ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Humanitarian aid workers in Uganda show signs of stress, depression, and burnout
• Automated breast density test identifies women at high cancer risk
• New study sheds light on link between dairy intake and bone health: Not all dairy products are equal
• Some plants are altruistic, too, new study suggests
• Routes towards defect-free graphene
• Needless abdominal CT scans can be avoided in children, study says
• Novel radiation therapy method shortens prostate cancer treatment time
• New protocol recommendations for measuring soil organic carbon sequestration
• Coral-killing starfish decimate entire coral reefs, reason for spread unclear
• When mangroves no longer protect the coastline
• Programming cells: Importance of the envelope
• Scientists use Amazon Cloud to view molecular machinery in remarkable detail
• Physical activity and modernization: Heart disease indicators almost non-existent among Tsimane, indigenous population
• Genetically modified tobacco plants produce antibodies to treat rabies
• If you are impulsive, take modafinil and count to ten, research suggests
• Excess sugar linked to cancer
• Treatment to prevent Alzheimer's disease moves a step closer
• Increases in extreme rainfall linked to global warming
• Amazon freshwater ecosystems are vulnerable to degradation
• Quantum dots deliver vitamin D to tumors for possible inflammatory breast cancer treatment
• Propping open the door to the blood brain barrier
• Tracking the evolution of antibiotic resistance
• Cooperators can coexist with cheaters, as long as there is room to grow
• Type II diabetes and Alzheimer's connection
• Nanomechanical signature of breast cancer
• Listening to Cells: Scientists probe human cells with high-frequency sound
• Imaging unveils temperature distribution inside living cells
• Group therapy: New approach to psychosis treatment
• Autism speaks through gene expression
• Inside a solar eruption: NASA's SDO provides first sightings of how a coronal mass ejection forms
• New stroke gene discovery could lead to tailored treatments
• Target 'super-spreaders' to stop hepatitis C
• Engineered oncolytic herpes virus inhibits ovarian and breast cancer metastases
• Fight against river blindness is successful and inexpensive
• Bioelectric signals can be used to detect early cancer
• Planting trees may not reverse climate change, but it will help locally
• Discovery in synthetic biology takes us a step closer to new 'industrial revolution'
• Invasion of feral cats could see the end of a seabird endemic to the Mediterranean
• Getting fit fast: Inactive people can achieve major health and fitness gains in a fraction of the time
• Gap geometry grasped: New algorithm elucidates structure of liquids and how they flow through porous media
• How do corals survive in the hottest reefs on the planet?
• Astronomers ask 'where are all the dwarf galaxies?'
• Cats and humans suffer from similar forms of epilepsy
• An ideal material: Solving a mystery leads to the discovery of a true topological insulator
• Blood vessel cells coax colorectal cancer cells into more dangerous state

Humanitarian aid workers in Uganda show signs of stress, depression, and burnout Posted: 01 Feb 2013 04:24 PM PST The high risk for mental health problems among staff working in humanitarian organizations in northern Uganda is due in large part to their work environment. Scientists examined the mental health of 376 Ugandan workers at 21 humanitarian aid agencies and found that a significant number of the staff at these organizations experienced high levels of symptoms for depression (68 percent), anxiety disorders (53 percent), and posttraumatic stress disorder (26 percent), respectively.

Automated breast density test identifies women at high cancer risk Posted: 01 Feb 2013 04:22 PM PST Researchers have developed a novel computer algorithm to easily quantify a major risk factor for breast cancer based on analysis of a screening mammogram. Increased levels of mammographic breast density have been shown in multiple studies to be correlated with elevated risk of breast cancer, but the approach to quantifying it has been limited to the laboratory setting where measurement requires highly skilled technicians. This new discovery opens the door for translation to the clinic where it can be used to identify high-risk women for tailored treatment.

New study sheds light on link between dairy intake and bone health: Not all dairy products are equal Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST A new study has found that dairy intake -- specifically milk and yogurt -- is associated with higher bone mineral density in the hip, but not the spine.

Some plants are altruistic, too, new study suggests Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST We've all heard examples of animal altruism: Dogs caring for orphaned kittens, chimps sharing food or dolphins nudging injured mates to the surface. Now, a new study suggests some plants are altruistic, too.

Routes towards defect-free graphene Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST A new way of growing graphene without the defects that weaken it and prevent electrons from flowing freely within it could open the way to large-scale manufacturing of graphene-based devices with applications in fields such as electronics, energy, and healthcare.

Needless abdominal CT scans can be avoided in children, study says Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST A study of more than 12,000 children from emergency departments throughout the U.S. has identified seven factors that can help physicians determine the need for a computed tomography scan following blunt trauma to the abdomen.

Novel radiation therapy method shortens prostate cancer treatment time Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:44 AM PST The use of volume-modulated arc therapy to deliver intensity-modulated radiation therapy to prostate cancer patients results in an overall reduction in treatment time of approximately 14 percent, a new study suggests.

New protocol recommendations for measuring soil organic carbon sequestration Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:41 AM PST Increased levels of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, have been associated with the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, cultivation of grasslands, drainage of the land, and land use changes. Concerns about long-term shifts in climate patterns have led scientists to measure soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural landscapes and to develop methods to evaluate how changes in tillage practices affect atmospheric carbon sequestration.

Coral-killing starfish decimate entire coral reefs, reason for spread unclear Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:41 AM PST Acanthaster planci is the principle natural enemy of reef-building corals. Outbreaks of this coral-feeding starfish occur periodically, due to reasons that remain unclear. It decimates entire reefs in the space of just a few years, as has been the case in French Polynesia since 2004.

When mangroves no longer protect the coastline Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:41 AM PST The mangrove forests in the Guyanas (French Guiana, Surinam and Guyana), which spread across the Orinoco and Amazon deltas, are among the most extensive in the world. This particular ecosystem, between earth and the sea, plays a major role in protecting the particularly unstable muddy coastline against erosion. However, most of the Guyana mangroves have been destroyed to develop the coastal plain. The retreating mangrove wall will result in large-scale coastal erosion, threatening populations and their economic activities, as demonstrated in a new study.

Programming cells: Importance of the envelope Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:41 AM PST In a project that began with the retinal cells of nocturnal animals and has led to fundamental insights into the organization of genomic DNA, researchers show how the nuclear envelope affects nuclear architecture - and gene regulation.

Scientists use Amazon Cloud to view molecular machinery in remarkable detail Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:02 AM PST Researchers have shared a how-to secret for biologists: New code for Amazon Cloud that significantly reduces the time necessary to process data-intensive microscopic images.

Physical activity and modernization: Heart disease indicators almost non-existent among Tsimane, indigenous population Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:02 AM PST Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, and a sedentary lifestyle is often cited as a major contributing factor. Among the Tsimane, an indigenous population in the lowlands of Bolivia's Amazon basin, however, indicators of heart disease are practically non-existent –– cholesterol is low, obesity is rare, and smoking is uncommon.

Genetically modified tobacco plants produce antibodies to treat rabies Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:02 AM PST Smoking tobacco is bad for your health, but a genetically altered version of the plant might provide an inexpensive cure for the deadly rabies virus. Scientists have produced a monoclonal antibody in transgenic tobacco plants shown to neutralize the rabies virus. This antibody works by preventing the virus from attaching to nerve endings around the bite site and keeping the virus from traveling to the brain.

If you are impulsive, take modafinil and count to ten, research suggests Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:01 AM PST Poor impulse control contributes to one's inability to control the consumption of rewarding substances, like food, alcohol, and other drugs. This can lead to the development of addiction. FDA-approved medications for alcoholism, like naltrexone (Revia) and disulfiram (Antabuse), are thought to reduce alcohol consumption by curbing cravings and creating unpleasant reactions to alcohol, effects which reduce the desire to drink alcohol.

Excess sugar linked to cancer Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:01 AM PST Sugars are needed to provide us with energy and in moderate amounts contribute to our well-being. Sustained high levels of sugars, as is found in diabetics, damages our cells and now is shown that can also increase our chance to get cancer: The dose makes the poison as Paracelsus said.

Treatment to prevent Alzheimer's disease moves a step closer Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:01 AM PST A new drug to prevent the early stages of Alzheimer's disease could enter clinical trials in a few years' time, according to scientists.

Increases in extreme rainfall linked to global warming Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:00 AM PST A worldwide review of global rainfall data has found that the intensity of the most extreme rainfall events is increasing across the globe as temperatures rise.

Amazon freshwater ecosystems are vulnerable to degradation Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:00 AM PST Broadening of forest-centric focus to river catchment-based conservation framework is required: A new study found that freshwater ecosystems in the Amazon are highly vulnerable to environmental degradation. River, lake and wetland ecosystems —- encompassing approximately one-fifth of the Amazon basin area -- are being increasingly degraded by deforestation, pollution, construction of dams and waterways, and over-harvesting of plant and animal species.

Quantum dots deliver vitamin D to tumors for possible inflammatory breast cancer treatment Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST Quantum dots can be used to rapidly move high concentrations of the active form of Vitamin D to targeted tumor sites where cancer cells accumulate.

Propping open the door to the blood brain barrier Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST A new approach to delivering therapeutics could lead to better treatment of central nervous system disorders.

Tracking the evolution of antibiotic resistance Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST An automated device is yielding a new understanding of how antibiotic resistance evolves at the genetic level.

Cooperators can coexist with cheaters, as long as there is room to grow Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST When a population is a mixture of exploiters and exploited, the natural outcome is perpetual war. A new model reveals that even with never-ending battles, these two groups can survive, but only if they have room to expand and grow.

Type II diabetes and Alzheimer's connection Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST A research team has devised a novel approach to identifying the molecular basis for designing a drug that might one day decrease the risk diabetes patients face of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Nanomechanical signature of breast cancer Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST Differences in the stiffness of cancerous versus healthy tissue may aid in diagnosis and therapy, researchers say.

Listening to Cells: Scientists probe human cells with high-frequency sound Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST Researchers have developed a new non-contact, non-invasive tool to measure the mechanical properties of cells at the sub-cell scale.

Imaging unveils temperature distribution inside living cells Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST A new breakthrough marks the first time anyone has been able to show the actual temperature distribution inside living cells.

Group therapy: New approach to psychosis treatment Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST A new understanding of how the brain's G-protein receptors work may soon enable a way to better customize and target antipsychotic drugs to treat specific symptoms.

Autism speaks through gene expression Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST Autism spectrum disorders affect nearly 1 in 88 children, with symptoms ranging from mild personality traits to severe intellectual disability and seizures. New work examines which genes are responsible for autism disorders.

Inside a solar eruption: NASA's SDO provides first sightings of how a coronal mass ejection forms Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:27 AM PST On July 18, 2012, a fairly small explosion of light burst off the lower right limb of the sun. Such flares often come with an associated eruption of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME -- but this one did not. Something interesting did happen, however. Magnetic field lines in this area of the sun's atmosphere, the corona, began to twist and kink, generating the hottest solar material -- a charged gas called plasma -- to trace out the newly-formed slinky shape. The plasma glowed brightly in extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and scientists were able to watch for the first time the very formation of something they had long theorized was at the heart of many eruptive events on the sun: a flux rope.

New stroke gene discovery could lead to tailored treatments Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST Scientists have identified a new genetic variant associated with stroke. By exploring the genetic variants linked with blood clotting -- a process that can lead to a stroke -- scientists have discovered a gene which is associated with large vessel and cardioembolic stroke but has no connection to small vessel stroke.

Target 'super-spreaders' to stop hepatitis C Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST Each intravenous drug user contracting hepatitis C is likely to infect around 20 other people with the virus, half of these transmissions occurring in the first two years after the user is first infected, a new study estimates.

Engineered oncolytic herpes virus inhibits ovarian and breast cancer metastases Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST A genetically reprogrammed Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can cure metastatic diffusion of human cancer cells in the abdomen of laboratory mice, according to a new study.

Fight against river blindness is successful and inexpensive Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST A relatively inexpensive program set up to combat river blindness has resulted in major health improvements in Africa, shows a new study. The study shows that US $250 million helped cure or prevent the major symptoms of onchocerciasis in millions of people.

Bioelectric signals can be used to detect early cancer Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST Biologists have discovered a bioelectric signal that can identify cells that are likely to develop into tumors. The researchers also found that they could lower the incidence of cancerous cells by manipulating the electrical charge across cells' membranes.

Planting trees may not reverse climate change, but it will help locally Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:06 AM PST Afforestation, planting trees in an area where there have previously been no trees, can reduce the effect of climate change by cooling temperate regions, a new study finds.

Discovery in synthetic biology takes us a step closer to new 'industrial revolution' Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:06 AM PST Scientists report that they have developed a method that cuts down the time it takes to make new 'parts' for microscopic biological factories from 2 days to only 6 hours. The scientists say their research brings them another step closer to a new kind of industrial revolution, where parts for these biological factories could be mass-produced. These factories have a wealth of applications including better drug delivery treatments for patients, enhancements in the way that minerals are mined from deep underground and advances in the production of biofuels.

Invasion of feral cats could see the end of a seabird endemic to the Mediterranean Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:06 AM PST The population of Yelkouan Shearwater of the French island of Le Levant is seriously under threat due to the invasion of feral cats, according to a French and Spanish joint study. The archipelago is home to the main colonies of this species. Feral cats are considered one of the most dangerous invading species for animals native to Mediterranean Islands.

Getting fit fast: Inactive people can achieve major health and fitness gains in a fraction of the time Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:04 AM PST With many of us struggling to get enough exercise, sport and exercise scientists have been working on a time-saving solution.

Gap geometry grasped: New algorithm elucidates structure of liquids and how they flow through porous media Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:04 AM PST A new algorithm could help understand the structure of liquids, and how they flow through porous media. Theoretical physicists have now implemented an algorithm for analyzing void space in sphere packing, where the spheres need not all be the same size.

How do corals survive in the hottest reefs on the planet? Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:04 AM PST Coral reefs are predicted to decline under the pressure of global warming. However, a number of coral species can survive at seawater temperatures even higher than predicted for the tropics during the next century. How they survive, while most species cannot, is being investigated.

Astronomers ask 'where are all the dwarf galaxies?' Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:03 AM PST Astronomers have identified "Cosmic Web Stripping" as a new way of explaining the famous missing dwarf problem: the lack of observed dwarf galaxies compared with that predicted by the theory of Cold Dark Matter and Dark Energy.

Cats and humans suffer from similar forms of epilepsy Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:03 AM PST Epilepsy affects the very core of our being, our brain.  Epileptic attacks can lead to seizures throughout the body or in parts of it. Clouding of consciousness or memory lapses are also possible.  The causes are still only partially understood but in some cases brain tumors, infections, inflammations of the brain or metabolic diseases have been implicated.

An ideal material: Solving a mystery leads to the discovery of a true topological insulator Posted: 01 Feb 2013 05:22 AM PST Experimentalists have recently confirmed that SmB6 is the first true 3D topological insulator —- as originally predicted by theorists in 2010. Topological insulators have been discussed widely as a new area of material science, with the potential to study quantum Hall physics and exotic states such as Majorana fermions. While this finding provides a conclusion to one mystery, it is also the beginning of a new chapter that will certainly lead to a clearer understanding of this strange physics and even new quantum devices.

Blood vessel cells coax colorectal cancer cells into more dangerous state Posted: 01 Feb 2013 05:22 AM PST Blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to tumors can also deliver something else - a signal that strengthens nearby cancer cells, making them more resistant to chemotherapy, more likely to spread to other organs and more lethal, scientists report.

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