ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Devastating decline for the giraffe
• Climate change is already causing widespread local extinction in plant and animal species
• Pioneering nanotechnology captures energy from people
• Mobile money lifts Kenyan households out of poverty
• Researchers map neural circuitry of songbird learning
• Neuroimaging categorizes four depression subtypes
• Scientists develop new drug screening tool for dystonia
• Fishery bycatch rapidly driving Mexico's vaquita to extinction
• Illusion reveals that the brain fills in peripheral vision
• Protein disrupts infectious biofilms
• Personality traits, psychiatric disorders linked to specific genomic locations
• Hidden images created with commercial inkjet printers
• Brain neurons help keep track of time
• Amateur astronomer helps uncover secrets of unique pulsar binary system
• Against the tide: A fish adapts quickly to lethal levels of pollution
• A nano-roundabout for light
• Better diabetes treatment? Artificial beta cells from human kidney cells
• People willing to pay more for new biofuels, study finds
• Scientists reveal 'safety catch' within all dividing cells
• Amber specimen offers rare glimpse of feathered dinosaur tail
• 17th Century strain of smallpox retrieved from partial mummified remains of Lithuanian child
• How to make a motor neuron
• Further improvement of qubit lifetime for future quantum computers
• Who needs a body? Not these larvae, which are basically swimming heads
• Jumping water striders know how to avoid breaking water surface
• Role of protein in pancreatic secretion suggests potential method for treating diabetes
• Honeybee memories: Another piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle?
• Thermoelectric material made in paintable liquid form
• Researchers find the incident commander in the brain's defence system
• EEG reveals information essential to users
• Drug use strong predictor for postpartum mental health problems
• Anxiety measure for children with autism proven reliable
• Keeping electric car design on the right road
• How miniature predators get their favorite soil bacteria
• Protection against Zika just as important during winter
• Scientists track restoration of communication in minimally conscious patient
• Scientists' study of human migration could help understand cancer metastasis
• Mixed results: 2016 Ocean Health Index shows no major declines, and few real improvements
• Scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun
• RNA modification important for brain function
• How to mix the perfect (drug) cocktail
• Observing crystallization at the molecular level for the first time
• Fossilized evidence of a tumor in a 255-million-year-old mammal forerunner
• High altitudes hamper hummingbirds' ability to maneuver
• New tool to help predict dementia risk in older people
• Researchers link dental problems in cleft lip and palate to abnormal salivary glands
• Oxygen can wake up dormant bacteria for antibiotic attacks
• Dipole orientation: New dimension in super-resolution microscopy
• Scientists examine bacterium found 1,000 feet underground
• Will Earth still exist 5 billion years from now?
• Scientists track chemical, structural evolution of catalytic nanoparticles in 3D
• Localized immunotherapy new possibility to treat bladder cancer
• GPs not dissatisfied with performance related pay, study finds
• Newly discovered bacteria-binding protein in the intestine
• New biomarker is higher in suicide attempters and associated with stress response
• Heavy alcohol use changes adolescents' brains
• Uncertainties related to climate engineering limit its use in curbing climate change
• Successful synthesis of pure organic molecules that shows metallic conduction under ambient pressure
• Rare combination of genetic changes increases the virulence of canine distemper virus
• DNA methylation biomarker for prostate cancer shows promise for accurately determining a patient's risk

Devastating decline for the giraffe Posted: 08 Dec 2016 01:24 PM PST Over 700 newly recognized bird species have been assessed for the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, and 11% of them are threatened with extinction. The update also reveals a devastating decline for the giraffe, driven by habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting. The global giraffe population has plummeted by up to 40% over the last 30 years, and the species has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Climate change is already causing widespread local extinction in plant and animal species Posted: 08 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST Extinctions related to climate change have already happened in hundreds of plant and animal species around the world. New research shows that local extinctions have already occurred in 47% of the 976 plant and animal species studied.

Pioneering nanotechnology captures energy from people Posted: 08 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST The day of charging cellphones with finger swipes and powering Bluetooth headsets simply by walking is now much closer, say investigators.

Mobile money lifts Kenyan households out of poverty Posted: 08 Dec 2016 12:19 PM PST Mobile-money services have had notable long-term effects on poverty reduction in Kenya -- especially among female-headed households -- and have inspired a surprising occupation shift among women, outlines a new report.

Researchers map neural circuitry of songbird learning Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Researchers have begun to map the brain circuitry responsible for cultural transmission and species specificity in birdsong.

Neuroimaging categorizes four depression subtypes Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Patients with depression can be categorized into four unique subtypes defined by distinct patterns of abnormal connectivity in the brain, according to new research.

Scientists develop new drug screening tool for dystonia Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Researchers have identified a common mechanism underlying separate forms of dystonia, a family of brain disorders that cause involuntary, debilitating and often painful movements, including twists and turns of different parts of the body. The research has led to the development of a new cell-based test that is being deployed on a large scale to identify new drug candidates to treat dystonia.

Fishery bycatch rapidly driving Mexico's vaquita to extinction Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST One of the most sophisticated networks of acoustic detectors ever developed for wildlife science has documented a devastating 34 percent per year decline of Mexico's critically endangered vaquita porpoise, according to a new study. A companion article uses both acoustic and visual surveys to estimate that only about 60 vaquitas remained, as of last year.

Illusion reveals that the brain fills in peripheral vision Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST What we see in the periphery, just outside the direct focus of the eye, may sometimes be a visual illusion, according to new findings. The findings suggest that even though our peripheral vision is less accurate and detailed than what we see in the center of the visual field, we may not notice a qualitative difference because our visual processing system actually fills in some of what we 'see' in the periphery.

Protein disrupts infectious biofilms Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Researchers have discovered a protein that inhibits biofilms of a bacterium responsible for many cystic fibrosis infections.

Personality traits, psychiatric disorders linked to specific genomic locations Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has identified six loci or regions of the human genome that are significantly linked to personality traits, report researchers. The findings also show correlations with psychiatric disorders.

Hidden images created with commercial inkjet printers Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Researchers have developed a way to use commercial inkjet printers and readily available ink to print hidden images that are only visible when illuminated with appropriately polarized waves in the terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The inexpensive method could be used as a type of invisible ink to hide information in otherwise normal-looking images.

Brain neurons help keep track of time Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Turning the theory of how the human brain perceives time on its head, a novel analysis in mice reveals that dopamine neuron activity plays a key role in judgment of time, slowing down the internal clock.

Amateur astronomer helps uncover secrets of unique pulsar binary system Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST A professional astrophysicist and an amateur astronomer have teamed up to reveal surprising details about an unusual millisecond pulsar (MSP) binary system comprising one of the fastest-spinning pulsars in our Galaxy and its unique companion star.

Against the tide: A fish adapts quickly to lethal levels of pollution Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Evolution is working hard to rescue some urban fish from a lethal, human-altered environment, according to a study. Atlantic killifish living in four polluted East Coast estuaries have adapted to levels of highly toxic industrial pollutants that would normally kill them.

A nano-roundabout for light Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Scientists have created a nanoscale optical element that regulates the flow of light particles at the intersection of two glass fibers like a roundabout. A single atom was used to control the light paths.

Better diabetes treatment? Artificial beta cells from human kidney cells Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Researchers have used the simplest approach yet to produce artificial beta cells from human kidney cells. Like their natural model, the artificial cells act as both sugar sensors and insulin producers.

People willing to pay more for new biofuels, study finds Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST When it comes to second generation biofuels, research shows that consumers are willing to pay a premium of approximately 11 percent over conventional fuel.

Scientists reveal 'safety catch' within all dividing cells Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Researchers have made a major discovery about how cells control when to divide -- representing a step forward in scientists' understanding of one of the most fundamental processes of life.

Amber specimen offers rare glimpse of feathered dinosaur tail Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:16 AM PST Researchers have discovered a dinosaur tail complete with its feathers trapped in a piece of amber. The finding helps fill in details of the dinosaurs' feather structure and evolution.

17th Century strain of smallpox retrieved from partial mummified remains of Lithuanian child Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:16 AM PST New genetic research suggests that smallpox, a pathogen that caused millions of deaths worldwide, may not be an ancient disease but a much more modern killer that went on to become the first human disease eradicated by vaccination.

How to make a motor neuron Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:16 AM PST A team of scientists has uncovered details of the cellular mechanisms that control the direct programming of stem cells into motor neurons.

Further improvement of qubit lifetime for future quantum computers Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:13 AM PST An international team of scientists has succeeded in making further improvements to the lifetime of superconducting quantum circuits. An important prerequisite for the realization of high-performance quantum computers is that the stored data should remain intact for as long as possible. The researchers have developed and tested a technique that removes unpaired electrons from the circuits. These are known to shorten the qubit lifetime.

Who needs a body? Not these larvae, which are basically swimming heads Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST Most animals we study have adult-like bodies early in their development. But researchers have found that certain marine worms live for months as little more than a head.

Jumping water striders know how to avoid breaking water surface Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST When escaping from attacking predators, different water strider species adjust their jump performance to their mass and morphology in order to jump off the water as fast and soon as possible without breaking of the water surface.

Role of protein in pancreatic secretion suggests potential method for treating diabetes Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST New research revealed contrasting roles for the SNAP23 protein in pancreatic secretion of digestive enzymes and hormones such as insulin. Inhibiting SNAP23 with a potential new diabetes drug enabled an alternative related protein of higher efficacy to compensate for its function and increase insulin secretion in mice. The novel therapy also shows promise as a treatment for pancreatitis.

Honeybee memories: Another piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle? Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST The honeybee can form complex memories through processes much like those happening in human brains. This study shows that DNA methylation is one molecular mechanism that regulates memory specificity and re-learning, and as such, could control how experiences are integrated over a lifetime.

Thermoelectric material made in paintable liquid form Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST Scientists have developed liquid-like TE materials that can be painted on almost any surface. This new technology can convert exhaust heat into electricity for vehicles and other applications.

Researchers find the incident commander in the brain's defence system Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST Researchers have come closer to answering the question of how the brain defends itself against viral infections. In the long term, the discovery may turn out to be very important for the treatment of diseases of the brain in which the immune system is involved such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and potentially also psychiatric disorders.

EEG reveals information essential to users Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST In a recent study laboratory test subjects read the introductions of Wikipedia articles of their own choice. During the reading session, the test subjects' EEG was recorded, and the readings were then used to model which key words the subjects found interesting.

Drug use strong predictor for postpartum mental health problems Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST New research finds that a woman's lifetime history of drug use can help predict whether the woman will suffer from problems with stress and anxiety after childbirth. The finding could help health-care providers screen pregnant women for mental health problems and provide relevant treatment.

Anxiety measure for children with autism proven reliable Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST In children on the spectrum, anxiety is often masked by the symptoms of autism. But a new variant to a standard anxiety screening method has now proven effective in separating the two and it is leading to important diagnoses.

Keeping electric car design on the right road Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Pushing nanoscale battery developments in the right direction can help create a sustainable transport sector, suggests investigators in a new report.

How miniature predators get their favorite soil bacteria Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Tiny predators in the soil can literally sniff out their prey: soil bacteria, which communicate with each other using scent. A team of researchers has discovered that these predators -- called protists - 'eavesdrop' on the bacteria's communication. It's a discovery that opens up perspectives for agriculture.

Protection against Zika just as important during winter Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Just because temperatures are cooling down as winter approaches, it's no time to let your guard down when it comes to mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus. A new report details characteristics of the mosquitoes capable of transmitting the Zika virus in the United States, their habitats and biting behaviors, as well as control measures.

Scientists track restoration of communication in minimally conscious patient Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST A severely brain injured woman, who recovered the ability to communicate using her left eye, restored connections and function of the areas of her brain responsible for producing expressive language and responding to human speech, according to new research.

Scientists' study of human migration could help understand cancer metastasis Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Migration for the first humans in America was easier moving east-west as opposed to north-south, researchers report, largely because the knowledge needed to live in the same climate zones was easily transferable. Researchers said the findings could also shed light on the behavior of metastatic cancers.

Mixed results: 2016 Ocean Health Index shows no major declines, and few real improvements Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST The results are in, and while the world's oceans show no significant decline over the past year, their condition should not be mistaken as a clean bill of health.

Scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Nothing ruins a potentially fun event like putting it on your calendar. In a series of studies, researchers found that scheduling a leisure activity like seeing a movie or taking a coffee break led people to anticipate less enjoyment and actually enjoy the event less than if the same activities were unplanned.

RNA modification important for brain function Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Researchers have shown that a new way of regulating genes is vital for the activity of the nervous system. They found that this form of regulation, a chemical modification on RNA called m6A, is also important in influencing whether flies become male or female. This study clearly shows that RNA modifications play an important role.

How to mix the perfect (drug) cocktail Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:19 AM PST The fine art of mixing drug cocktails is incredibly complicated, with virtually infinite numbers of possible interactions and side effects. Now, a new model lets scientists compare combinations of drugs to determine efficacy – a major step forward in personalized medicine.

Observing crystallization at the molecular level for the first time Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:13 AM PST We watch crystallization take place every winter when ice crystals form on our windows. But no one had ever seen it happen at the molecular level – until now. Scientists have created a way to observe this phase of crystallization, verifying long-held theories.

Fossilized evidence of a tumor in a 255-million-year-old mammal forerunner Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:13 AM PST An extinct mammal relative harbored a benign tumor made up of miniature, tooth-like structures, paleontologists report. The tumor, a compound odontoma, is common to mammals today. But this animal lived 255 million years ago, before mammals even existed.

High altitudes hamper hummingbirds' ability to maneuver Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:11 AM PST Hummingbirds' ability to accelerate and turn diminishes at high altitudes, but it isn't a lack of oxygen to the body that limits the birds' performance -- it's physics.

New tool to help predict dementia risk in older people Posted: 08 Dec 2016 07:16 AM PST A machine learning method analyzing large amounts of health information has potential in assessing the risk of cognitively healthy older people for later dementia, according to research. The new risk assessment tool also presents the individual risk profile in a quickly interpretable visual form.

Researchers link dental problems in cleft lip and palate to abnormal salivary glands Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:40 AM PST Dental problems commonly associated with cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormalities in salivary glands and an imbalance of immune compounds in the mouth, report investigators.

Oxygen can wake up dormant bacteria for antibiotic attacks Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:07 AM PST Bacterial resistance does not come just through adaptation to antibiotics. Sometimes the bacteria simply go to sleep. An international team of researchers is looking at compounds that attack bacteria's ability to go dormant and have found the first oxygen-sensitive toxin antitoxin system.

Dipole orientation: New dimension in super-resolution microscopy Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:07 AM PST Recently, a new polarization-dipole azimuth-based super-resolution technique has been proposed by a group of researchers. It not only provides a new dimension for super-resolution, but also provides a timely solution to a recent hot debate in the field.

Scientists examine bacterium found 1,000 feet underground Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:07 AM PST Researchers find a bacterium 1,000 feet underground (called Paenibacillus) that is resistant to 18 different antibiotics and uses identical methods of defense as similar species found in soils. The scientists identified five novel pathways that were of potential clinical concern.

Will Earth still exist 5 billion years from now? Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:04 AM PST What will happen to Earth when, in a few billion years' time, the sun is a hundred times bigger than it is today? Using the most powerful radio telescope in the world, an international team of astronomers has set out to look for answers in the star L2 Puppis. Five billion years ago, this star was very similar to the sun as it is today.

Scientists track chemical, structural evolution of catalytic nanoparticles in 3D Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:03 AM PST To help tackle the challenge of finding effective, inexpensive catalysts for fuel cells, scientists have produced dynamic, 3D images that reveal how catalytic nanoparticles evolve as they are processed.

Localized immunotherapy new possibility to treat bladder cancer Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST Antibody-based immunotherapy is a new promising method to treat cancer. Unfortunately, today's treatments can result in adverse side effects. New findings show an alternative way to administer the therapy, which has the same effect on the tumor but less impact other parts of the body.

GPs not dissatisfied with performance related pay, study finds Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Linking general practioners' pay to their performance has no discernible effect on their job satisfaction, a study of almost 2,000 UK doctors over a four-year period has found.

Newly discovered bacteria-binding protein in the intestine Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Deficiency in a certain protein in the gastrointestinal tract has been shown to lead to both inflammation and abdominal fat accumulation in mice. The discovery provides yet another piece of the puzzle of how humans are affected — or not — by the large quantities of intestinal bacteria we carry with us.

New biomarker is higher in suicide attempters and associated with stress response Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Researchers have measured a biomarker in cell-free blood plasma which can be linked to an overactive stress system in suicidal individuals. This biomarker can hopefully be used in future psychiatric studies.

Heavy alcohol use changes adolescents' brains Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Heavy alcohol use during adolescence alters the development of brain, according to a recent study. Cortical thinning was observable in young people who had been heavy drinkers throughout their adolescence.

Uncertainties related to climate engineering limit its use in curbing climate change Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Climate engineering refers to the systematic, large-scale modification of the environment using various climate intervention techniques. However, a new study suggests that the uncertainties associated with climate engineering are too great for it to provide an alternative to the rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Successful synthesis of pure organic molecules that shows metallic conduction under ambient pressure Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST For the first time in the world, a research team has designed and fabricated single-component organic molecules that are conductive like metal under normal pressure, despite the fact that the molecules contain neither multiple molecules nor metal elements. Because the molecules are completely pure, they are more durable and stable compared to conventional chemically doped organic conductive materials. The new molecules may be applied to solar cell electrodes and touch panels.

Rare combination of genetic changes increases the virulence of canine distemper virus Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST The long-running debate about why just one of several canine distemper virus (CDV) outbreaks in the Serengeti in Tanzania during the past 25 years was fatal for lions and spotted hyenas has been resolved. An international team of scientists conducted genetic analyses of CDV strains obtained from a range of carnivores between 1993 and 2012 and discovered that lethal CDV infections in lions and hyenas during the 1993/1994 epidemic was caused by a rare and genetically distinct CDV strain with three rare mutations not present in any other Serengeti strain isolated from domestic dogs or wild canids. Two of these rare mutations were found to increase the ability of CDV to invade lion cells.

DNA methylation biomarker for prostate cancer shows promise for accurately determining a patient's risk Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Analysis consistently shows elevated PITX2 methylation associated with the presence of a prostate tumor, reports a research team, suggesting an advance in determining a patient's risk.

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