ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Mapping out ways to pay for climate-related loss, damage
• Lack of plasmodium surface-protein blocks mosquito infection
• Major ocean current is widening as climate warms
• Mammalian bone gene may be repurposed to fuel cognition in humans
• Leg movement restored in primates using wireless neural interface
• Three new bird species discovered in Africa
• Key indicator of carbon sources in Earth's mantle
• Record hot year may be the new normal by 2025
• Skin pigment could help strengthen foams, fabrics
• Toward a hand-held 'breathalyzer' for diagnosing diabetes
• Focus on quiescent cells brings to light essential role of RNAi in transcription control
• Knowing risk factors could help catch melanomas
• Brazilian free-tailed bat is the fastest flyer in the animal kingdom
• Trickling electrons: Close to absolute zero, the particles exhibit their quantum nature
• Computers made of genetic material?
• Healthy living means better brain function
• Full detonation in the hippocampus
• New pathway towards treatments for inflammatory diseases
• 'Bottlebrush' polymers make dielectric elastomers increasingly viable for use in devices
• CT scans reveal birds' built-in air conditioners
• Shorter sleep linked to sugar-sweetened drink consumption
• Probing underground depths of Earth’s carbon cycle
• Nanoparticle treatment adds antimicrobial coatings to leather
• Targeting pathogenic bacteria
• Tropical bed bug reappears after 60-year absence
• Researchers find key to drug resistant bowel cancer
• Marker for aggressive prostate cancer doubles-up as a drug target
• Giving more pregnant women common thyroid medicine may reduce risk of complications
• New approach predicts price trends in the stock options market
• Comet Chury is much younger than previously thought
• New regulator in glucose metabolism discovered
• Dyke inspection robot with an innovative powertrain
• Personality tests for fish could help boost reproduction rates
• Urinary incontinence is common also in women who have not given birth
• Microscopic sensor for more precise radiology treatments
• Excessive BMI increase during puberty identified as a new risk factor for mortality due to cardiovascular disease
• Researchers reveal how neurodegenerative diseases spread through the brain
• The thinnest photodetector in the world
• Human health risks from hydroelectric projects
• Sculpting solar systems: Instrument reveals protoplanetary discs being shaped by newborn planets
• Physicists build diagnostic that measures plasma velocity in real time
• Social networking by doctors may save patients' lives, study suggests
• Too small to be lean? Implementing lean philosophy in SMEs
• New technology taps power of diatoms to dramatically improve sensor performance
• Genetically engineering disease-fighting cells
• Peat bog reveals more than 1,000 years of Tanzanian history

Mapping out ways to pay for climate-related loss, damage Posted: 09 Nov 2016 11:03 AM PST New work clarifies a key article of the Paris Agreement and assesses options that can help pay for the losses and damages climate change will inflict.

Lack of plasmodium surface-protein blocks mosquito infection Posted: 09 Nov 2016 10:38 AM PST A previously unknown feature of the malaria parasite development has just been released by an international research team. Their study has shown that, contrary to what has been assumed so far, a Plasmodium surface-protein plays an essential role at a stage of its life cycle that occurs not in the body of the host, but in the guts of the Anopheles mosquito. The finding has consequences for the search for vaccines or drugs that could alleviate the suffering caused by malaria. By 2015, 214 million people were affected by the parasite, especially in Africa.

Major ocean current is widening as climate warms Posted: 09 Nov 2016 10:37 AM PST A new study found that the Indian Ocean's Agulhas Current is getting wider rather than strengthening. The findings, which have important implications for global climate change, suggest that intensifying winds in the region may be increasing the turbulence of the current, rather than increasing its flow rate.

Mammalian bone gene may be repurposed to fuel cognition in humans Posted: 09 Nov 2016 10:36 AM PST A gene that regulates bone growth and muscle metabolism in mammals may take on an additional role as a promoter of brain maturation, cognition and learning in human and nonhuman primates, according to neurobiologists.

Leg movement restored in primates using wireless neural interface Posted: 09 Nov 2016 10:31 AM PST An international team of scientists has used a wireless "brain-spinal interface" to bypass spinal cord injuries in a pair of rhesus macaques, restoring intentional walking movement to a temporarily paralyzed leg. The researchers say this is the first time a neural prosthetic has been used to restore walking movement directly to the legs of nonhuman primates.

Three new bird species discovered in Africa Posted: 09 Nov 2016 10:26 AM PST Three never before documented bird species have been discovered in Africa, and there could well be more, say researchers.

Key indicator of carbon sources in Earth's mantle Posted: 09 Nov 2016 10:26 AM PST Researchers have found evidence of varying ratios of boron isotopes in igneous rocks, known as carbonatites, of different ages.

Record hot year may be the new normal by 2025 Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:47 AM PST The hottest year on record globally in 2015 could be just another average year by 2025 if carbon emissions continue to rise at their current rate, according to new research.

Skin pigment could help strengthen foams, fabrics Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:44 AM PST Melanin is the natural molecule in animals' skin, hair and the iris of eyes that gives them color and helps protect them from ultraviolet light. Someday soon, the pigment could be found in unexpected places such as sofa cushions or clothing -- but not for its hue. Scientists have found that adding a small amount of melanin to polyurethane makes it far stronger than the material by itself.

Toward a hand-held 'breathalyzer' for diagnosing diabetes Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:43 AM PST For several years, scientists have been working toward "breathalyzers" that can diagnose various diseases without painful pinpricks, needles or other unpleasant methods. Now, one team has developed a new, portable breath analyzer that could someday help doctors diagnose diabetes noninvasively in the office.

Focus on quiescent cells brings to light essential role of RNAi in transcription control Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:36 AM PST Some cells just don't get the respect they deserve. In fact, most cells don't. Over 99 percent of the innumerable cells on our planet exist in a state of quiescence. Pick up a handful of soil: it contains thousands of microorganisms, almost every one of which would not grow if you placed it in a culture dish. These cells are metabolically active—yes, alive—but they are not dividing. And they will remain in a reproductively "quiet" state unless stimulated under specific conditions to re-enter the cell cycle and gear up to divide once again.

Knowing risk factors could help catch melanomas Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:35 AM PST A new study identifies high risk melanoma patients who may benefit from tailored surveillance. The incidence of melanoma that occurs on the skin is increasing in predominantly white-skinned populations.

Brazilian free-tailed bat is the fastest flyer in the animal kingdom Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:34 AM PST Up to now, the speed record for horizontal flight was held by birds from the swift family: the common swift, for example, can reach speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour. Investigators have now discovered a new front-runner among the acrobats of the air. However, the animal involved here is not a bird but a bat: the Brazilian free-tailed bat shoots through the night skies at over 160 kilometers per hour.

Trickling electrons: Close to absolute zero, the particles exhibit their quantum nature Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:33 AM PST What would happen if an electric current no longer flowed, but trickled instead? A new investigation involved cooling their scanning tunneling microscope down to a fifteen thousandth of a degree above absolute zero. At these extremely low temperatures, the electrons reveal their quantum nature. The electric current is therefore a granular medium, consisting of individual particles. The electrons trickle through a conductor like grains of sand in an hourglass, a phenomenon that can be explained with the aid of quantum electrodynamics.

Computers made of genetic material? Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:33 AM PST Tinier than the AIDS virus -- that is currently the circumference of the smallest transistors. The industry has shrunk the central elements of their computer chips to fourteen nanometers in the last sixty years. Conventional methods, however, are hitting physical boundaries. Researchers around the world are looking for alternatives. One method could be the self-organization of complex components from molecules and atoms. Scientists have now made an important advance: the physicists conducted a current through gold-plated nanowires, which independently assembled themselves from single DNA strands.

Healthy living means better brain function Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:30 AM PST A feedback loop exists between greater executive function and healthy behavior, scientists report. Specifically, individuals with poor executive function showed subsequent decreases in their rates of participation in physical activity and older adults who engaged in sports and other physical activities tended to retain high levels of executive function over time.

Full detonation in the hippocampus Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:30 AM PST Altering synaptic plasticity leads to a computational switch in a hippocampal synapse: the presynaptic neuron turns into "detonator" mode, causing its postsynaptic partner to fire more readily.

New pathway towards treatments for inflammatory diseases Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:28 AM PST A molecule thought to play a key role in some inflammatory diseases can be switched off by two widely used medicines, new research has shown. Scientists have identified a new biochemical pathway that can be controlled using metformin - a medicine used by diabetics to control blood sugar levels - and salicylate - the main ingredient in aspirin.

'Bottlebrush' polymers make dielectric elastomers increasingly viable for use in devices Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:28 AM PST A multi-institutional research team has developed a new electroactive polymer material that can change shape and size when exposed to a relatively small electric field. The advance overcomes two longstanding challenges regarding the use of electroactive polymers to develop new devices, opening the door to a suite of applications ranging from microrobotics to designer haptic, optic, microfluidic and wearable technologies.

CT scans reveal birds' built-in air conditioners Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:26 AM PST Birds' beaks come in an incredible range of shapes and sizes, adapted for survival in environments around the world. But as a new study reveals, there's even more to bird beaks than meets the eye -- the insides of birds' bills are filled with complex structures that help them meet the demands of hot climates.

Shorter sleep linked to sugar-sweetened drink consumption Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:25 AM PST Treating sleep deprivation could potentially help reduce sugar intake, a new study suggests. People who sleep five or fewer hours a night are likely to also drink significantly more sugary caffeinated drinks, such as sodas and energy drinks, researchers found.

Probing underground depths of Earth’s carbon cycle Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:10 AM PST Understanding how carbon dissolves in water at the molecular level under extreme conditions is critical to understanding the Earth's deep carbon cycle -- a process that ultimately influences global climate change.

Nanoparticle treatment adds antimicrobial coatings to leather Posted: 09 Nov 2016 08:10 AM PST Traditional leather manufacturing requires the use of several toxic chemicals, such as halogenated flame retardants or organic antimicrobial solvents, which cause pollution. Now, scientists are testing an eco-friendly alternative: silver-titanium nanoparticles.

Targeting pathogenic bacteria Posted: 09 Nov 2016 07:07 AM PST Applied physicists have recognized the limited reliability of antibodies in providing bacterial detection with specificity. Instead they used phage-derived proteins, proteins developed from the bacteria-invading viruses, for detection of pathogenic bacteria to address this deficiency. This work has implications not only in disease diagnosis, but also in food and water safety.

Tropical bed bug reappears after 60-year absence Posted: 09 Nov 2016 07:07 AM PST Biologically, tropical bed bugs mirror common bed bugs in that they feed on human blood. So they're likely to cause similar health problems if you get a severe infestation: fear, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and itchy, blistery reactions on some people.

Researchers find key to drug resistant bowel cancer Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST Blcoking a molecule could bypass bowel cancer's defense against the drug cetuximab, according to new research.

Marker for aggressive prostate cancer doubles-up as a drug target Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST A marker found on aggressive prostate cancer cells could also be used as a way to guide treatments to the cancer, according to new research.

Giving more pregnant women common thyroid medicine may reduce risk of complications Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST Extending the number of pregnant women given the common drug levothyroxine to boost thyroid hormone levels may lead to a reduced number of stillbirths, early caesarean sections and low-weight babies, according to a new study.

New approach predicts price trends in the stock options market Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST A novel method to identify how options traders exploit mutual fund non-fundamental price pressure on aggregate stock prices is outlined in a new paper.

Comet Chury is much younger than previously thought Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST Based on computer simulations, astrophysicists conclude that the comet Chury did not obtain its duck-like form during the formation of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Although it does contain primordial material, they are able to show that the comet in its present form is hardly more than a billion years old.

New regulator in glucose metabolism discovered Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST A key genetic switch in the liver regulates glucose metabolism and insulin action in other organs of the body, scientists have discovered.

Dyke inspection robot with an innovative powertrain Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST Future robots that continuously inspect our dykes, don't come across an electrical charging station every few hours. Using a smart gear box for the robot, a researcher manages to drastically reduce the energy consumption. The energy-autonomous robot comes closer.

Personality tests for fish could help boost reproduction rates Posted: 09 Nov 2016 06:03 AM PST Aquaculture experts have found the way fish, Senegalese sole, cope with stress is determined by their personality and remains consistent regardless of the situation they are in.

Urinary incontinence is common also in women who have not given birth Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST Women who have not given birth often end up under the radar for research on urinary incontinence. In a study of this group, however, one in five women over 45 years say they experience this type of incontinence.

Microscopic sensor for more precise radiology treatments Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST A team of researchers is the first in the world to succeed in quantifying the effects of radiation on individual cancer cells. This means that radiation therapies can now be tailored to individual tumors and thus be more effective.

Excessive BMI increase during puberty identified as a new risk factor for mortality due to cardiovascular disease Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST Boys with a large increase in body mass index (BMI) during puberty are at increased risk of death due to cardiovascular disease later in life. There is no corresponding risk among boys overweight when younger and who have normal weight during adolescence, according to a study.

Researchers reveal how neurodegenerative diseases spread through the brain Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST Synapses, the place where brain cells contact one another, play a pivotal role in the transmission of toxic proteins. This allows neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's to spread through the brain, scientists conclude. If the spreading of these toxic proteins could be prevented, the progression of neurodegenerative diseases might be slowed down substantially.

The thinnest photodetector in the world Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST The world's thinnest photodetector has been developed. This is a device that converts light into an electric current. With a thickness of just 1.3 nanometers - 10 times smaller than the current standard silicon diodes - this device could be used in the Internet of Things, smart devices, wearable electronics and photoelectronics. This 2D technology uses molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) sandwiched in graphene.

Human health risks from hydroelectric projects Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST Over 90 percent of potential new Canadian hydroelectric projects are likely to increase concentrations of the neurotoxin methylmercury in food webs near indigenous communities, new research has found.

Sculpting solar systems: Instrument reveals protoplanetary discs being shaped by newborn planets Posted: 09 Nov 2016 05:58 AM PST Three teams of astronomers have made use of SPHERE, an advanced exoplanet-hunting instrument on the Very Large Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory, in order to shed light on the enigmatic evolution of fledgling planetary systems. The explosion in the number of known exoplanets in recent years has made the study of them one of the most dynamic fields in modern astronomy.

Physicists build diagnostic that measures plasma velocity in real time Posted: 08 Nov 2016 02:30 PM PST Physicists have developed a diagnostic that provides crucial real-time information about the ultrahot plasma swirling within doughnut-shaped fusion machines known as tokamaks.

Social networking by doctors may save patients' lives, study suggests Posted: 08 Nov 2016 02:30 PM PST Heart surgery patients' chances of survival depends in part on the overall previous level of teamwork among all the physicians who cared for them across their surgery preparation, operation, hospitalization and recuperation, research indicates.

Too small to be lean? Implementing lean philosophy in SMEs Posted: 08 Nov 2016 02:29 PM PST Lean philosophy has long been propagated as a success story of large, automotive companies with Toyota frequently quoted as a shiny example of a success in "becoming lean".

New technology taps power of diatoms to dramatically improve sensor performance Posted: 08 Nov 2016 12:34 PM PST Researchers have combined one of nature's tiny miracles, the diatom, with a version of inkjet printing and optical sensing to create an exceptional sensing device that may be up to 10 million times more sensitive than some other commonly used approaches.

Genetically engineering disease-fighting cells Posted: 08 Nov 2016 10:12 AM PST The human body produces T cells to recognize and fight disease. Each T cell has a unique T cell receptor (or TCR) on its surface that surveils small fragments of proteins presented by other cells. Upon detecting evidence of cancer or infection, a subset of T cells binds the diseased cells and orchestrates their elimination. When tumors and infections cannot be eradicated naturally, researchers employ immunotherapies to boost the immune system's effectiveness.

Peat bog reveals more than 1,000 years of Tanzanian history Posted: 08 Nov 2016 10:04 AM PST Scientists have charted more than 1,000 years of Tanzanian environmental history using sediments extracted from a peat bog. Working in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania, where only 15% of the tropical forests remain compared to 1,000 years ago, the team aimed to identify if the region's rich biodiversity had altered over the years and what major events in history, such as the emergence of the ivory trade in the Victorian period, might have contributed to changes in the forests.

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