|  Graphene-based nano-antennas may enable networks of tiny machines  | By taking advantage of the unique electronic properties of the material known as graphene, researchers now believe they're on track to connect networks of nanomachines powered by small amounts of scavenged energy. | Read More » Smashing science: Scientists discover how explosives respond to shockwaves  | Researchers have combined ultrafast time-resolved experimental measurements with theory to reveal how an explosive responds to a high-impact shock. | Read More » Tooth structure and wear provide clues to ecology and evolution of ancient marine creatures  | New studies shed light on ancient creatures' dental structure and wear -- and how these unique characteristics helped them live and adapt to their environments. | Read More » Physicists provide answers for predicted behavior in relaxors: Thin films studied used in electronic devices  | New research shows that behavior can be predicted and understood in thin films made of materials called relaxors, which can be used in electronic devices. | Read More » Diabetes drugs affect hearts of men, women differently  | Widely used treatments for type 2 diabetes have different effects on the hearts of men and women, even as the drugs control blood sugar equally well in both sexes, according to researchers. The investigators used PET scans to measure heart and whole-body metabolism in patients taking common diabetes drugs. | Read More » Combining mutants results in 5-fold lifespan extension in C. elegans  | What are the limits to longevity? Scientists combined mutations in two pathways well-known for lifespan extension and report a synergistic five-fold lifespan extension in the nematode C. elegans. The worms lived to the human equivalent of 400 to 500 years. The research introduces the possibility of combination therapy for aging and could help explain why scientists are having a difficult time identifying single genes responsible for long lives in human centenarians. | Read More » Stealth maneuver allows nectar bats to target insect prey  | A nectar-feeding bat that was thought to eat insects in passing has been discovered to target its moving prey with stealth precision, according to new research. | Read More » New approaches in landscape monitoring  | People who live in rural parts of rural parts of Switzerland perceive their place of residence as a more beautiful and authentic landscape than people who live in peri-urban areas. | Read More » Open Access Article on Biological Effects of the Popular Artificial Sweetener Sucralose  | The artificial sweetener sucralose is a biologically active compound according to an extensive review. | Read More » One protein, two personalities: Team identifies new mechanism of cancer spread  | A new finding has identified key steps that trigger the disintegration of cellular regulation that leads to cancer. The discovery -- that a protein called Exo70 has a split personality, with one form keeping cells under tight control and another contributing to the ability of tumors to invade distant parts of the body -- points to new possibilities for diagnosing cancer metastasis. | Read More » Picturing pain could help unlock its mysteries, improve treatments  | Understanding the science behind pain, from a simple "ouch" to the chronic and excruciating, has been an elusive goal for centuries. But now, researchers are reporting a promising step toward studying pain in action. In a study published, scientists describe the development of a new technique, which they tested in rats, that could result in better ways to relieve pain and monitor healing. | Read More » Groundbreaking discovery in deadly childhood cancer  | A new study by Canadian researchers may pave the way for more effective treatment of an aggressive and deadly type of brain tumor, known as ETMR/ETANTR. The tumor, which is seen only in children under four, is almost always fatal, despite aggressive treatment. The study proposes a new model for how this brain tumor develops and suggests possible targets to investigate for novel therapies. | Read More » Noble gas molecule discovered in space  | A molecule containing a noble gas has been discovered in space. The molecule, argon hydride, was seen in the Crab Nebula, the remains of a star that exploded 1,000 years ago. | Read More » Asia Pacific must prepare for catastrophic increase in fragility fractures  | A new report shows that osteoporosis is a serious problem throughout the Asia Pacific, with the number of fracture sufferers to rise dramatically in the coming decades. The report provides new and updated information and data about the status and epidemiology of osteoporosis in the region. | Read More » Revolutionary method for gluing gels and biological tissues  | Researchers have discovered an efficient and easy-to-use method for bonding together gels and biological tissues. Medical researchers have succeeded in obtaining very strong adhesion between two gels by spreading on their surface a solution containing nanoparticles. Until now, there was no entirely satisfactory method of obtaining adhesion between two gels or two biological tissues. | Read More » Muting the Mozart effect  | Though it has been embraced by everyone from advocates for arts education to parents hoping to encourage their kids to stick with piano lessons, two new studies show no effect of music training on the cognitive abilities of young children. | Read More » Sniffing out danger: Fearful memories can trigger heightened sense of smell  | Neuroscientists studying the olfactory -- sense of smell -- system in mice have discovered that fear reaction can occur at the sensory level, even before the brain has the opportunity to interpret that the odor could mean trouble. | Read More » Scientists discover double meaning in genetic code  | Scientists have discovered a second code hiding within DNA. The second code contains information that changes how scientists read the instructions contained in DNA and interpret mutations to make sense of health and disease. Genomes use the genetic code to write two separate languages. One describes how proteins are made, and the other instructs the cell on how genes are controlled. One language is written on top of the other. | Read More » Aquatic comb jelly floats into new evolutionary position  | In a study that compares the genomes of aquatic life forms, researchers have found evidence to shuffle the branches of the tree of life. The cornerstone of the study is the researchers' sequencing, assembly, annotation and analysis of the genome of Mnemiopsis leidyi, a comb jelly native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. | Read More » Revolutionizing solar energy: Quantum waves found at the heart of organic solar cells  | Researchers have been able to tune 'coherence' in organic nanostructures due to the surprise discovery of wavelike electrons in organic materials, revealing the key to generating "long-lived charges" in organic solar cells - material that could revolutionize solar energy. | Read More » Rapid evolution of novel forms: Environmental change triggers inborn capacity for adaptation  | In the classical view of evolution, species experience spontaneous genetic mutations that produce various novel traits—some helpful, some detrimental. Nature then selects for those most beneficial, passing them along to subsequent generations. It's an elegant model. It's also an extremely time-consuming process likely to fail organisms needing to cope with sudden, potentially life-threatening changes in their environments. Scientists now report that, at least in the case of one variety of cavefish, one agent of evolutionary change is the heat shock protein known as HSP90. | Read More » Sleep-deprived mice show connection with diabetes, age  | For the first time, researchers describe the effect of sleep deprivation on the unfolded protein response in peripheral tissue. Stress in pancreatic cells due to sleep deprivation may contribute to the loss or dysfunction of cells important to maintaining proper blood sugar levels, and that these functions may be exacerbated by normal aging. The combined effect of aging and sleep deprivation resulted in a loss of control of blood sugar, somewhat like pre-diabetes in mice. | Read More » Controlling PCs and tablets with hand movements  | Scientists are working to develop interaction between themselves and mobiles/ iPads - which does not require touching the display. They have been able to scroll through pages for some time. Now they are working on selecting and moving objects, or saying stop by raising a hand. | Read More » Programming smart molecules: Machine-learning algorithms could make chemical reactions intelligent  | Computer scientists have shown that an important class of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms could be implemented using chemical reactions. In the long term, they say, such theoretical developments could open the door for "smart drugs" that can automatically detect, diagnose, and treat a variety of diseases using a cocktail of chemicals that can perform AI-type reasoning. | Read More » Keeping the lights on: New way to predict cascading power outages  | A method of assessing the stability of large-scale power grids in real time could bring the world closer to its goal of producing and utilizing a smart grid. The algorithmic approach can predict future massive instabilities in the power grid and make power outages a thing of the past. | Read More » What the past tells us about modern sea-level rise  | Researchers report that sea-level rise since the industrial revolution has been fast by natural standards and - at current rates - may reach 80cm above the modern level by 2100 and 2.5 meters by 2200. The team used geological evidence of the past few million years to derive a background pattern of natural sea-level rise. This was compared with historical tide-gauge and satellite observations of sea-level change for the 'global warming' period, since the industrial revolution. | Read More » From friend to foe: How benign bacteria evolve into virulent pathogens  | Bacteria can evolve rapidly to adapt to environmental change. When the "environment" is the immune response of an infected host, this evolution can turn harmless bacteria into life-threatening pathogens. A new study provides insight into how this happens. | Read More » Bonefish spawning behavior in Bahamas surprising, may aid conservation  | Bonefish, sometimes called the gray ghost, are among the most elusive and highly prized quarry of recreational anglers in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas and similar tropical habitats around the world. Now a research team has documented rarely seen pre-spawning behavior in bonefish, which should aid future conservation efforts. | Read More » Speeding up gene discovery  | Researchers develop a new gene-editing system that enables large-scale studies of gene function. | Read More » Partially blocking blood vessels' energy source may stop cancer growth, blindness, other conditions  | Inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels is a common strategy for treating a range of conditions such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and age-related macular degeneration. Unfortunately, drug inefficiency, resistance, and relapse have limited the success of this approach. Now new research reveals that targeting the metabolism of blood vessels may be a way around these shortcomings. | Read More » Variety of genetic risk behind bone cancer in dogs  | Bone cancer in dogs is affected by a variety of genetic risk factors. Researchers have discussed these variabilities in a new study published. | Read More » Brain structure shows affinity with numbers  | The structure of the brain shows the way in which we process numbers. People either do this spatially or non-spatially. A study shows for the first time that these individual differences have a structural basis in the brain. | Read More » First in-human trial of endoxifen shows promise as breast cancer treatment  | A Phase I trial of endoxifen, an active metabolite of the cancer drug tamoxifen, indicates that the experimental drug is safe, with early evidence for anti-tumor activity, a study has found. The findings indicate that Z-endoxifen may provide a new and better treatment for some women with estrogen positive breast cancer and, in particular, for those women who do not respond to tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. | Read More » Santa Ana Watershed study completed  | The Santa Ana River Watershed Basin Study, which addresses water supply and demand projections for the next 50 years and identifies potential climate change impacts to Southern California's Santa Ana River Watershed, has been released. This study is a first of its kind for the predominately urban basin. It encompasses approximately 2,600 square miles in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and is home to more than 6 million residents. | Read More » Medical mystery solved  | An international team has identified a new disease related to NKH, a finding that resolves previously baffling cases, including the death of a Colorado girl. | Read More » Report urges new innovation to address global traffic deaths  | New report has been developed to address global traffic deaths, and urges new innovation to address the problem. | Read More » Can we turn unwanted carbon dioxide into electricity?  | Researchers are developing a new kind of geothermal power plant that will lock away unwanted carbon dioxide underground -- and use it as a tool to boost electric power generation by at least 10 times compared to existing geothermal energy approaches. | Read More » Simple mathematical formula describes human struggles  | The world seems to be getting more complex every day -- some might say too complex. But what if every interaction, every potential conflict we have is really very simple and easy to understand? Mathematicians have found a mathematical formula demonstrating just that: the dynamics of every escalating conflict human beings find themselves in, from children who won't stop crying to international terrorism, can be explained rather easily. | Read More » Newly discovered gene interaction could lead to novel cancer therapies  | Scientists have revealed how two genes interact to kill a wide range of cancer cells. The genes known as mda-7/IL-24 and SARI could potentially be harnessed to treat both primary and metastatic forms of brain, breast, colon, lung, ovary, prostate, skin and other cancers. | Read More » Study breaks blood-brain barriers to understanding Alzheimer's  | A study in mice shows how a breakdown of the brain's blood vessels may amplify or cause problems associated with Alzheimer's disease. The results suggest that blood vessel cells called pericytes may provide novel targets for treatments and diagnoses. | Read More » Wrist fracture significantly raises risk of hip fracture  | A new study showed that patients with Colles' fracture are at higher risk than patients with osteoporosis to have a subsequent hip fracture within one year; Colles' fracture and osteoporosis together further increase the risk of hip fracture. | Read More » Scientists improve human self-control through electrical brain stimulation  | If you have ever said or done the wrong thing at the wrong time, you should read this. Neuroscientists have successfully demonstrated a technique to enhance a form of self-control through a novel form of brain stimulation. | Read More » Chimpanzees are rational, not conformists  | Chimpanzees are sensitive to social influences but they maintain their own strategy to solve a problem rather than conform to what the majority of group members are doing. However, chimpanzees do change their strategy when they can obtain greater rewards, researchers found. | Read More » Snail fever expected to decline in Africa due to climate change  | The dangerous parasite Schistosoma mansoni that causes snail fever in humans could become significantly less common in the future, a new international study predicts. The results are surprising because they contradict the general assumption that climate change leads to greater geographical spread of diseases. The explanation is that the parasite's host snails stand to lose suitable habitat due to climate change. | Read More » Scientists, practitioners don't see eye to eye on repressed memory  | Skepticism about repressed traumatic memories has increased over time, but new research shows that psychology researchers and practitioners still tend to hold different beliefs about whether such memories occur and whether they can be accurately retrieved. | Read More » True story: Not everyone lies frequently  | Does everybody lie? We are taught that this is common sense and that most people tell little white lies. But perhaps this isn't true. A recent paper found that many people are honest most of the time, that many are honest about their lying, and that some lie a lot. | Read More » Family structure linked to high blood pressure in African-American men  | In a study of African-American men, researchers found that boys who grew up in two-parent homes were less likely to have high blood pressure as adults compared to those raised by a single parent. This is the first study of an African-American population to document an association between childhood family living arrangements and blood pressure. | Read More » Low-power tunneling transistor for high-performance devices at low voltage  | A new type of transistor that could make possible fast and low-power computing devices for energy-constrained applications such as smart sensor networks, implantable medical electronics and ultra-mobile computing is feasible, according researchers. Called a near broken-gap tunnel field effect transistor, the new device uses the quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons through an ultra-thin energy barrier to provide high current at low voltage. | Read More » Helping cancer researchers make sense of deluge of genetic data  | A web research tool is helping cancer researchers and physicians make sense out of genetic data from nearly 100,000 patients and more than 50,000 mice. The Gene Expression Barcode 3.0 is a vital resource in the new era of personalized medicine. | Read More » Children with autism benefit from peer solicitation  | Peer solicitation – a child inviting another to play – can improve reciprocal social interaction among children with autism, according to a study. | Read More » Using air transportation data to predict pandemics  | Computational work has led to a new mathematical theory for understanding the global spread of epidemics. The resulting insights could not only help identify an outbreak's origin but could also significantly improve the ability to forecast the global pathways through which a disease might spread. Scientists could use the theory to reconstruct outbreak origins with higher confidence, compute epidemic spreading speed and forecast when an epidemic wave front is to arrive at any location worldwide. | Read More » Study documents secondhand exposure to nicotine from electronic cigarettes  | Study compared emissions from electronic and conventional cigarettes, and found that secondhand exposure to nicotine from e-cigarettes is on average 10 times less than from tobacco smoke. | Read More » | |
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