ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Stress-hormone differences identified among gay men
• Relationships between chemicals found on comets
• Electronically picking your brain -- for market research
• Exotic insulator may hold clue to key mystery of modern physics
• Physicists confirm the precision of magnetic fields in world's most advanced stellarator
• Construction of practical quantum computers radically simplified
• Shape matters when light meets atom
• New evidence on the formation of the solar system
• Superconductivity of pure Bismuth crystal at 0.00053 K
• Turning off asthma attacks
• Researchers uncover more genetic links to brain cancer cell growth
• Alpha blockers more effective for large kidney stones
• Saturated fat could be good for you, study suggests
• Ceiling panel cools regardless of climate
• Rare childhood disease linked to major cancer gene
• How do children hear anger?
• Modifying a live virus in a vaccine to be just strong enough
• Possible new target for treating and preventing Alzheimer's
• New algorithm could explain human face recognition
• More frequent, more intense and longer-lasting storms cause heavier spring rain in central US
• Disabling critical 'node' revs up attack when cancer immunotherapies fall short
• A friend of a friend is…a dense network
• Shoulder replacements skyrocketing in the United States
• A cleaner, more efficient car? New material designed to better store hydrogen fuel
• Many lakes getting murkier, but study gives hope for improvement
• Scientists identify unique genomic features in testicular cancer
• Hearing 'meaningful' sounds decreases performance on cognitive tasks
• Women dissatisfied with long process to diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome
• Researchers examine effects of toxic stress on children's brain development
• New computational method to create drugs more efficiently
• Chimpanzees recognize one another from their rear ends

Stress-hormone differences identified among gay men Posted: 03 Dec 2016 12:45 PM PST Increased stigma and discrimination can affect circadian HPA-axis functioning, say researchers. The majority of previous studies have been conducted among white heterosexuals, with very little research examining HPA-axis functioning between different minorities. Individuals who identify as both sexual and racial minorities may experience increased stigma and discrimination that can affect this HPA-axis functioning. Now, researchers have examined differences in diurnal cortisol rhythm between young, self-identified, white gay men and black gay men.

Relationships between chemicals found on comets Posted: 03 Dec 2016 12:45 PM PST A new study has revealed similarities and relationships between certain types of chemicals found on 30 different comets, which vary widely in their overall composition compared to one another. The research is part of ongoing investigations into these primordial bodies, which contain material largely unchanged from the birth of the solar system some 4.6 billion years ago.

Electronically picking your brain -- for market research Posted: 03 Dec 2016 12:45 PM PST A researcher wants to scrap the traditional electronic and paper survey approaches to gathering marketing and information systems data in favor of scanning your brainwaves.

Exotic insulator may hold clue to key mystery of modern physics Posted: 02 Dec 2016 12:08 PM PST Experiments using laser light and pieces of gray material the size of fingernail clippings may offer clues to a fundamental scientific riddle: What is the relationship between the everyday world of classical physics and the hidden quantum realm that obeys entirely different rules?

Physicists confirm the precision of magnetic fields in world's most advanced stellarator Posted: 02 Dec 2016 08:52 AM PST Researchers have confirmed that the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) fusion energy device called a stellarator in Greifswald, Germany, produces high-quality magnetic fields that are consistent with their complex design.

Construction of practical quantum computers radically simplified Posted: 02 Dec 2016 07:34 AM PST Scientists have invented a ground-breaking new method that puts the construction of large-scale quantum computers within reach of current technology.

Shape matters when light meets atom Posted: 02 Dec 2016 07:33 AM PST Scientists in Singapore have shown that a photon's shape affects how it is absorbed by a single atom. The experiment involved infrared photons some 4 meters long and Rubidium atoms less than a nanometer wide.

New evidence on the formation of the solar system Posted: 02 Dec 2016 07:10 AM PST Scientists are using new computer models and evidence from meteorites to show that a low-mass supernova triggered the formation of our solar system.

Superconductivity of pure Bismuth crystal at 0.00053 K Posted: 02 Dec 2016 07:03 AM PST The properties of the 83rd element of the periodic table, namely, Bismuth (Bi) have been studied for more than a century and still continues to draw enormous scientific interests due to its anomalous electronic properties.

Turning off asthma attacks Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:51 AM PST Working with human immune cells in the laboratory, researchers report they have identified a critical cellular "off" switch for the inflammatory immune response that contributes to lung-constricting asthma attacks. The switch, they say, is composed of regulatory proteins that control an immune signaling pathway in cells.

Researchers uncover more genetic links to brain cancer cell growth Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:51 AM PST Two recently discovered genetic differences between brain cancer cells and normal tissue cells — an altered gene and a snippet of noncoding genetic material — could offer clues to tumor behavior and potential new targets for therapy, scientists report.

Alpha blockers more effective for large kidney stones Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:51 AM PST For the two-thirds of kidney stone patients who need more than just extra hydration to pass their stones, physicians are eager to find non-surgical ways to help. Now, a new review of the medical literature suggests alpha blockers may be useful in some cases.

Saturated fat could be good for you, study suggests Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:43 AM PST A new diet intervention study raises questions regarding the validity of a diet hypothesis that has dominated for more than half a century: that dietary fat and particularly saturated fat is unhealthy for most people.

Ceiling panel cools regardless of climate Posted: 02 Dec 2016 04:48 AM PST Poorly maintained air conditioning systems cause mold or other bacteria to spread; they often also generate drafts and are costly to operate. An alternative technology that uses ceiling panels covered in special heat-conducting film operates well below the dew point. The system offers hygienic cooling even in tropical climates, and uses up to 70 percent less energy.

Rare childhood disease linked to major cancer gene Posted: 01 Dec 2016 02:23 PM PST An important molecular link between a rare childhood genetic disease and a major cancer gene has been uncovered by scientists. The discovery could lead to improved treatment outcomes for some cancer patients, they say.

How do children hear anger? Posted: 01 Dec 2016 02:23 PM PST Even if they don't understand the words, infants react to the way their mother speaks and the emotions conveyed through speech. What exactly they react to and how has yet to be fully deciphered, but could have significant impact on a child's development. Researchers in acoustics and psychology teamed up to better define and study this impact.

Modifying a live virus in a vaccine to be just strong enough Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:59 PM PST By genetically tweaking the constituent live virus, scientists have created a vaccine against influenza in which the virus is capable of activating the immune system but cannot replicate in healthy cells -- an approach that may become more widely used for generating live virus vaccines adapted to other viruses.

Possible new target for treating and preventing Alzheimer's Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:54 PM PST Researchers have compared prevalence of aquaporin-4 in the brains of those who had Alzheimer's to those who didn't have the disease, and report that they may have found a new target for treating and preventing the disease.

New algorithm could explain human face recognition Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:53 PM PST Researchers have developed a new computational model of the human brain's face-recognition mechanism that seems to capture aspects of human neurology that previous models have missed.

More frequent, more intense and longer-lasting storms cause heavier spring rain in central US Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:48 PM PST Intense storms have become more frequent and longer-lasting in the Great Plains and Midwest in the last 35 years. What has fueled these storms? The temperature difference between the Southern Great Plains and the Atlantic Ocean produces winds that carry moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Plains, according to a recent study.

Disabling critical 'node' revs up attack when cancer immunotherapies fall short Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:44 PM PST An existing drug known as a JAK inhibitor may help patients who don't respond to the so-called checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs overcome that resistance, suggests a new preclinical study. Importantly, the results demonstrate that shutting down the interferon pathway, shown here to be critical to a tumor's resistance to immunotherapy, with a JAK inhibitor may improve checkpoint inhibitor drugs and even bypass the need for combinations of these drugs, which often come with serious side effects.

A friend of a friend is…a dense network Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:36 PM PST Networks evolve in different ways depending how often "second neighbor," or friends of friends, connections occur.

Shoulder replacements skyrocketing in the United States Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:36 PM PST The number of shoulder replacement surgeries has skyrocketed across the United States as technology improves and aging Baby Boomers seek to relieve pain and restore function to arthritic shoulders.

A cleaner, more efficient car? New material designed to better store hydrogen fuel Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:36 PM PST New materials have been designed that could be used to store hydrogen fuel more efficiently in vehicles or other devices that use clean energy.

Many lakes getting murkier, but study gives hope for improvement Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:34 PM PST A study of more than 5,000 Wisconsin lakes shows that nearly a quarter of them have become murkier in the past two decades. It also shows this trend could get worse as a changing climate leads to increased precipitation.

Scientists identify unique genomic features in testicular cancer Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:34 PM PST Researchers have identified unique genomic changes that may be integral to testicular cancer development and explain why the great majority are highly curable with chemotherapy – unlike most solid tumors.

Hearing 'meaningful' sounds decreases performance on cognitive tasks Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:34 PM PST Open office plans are becoming increasingly common in the workplace -- offering a way to optimize available space and encourage dialogue, interaction and collaboration among employees. However, a new study suggests that productive work-related conversations might actually decrease the performance of other employees within earshot -- more so than other random, meaningless noises.

Women dissatisfied with long process to diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:17 PM PST A large international survey of women with a common condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized by reproductive and metabolic problems, found nearly two in three were dissatisfied with the length of time they waited and the number of healthcare professionals they had to see before they received a diagnosis, according to a new study.

Researchers examine effects of toxic stress on children's brain development Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:17 PM PST A new study uses fMRI data to compare brain development between children who experience pervasive, continuing trauma and those with "normal" development.

New computational method to create drugs more efficiently Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:08 PM PST Researchers have developed a more efficient computational method to identify new drugs. The study proposes a new way of facing the discovery of molecules with biological activity.

Chimpanzees recognize one another from their rear ends Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:07 PM PST It is important for social animals to be able to recognise one another quickly. Humans are able to recognize each other immediately from their faces. Faces are also important for chimpanzees, but a new study shows that the animals' buttocks also play a role.

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