ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Sleep deficiency and sleep medication use in astronauts
• White dwarfs crashing into neutron stars explain loneliest supernovae
• Type 2 diabetics can live longer than people without the disease
• Neck manipulation may be associated with stroke
• New Treatment Successful for Rare, Disabling Movement Disorder, the Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS)
• Structure of molecular machine that targets viral DNA for destruction determined
• Laparoscopic Surgical Removal of Gallbladder in Pediatric Patients is Safe
• Elderly with depression, mild cognitive impairment more vulnerable to accelerated brain aging
• Robot folds itself up and walks away: Demonstrates potential for sophisticated machines that build themselves
• Learning from origami to design new materials
• A Step closer to understanding the birth of the sun
• Gut microbes browse along gene buffet
• Water 'microhabitats' in oil show potential for extraterrestrial life, oil cleanup: Extremophilic ecosystems writ small
• The black hole at the birth of the Universe
• All ivory markets must close, study suggests
• Growing human GI cells may lead to personalized treatments
• Fundamental plant chemicals trace back to bacteria
• Cell mechanics may hold key to how cancer spreads, recurs
• Climate warming may have unexpected impact on invasive species, study finds
• Stem cell behavior of human bowel discovered for first time
• Notch developmental pathway regulates fear memory formation
• Key piece to cancer cell survival puzzle found
• Powerful new system for classifying tumors revealed
• Dramatic growth of grafted stem cells in rat spinal cord
• Part of brain stays as active in old age as it was in youth
• Gene increases risk of breast cancer to one in three by age 70
• Nasal test developed for to diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Stress during pregnancy can be passed down through generations, rat study shows
• Losing weight won't necessarily make you happy, researchers say
• Study shines new light on genetic alterations of aggressive breast cancer subtype
• Eating at fast food, full service restaurants linked to more calories, poorer nutrition
• Pancreatic cancer survival rates at standstill for four decades
• Prostate cancer screening reduces deaths by a fifth: Large, long-term European trial
• Astronomers find stream of gas, 2.6 million light years long
• New insights into how young and developing readers make sense of words
• Uranium Exposure, Skin Cancer: Study May Help Explain Link
• Single-cell analysis holds promise for stem cell and cancer research
• Acute psychological stress promotes skin healing in mice
• How critically ill infants can benefit most from human milk
• Synthesis of structurally pure carbon nanotubes using molecular seeds
• Infectious prion protein discovered in urine of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Excavation of ancient well yields insight into Etruscan, Roman and medieval times
• Dermatologist Cautions Parents About Misinformation on Safety of Children's Skin Care Products
• Reducing stress may help lead to clearer skin
• New pharmaceutical product to prevent heroin deaths
• Behavior-focused therapies help children with autism, study shows
• Brain tumors fly under body's radar like stealth jets, new research suggests
• Another potential ALS treatment avenue identfied by researchers
• Bone tumor destroyed using incisionless surgery: First in North American child

Sleep deficiency and sleep medication use in astronauts Posted: 07 Aug 2014 06:58 PM PDT In an extensive study of sleep monitoring and sleeping pill use in astronauts, researchers found that astronauts suffer considerable sleep deficiency in the weeks leading up to and during space flight. The research also highlights widespread use of sleeping medication use among astronauts.

White dwarfs crashing into neutron stars explain loneliest supernovae Posted: 07 Aug 2014 06:58 PM PDT Astronomers and astrophysicists have found that some of the Universe's loneliest supernovae are likely created by the collisions of white dwarf stars into neutron stars.

Type 2 diabetics can live longer than people without the disease Posted: 07 Aug 2014 06:55 PM PDT A commonly prescribed diabetes drug could offer surprising health benefits to non-diabetics. metformin, used to control glucose levels in the body and already known to exhibit anticancer properties, could offer prognostic and prophylactic benefits to people without diabetes, researchers report in a new article.

Neck manipulation may be associated with stroke Posted: 07 Aug 2014 01:36 PM PDT Manipulating the neck has been associated with cervical dissection, a type of arterial tear that can lead to stroke. Although a direct cause-and-effect link has not been established between neck manipulation and the risk of stroke, healthcare providers should inform patients of the association before they undergo neck manipulation.

New Treatment Successful for Rare, Disabling Movement Disorder, the Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) Posted: 07 Aug 2014 01:35 PM PDT People who suffer from a rare illness, the Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS), now have a chance for full recovery thanks to treatment. People often feel a sensation of movement, called Mal de Debarquement, after they have finished boating, surfing or a sea voyage. The symptoms usually disappear within hours, but in some people, symptoms can continue for months or years, causing fatigue, insomnia, headaches, poor coordination, anxiety, depression and an inability to work.

Structure of molecular machine that targets viral DNA for destruction determined Posted: 07 Aug 2014 12:41 PM PDT Scientists have described the molecular blueprint of a surveillance 'machine' that protects bacteria from viral infections.

Laparoscopic Surgical Removal of Gallbladder in Pediatric Patients is Safe Posted: 07 Aug 2014 12:40 PM PDT Laparoscopic cholecystectomies (surgical removal of the gallbladder) has been recommended by experts for pediatric patients suffering from gallstones and other gallbladder diseases. "We are refining our surgical techniques and are now performing all pediatric laparoscopic cholecystectomies using a small incision through the belly button. However, further studies are required to elucidate which pediatric patients will benefit the most from gallbladder removal," explains one expert.

Elderly with depression, mild cognitive impairment more vulnerable to accelerated brain aging Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:59 AM PDT People who develop depression and mild cognitive impairment after age 65 are more likely to have biological and brain imaging markers that reflect a greater vulnerability for accelerated brain aging, according to a study. Older adults with major depression have double the risk of developing dementia in the future compared with those who have never had the mood disorder, said a senior investigator.

Robot folds itself up and walks away: Demonstrates potential for sophisticated machines that build themselves Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:59 AM PDT A team of engineers used little more than paper and Shrinky dinks -- the classic children's toy that shrinks when heated -- to build a robot that assembles itself into a complex shape in four minutes flat, and crawls away without any human intervention. The advance demonstrates the potential to quickly and cheaply build sophisticated machines that interact with the environment, and to automate much of the design and assembly process.

Learning from origami to design new materials Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:58 AM PDT A challenge increasingly important to physicists and materials scientists in recent years has been how to design controllable new materials that exhibit desired physical properties rather than relying on those properties to emerge naturally. Now physicists and polymer scientists are using origami-based folding methods for 'tuning' the fundamental physical properties of any type of thin sheet.

A Step closer to understanding the birth of the sun Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:57 AM PDT Researchers are a step closer to understanding the birth of the sun. Scientists have investigated the solar system's prehistoric phase and the events that led to the birth of the sun.

Gut microbes browse along gene buffet Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:57 AM PDT A detailed examination of gene expression in the guts of mice raised under three different microbial conditions shows that the host organism controls which genes are made available to gut microbes at various portions of the intestine. Usage of particular genes is regulated by the microbes, but access to the genes is determined by the host.

Water 'microhabitats' in oil show potential for extraterrestrial life, oil cleanup: Extremophilic ecosystems writ small Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:57 AM PDT An international team of researchers has found extremely small habitats that increase the potential for life on other planets while offering a way to clean up oil spills on our own. Looking at samples from the world's largest natural asphalt lake, they found active microbes in droplets as small as a microliter, which is about 1/50th of a drop of water.

The black hole at the birth of the Universe Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:56 AM PDT The big bang poses a big question: if it was indeed the cataclysm that blasted our universe into existence 13.7 billion years ago, what sparked it? Three Perimeter Institute researchers have a new idea about what might have come before the big bang. It's a bit perplexing, but it is grounded in sound mathematics and is it testable?

All ivory markets must close, study suggests Posted: 07 Aug 2014 11:54 AM PDT The message is simple: to save elephants, all ivory markets must close and all ivory stockpiles must be destroyed, according to a new article.

Growing human GI cells may lead to personalized treatments Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT A method of growing human cells from tissue removed from a patient's gastrointestinal tract may eventually help scientists develop tailor-made therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and other GI conditions. Researchers have made cell lines from individual patients in as little as two weeks. They said the cell lines can help them understand the underlying problems in the GI tracts of individual patients and be used to test new treatments.

Fundamental plant chemicals trace back to bacteria Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT A fundamental chemical pathway that all plants use to create an essential amino acid needed by all animals to make proteins has now been traced to two groups of ancient bacteria. Researchers describe in a new article how they traced the phenylalanine pathway to two groups of bacteria. "Our question was how plants can produce so many different kinds and amounts of these aromatics, particularly the phenylalanine-derived compounds," they explain.

Cell mechanics may hold key to how cancer spreads, recurs Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT Cancer cells that break away from tumors to go looking for a new home may prefer to settle into a soft bed, according to new findings. Some particularly enterprising cancer cells can cause a cancer to spread to other organs or evade treatment to resurface after a patient is thought to be in remission. The researchers found that these tumor-repopulating cells may lurk quietly in stiffer cellular environments, but thrive in a softer space.

Climate warming may have unexpected impact on invasive species, study finds Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT Rising temperatures may be seen as universally beneficial for non-native species expanding northward, but a study suggests a warmer world may help some invaders but hurt others depending on how they and native enemies and competitors respond. Climate change and invasive species rank among the largest predicted threats to global ecosystems over the next century, authors say.

Stem cell behavior of human bowel discovered for first time Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have uncovered new information on how stem cells in the human bowel behave, revealing vital clues about the earliest stages in bowel cancer development and how we may begin to prevent it.

Notch developmental pathway regulates fear memory formation Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT The molecule Notch, critical in many processes during embryonic development, is also involved in fear memory formation, researchers have learned. Understanding fear memory formation is critical to developing more effective treatments and preventions for anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Key piece to cancer cell survival puzzle found Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT A key mystery in cancer research has been solved by an international team of researchers who asked: What allows some malignant cells to circumvent the normal process of cell death that occurs when chromosomes get too old to maintain themselves properly? Researchers have identified a specific gene that human cells require in order to survive these types of defects.

Powerful new system for classifying tumors revealed Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT Cancers are classified primarily on the basis of where in the body the disease originates, as in lung cancer or breast cancer. According to a new study, however, one in 10 cancer patients would be classified differently using a new classification system based on molecular subtypes instead of the current tissue-of-origin system. This reclassification could lead to different therapeutic options for those patients.

Dramatic growth of grafted stem cells in rat spinal cord Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT Scientists have reported that neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells and grafted into rats after a spinal cord injury produced cells with 10s of thousands of axons extending virtually the entire length of the animals' central nervous system.

Part of brain stays as active in old age as it was in youth Posted: 07 Aug 2014 09:14 AM PDT At least one part of the human brain may be able to process information the same way in older age as it does in the prime of life, according to new research. "Our studies have found that older and younger adults perform in a similar way on a range of visual and non-visual tasks that measure spatial attention," says one researcher. Spatial attention is critical for many aspects of life, from driving, to walking, to picking up and using objects.

Gene increases risk of breast cancer to one in three by age 70 Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:55 AM PDT Medical researchers have studied breast cancer risks for one of potentially the most important genes associated with breast cancer after the BRCA1/2 genes. Women with mutations in the PALB2 gene have on average a one in three chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 70.

Nasal test developed for to diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:55 AM PDT A nasal brush test can rapidly and accurately diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), an incurable and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder, according to a study. CJD is a prion disease. These diseases originate when, for reasons not fully understood, normally harmless prion protein molecules become abnormal and gather in clusters. Prion diseases affect animals and people. Human prion diseases include variant, familial and sporadic CJD. The most common form, sporadic CJD, affects an estimated 1 in one million people annually worldwide.

Stress during pregnancy can be passed down through generations, rat study shows Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:54 AM PDT To better understand problems during pregnancies today, we should look to the experiences of our ancestors, research suggests. Scientists investigating pregnancies in four generations of rats show that inherited epigenetic effects of stress could affect pregnancies for generations.

Losing weight won't necessarily make you happy, researchers say Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:54 AM PDT Weight loss significantly improves physical health but effects on mental health are less straightforward, finds new research. In a study of 1,979 overweight and obese adults in the UK, people who lost 5 percent or more of their initial body weight over four years showed significant changes in markers of physical health, but were more likely to report depressed mood than those who stayed within 5 percent of their original weight.

Study shines new light on genetic alterations of aggressive breast cancer subtype Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:52 AM PDT New information about the genetic alterations that may contribute to the development of a subtype breast cancer typically associated with more aggressive forms of the disease and higher recurrence rates has been uncovered by researchers. The study focused on the more aggressive molecular subtype of the estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer known as luminal B breast cancer.

Eating at fast food, full service restaurants linked to more calories, poorer nutrition Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:52 AM PDT Eating at both fast-food and full-service restaurants is associated with significant increases in the intake of calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, according to a new study. The researchers say the larger adverse effect they measured on energy intake for some lower socio-economic and minority populations has policy implications. They say efforts to improve diet and reduce energy intake from restaurant sources could actually help to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities in Americans' diets.

Pancreatic cancer survival rates at standstill for four decades Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:51 AM PDT Long term survival from pancreatic cancer has failed to improve in 40 years – with the outlook remaining the lowest of the 21 most common cancers, according to new figures. Today just over three per cent of pancreatic cancer patients survive for at least five years, only a fraction more than the two per cent who survived that long in the early 1970s.

Prostate cancer screening reduces deaths by a fifth: Large, long-term European trial Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:50 AM PDT Screening for prostate cancer could reduce deaths from the disease by about a fifth, according to the long-term results of a major European study involving over 162 000 men. Despite this new evidence for the effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing to reduce mortality, doubts as to whether the benefits of screening outweigh the harms remain, and routine PSA screening programmes should not be introduced at this time, conclude the authors.

Astronomers find stream of gas, 2.6 million light years long Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:50 AM PDT Astronomers and students have found a bridge of atomic hydrogen gas 2.6 million light years long between galaxies 500 million light years away. The stream of atomic hydrogen gas is the largest known, a million light years longer than a gas tail found in the Virgo Cluster by another Arecibo project a few years ago.

New insights into how young and developing readers make sense of words Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:50 AM PDT Skilled readers are often able to make sense of words suffering from 'typos' and jumbled up letter orders as long as the beginning and end letters of the words are correct.

Uranium Exposure, Skin Cancer: Study May Help Explain Link Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:47 AM PDT The varying health risks from exposure to natural uranium are well established, but now researchers have identified a new target organ for uranium exposure: skin. "Our hypothesis is that if uranium is photoactivated by UV radiation it could be more harmful to skin than either exposure alone," the lead researcher said.

Single-cell analysis holds promise for stem cell and cancer research Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:46 AM PDT Researchers have identified cells' unique features within the developing human brain, using the latest technologies for analyzing gene activity in individual cells, and have demonstrated that large-scale cell surveys can be done much more efficiently and cheaply than was previously thought possible.

Acute psychological stress promotes skin healing in mice Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:43 AM PDT Brief, acute psychological stress promoted healing in mouse models of three different types of skin irritations, in a new study. Scientists found that healing was brought about by the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids -- steroid hormones -- produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress.

How critically ill infants can benefit most from human milk Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:43 AM PDT Human milk is infant food, but for sick, hospitalized babies, it's also medicine. That's the central premise of a series of articles in a neonatal nursing journal's special issue focused on human milk for sick newborns.

Synthesis of structurally pure carbon nanotubes using molecular seeds Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:43 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have succeeded in "growing" single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) with a single predefined structure -- and hence with identical electronic properties. And here is how they pulled it off: the CNTs "assembled themselves", as it were, out of tailor-made organic precursor molecules on a platinum surface. In future, CNTs of this kind may be used in ultra-sensitive light detectors and ultra-small transistors.

Infectious prion protein discovered in urine of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:36 AM PDT The misfolded and infectious prion protein that is a marker for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – linked to the consumption of infected cattle meat – has been detected in the urine of patients with the disease. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in animals – also known as Mad Cow disease – are fatal neurodegenerative disorders. There are currently no noninvasive tools available to diagnose the disease and there are no treatments.

Excavation of ancient well yields insight into Etruscan, Roman and medieval times Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:36 AM PDT During a four-year excavation of an Etruscan well at the ancient Italian settlement of Cetamura del Chianti, a team led by a archaeologist and art historian unearthed artifacts spanning more than 15 centuries of Etruscan, Roman and medieval civilization in Tuscany.

Dermatologist Cautions Parents About Misinformation on Safety of Children's Skin Care Products Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:36 AM PDT Before the advent of Internet search engines, parents obtained much of their medical advice from their child's doctor. Today, with a plethora of information available at their fingertips, parents have more sources to consult than ever before. Yet dermatologists warn parents that not everything they read on blogs and websites about the safety of skin care products is true.

Reducing stress may help lead to clearer skin Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:36 AM PDT Anyone who's had a pimple form right before an important event may wonder if stress caused the break out. While commonly linked anecdotally, proving the relationship between stress and inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne, psoriasis and rosacea, is another matter. An expert discusses the latest research on the impact stress has on inflammatory skin conditions and his thoughts on how this research could change treatment options.

New pharmaceutical product to prevent heroin deaths Posted: 07 Aug 2014 07:36 AM PDT A method for needle-free, intranasal administration of the anti-opioid drug naloxone has been developed. The product is in its final round of clinical trials and has retrieved Fast Track status from the FDA.

Behavior-focused therapies help children with autism, study shows Posted: 06 Aug 2014 01:15 PM PDT Updated findings regarding the benefits of behavior-focused therapies for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been reported by researchers. The review updates a prior systematic review of interventions for children (up to age 12) with a focus on recent studies of behavioral interventions.

Brain tumors fly under body's radar like stealth jets, new research suggests Posted: 06 Aug 2014 12:39 PM PDT Brain tumors fly under the radar of the body's defense forces by coating their cells with extra amounts of a specific protein, new research shows. Like a stealth fighter jet, the coating means the cells evade detection by the early-warning immune system that should detect and kill them.

Another potential ALS treatment avenue identfied by researchers Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT A series of studies that begun eight years ago has lead to a report that may be a major step forward in the quest to develop real treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Bone tumor destroyed using incisionless surgery: First in North American child Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:21 AM PDT A Canadian child is the first in North America to have undergone a specialized procedure that uses ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to destroy a tumor in his leg without piercing the skin. Doctors used an MRI to guide high-intensity ultrasound waves to destroy a benign bone tumor called osteoid osteoma. The lesion had caused 16-year-old Jack Campanile excruciating pain for a year prior to the procedure. By the time he went to bed that night, the athletic teen experienced complete pain relief.

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