ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Scientists make breast cancer advance that turns previous thinking on its head
• King Richard III found in 'untidy lozenge-shaped grave'
• Research identifies a way to make cancer cells more responsive to chemotherapy
• Atomic-scale investigations solve key puzzle of LED efficiency
• Technique to detect breast cancer in urine developed
• Noninvasive detection, diagnosis of oral cancer
• Genomic analysis lends insight to prostate cancer
• When oxygen is short, EGFR prevents maturation of cancer-fighting miRNAs
• Scientists discover how rapamycin slows cell growth
• Vaccine blackjack: IL-21 critical to fight against viral infections
• Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor
• Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber
• Earth's mantle affects long-term sea-level rise estimates
• Scientists offer first definitive proof of bacteria-feeding behavior in green algae
• Ferrets, pigs susceptible to H7N9 avian influenza virus
• Cinnamon compound has potential ability to prevent Alzheimer's
• Biophysicists measure mechanism that determines fate of living cells
• A quantum simulator for magnetic materials
• Tomatoes: The world's favorite fruit, only better-tasting and longer-lasting
• Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film
• Drug reverses Alzheimer's disease deficits in mice
• Discarded immune cells induce the relocation of stem cells
• Molecule that triggers sensation of itch discovered
• New target to boost plant resistance to insects and pathogens identified
• White tiger mystery solved: Coat color produced by single change in pigment gene
• New screening approach uncovers potential alternative drug therapies for neuroblastoma
• Powerful new method IDs therapeutic antibodies
• Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter visual motion
• Accurate distance measurement resolves major astronomical mystery
• Multiple research teams unable to confirm high-profile Alzheimer's study
• Bittersweet: Bait-averse cockroaches shudder at sugar
• Schools should provide students with daily physical activity, experts say
• Bacterium from Canadian high Arctic offers clues to possible life on Mars
• Stitching defects into world’s thinnest semiconductor
• Hubble reveals the Ring Nebula’s true shape
• Hidden population of exotic neutron stars
• New discovery in fight against deadly meningococcal disease: Understanding the pathway of how the bacterium colonizes people
• Flat spray-on optical lens created
• First successful treatment of pediatric cerebral palsy with autologous cord blood: Awoken from a persistent vegetative state
• Regenerating spinal cord fibers may be treatment for stroke-related disabilities
• The secret lives (and deaths) of neurons
• Chemists find new compounds to curb staph infection
• Pay attention: How we focus and concentrate
• Spheres can form squares
• Biochemistry: Unspooling DNA from nucleosomal disks
• Boosting body's natural flu killers as way to offset virus mutation problem
• Breakthrough on Huntington's disease
• How do cold ions slide?
• Quest for quantum computing advanced
• Serengeti road divides biologists: Will a road across the northern tier of Serengeti National Park ruin it?
• Key find for early bladder cancer treatment
• Spectacular stellar nursery: ESO's Very Large Telescope celebrates 15 years of success
• What the smallest infectious agents reveal about evolution
• Depression linked to telomere enzyme, aging, chronic disease
• New cave-dwelling arachnids discovered in Brazil

Scientists make breast cancer advance that turns previous thinking on its head Posted: 23 May 2013 07:38 PM PDT Scientists have made an advance in breast cancer research which shows how some enzymes released by cancerous cells could have a protective function.

King Richard III found in 'untidy lozenge-shaped grave' Posted: 23 May 2013 07:37 PM PDT A new article on the archaeology of the Search for Richard III reveals for the first time specific details of the grave dug for King Richard III and discovered under a car park in Leicester.

Research identifies a way to make cancer cells more responsive to chemotherapy Posted: 23 May 2013 03:13 PM PDT Breast cancer characterized as "triple negative" carries a poor prognosis, with limited treatment options. In some cases, chemotherapy doesn't kill the cancer cells the way it's supposed to. New research explains why some cancer cells don't respond to chemotherapy, and identifies a mechanism to rectify that.

Atomic-scale investigations solve key puzzle of LED efficiency Posted: 23 May 2013 03:03 PM PDT From the high-resolution glow of flat screen televisions to light bulbs that last for years, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) continue to transform technology. The celebrated efficiency and versatility of LEDs -- and other solid-state technologies including laser diodes and solar photovoltaics -- make them increasingly popular. Their full potential, however, remains untapped, in part because the semiconductor alloys that make these devices work continue to puzzle scientists. Scientists have now used electron microscopy imaging techniques to settle a solid-state controversy and raise new experimental possibilities.

Technique to detect breast cancer in urine developed Posted: 23 May 2013 03:03 PM PDT Medical researchers have developed a new screening method that uses urinalysis to diagnose breast cancer – and determine its severity – before it could be detected with a mammogram.

Noninvasive detection, diagnosis of oral cancer Posted: 23 May 2013 03:03 PM PDT More effective detection and diagnosis of oral cancer could result from an advance in noninvasive imaging of epithelial tissue. The research is thought to have the potential to change the way doctors look for precancerous and cancerous areas in a patient's mouth.

Genomic analysis lends insight to prostate cancer Posted: 23 May 2013 01:23 PM PDT Researchers have used next generation genomic analysis to determine that some of the more aggressive prostate cancer tumors have similar genetic origins, which may help in predicting cancer progression.

When oxygen is short, EGFR prevents maturation of cancer-fighting miRNAs Posted: 23 May 2013 01:22 PM PDT Even while being dragged to its destruction inside a cell, a cancer-promoting growth factor receptor fires away, sending signals that thwart the development of tumor-suppressing microRNAs before it's dissolved, researchers have reported.

Scientists discover how rapamycin slows cell growth Posted: 23 May 2013 01:22 PM PDT University of Montreal researchers have discovered a novel molecular mechanism that can potentially slow the progression of some cancers and other diseases of abnormal growth. In the May 23 edition of the prestigious journal Cell, scientists have explained how they found that the anti-cancer and anti-proliferative drug rapamycin slows down or prevents cells from dividing.

Vaccine blackjack: IL-21 critical to fight against viral infections Posted: 23 May 2013 01:22 PM PDT Scientists have shown that an immune regulatory molecule called IL-21 is needed for long-lasting antibody responses in mice against viral infections.

Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor Posted: 23 May 2013 01:22 PM PDT Researchers and physicians in the field could soon run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones. Researchers have developed a cradle and app for the iPhone that uses the phone's built-in camera and processing power as a biosensor to detect toxins, proteins, bacteria, viruses and other molecules. Although the cradle holds only about $200 of optical components, it performs as accurately as a large $50,000 spectrophotometer in the laboratory.

Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber Posted: 23 May 2013 01:22 PM PDT More than 13,000 ships per year transit the Panama Canal each year. Each time a ship passes through, more than 55 million gallons of water are used. The advent of large "super" cargo ships has demanded expansion of the canal, leaving the authority to consider how meet increased demand for water. One proposed measure is the reforestation of the watershed.

Earth's mantle affects long-term sea-level rise estimates Posted: 23 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT New findings reveal that the U.S. shoreline -- from Virginia to Florida -- has been uplifted by more than 210 feet, meaning less ice melted than expected. This is big news for scientists who use the coastline to predict future sea-level rise.

Scientists offer first definitive proof of bacteria-feeding behavior in green algae Posted: 23 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have captured images of green alga consuming bacteria, offering a glimpse at how early organisms dating back more than 1 billion years may have acquired free-living photosynthetic cells. This acquisition is thought to be a critical first step in the evolution of photosynthetic algae and land plants, which, in turn, contributed to the increase in oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere and ocean and provided one of the conditions necessary for animal evolution.

Ferrets, pigs susceptible to H7N9 avian influenza virus Posted: 23 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Chinese and US scientists have used a virus isolated from a person who died from H7N9 avian influenza infection to determine whether the virus could infect and be transmitted between ferrets. Ferrets are often used as a mammalian model in influenza research, and efficient transmission of influenza virus between ferrets can provide clues as to how well the same process might occur in people.

Cinnamon compound has potential ability to prevent Alzheimer's Posted: 23 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Cinnamon: Can the red-brown spice with the unmistakable fragrance and variety of uses offer an important benefit? The common baking spice might hold the key to delaying the onset of -- or warding off -- the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

Biophysicists measure mechanism that determines fate of living cells Posted: 23 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT For the first time, biophysicists have measured the molecular force required to mechanically transmit function-regulating signals within a cell. A new laboratory method, named the tension gauge tether approach, has made it possible to detect and measure the mechanics of the single-molecule interaction by which human cell receptors are activated.

A quantum simulator for magnetic materials Posted: 23 May 2013 11:36 AM PDT Physicists have developed a quantum simulator that allows arranging atoms in a way that they mimic the behavior of electrons in magnetic materials. The experiment opens up the possibility of systematically studying poorly understood properties of novel materials. The fresh insights might lead to designs for new magnetic materials.

Tomatoes: The world's favorite fruit, only better-tasting and longer-lasting Posted: 23 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT Research with GM purple tomatoes could lead to improved varieties of tomatoes with consumer and commercial benefits through conventional breeding or GM. The findings could also be applied to other soft fruit such as strawberries.

Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film Posted: 23 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT A billon-frames-per-second film has captured the vibrations of gold nanocrystals in stunning detail for the first time.

Drug reverses Alzheimer's disease deficits in mice Posted: 23 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT An anti-cancer drug reverses memory deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model, new research shows. The article reviewed previously published findings on the drug bexarotene, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Discarded immune cells induce the relocation of stem cells Posted: 23 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT The study reveals a surprising coordination between two fundamental body systems, the immune and the hematopoietic. The study has implications for the understanding of metastasis, because malignant stem cells involved in tumor formation could take advantage of this mechanism.

Molecule that triggers sensation of itch discovered Posted: 23 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT Scientists report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as the sensation of itch.

New target to boost plant resistance to insects and pathogens identified Posted: 23 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT Plants have evolved unique and sophisticated immune systems to defend themselves against insects and pathogens. Plant hormones called jasmonates play an important role in this defense, but jasmonates have been found to also be important for plant growth. Now, researchers have discovered a gene in the jasmonate pathway that controls plant defenses but does not play a detectable role in plant development. These findings could be applied to improve crop resistance in agriculture.

White tiger mystery solved: Coat color produced by single change in pigment gene Posted: 23 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT White tigers today are only seen in zoos, but they belong in nature, say researchers reporting new evidence about what makes those tigers white. Their spectacular white coats are produced by a single change in a known pigment gene, according to a new study.

New screening approach uncovers potential alternative drug therapies for neuroblastoma Posted: 23 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT Nearly two-thirds of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma -- a common tumor that forms in the nerve cells of children -- cannot be cured using tumor-killing cancer drugs. A new study reveals a new genomic approach to screen for compounds that inhibit tumor growth by causing cancer cells to differentiate. Using this screening method, the researchers identified a compound that causes neuroblastoma cells to differentiate, uncovering promising new treatment strategies.

Powerful new method IDs therapeutic antibodies Posted: 23 May 2013 11:31 AM PDT Scientists have devised a powerful new technique for finding antibodies that have a desired biological effect. The newly reported technique should greatly speed the process of discovering medicines, diagnostics and laboratory reagents.

Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter visual motion Posted: 23 May 2013 11:31 AM PDT A brief visual task can predict IQ, according to a new study. This surprisingly simple exercise measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement. The study shows that individuals whose brains are better at suppressing background motion perform better on standard measures of intelligence.

Accurate distance measurement resolves major astronomical mystery Posted: 23 May 2013 11:30 AM PDT Astronomers have resolved a major problem in their understanding of a class of stars that undergo regular outbursts by accurately measuring the distance to a famous example of the type.

Multiple research teams unable to confirm high-profile Alzheimer's study Posted: 23 May 2013 11:30 AM PDT Teams of highly respected Alzheimer's researchers failed to replicate what appeared to be breakthrough results for the treatment of this brain disease when they were published last year in the journal Science.

Bittersweet: Bait-averse cockroaches shudder at sugar Posted: 23 May 2013 11:29 AM PDT Sugar isn't always sweet to German cockroaches. In a new study, researchers show that glucose sets off bitter receptors in roach taste buds, causing roaches to avoid foods that bring on this taste-bud reaction.

Schools should provide students with daily physical activity, experts say Posted: 23 May 2013 08:38 AM PDT A new report from the Institute of Medicine says schools should be responsible for helping pupils engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous or moderate intensity activity during each school day.

Bacterium from Canadian high Arctic offers clues to possible life on Mars Posted: 23 May 2013 08:38 AM PDT The recent discovery of a bacterium that is able to thrive at minus 15 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever reported for bacterial growth, is exciting because it offers clues about some of the necessary preconditions for microbial life on Mars.

Stitching defects into world’s thinnest semiconductor Posted: 23 May 2013 08:38 AM PDT Researchers have grown high-quality crystals of molybdenum disulfide, the world's thinnest semiconductor, and studied how these crystals stitch together at the atomic scale to form continuous sheets, gaining key insights into the optical and electronic properties of this new "wonder" material.

Hubble reveals the Ring Nebula’s true shape Posted: 23 May 2013 08:32 AM PDT The Ring Nebula's distinctive shape makes it a popular illustration for astronomy books. But new observations by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of the glowing gas shroud around an old, dying, sun-like star reveal a new twist.

Hidden population of exotic neutron stars Posted: 23 May 2013 08:25 AM PDT Magnetars -- the dense remains of dead stars that erupt sporadically with bursts of high-energy radiation -- are some of the most extreme objects known in the Universe. A major campaign using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and several other satellites shows magnetars may be more diverse -- and common -- than previously thought.

New discovery in fight against deadly meningococcal disease: Understanding the pathway of how the bacterium colonizes people Posted: 23 May 2013 07:18 AM PDT Neisseria meningitidis is an important human pathogen that can cause rapidly progressing, life threatening meningitis and meningococcal sepsis in humans, according to authors of a new study. People can be carriers of the bug and not get any symptoms, while some people progress to invasive disease. To understand why, we need to know the detail of how the bacterium colonises the airway.

Flat spray-on optical lens created Posted: 23 May 2013 07:18 AM PDT Engineers have made a breakthrough utilizing spray-on technology that could revolutionize the way optical lenses are made and used.

First successful treatment of pediatric cerebral palsy with autologous cord blood: Awoken from a persistent vegetative state Posted: 23 May 2013 07:18 AM PDT Medics have succeeded in treating cerebral palsy with autologous cord blood. Following a cardiac arrest with severe brain damage, a two-and-a-half year old boy had been in a persistent vegetative state -- with minimal chances of survival. Just two months after treatment with the cord blood containing stem cells, the symptoms improved significantly; over the following months, the child learned to speak simple sentences and to move.

Regenerating spinal cord fibers may be treatment for stroke-related disabilities Posted: 23 May 2013 07:18 AM PDT A new study finds "substantial evidence" that a regenerative process involving damaged nerve fibers in the spinal cord could hold the key to better functional recovery by most stroke victims. The findings may offer new hope to those who suffer stroke, the leading cause of long-term disability in adults.

The secret lives (and deaths) of neurons Posted: 23 May 2013 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered surprising insights about how nerve cells rewire themselves, shedding light on a process linked with neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia and autism.

Chemists find new compounds to curb staph infection Posted: 23 May 2013 06:33 AM PDT In an age when microbial pathogens are growing increasingly resistant to the conventional antibiotics used to tamp down infection, scientists have synthesized a potent new class of compounds capable of curbing the bacteria that cause staph infections.

Pay attention: How we focus and concentrate Posted: 23 May 2013 06:33 AM PDT Scientists have shed new light on how the brain tunes in to relevant information.

Spheres can form squares Posted: 23 May 2013 06:31 AM PDT Everybody who has tried to stack oranges in a box knows that a regular packing of spheres in a flat layer naturally leads to a hexagonal pattern, where each sphere is surrounded by six neighbours in a honeycomb-like fashion. Researchers now report an exception to this rule: when small, micrometer-sized particles are placed on a curved oil-water surface, they arrange in a square pattern, as on a chessboard.

Biochemistry: Unspooling DNA from nucleosomal disks Posted: 23 May 2013 05:30 AM PDT The tight wrapping of genomic DNA around nucleosomes in the cell nucleus makes it unavailable for gene expression. This study describes a mechanism that allows chromosomal DNA to be locally displaced from nucleosomes for transcription.

Boosting body's natural flu killers as way to offset virus mutation problem Posted: 23 May 2013 05:30 AM PDT The known difficulty in fighting influenza (flu) is the ability of the flu viruses to mutate and thus evade various medications that were previously found to be effective. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have shown recently that another, more promising, approach is to focus on improving drugs that boost the body's natural flu killer system.

Breakthrough on Huntington's disease Posted: 23 May 2013 05:29 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in preventing very early symptoms of Huntington's disease, depression and anxiety, by deactivating the mutated huntingtin protein in the brains of mice.

How do cold ions slide? Posted: 23 May 2013 05:29 AM PDT Things not always run smoothly. It may happen, actually, that when an object slides on another, the advancement may occur through a 'stop and go' series in the characteristic manner which scientists call "stick-slip", a pervasive phenomenon at every scale, from earthquakes to daily-life objects, up to the "nano" dimension.

Quest for quantum computing advanced Posted: 23 May 2013 05:29 AM PDT Scientistst investigating the properties of ultra-thin films of new materials are helping bring quantum computing one step closer to reality.

Serengeti road divides biologists: Will a road across the northern tier of Serengeti National Park ruin it? Posted: 23 May 2013 05:29 AM PDT Serengeti National Park in Tanzania may be the most iconic national park in the world. Here, lions, leopards, elephants, hippos and giraffes wander free. Rivers of wildebeests, zebra and Thompson's gazelles -- more than 2 million all told -- cross the landscape in one of the largest animal migrations on the planet. While the park is ideally located for wandering wildebeests, its location is less than ideal for the region's residents. They see the undeveloped park as a formidable barrier to trade and travel. To address this, the Tanzania government now plans to build a gravel road across 50 km of the northern part of the park to link the country's coast to Lake Victoria and countries to the west, including Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Key find for early bladder cancer treatment Posted: 23 May 2013 05:29 AM PDT Aggressive forms of bladder cancer involve the protein PODXL – a discovery that could hold the key to improved treatment, according to new research.

Spectacular stellar nursery: ESO's Very Large Telescope celebrates 15 years of success Posted: 23 May 2013 05:29 AM PDT With this new view of a spectacular stellar nursery ESO is celebrating 15 years of the Very Large Telescope — the world's most advanced optical instrument. This picture reveals thick clumps of dust silhouetted against the pink glowing gas cloud known to astronomers as IC 2944. These opaque blobs resemble drops of ink floating in a strawberry cocktail, their whimsical shapes sculpted by powerful radiation coming from the nearby brilliant young stars.

What the smallest infectious agents reveal about evolution Posted: 22 May 2013 09:46 PM PDT Radically different viruses share genes and are likely to share ancestry, according to new research. The comprehensive phylogenomic analysis compares giant viruses that infect amoeba with tiny viruses known as virophages and to several groups of transposable elements. The complex network of evolutionary relationships the authors describe suggests that viruses evolved from non-viral mobile genetic elements and vice versa, on more than one occasion.

Depression linked to telomere enzyme, aging, chronic disease Posted: 22 May 2013 09:45 PM PDT The first symptoms of major depression may be behavioral, but the common mental illness is based in biology — and not limited to the brain, new research suggests.

New cave-dwelling arachnids discovered in Brazil Posted: 22 May 2013 03:03 PM PDT Two new species of cave-dwelling short-tailed whipscorpions have been discovered in northeastern Brazil, and are described in new research.

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