ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Robotic arm probes chemistry of 3-D objects by mass spectrometry
• Biologists use sound to identify breeding grounds of endangered whales
• Sensing gravity with acid: Scientists discover role for protons in neurotransmission
• Blood-brain barrier repair after stroke may prevent chronic brain deficits
• New advances in study of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy
• Fewer children at risk for deficient vitamin D
• MRI reveals genetic activity: Deciphering genes' roles in learning and memory
• Number of patients admitted with antibiotic-resistant infections is rising
• Pesticides make the life of earthworms miserable
• First stem cell study of bipolar disorder yields promising results
• Blood test may help predict whether a child will become obese
• Mars-mimicking chamber explores habitability of other planets
• Cancer treatment revolution potential with new drug
• Catheter innovation destroys dangerous biofilms
• Excess weight at one year postpartum increases moms' risk for diabetes, heart problems
• Replacing insulin through stem cell-derived pancreatic cells under the skin
• Shorter sleepers are over-eaters, study in children shows
• 'Glue' holding together skin cells, other epithelial tissue more active than realized
• Small peptides as potential antibiotics
• Paleontologists assemble giant turtle bone from fossil discoveries made centuries apart
• Inbreeding in woolly mammoths: Neck rib provide clues about decline and eventual extinction
• Smokers' bitter taste buds may be on the fritz
• Technofossils: Unprecedented legacy left behind by humans
• Causes and consequences of global climate warming 56 million years ago
• Simple, like a neutron star: How neutron stars are like (and unlike) black holes
• Strange materials cropping up in condensed matter laboratories
• Exploding stars prove Newton's law of gravity unchanged over cosmic time
• Einstein's 'spooky' theory may lead to ultra-secure Internet
• Health-care professionals should prescribe sleep to prevent, treat metabolic disorders, experts argue
• DIY vaccination: Microneedle patch may boost immunization rate, reduce medical costs
• Missing hormone in birds: Leptin found in mallard duck, peregrine falcon and zebra finch
• New depths of complexity in nerve cells discovered
• New technique sheds light on human neural networks
• Small wireless pacemaker safe, effective in early testing
• For neurons in the brain, identity can be used to predict location
• Kelvin wave seen on quantum 'tornado' for first time
• Shock-absorbing 'goo' discovered in bone

Robotic arm probes chemistry of 3-D objects by mass spectrometry Posted: 25 Mar 2014 01:44 PM PDT A new robotic system could soon let scientists better simulate and analyze the chemical reactions of early Earth on the surface of real rocks to further test the theory that catalytic minerals on a meteorite's surface could have jump-started life's first chemical reactions.

Biologists use sound to identify breeding grounds of endangered whales Posted: 25 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PDT Biologists have confirmed what many conservationists fear -- that Roseway Basin, a heavily traveled shipping lane, off the coast of Nova Scotia, is a vital habitat area for the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Sensing gravity with acid: Scientists discover role for protons in neurotransmission Posted: 25 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PDT While probing how organisms sense gravity and acceleration, scientists uncovered evidence that acid (proton concentration) plays a key role in communication between neurons. Scientists discovered that sensory cells in the inner ear continuously transmit information on orientation of the head relative to gravity and low-frequency motion to the brain using protons as the key means of synaptic signal transmission.

Blood-brain barrier repair after stroke may prevent chronic brain deficits Posted: 25 Mar 2014 11:32 AM PDT Following ischemic stroke, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, which prevents harmful substances such as inflammatory molecules from entering the brain, can be impaired in cerebral areas distant from initial ischemic insult. This disruptive condition, known as diaschisis, can lead to chronic post-stroke deficits, researchers report.

New advances in study of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy Posted: 25 Mar 2014 09:14 AM PDT Several forms of leukodystrophies, genetic degenerative disorders that affect the myelin, are associated with vacuolization of myelin sheaths that enwrap axons of central neurons. Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy (MLC), caused by mutations in MLC1 and GlialCAM, is a rare disease that entails this type of vacuoles. To date, there is not any treatment for patients.

Fewer children at risk for deficient vitamin D Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:33 AM PDT Under new guidelines from the Institute of Medicine, the estimated number of children who are at risk for having insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D is drastically reduced from previous estimates, according to a study. The study found that under the new guidelines, 10.3 percent of children ages 6 to 18 are at risk of inadequate or deficient vitamin D levels, which translates to an estimated 5.5 million children.

MRI reveals genetic activity: Deciphering genes' roles in learning and memory Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:33 AM PDT Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also rely on it as a research tool for identifying parts of the brain that carry out different cognitive functions. Now, biological engineers are trying to adapt MRI to a much smaller scale, allowing researchers to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals.

Number of patients admitted with antibiotic-resistant infections is rising Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:32 AM PDT The emergence of community-acquired infections, such as urinary tract infections, due to strains resistant to common antibiotics are on the rise, according researchers. This creates a challenge in a community or outpatient setting where oral antibiotics are used. Urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection in the body, accounting for about 8.1 million visits to healthcare providers each year.

Pesticides make the life of earthworms miserable Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:32 AM PDT Pesticides are sprayed on crops to help them grow, but the effect on earthworms living in the soil under the plants is devastating, new research reveals. The worms only grow to half their normal weight and they do not reproduce as well as worms in fields that are not sprayed, a research team reports after having studied earthworms that were exposed to pesticides over generations.

First stem cell study of bipolar disorder yields promising results Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:32 AM PDT What makes a person bipolar, prone to manic highs and deep, depressed lows? Why does bipolar disorder run so strongly in families, even though no single gene is to blame? And why is it so hard to find new treatments for a condition that affects 200 million people worldwide? New stem cell research may help scientists find answers to these questions.

Blood test may help predict whether a child will become obese Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:30 AM PDT Scientists have found that a simple blood test, which can read DNA, could be used to predict obesity levels in children. Researchers used the test to assess the levels of epigenetic switches in the PGC1a gene - a gene that regulates fat storage in the body. Epigenetic switches take place through a chemical change called DNA methylation, which controls how genes work and is set during early life. The test, when carried out on children at five years old, differentiates between children with a high body fat and those with a low body fat when they were older.

Mars-mimicking chamber explores habitability of other planets Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:29 AM PDT A research team in Spain has the enviable job of testing out new electromechanical gear for potential use in future missions to the Red Planet. They do it within their Mars environmental simulation chamber, which is specially designed to mimic conditions on the fourth planet from the sun -- right down to its infamous Martian dust.

Cancer treatment revolution potential with new drug Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT A revolution in cancer treatment could soon be underway following a breakthrough that may lead to a dramatic improvement in cancer survival rates. Commenting on the breakthrough, a study co-author said "The energy-producing machinery in cancer cells works to the limit as it attempts to keep up with quick proliferation and invasion. This makes cancer cells susceptible to minor changes in the cell 'power-house'. Our drug pushes cancer cells over the limit causing them to slow and shut down, whilst normal cells can cope with its effects."

Catheter innovation destroys dangerous biofilms Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT A new design that could help eliminate the threat of infection from millions of urinary catheters has been developed by engineers. The dual-channel design uses a mechanical method to uproot biofilms from their moorings so that they can easily be flushed away. About half of the time, the interior of long-term urinary catheters become plagued by biofilms -- structures formed by colonies of bacteria that are extremely difficult to kill. Once established, it is only a matter of time before the biofilm becomes a welcoming host for other, more dangerous bacteria or begins to choke urine drainage, causing leakage -- or even trauma to the patient's body.

Excess weight at one year postpartum increases moms' risk for diabetes, heart problems Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:26 AM PDT Watch out for weight gain within a year of giving birth, to prevent new risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, experts say. While it has long been believed that not losing 'baby weight' for several years after pregnancy carries long-term risks of diabetes and heart disease, this research team aimed to test this theory by tracking risk factors and weight in the first 12 months after giving birth.

Replacing insulin through stem cell-derived pancreatic cells under the skin Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:03 AM PDT A newly created method of placing stem cell-derived pancreatic cells in capsules under the skin to replace insulin is tested in diabetic disease models. The method is successful without producing likely complications. The study confirms the viability of combining stem cells and 'encapsulation' technology to treat insulin-dependent diabetes.

Shorter sleepers are over-eaters, study in children shows Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:02 AM PDT Young children who sleep less eat more, which can lead to obesity and related health problems later in life, reports a new study. The study found that 16 month-old children who slept for less than 10 hours each day consumed on average 105kcal more per day than children who slept for more than 13 hours. This is an increase of around 10% from 982kcal to 1087kcal.

'Glue' holding together skin cells, other epithelial tissue more active than realized Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:02 AM PDT Researchers report the first evidence in living organisms that adherens junctions, the 'glue' between cells, actively respond to mechanical cues by remodeling their position and intensity, which in turn restructures the cells. These junctions are responsible for maintaining the shape and integrity of the sheets of epithelial cells that line such body cavities as the digestive tract, as well as the surfaces of structures such as the heart.

Small peptides as potential antibiotics Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:58 AM PDT Small peptides attack bacteria in many different ways and may well become a new generation of antibiotics. Biologists have been researching how such peptides kill bacterial cells.

Paleontologists assemble giant turtle bone from fossil discoveries made centuries apart Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:58 AM PDT A broken fossil turtle bone discovered by an amateur paleontologist in 2012 turned out to be the missing half of a bone first described in 1849. The surprising puzzle discovery has led paleontologists to revise conventional wisdom of how long fossils can survive exposed to surface conditions. It also provides insight into one of the largest turtle species ever known.

Inbreeding in woolly mammoths: Neck rib provide clues about decline and eventual extinction Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:58 AM PDT Researchers recently noticed that the remains of woolly mammoths from the North Sea often possess a 'cervical' (neck) rib -- in fact, 10 times more frequently than in modern elephants (33.3 percent versus 3.3 percent). In modern animals, these cervical ribs are often associated with inbreeding and adverse environmental conditions during pregnancy. If the same factors were behind the anomalies in mammoths, this reproductive stress could have further pushed declining mammoth populations towards ultimate extinction.

Smokers' bitter taste buds may be on the fritz Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PDT Bitterness can generally be tasted at very low concentrations, but not so for those who light up. Smokers and those who have quit cannot fully appreciate the full flavor of a cup of coffee, because many cannot taste the bitterness of their regular caffeine kick. It is already known that smoking, and especially the toxic chemicals in tobacco, causes a loss of taste among smokers. It also causes structural changes to the fungiform papillae of the tongue where the taste buds are located. However, it is not yet known whether the full taste range returns to normal once a person quits smoking, or how long it takes.

Technofossils: Unprecedented legacy left behind by humans Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PDT Scientists suggest that the fossil impact humans have made on the planet is vast and unprecedented in nature -- and that there's been nothing remotely like it since the Earth formed, over four and half billion years ago. The researchers argue that, like dinosaurs, who left their bones and footprints behind for future generations to discover, humans will also leave a footprint behind -- one made up of material goods unique to humankind that are so different from anything else produced by animals in the history of Earth that they deserve their own name: technofossils.

Causes and consequences of global climate warming 56 million years ago Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PDT Scientists have ruled out the hypothesis that the fall in sea level was responsible for unleashing global warming 56 million years ago. he growing and justified concern about the current global warming process has kindled the interest of the scientific community in geological records as an archive of crucial information to understand the physical and ecological effects of ancient climate changes.

Simple, like a neutron star: How neutron stars are like (and unlike) black holes Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:44 AM PDT For astrophysicists neutron stars are extremely complex astronomical objects. Research has demonstrated that in certain respects these stars can instead be described very simply and that they show similarities with black holes.

Strange materials cropping up in condensed matter laboratories Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:42 AM PDT Physicists are using surprising ideas and mathematical tools originating in string theory to guide research into strange materials that are cropping up in condensed matter laboratories. There are a handful of systems that cannot be described by considering electrons (or any other kind of quasi-particle) moving around.

Exploding stars prove Newton's law of gravity unchanged over cosmic time Posted: 24 Mar 2014 08:02 PM PDT Australian astronomers have combined all observations of supernovae ever made to determine that the strength of gravity has remained unchanged over the last nine billion years. Newton's gravitational constant, known as G, describes the attractive force between two objects, together with the separation between them and their masses. It has been previously suggested that G could have been slowly changing over the 13.8 billion years since the Big Bang. But researchers have now analyzed the light given off by 580 supernova explosions in the nearby and far Universe and have shown that the strength of gravity has not changed.

Einstein's 'spooky' theory may lead to ultra-secure Internet Posted: 24 Mar 2014 07:45 PM PDT Einstein's skepticism about quantum mechanics may lead to an ultra-secure Internet, a new paper suggests. In 1935, Einstein and researchers highlighted a 'spooky' theory in quantum mechanics, which is the strange way entangled particles stay connected even when separated by large distances. In the new research, the authors show that entangled messages "can be shared between more than two people and may provide unprecedented security for a future quantum Internet."

Health-care professionals should prescribe sleep to prevent, treat metabolic disorders, experts argue Posted: 24 Mar 2014 05:05 PM PDT Evidence increasingly suggests that insufficient or disturbed sleep is associated with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, and addressing poor quality sleep should be a target for the prevention -- and even treatment -- of these disorders. Addressing some types of sleep disturbance -- such as sleep apnea -- may have a directly beneficial effect on patients' metabolic health, say the authors. But a far more common problem is people simply not getting enough sleep, particularly due to the increased use of devices such as tablets and portable gaming devices.

DIY vaccination: Microneedle patch may boost immunization rate, reduce medical costs Posted: 24 Mar 2014 05:04 PM PDT There are many reasons some people may not get a flu shot, but would they be more likely to do so if there was a simple device that could be mailed directly to them, was easy enough to use by themselves, and provided at least the same level of protection as a traditional flu shot without the pain of a needle jab? A recent study suggests the answer is yes.

Missing hormone in birds: Leptin found in mallard duck, peregrine falcon and zebra finch Posted: 24 Mar 2014 03:42 PM PDT How does the Arctic tern (a sea bird) fly more than 80,000 miles in its roundtrip North Pole-to-South Pole migration? How does the Emperor penguin incubate eggs for months during the Antarctic winter without eating? These physiological gymnastics would usually be influenced by leptin, the hormone that regulates body fat storage, metabolism and appetite. However, leptin has gone missing in birds -- until now.

New depths of complexity in nerve cells discovered Posted: 24 Mar 2014 03:42 PM PDT The protein CaM Kinase II plays a significant role in controlling when and where neuropeptides are released from neurons, researchers have found using mutant C. elegans. Using a method called "forward genetics," the researchers randomly screened thousands of mutant worms for defects in neuropeptide storage and unexpectedly identified mutant worms lacking CaM Kinase II. Further analysis revealed that CaM Kinase II plays a significant role in controlling when and where neuropeptides are released from neurons.

New technique sheds light on human neural networks Posted: 24 Mar 2014 03:15 PM PDT A new technique provides a method to noninvasively measure human neural networks in order to characterize how they form. Using spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) techniques, the researchers were able to show for the first time how human embryonic stem cell derived neurons within a network grow, organize spatially, and dynamically transport materials to one another.

Small wireless pacemaker safe, effective in early testing Posted: 24 Mar 2014 03:15 PM PDT A battery-sized, wireless pacemaker was safe and effective in early testing. The smaller leadless device may reduce the risk of complications that occur with traditional pacemakers. After three months, the new pacemakers were functioning well, the researchers found. They are continuing to track the patients and expect to report longer-term outcomes later this year.

For neurons in the brain, identity can be used to predict location Posted: 24 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT There are many types of neurons, defined largely by the patterns of genes they use, and they 'live' in distinct brain regions. But researchers do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of these neuronal types and how they are distributed in the brain. A team of scientists describes a new mathematical model that combines large data sets to predict where different types of cells are located within the brain.

Kelvin wave seen on quantum 'tornado' for first time Posted: 24 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT A spinning tornado of very cold liquid helium obeys the laws of quantum mechanics. Sometimes, two quantum tornadoes flex into curved lines, cross over and form an X, swap ends, and then retract -- a process called reconnection. For the first time, researchers provide visual evidence that the reconnection of quantum vortexes launches Kelvin waves to quickly relax the system. Understanding turbulence in quantum fluids may offer clues to neutron stars, trapped atom systems and superconductors.

Shock-absorbing 'goo' discovered in bone Posted: 24 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT New findings show that much of the mineral from which bone is made consists of 'goo' trapped between tiny crystals, allowing movement between them. It is this flexibility that stops bones from shattering. Latest research shows that the chemical citrate -- a by-product of natural cell metabolism -- is mixed with water to create a viscous fluid that is trapped between the nano-scale crystals that form our bones. This fluid allows enough movement, or 'slip', between these crystals so that bones are flexible, and don't shatter under pressure. It is the inbuilt shock absorber in bone that, until now, was unknown.

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