The group studied blood from 292 individuals with the earliest signs of memory impairment and found a set of biomarkers that predicted whether or not a given individual would develop Alzheimer's disease.

New theory, embryo geometry, proposes explanation for how vertebrates evolved Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:55 AM PDT A new theory aims to explain how the complex vertebrate body, with its skeleton, muscles, nervous and cardiovascular systems, arises from a single cell during development and how these systems evolved over time.

New research uncovers the first steps of how human organs and tissues develop Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:55 AM PDT For the first time, the precise way individual human organs and tissue develop has been mapped, providing new insight into how genetic disorders can occur during the crucial early phase of development.

Dopamine: far more than just the 'happy hormone' Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:53 AM PDT Dopamine is a so-called messenger substance or neurotransmitter that conveys signals between neurons. It not only controls mental and emotional responses but also motor reactions. Dopamine is particularly known as being the "happy hormone." It is responsible for our experiencing happiness. Even so-called adrenaline rushes, such as those experienced when playing sport, are based on the same pattern. Adrenaline is a close relative of dopamine. However, serious health problems can arise if too little or too much dopamine is being produced. If too few dopamine molecules are released, Parkinson's disease can develop, while an excess can lead to mania, hallucinations and schizophrenia.

Simple measures cut sepsis deaths nearly in half Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:53 AM PDT Sepsis, commonly called blood poisoning, is a common affliction that can affect people of all ages. A series of simple measures tested at a Norwegian hospital can make a difference in successfully treating sepsis.

Shape of 'molecular graphene' determines electronic properties Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:53 AM PDT Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form an important class of molecules, which can be regarded as small graphene species and which play a prominent role in the development of organic electronics. Scientists now show that the edge structures of these apparently similar molecules are responsible for spectacular differences in transport properties, allowing for smarter design of new materials.

Magnetism under the magnifying glass Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:53 AM PDT Being able to determine magnetic properties of materials with sub-nanometer precision would greatly simplify development of magnetic nano-structures for future spintronic devices. In a new article, physicists make a big step towards this goal by proposing and demonstrating a new measurement method capable to detect magnetism from areas as small as 0.5 nm2.

New population data provide insight on aging, migration Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:50 AM PDT A new dataset provides a comprehensive look at population dynamics in Europe, including the influence of migration on population growth and the effect of population aging.

Data-cleaning tool for building better prediction models Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:50 AM PDT New software analyzes a user's prediction model to decide which data to clean first, while updating the model as it works. With each pass, users see their model improve.

Researchers gain new understanding of how neutrophils latch onto vessel walls to protect from infection, clean up injured tissue Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:50 AM PDT As an arm of the innate immune system, white blood cells called neutrophils form the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Neutrophils spend most of their lives racing through the bloodstream, patrolling for bacteria or other foreign particles. Once they arrive at tissues besieged by infectious agents, they halt on a dime and then blast through the vessel wall to reach the inflammatory attack site.

Study assesses climate change vulnerability in urban America Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:50 AM PDT One of the first efforts to systematically assess how cities are preparing for climate change shows that city planners have yet to fully assess their vulnerability to climate change, leaving serious risks unaddressed. The research suggests that national experts must make changes in their approach to ensure that their assessments are useful to urban planners and other city managers responsible for safeguarding the public health.

Which snowy owls thrive in Saskatchewan's winters? Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:50 AM PDT Snowy owls capture the imagination, but ornithologists know surprisingly little about how these birds of the far north fare during the harsh winters they endure. The researchers behind a new study trapped and tracked Snowy Owls wintering in Canada and found that while age and sex affect the birds' condition, most do fairly well, showing few signs of starvation and some even putting on weight over the winter months.

Pros and cons of supplementary materials in scientific publishing Posted: 31 Aug 2016 05:50 AM PDT The ascendance of the Internet has changed academic publishing in ways that scientists are still adjusting to. A new commentary examines the costs and benefits of supplementary materials, which are online-only additions to scientific papers that often contain datasets, audio and visual files, and other hard-to-classify resources.

Cognitive behavior therapy could be key for children with autism getting enough sleep Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:22 PM PDT Experts believe that a family-based cognitive behavioral therapy may be the key for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have problems sleeping.

Data shows increasing political polarization on climate change Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:21 PM PDT A new article discusses increasing partisan polarization of American attitudes towards climate change. The article details the escalation of partisan polarization, particularly towards environmental protection and climate change, over the past few decades in America.

Stem cell breakthrough unlocks mysteries associated with inherited heart condition Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:21 PM PDT Using advanced stem cell technology, scientists have created a model of a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) -- an excessive thickening of the heart that is associated with a number of rare and common illnesses, some of which have a strong genetic component.

Neural factors that predict adolescent alcohol use Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:17 PM PDT Researchers have identified 34 neural factors that predict adolescent alcohol consumption. The list, based upon complex algorithms analyzing data from neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging studies, was significantly more accurate -- approximately 74 percent -- than demographic information alone.

Nationwide study sets benchmarks for 30-day mortality following chemotherapy for breast and lung cancer in England Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:17 PM PDT For the first time, English national data on 30-day mortality for patients with breast and lung cancer treated with chemotherapy have been collected and analyzed in order to help clinical teams review and improve patient care, and identify groups of patients who may have additional needs.

Smokers more prone to bowel condition relapses, study suggests Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:17 PM PDT Smoking is strongly linked to relapse of a serious bowel condition, research has confirmed. People with Crohn's disease are more likely to experience a recurrence after surgery if they continue to smoke, the study has found.

Smarter brains are blood-thirsty brains Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:16 PM PDT A new project has overturned the theory that the evolution of human intelligence was simply related to the size of the brain -- but rather linked more closely to the supply of blood to the brain.

A lost century for forest elephants Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:16 PM PDT Because forest elephants are one the slowest reproducing mammals in the world, it will take almost a century for them to recover from the intense poaching they have suffered since 2002.

Experts urge rethink on health target Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:16 PM PDT The concept of premature mortality needs to be either abandoned or redefined if it is not to discriminate against older people, according to experts on aging.

A rare small specimen discovered from the age of flying giants Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:16 PM PDT A rare small-bodied pterosaur, a flying reptile from the Late Cretaceous period approximately 77 million years ago, is the first of its kind to have been discovered on the west coast of North America.

Theorists solve a long-standing fundamental problem on atoms Posted: 30 Aug 2016 01:05 PM PDT Trying to understand a system of atoms is like herding gnats -- the individual atoms are never at rest and are constantly moving and interacting. When it comes to trying to model the properties and behavior of these kinds of systems, scientists use two fundamentally different pictures of reality, one of which is called 'statistical' and the other 'dynamical.'

Standing still may help improve antennas that scan in all directions Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:40 AM PDT Antennas often need to trace circles in the sky. For example, radar arrays atop air-traffic control towers rotate to sweep signals in all directions. Now, electrical engineers are working out a new strategy to create antennas that spin their beams in circles while the devices stand still.

Study on diversity of microbial groups demonstrates the effects of human-caused changes in climate, land use and other factors Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:40 AM PDT Research shows the diversity of soil bacteria, fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria all are better predicted by variation in environmental temperature rather than pH.

Ethical concerns tied to research on human-animal embryos Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:38 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new bioethical framework for addressing concerns surrounding potentially revolutionary research on human-animal embryos.

Written 'report card' decreases dentists' antibiotic prescriptions Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:38 AM PDT Dentists are less likely to prescribe antibiotics after they receive a personalized report detailing their past prescription rates, according to a randomized controlled trial of UK dentists.

Plant roots built beachhead for life on land Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:12 AM PDT Plants -- even relatively small ones -- played a crucial role in establishing a beachhead for life on land, according to recent work by an international team of researchers. The group found that early in the history of Earth's terrestrial biosphere, a small plant called Drepanophycus, similar to modern club mosses, was already deeply rooted. This kept soils from washing away and even allowed build up as the resilient above-ground parts of the plants caught silt during floods. These plants -- typically a metre long at most -- helped form deep, stable soils where other plants could thrive.

Understanding how the 'police' of the cell world deal with 'intruders' and the 'injured' Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:07 AM PDT The job of policing the microenvironment around our cells is carried out by macrophages. Macrophages are the 'guards' that patrol most tissues of the body - poised to engulf infections or destroy and repair damaged tissue.

Bipolar adolescents continue to have elevated substance use disorder risk as young adults Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:07 AM PDT A follow up to a previous study finding an association between adolescent bipolar disorder and the incidence of cigarette smoking and substance use disorder finds that risk was even greater five years later, particularly among those with persistent bipolar symptoms. The study also finds evidence that the presence of conduct disorder, in combination with bipolar disorder, may be the strongest influence on the risk of smoking and substance use disorder.

Monkeys in zoos have human gut bacteria Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:18 AM PDT Monkeys in captivity lose much of their native gut bacteria diversity and their gut bacteria ends up resembling those of humans, new research shows. The results suggest that switching to a low-fiber, Western diet may have the power to deplete most normal primate gut microbes in favor of a less diverse set of bacteria.

New drug for tropical disease Trypanosomiasis discovered Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT Researchers are working to find the fastest way possible to treat and cure human African trypanosomiasis, long referred to as sleeping sickness. Human African trypanosomiasis, or HAT, is a tropical disease endemic to some rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. A vector-borne parasitic disease, existing diagnosis and treatment regimens are complex, especially challenging in some of the world's most poverty-stricken regions.

Defend or grow? These plants do both Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT From natural ecosystems to farmers' fields, plants face a dilemma of energy use: outgrow and out-compete their neighbors for light, or defend themselves against insects and disease. But what if you could grow a plant that does both at the same time? A team of researchers is the first to accomplish that feat, and the breakthrough could have fruitful implications for farmers trying to increase crop yields and feed the planet's growing population.

Having children at home did not prompt parents to test for radon, secondhand smoke Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT New findings show the presence of children in the home did not motivate parents to test and mitigate for radon and secondhand tobacco smoke, both of which cause lung cancer.

Diamonds and quantum information processing on the nano scale Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT Physicists have successfully demonstrated charge transport between Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers in diamond.

Addiction cravings may get their start deep in the right side of the brain Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT If you really want a drink right now, the source of your craving may be a pea-sized structure deep inside the right side of your brain, according to scientists.

The rise and fall of galaxy formation Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT Astronomers have charted the rise and fall of galaxies over 90 percent of cosmic history. The FourStar Galaxy Evolution Survey has built a multicolored photo album of galaxies as they grow from their faint beginnings into mature and majestic giants. They did so by measuring distances and brightnesses for more than 70,000 galaxies spanning more than 12 billion years of cosmic time, revealing the breadth of galactic diversity.

'Morning people' self-sabotage less at night, night owls' less at sunrise Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT A study by psychological researchers shows that people are more likely to undermine their performance at stressful tasks when they're operating at 'peak capacity' based on their preferred time of the day.

Children with asthma attacks triggered by colds less responsive to standard treatment Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT A study confirms that respiratory viral detection, not child's age, explains the high rate of hospitalization for asthma attacks in children under six.

Affordable Care Act has improved access to health care, but disparities persist Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT The Affordable Care Act has substantially decreased the number of uninsured Americans and improved access to health care, though insurance affordability and disparities by geography, race/ethnicity, and income persist. These are some of the findings revealed in nearly 100 studies, dating back to 2010, pertaining to the ACA in a new research paper.

Friends are no better than strangers in accurately identifying emotion in emails Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT Friends are no better at interpreting correct emotional intent in emails than complete strangers, new research indicates. The researchers found that writers are more confident their friends can correctly interpret their e-mails than strangers -- and readers are more confident in interpreting e-mails from friends than strangers, as well. However, this confidence had no relationship with actual accuracy, suggesting people are poor judges of their affect-detection skills.

Plants found to regulate leaf temperature to boost carbon uptake Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT A new study has found that plants regulate their leaf temperature with some independence from the surrounding air temperature, a trait that increases carbon uptake through photosynthesis.

Peers, public perception influence firefighters against safety equipment Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT Interviews conducted across the country found that firefighters are often influenced by both colleagues and the public's perception of them as risk-takers when choosing whether or not to use their safety equipment.

Retinoic acid suppresses colorectal cancer development, study finds Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT Levels of retinoic acid, a vitamin A metabolite, are low in mice and humans with colorectal cancer, according to new research. People with high levels of an enzyme that degrades retinoic acid have a poor prognosis, report researchers.

Cannabinoid receptor activates spermatozoa Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:17 AM PDT Biologists have detected a cannabinoid receptor in spermatozoa. Endogenous cannabinoids that occur in both the male and the female genital tract activate the spermatozoa: they trigger the so-called acrosome reaction, during which the spermatozoon releases digestive enzymes and loses the cap on the anterior half of its head. Without this reaction, spermatozoa cannot penetrate the ovum.

Making pesticide droplets less bouncy could cut agricultural runoff Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:17 AM PDT By using a clever combination of two inexpensive additives to the spray, researchers found they can drastically cut down on the amount of liquid that bounces off plants.

Variation in 'junk' DNA leads to trouble Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:17 AM PDT Although genetic variants are scattered throughout the human genome, scientists have largely ignored the stretches of repetitive genetic code known as 'junk' DNA in their search for differences that influence human health and disease. Now, researchers have discovered that variation in these overlooked regions can affect the stability of the genome and the proper function of the chromosomes that package our genetic material, leading to an increased risk of birth defects, infertility, and cancer.

Operational mechanism of the 'acid-sensing ion channel' that recognizes internal body pain Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:51 AM PDT A research team has identified the pain transmission mechanism at the molecular level and presented new solutions for the understanding of pain signals and the development of pain treatments.

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