|  Water discovered in remnants of extrasolar rocky world orbiting white dwarf  | Astrophysicists have found the first evidence of a water-rich rocky planetary body outside our solar system in its shattered remains orbiting a white dwarf. | Read More » Newly discovered gene regulator could precisely target sickle cell disease  | A research team has discovered a new genetic target for potential therapy of sickle cell disease. The target, called an enhancer, controls a molecular switch in red blood cells called BCL11A that, in turn, regulates hemoglobin production. | Read More » Iron in Earth's core weakens before melting  | The iron in Earth's inner core weakens dramatically before it melts, explaining the unusual properties that exist in the moon-sized solid center of our planet that have, up until now, been difficult to understand. | Read More » Hunter-gatherers and immigrant farmers lived together for 2,000 years in Central Europe  | Indigenous hunter-gatherers and immigrant farmers lived side-by-side for more than 2,000 years in Central Europe, before the hunter-gatherer communities died out or adopted the agricultural lifestyle. | Read More » Ancient DNA unravels Europe's genetic diversity  | Ancient DNA recovered from a time series of skeletons in Germany spanning 4,000 years of prehistory has been used to reconstruct the first detailed genetic history of modern-day Europeans. | Read More » Enigmatic neurons help flies get oriented  | Neurons deep in the fly's brain tune in to some of the same basic visual features that neurons in bigger animals such as humans pick out in their surroundings. The new research is an important milestone toward understanding how the fly brain extracts relevant information about a visual scene to guide behavior. | Read More » New antiviral response discovered in mammals  | Researchers have discovered a part of the innate immune system in mice that had only been known in plants and invertebrates. This system seems more visible in stem and progenitor cells, which it protects from viral infection. | Read More » Cancer genome atlas exposes more secrets of lethal brain tumor  | Scientists paint a more detailed picture of the genomic abnormalities that drive glioblastoma multiforme. Rich data set will underpin research and treatment advances. | Read More » Cataract surgeries on the rise as boomers age, raising access, cost issues  | A study focused on cataract surgery has found that more people are getting the vision-improving procedure, seeking it at younger ages and having both eyes repaired within a few months, rather than only treating one eye. | Read More » Complex relationship between phosphorus levels, nitrogen removal in lakes  | In the land of 10,000 lakes, one lake has been the starting place for research with implications for big lakes around the world. Building from studies of nitrogen levels in Lake Superior, the new research uncovered a good news/bad news scenario for lake health that has long-term, global implications for pollution control efforts. | Read More » Researchers close in on cause of gynecological disease  | For the first time, researchers have created a model that could help unlock what causes adenomyosis, a common gynecological disease that is a major contributor to women having to undergo hysterectomies. | Read More » Previously unstudied gene is essential for normal nerve development  | Our ability to detect heat, touch, tickling and other sensations depends on our sensory nerves. Now, for the first time, researchers have identified a gene that orchestrates the crucially important branching of nerve fibers that occurs during development. | Read More » How a ubiquitous herpesvirus sometimes leads to cancer  | Most of us are infected with the herpesvirus known as Epstein-Barr virus. For most of us, the virus will lead at worst to a case of infectious mononucleosis, but sometimes, and especially in some parts of the world, those viruses are found in association with cancer. Now, researchers have found that the difference between a relatively harmless infection and a cancer-causing one lies at least partly in the viral strain itself. | Read More » Circadian rhythms in skin stem cells protect us against UV rays  | Human skin must cope with the sun and other environmental factors that fluctuate in a circadian manner. A study reveals that human skin stem cells deal with these cyclical threats by carrying out different functions depending on the time of day. By activating genes involved in UV protection during the day, these cells protect themselves against radiation-induced DNA damage. The findings could pave the way for new strategies to prevent premature aging and skin cancer. | Read More » Molecule produced during exercise boosts brain health  | Research has shown that exercise is good for the brain. Now investigators have identified a molecule called irisin that is produced in the brain during endurance exercise and has neuroprotective effects. Researchers were able to artificially increase the levels of irisin in the blood to activate genes involved in learning and memory. The findings may be useful for designing drugs that utilize this exercise-induced molecule to guard against neurodegenerative diseases and improve cognition. | Read More » Scientists find potential new targets for anti-inflammatory therapies  | A team has identified key signaling proteins in the inflammation process that contribute to the development of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, sepsis and inflammatory bowel diseases. The finding highlights possible new ways of treating these inflammation disorders, which sicken or kill millions of people around the world each year. | Read More » How to determine whether a patient is safe to drive  | Driver rehabilitation provides a comprehensive evaluation on whether a patient can safely drive a car. It is intended for elderly patients and patients with stroke, brain injury, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, low vision, etc. | Read More » Kissing helps us find the right partner – and keep them  | What's in a kiss? A new study suggests kissing helps us size up potential partners and, once in a relationship, may be a way of getting a partner to stick around. 'Kissing in human sexual relationships is incredibly prevalent in various forms across just about every society and culture,' says one of the researchers. 'Kissing is seen in our closest primate relatives, chimps and bonobos, but it is much less intense and less commonly used. | Read More » Analysis of herbal products shows contamination is common  | Most herbal products, available to buy as alternative medicines, may be contaminated. Researchers demonstrate the presence of contamination and substitution of plant species in a selection of herbal products using DNA barcoding. | Read More » Innate virus-killing power discovered in mammals  | Scientists have a promising new approach to combating deadly human viruses thanks to an educated hunch by a microbiology professor, and his 20 years of research on plants, fruit flies, nematodes and mice. Researchers have discovered that, like plants and invertebrate animals, mammals use the RNA interference process to destroy viruses within their own cells. Until now, scientists were unable to prove that mammals use RNAi for killing viruses. The findings could help create vaccines against deadly infections, including SARS, West Nile, dengue, Hepatitis C and influenza. | Read More » City of Providence is taking on big tobacco – and winning  | The city of Providence, R.I., is taking the fight against Big Tobacco to a new level with innovative tobacco control policies in the retail environment. A new study details Providence's efforts and provides a road map for other municipalities to follow. | Read More » Stomach cells naturally revert to stem cells  | New research has shown that the stomach naturally produces more stem cells than previously realized, likely for repair of injuries from infections, digestive fluids and the foods we eat. | Read More » New strategy lets cochlear implant users hear music  | Scientists have developed a new way of processing the signals in cochlear implants to help users hear music better. The technique lets users perceive differences between musical instruments, a significant improvement from what standard cochlear implants can offer. | Read More » One in five persons seeking pre-travel advice are high-risk travelers  | Researchers have found that high-risk travelers account for nearly 20 percent of patients using the five clinics of the Boston Area Travel Medicine Network. The study also found that these travelers often visited destinations with malaria and typhoid risk. | Read More » Origin of MERS coronavirus identified  | The newly emerged Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has circulated in bats for a substantial time, before making the species leap to humans, according to research. By analyzing the genome of various bat species, scientists show that bat DPP4 genes have adapted significantly as they evolved, suggesting a long-term arms race between the bat and the virus. | Read More » Weight loss through use of intestinal barrier sleeves  | Scientists have discovered that the placement of a non-permeable tube in the small intestine leads to reduced nutrient absorption and consequently to reduced obesity and enhanced glucose metabolism. | Read More » Single gene mutation linked to diverse neurological disorders  | A research team says a gene mutation that causes a rare but devastating neurological disorder known as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome appears to offer clues to the developmental and neuronal defects found in other, diverse neurological disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. | Read More » Stroke may shave three out of five quality years off life  | Stroke treatments and prevention to improve quality of life for people who experience a stroke is poorer than researchers hoped, with stroke still taking nearly three out of five quality years off a person's life, according to a new study. Researchers say the findings leave considerable room for improvement in stroke treatment. | Read More » Crystals in Picabo's rocks point to 'recycled' super-volcanic magma chambers  | An examination of crystals of zircon in rhyolites, an igneous rock, from the Snake River Plain solidifies evidence for a new view of the life cycle of super-volcanic eruptions, and in tandem with previous work suggests another super-eruption in the Yellowstone volcanic field is unlikely for another million years, say scientists. | Read More » Rust can power up artificial photosynthesis: Chemists produce power boost critical to novel energy harvesting applications  | Scientists trying to develop artificial photosynthesis for unique applications, like harvesting solar energy, have focused on narrowing the photovoltage gap between the two principle reactions of oxidation and reduction. Chemists report nearly bridging that gap using inexpensive materials in a process that could lead to new energy applications. | Read More » New device harnesses sun and sewage to produce hydrogen fuel  | A novel device that uses only sunlight and wastewater to produce hydrogen gas could provide a sustainable energy source while improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment. The hybrid device combines a microbial fuel cell (MFC) and a type of solar cell called a photoelectrochemical cell. | Read More » Turning vapors into foam-like polymer coatings  | A researcher has developed a process to grow highly customizable coatings of foam-like polymers. | Read More » Compact optical chips? Photons on demand now possible  | A breakthrough in photonics that will help create extremely compact optical chips, a hair's width in size and delivering a photon at a time, has been achieved. | Read More » Uniformity: The secret of better fusion ignition  | Theoretical physicists use simulations to investigate the uniformity of irradiation at the ignition stage of thermonuclear fusion reaction. One of the ways to achieve thermonuclear fusion is through a controlled reaction between two light variants of hydrogen, called deuterium and tritium. Scientists have now made theoretical calculations indicating how best to improve the ignition stage of fusion reaction. Their approach involves increasing the uniformity of irradiation using high-power laser beams on the external shell of a spherical capsule containing a mix of deuterium and tritium. | Read More » Mix of graphene nanoribbons, polymer has potential for cars, soda, beer  | A discovery aims to make vehicles that run on compressed natural gas more practical and may also enhance food packaging. | Read More » Innovation in renewable-energy technologies is booming  | A new study shows that research investments and growing markets have fueled a huge rise in new patents. | Read More » Quantum conductors benefit from growth on smooth foundations  | Researchers have developed a speedway for future devices, an exotic type of electrical conductor called a topological insulator (TI). In a new article researchers report that they grew two types of TI materials inside an ultra-high vacuum chamber on both smooth and rough surfaces and then evaluated their abilities to transport electrons. | Read More » A holistic approach catches eye disease early  | An automated assessment of multiple datasets using artificial intelligence accurately diagnoses a common cause of blindness. | Read More » Unregulated, agricultural ammonia threatens U.S. national parks' ecology  | Thirty-eight U.S. national parks are experiencing "accidental fertilization" at or above a critical threshold for ecological damage, according to a new study. Unless significant controls on ammonia emissions are introduced at a national level, they say, little improvement is likely between now and 2050. | Read More » Look out above: Experiment explores innate visual behavior in mice  | For a mouse in the wild, spotting aerial predators -- like hawks and owls -- is essential to survival. But how is this visual cue processed into a behavior that helps avoid an attack? Using a video technique, researchers have developed a simple stimulus to spur the mouse's defense plans: to freeze in place, or flee for cover. These visual behaviors also provide information about cell types in the retina responsible for detecting aerial predators. | Read More » Boomboxes amplify predatory bird sounds and are used as cues  | Researchers use boomboxes in the forest to study how smaller birds avoid predators. | Read More » | |
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