ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Oncoproteins interact to promote cancer cell growth in retinoblastoma
• In crafting new treatments for hemophilia, a 'less is more' approach
• Smartphone microscope creates interactive tool for microbiology
• Making of a desert: Central Asia over the ages
• Will millennials ever get married?
• Human sex reversal as a protein numbers game
• Estrogen signaling impacted immune response in cancer
• Beyond genes: Protein atlas scores nitrogen fixing duet
• 'Super yeast' has the power to improve economics of biofuels
• Researchers road-test powerful method for studying singlet fission
• Nanowires as sensors in new type of atomic force microscope
• Leukemia cell movement gives clues to tackling treatment-resistant disease
• 'Shadow method' reveals locomotion secrets of water striders
• Ready for Mars: ExoMars has just a single chance to get captured by Mars’ gravity
• Finding ideal materials for carbon capture
• Scientist creates most efficient quantum cascade laser ever
• Bait worms are a valuable marine resource
• Ancient hominid 'hanky panky' also influenced spread of STIs
• Risk-taking behavior in teens caused by imbalanced brain activity
• 'DarkLight' enables visible light communication in the dark
• Fruit-rich Mediterranean diet with antioxidants may cut age-related macular degeneration risk by more than a third
• Developing a sensor for vitamin B12 deficiency
• Wearable tattoo sends alcohol levels to your cell phone
• Reducing risk of lung distress in preterm babies
• Gut bacteria can aid recovery from spinal cord injury, study suggests
• Wheel lets researchers measure fruit-fly exercise
• Foster care children at much greater risk of physical, mental health problems
• Could assisted reproduction reduce birth defects for older women?
• 'That pizza was #Delish!' What do tweets say about our health?
• Scientists uncover new facets of Zika-related birth defects to help develop treatment
• Worked to death? Study says lack of control over high-stress jobs can lead to early grave
• Pregabalin may lessen pain from irritable bowel syndrome, study finds
• Close proximity of slum dwellers could be answer to health problems
• Earthquake series cause uplift variations at continental margins
• Physicists develop world's first artificial cell-like spheres from natural proteins
• Two studies describe the function of PrPc, the 'good' alter ego of prions
• Embryonic white blood cells needed in adulthood
• Computers should be named on patents as inventors, for creativity to flourish
• How an untested drugs scandal could lead to better clinical practice
• Boys more exposed to relational bullying
• Bad relationships increase risk of infection in both mother and child
• Cold medicine could stop cancer spread, study shows
• Towards increasingly personalized fracture risk assessment
• All-female hybrid fish species 'uses' males for better genetics
• California condors' genetic bottleneck: New evidence
• Knowingly taking placebo pills eases pain, study finds
• Physicists pass spin information through a superconductor

Oncoproteins interact to promote cancer cell growth in retinoblastoma Posted: 17 Oct 2016 11:05 AM PDT An unsuspected and critical role of the MDM2 oncogene has been uncovered in promoting expression of the MYCN oncogene that is required for growth and survival of retinoblastoma cells.

In crafting new treatments for hemophilia, a 'less is more' approach Posted: 17 Oct 2016 11:05 AM PDT Hematology researchers have found that blocking the role of a common protein may offer unexpected benefits for patients with the inherited bleeding disorder hemophilia A. The finding offers potential for developing both gene therapy and more effective protein replacement treatments for hemophilia A, the most common form of hemophilia.

Smartphone microscope creates interactive tool for microbiology Posted: 17 Oct 2016 10:01 AM PDT An easily assembled smartphone microscope provides new ways of interacting with and learning about common microbes. The open-source device could be used by teachers or in other educational settings, say its developers.

Making of a desert: Central Asia over the ages Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:59 AM PDT The first large-scale map of rainfall declines revealed by signatures in ancient soil could help researchers better understand profound regional and global climate transformation.

Will millennials ever get married? Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:42 AM PDT Millennials are getting married later in life and are on pace to stay unmarried at rates higher than previous generations, statistics show.

Human sex reversal as a protein numbers game Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:42 AM PDT A group of researchers has completed a comprehensive molecular analysis of a toddler who developed as a female despite having a male genetic background, termed XY sex reversal. The study identifies for the first time how the machinery for destruction of proteins can render a person poised at the borderline between male and female patterns of development.

Estrogen signaling impacted immune response in cancer Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:42 AM PDT Estrogen signaling was responsible for immunosuppressive effects in the tumor microenvironment across cancer types, a new study has concluded. These findings pave the way for combining immunotherapeutic treatments with anti-estrogen drugs that may significantly extend survival.

Beyond genes: Protein atlas scores nitrogen fixing duet Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:40 AM PDT Of the many elusive grails of agricultural biotechnology, the ability to confer nitrogen fixation into non-leguminous plants such as cereals ranks near the very top, say researchers.

'Super yeast' has the power to improve economics of biofuels Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:40 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to nearly double the efficiency with which a commonly used industrial yeast strain converts plant sugars to biofuel. The newly engineered "super yeast" could boost the economics of making ethanol, specialty biofuels and bioproducts.

Researchers road-test powerful method for studying singlet fission Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:37 AM PDT Physicists have successfully employed a powerful technique for studying electrons generated through singlet fission, a process which it is believed will be key to more efficient solar energy production in years to come.

Nanowires as sensors in new type of atomic force microscope Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:37 AM PDT A new type of atomic force microscope (AFM) uses nanowires as tiny sensors. Unlike standard AFM, the device with a nanowire sensor enables measurements of both the size and direction of forces.

Leukemia cell movement gives clues to tackling treatment-resistant disease Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:37 AM PDT New research is shedding light on how leukemia cells can survive cancer treatment, suggesting new possibilities for stopping them in their tracks.

'Shadow method' reveals locomotion secrets of water striders Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:37 AM PDT Intrigued by the floating mechanisms of water striders and the updated Archimedes' principle, which states that floating force equals the expelled liquid volume, researchers sought to discover how the pressed depth and supporting force of water surface acted upon a water strider's six legs. Now, they report that they have developed a "shadow method" based on the refraction of light to make these measurements.

Ready for Mars: ExoMars has just a single chance to get captured by Mars’ gravity Posted: 17 Oct 2016 08:33 AM PDT Next week, ESA's ExoMars has just a single chance to get captured by Mars' gravity. The spacecraft and the mission controllers who will make it so are ready for arrival.

Finding ideal materials for carbon capture Posted: 17 Oct 2016 08:21 AM PDT In recent years, a class of highly absorbent, nanoporous materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a promising material for carbon capture in power plants. But finding the optimal MOF to do the best job is another story.

Scientist creates most efficient quantum cascade laser ever Posted: 17 Oct 2016 08:20 AM PDT The most efficient quantum cascade laser ever designed have now been created by researchers who have done it in a way that makes the lasers easier to manufacture. Quantum cascade lasers, or QCLs, are tiny -- smaller than a grain of rice -- but they pack a punch. Compared to traditional lasers, QCLs offer higher power output and can be tuned to a wide range of infrared wavelengths. They can also be used at room temperature without the need for bulky cooling systems.

Bait worms are a valuable marine resource Posted: 17 Oct 2016 08:15 AM PDT The humble bait worm wriggling on the hook at the end of angler's line may be considered a low value resource, but in the first global assessment of its value and impact, researchers have revealed it to be a multi-billion pound global industry worth nearly £6 billion per year.

Ancient hominid 'hanky panky' also influenced spread of STIs Posted: 17 Oct 2016 08:03 AM PDT With recent studies proving that almost everyone has a little bit of Neanderthal DNA in them ---- up to 5 percent of the human genome --- it's become clear our ancestors not only had some serious hominid 'hanky panky' going on, but with it, a potential downside: the spread of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs.

Risk-taking behavior in teens caused by imbalanced brain activity Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:55 AM PDT Adolescents among humans and non-human animals alike are more inclined to engage in heightened risk-taking behavior, exploration and novelty seeking. Although these attributes provide adaptive value in enabling individuals to gain importance in the world, including independence from parents, if taken too far, this tendency could lead to potentially dangerous behavior, including drug use, harmful drinking, addiction, unsafe sex, and risky driving, which may result in unintended injuries, violence and/or even premature death. A new study demonstrates for the first time, the causal relationship between behavioral control and a specific imbalance in brain function that exists during adolescence.

'DarkLight' enables visible light communication in the dark Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:48 AM PDT With the rise in wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers that rely on smart sensors, and the continued popularity of smartphones, smart devices are taking our country by storm. Wireless data for such devices is typically beamed through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, yet, the new wireless communication technology of "visible light communication (VLC)," has emerged as a new option albeit with limitations due to the challenges it faces in practice, such as being easily blocked or not being able to sustain transmission when light is off. Through a new project called "DarkLight," researchers have developed and demonstrated for the first-time, how visible light can be used to transmit data even when the light appears dark or off.

Fruit-rich Mediterranean diet with antioxidants may cut age-related macular degeneration risk by more than a third Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT People who closely follow the Mediterranean diet – especially by eating fruit – may be more than a third less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, according to a study.

Developing a sensor for vitamin B12 deficiency Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT A world-first optical sensor has been developed that can detect vitamin B12 in diluted human blood – a first step towards a low-cost, portable, broadscale vitamin B12 deficiency test. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Wearable tattoo sends alcohol levels to your cell phone Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT Engineers have developed a small device, worn on the skin, that detects alcohol levels in perspiration and sends the information to the users smart phone in just 8 minutes. It was designed as a convenient method for individuals to monitor their alcohol intake.

Reducing risk of lung distress in preterm babies Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT Steroids for women at risk of preterm birth improve lung development and reduces risk of severe respiratory distress in babies, shows new research.

Gut bacteria can aid recovery from spinal cord injury, study suggests Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:28 AM PDT Spinal cord injury alters the type of bacteria living in the gut and that these changes can exacerbate the extent of neurological damage and impair recovery of function, new research suggests. The study demonstrates that counteracting these changes with probiotics could aid patients' recovery from spinal cord injuries.

Wheel lets researchers measure fruit-fly exercise Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:28 AM PDT A device called the TreadWheel can be used to study the benefits of exercise on fruit flies, new research suggests. The researchers observed that across all genotypes the gentle TreadWheel exerciser helped to reduce the fruit flies' weight and increased metabolism, and improved climbing ability.

Foster care children at much greater risk of physical, mental health problems Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT Children who have been in the U.S. foster care system are at a significantly higher risk of mental and physical health problems – ranging from learning disabilities, developmental delays and depression to behavioral issues, asthma and obesity – than children who haven't been in foster care, according to a sociologist.

Could assisted reproduction reduce birth defects for older women? Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT Babies born to women aged 40 and over from assisted reproduction have fewer birth defects compared with those from women who conceive naturally at the same age, according to new research.

'That pizza was #Delish!' What do tweets say about our health? Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT "Coffee" was the most tweeted food in the continental U.S. between mid-2014 to mid-2015 followed by "beer" then "pizza". Besides hinting at which foods are popular, scientists are finding that tweets reveal something about our health. Communities that tweeted more often about physical activities, or expressed positive sentiments about healthy foods, had better overall health.

Scientists uncover new facets of Zika-related birth defects to help develop treatment Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:41 AM PDT In a study that could one day help eliminate the tragic birth defects caused by Zika virus, scientists have elucidated how the virus attacks the brains of newborns, information that could accelerate the development of treatments.

Worked to death? Study says lack of control over high-stress jobs can lead to early grave Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:41 AM PDT Those in high-stress jobs with little control over their workflow die younger or are less healthy than those who have more flexibility and discretion in their jobs and are able to set their own goals as part of their employment, a new study concludes.

Pregabalin may lessen pain from irritable bowel syndrome, study finds Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:41 AM PDT Patients suffering from pain related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may benefit from taking pregabalin, a neuro-pain inhibitor commonly used to treat fibromyalgia, a pilot study has found.

Close proximity of slum dwellers could be answer to health problems Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT The 'neighborhood effect' of slums could help to alleviate some of their associated health problems, a new, international study suggests.

Earthquake series cause uplift variations at continental margins Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT A new mechanism may explain how great earthquakes with magnitudes larger than M7 are linked to coastal uplift in many regions worldwide. This has important implications for the seismic hazard and the tsunami risk along the shores of many countries. The idea is that series of severe earthquakes within a geologically short period of time cause the rising of the land where one tectonic plate slips beneath another slab of the Earth's crust in a process called subduction.

Physicists develop world's first artificial cell-like spheres from natural proteins Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Physicists have developed the world's first artificial cell-like spheres from natural proteins, outlines a new report.

Two studies describe the function of PrPc, the 'good' alter ego of prions Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Two new studies reveal important details about the physiological function of the prion protein, the non-pathological form of the notorious prion, the degenerate protein responsible for several diseases including "mad cow disease." According to the new findings, the protein in its physiological form serves the important function of promoting the growth of neurites, the neural projections along which nerve impulses travel.

Embryonic white blood cells needed in adulthood Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Leukocytes that arise during the embryonic period regulate iron metabolism and the growth of the mammary gland in adults, scientists have discovered.

Computers should be named on patents as inventors, for creativity to flourish Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT New research is calling for inventions by computers to be legally granted patents. The research states that the rapid increase in computer power is posing new challenges when it comes to patenting an invention. Artificial intelligence is playing an ever larger role in innovation -- with major players such as IBM, Pfizer and Google investing heavily in creative computing -- but current patent law does not recognize computers as inventors.

How an untested drugs scandal could lead to better clinical practice Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Cancer researchers and patients from all over the world can learn valuable lessons from a recent Brazilian scientific scandal, according to a new policy paper. In Brazil, the distribution by "researchers" to patients of an untested compound called phosphoethanolamine (PHOS) led to a widely publicized scientific debacle.

Boys more exposed to relational bullying Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT When researchers examined bullying in twenty schools, they were told that the main problem was drama created by the girls. Their findings told a very different story, however.

Bad relationships increase risk of infection in both mother and child Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT Pregnant women dissatisfied in their relationship have an increased risk of infectious diseases. This also affects their children, reports a research team.

Cold medicine could stop cancer spread, study shows Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT A nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug used for treating colds suppresses the spread of bladder cancers and reduces their chemoresistance in mice, raising hopes of a future cure for advanced bladder cancers, report researchers.

Towards increasingly personalized fracture risk assessment Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT In people over 50 years of age, fractures are so common that for example one in three women will suffer a wrist, ankle or hip fracture during their life. Low-energy fractures caused by bone weakening are one manifestation of osteoporosis. These fractures are painful and considerably weaken the patient's quality of life and, in the worst case scenario, can even lead to death.

All-female hybrid fish species 'uses' males for better genetics Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT A hybrid species of all-female fish in the north Pacific Ocean may have survived for an uncharacteristically long period of time by switching mating species, say scientists.

California condors' genetic bottleneck: New evidence Posted: 16 Oct 2016 11:11 AM PDT The existing genetic diversity of California Condors, all of which are descended from just 14 individuals, is strikingly low. But were condors more genetically diverse before their 20th century population crash, or were they already, as one paleontologist put it in the 1940s, a Pleistocene relict with "one wing in the grave"? The researchers behind a new study analyzed samples from condor museum specimens dating back to the 1820s and found that the historical population was surprisingly diverse, but that a substantial amount of that diversity was lost in the last two centuries.

Knowingly taking placebo pills eases pain, study finds Posted: 14 Oct 2016 06:49 PM PDT A new study is the first to demonstrate beneficial placebo effect for lower back pain sufferers who knew they were taking 'fake pills.' Patients who knowingly took placebos reported 30 percent less pain and 29 percent reduction in disability compared to control group. 'Open-labeling' addresses longtime ethical dilemma, allowing patients to choose placebo treatments with informed consent.

Physicists pass spin information through a superconductor Posted: 14 Oct 2016 06:45 PM PDT Researchers have made a discovery that could lay the foundation for quantum superconducting devices. Their breakthrough solves one the main challenges to quantum computing: how to transmit spin information through superconducting materials.

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