ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Brightest neutron star yet has a multipolar magnetic field
• Using a rabbit virus to treat multiple myeloma
• In great shape: Metamaterial is world's first to achieve performance predicted by theoretical bounds
• Winners, losers among fish when landscape undergoes change
• Genetic data show mainly men migrated from the Pontic steppe to Europe 5,000 years ago
• New peptide to combat a disorder that causes heart attacks at early age
• Researcher using kinetics, not temperature, to make ceramic coatings
• Drugs that alter inhibitory targets offer therapeutic strategies for Autism, Schizophrenia
• US grid can handle more offshore wind power, cutting pollution and power costs
• Likelihood of dieting success lies within your tweets
• The smallest Cas9 genetic scissors (so far)
• Counting sharks
• Model helps explain why some patients with multiple sclerosis have seizures
• New studies quantify the impacts of water use on diversity of fish and aquatic insects in NC streams
• Chemists reveal novel biocatalysts for bioactive alkaloid synthesis
• 'Sweet spot' where tissue stiffness drives cancer's spread
• Researchers implicate suspect in heart disease linked to diabetes
• Testosterone treatment improves bone density and anemia, may lead to cardiac risk
• Collaborative care provides improvement for older adults with mild depression
• Prides, protection and parks: Africa's protected areas can support four times as many lions
• Radiocarbon dating and DNA show ancient Puebloan leadership in the maternal line
• Prostate cancer cells grow with malfunction of cholesterol control in cells
• Prediction: More gas-giants will be found orbiting Sun-like stars
• Science vs. the sea lamprey
• Microbe, virus co-evolution: Model of CRISPR, phage co-evolution explains confusing experimental results
• Colorado River flows will keep shrinking as climate warms
• Osteopathic technique helps locate ectopic pregnancies when imaging fails
• Engineers overcome a hurdle in growing a revolutionary optical metamaterial
• The way breast cancer genes act could predict your treatment
• New type of immunological treatment of cancer?
• Anti-epilepsy medicine taken by pregnant women does not harm the child's overall health
• Youth handball players get injured by sudden increases in training volume
• Discovery could help doctors to spot cardiovascular disease at an earlier stage
• Second case of 'Down syndrome' in chimps
• Drug treatment could combat hearing loss
• Exercise most important lifestyle change to help reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence
• Expert calls for shorter radiation use in prostate cancer treatment
• ORC as loader of the rings: Study details ringed structure of ORC in DNA replication
• Mediterranean diet may decrease pain associated with obesity
• Growing number of teens think getting heroin is 'probably impossible'
• How habitat destruction figures in long-term survival plans
• Genetic mutations that drive antibiotic resistance in bacteria
• Three-way dance between herbivores, plants and microbes unveiled
• Waste silicon sawdust recycled into anode for lithium-ion battery
• Online daters ignore wish list when choosing a match
• Cutting-edge cameras reveal the secret life of dolphins
• Anyone can be backyard scientist, mole study shows
• Cocaine addiction leads to build-up of iron in brain
• Significant epilepsy gene discovery in dogs
• Mindfulness shows promise as we age, but study results are mixed
• Experiments call origin of Earth's iron into question
• Family focused interventions for at risk children and youth
• Cars and chlamydia killing Queensland koalas
• 3,000 steps in 30 minutes improves the prognosis for heart failure, study suggests
• Novel plasma jet offshoot phenomenon explains blue atmospheric jets
• Stabilizing energy storage
• When rocket science meets x-ray science
• Creative people have better-connected brains
• Maths and maps make you nervous? It could be in your genes
• Students more likely to succeed if teachers have positive perceptions of parents

Brightest neutron star yet has a multipolar magnetic field Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:15 PM PST Scientists have identified a neutron star that is consuming material so fast it emits more x-rays than any other. Its extreme brightness can only be explained if the star has a complex multipolar magnetic field, the researchers say.

Using a rabbit virus to treat multiple myeloma Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:15 PM PST Treating multiple myeloma (MM) with myxoma virus (MYXV) eliminated a majority of malignant cells in preclinical studies, report investigators. Furthermore, introduction of MYXV had no impact on the bone marrow compartment and elicited a strong immune response that eradicated disease in some animals.

In great shape: Metamaterial is world's first to achieve performance predicted by theoretical bounds Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:15 PM PST Isomax is now proved to be the world's first to achieve the performance predicted by theoretical bounds, reports a new study.

Winners, losers among fish when landscape undergoes change Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:49 PM PST As humans build roads, construct buildings and develop land for agriculture, freshwater ecosystems respond ? but not always in the ways one might expect.

Genetic data show mainly men migrated from the Pontic steppe to Europe 5,000 years ago Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:48 PM PST A new study, looking at the sex-specifically inherited X chromosome of prehistoric human remains, shows that hardly any women took part in the extensive migration from the Pontic-Caspian Steppe approximately 5,000 years ago. The great migration that brought farming practices to Europe 4,000 years earlier, on the other hand, consisted of both women and men. The difference in sex bias suggests that different social and cultural processes drove the two migrations.

New peptide to combat a disorder that causes heart attacks at early age Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:23 PM PST Some people inherit a condition that elevates their cholesterol to an excessive degree, and no amount of diet or exercise can bring the numbers down. Researchers are developing and testing a new peptide that may lead to better treatment options.

Researcher using kinetics, not temperature, to make ceramic coatings Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:13 PM PST A new study lays down ceramic coatings kinetically at room temperature. Coating at room temperature makes microelectronics design and fabrication more flexible and could someday lead to better, less expensive microelectronics components that underpin modern technology.

Drugs that alter inhibitory targets offer therapeutic strategies for Autism, Schizophrenia Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:07 PM PST Memories are formed at structures in the brain known as dendritic spines, which communicate with other brain cells through 'synapses.' Researchers recently discovered that an inhibitory brain receptor triggers synaptic pruning in adolescence. Now, a new article shows that drugs that selectively target these receptors, when administered during adolescence, can alter synapse number, with possible implications for the treatment of autism and schizophrenia.

US grid can handle more offshore wind power, cutting pollution and power costs Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:07 PM PST Injecting large amounts of offshore wind power into the US electrical grid is manageable, will cut electricity costs, and will reduce pollution compared to current fossil fuel sources, according to researchers who have completed a first-of-its-kind simulation with the electric power industry.

Likelihood of dieting success lies within your tweets Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:07 PM PST There is a direct link between a person's attitude on social media and the likelihood that their dieting efforts will succeed. In fact, researchers have now determined that dieting success ­-- or failure -- can be predicted with an accuracy rate of 77 percent based on the sentiment of the words and phrases one uses on Twitter.

The smallest Cas9 genetic scissors (so far) Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:21 AM PST Scientists present the smallest member of the CRISPR-Cas9 family developed to date and show that it can fit inside adeno-associated viruses and mutate blindness-causing genes

Counting sharks Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:20 AM PST Researchers have recalibrated shark population density using data they gathered during eight years of study on Palmyra atoll.

Model helps explain why some patients with multiple sclerosis have seizures Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:20 AM PST MS patients are three to six times more likely to develop seizures. Using a mouse model, a team of scientists has found for the first time that chronic demyelination is closely linked to, and is likely the cause of, these seizures. A new study could lead to the development of drugs aimed at reducing seizures in multiple sclerosis, potentially benefiting epilepsy patients as well.

New studies quantify the impacts of water use on diversity of fish and aquatic insects in NC streams Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST The health of fish and aquatic insects could be significantly affected by withdrawals of fresh water from the rivers and streams across North Carolina according to a new scientific assessment.

Chemists reveal novel biocatalysts for bioactive alkaloid synthesis Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Alkaloids are natural nitrogen-containing compounds produced by plants and microbes. These molecules, such as morphine and quinine, are important human medicines. Alkaloids are typically polycyclic in nature. While the polycyclic characteristics are important for their bioactivities, these features impede their chemical syntheses in the laboratory and their applications as pharmaceuticals.

'Sweet spot' where tissue stiffness drives cancer's spread Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Researchers have now found that physical forces exerted between cancer cells and the ECM are enough to drive a shape change necessary for metastasis. Those forces converge on an optimal stiffness that allows cancer cells to spread.

Researchers implicate suspect in heart disease linked to diabetes Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Scientists have struggled to trace the specific biology behind diabetes-associated heart disease risk or find ways to intervene. Now, researchers have hunted down a possible culprit -- a protein called IRS-1, which is crucial for the smooth muscle cells that make up veins and arteries.

Testosterone treatment improves bone density and anemia, may lead to cardiac risk Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Testosterone treatment improved bone density and anemia for men over 65 with unequivocally low testosterone, a new study has concluded. However, testosterone treatment did not improve cognitive function, and it increased the amount of plaque buildup in participants' coronary arteries.

Collaborative care provides improvement for older adults with mild depression Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Among older adults with subthreshold depression (insufficient levels of depressive symptoms to meet diagnostic criteria), collaborative care compared with usual care resulted in an improvement in depressive symptoms after four months, although it is of uncertain clinical importance, according to a study.

Prides, protection and parks: Africa's protected areas can support four times as many lions Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Africa's protected parks and reserves are capable of supporting three to four times as many wild lions if well funded and managed, according to a new report. The study shows that populations of the African lion and its prey species are drastically below their natural potential inside most of Africa's protected areas (PA).

Radiocarbon dating and DNA show ancient Puebloan leadership in the maternal line Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Discovering who was a leader, or even if leaders existed, from the ruins of archaeological sites is difficult, but now a team of archaeologists and biological anthropologists, using a powerful combination of radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA, have shown that a matrilineal dynasty likely ruled Pueblo Bonito in New Mexico for more than 300 years.

Prostate cancer cells grow with malfunction of cholesterol control in cells Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST Advanced prostate cancer and high blood cholesterol have long been known to be connected, but it has been a chicken-or-egg problem. Now a team of researchers has identified a cellular process that cancer cells hijack to hoard cholesterol and fuel their growth. Identifying this process could inform the development of better ways to control cholesterol accumulation in tumors, potentially leading to improved survival for prostate cancer patients.

Prediction: More gas-giants will be found orbiting Sun-like stars Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:07 AM PST New planetary formation models indicate that there may be an undiscovered population of gas giant planets orbiting around Sun-like stars at distances similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn.

Science vs. the sea lamprey Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:06 AM PST A promising -- and natural -- solution to curb destructive the sea lamprey population has been developed by a team of researchers.

Microbe, virus co-evolution: Model of CRISPR, phage co-evolution explains confusing experimental results Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:06 AM PST A new study suggests that researchers planning to use the CRISPR genome-editing system to produce designer gut bacteria may need to account for the dynamic evolution of the microbial immune system.

Colorado River flows will keep shrinking as climate warms Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:06 AM PST Warming in the 21st century reduced Colorado River flows by at least 0.5 million acre-feet, about the amount of water used by 2 million people for one year, according to new research. Climate change models project increasing temperatures, but future precipitation projections have more uncertainty. A new report, the first to quantify the different effects of temperature and precipitation on recent Colorado River flow, shows as temperature keep increasing, Colorado River flows will keep declining.

Osteopathic technique helps locate ectopic pregnancies when imaging fails Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:06 AM PST The location of an ectopic pregnancy can be determined quickly and easily with a simple, noninvasive physical examination technique used by osteopathic physicians. The method can be helpful in emergency situations, like ruptured ectopic pregnancies, when bleeding obscures traditional imaging. Ectopic pregnancies account for nearly 2 percent of all pregnancies in North America and are the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first trimester.

Engineers overcome a hurdle in growing a revolutionary optical metamaterial Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:06 AM PST Engineers have now produced an elusive diamond crystal structure that could revolutionize photonics. This has put them on the path to achieving a material that is the 'holy grail of directed particle self-assembly.' Such materials could be used to make lenses, cameras and microscopes with better performance, or possibly even 'invisibility cloaks,' solid objects that would redirect all light rays around a central compartment, rendering objects there invisible.

The way breast cancer genes act could predict your treatment Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:09 AM PST Effective treatment options for breast cancer can be predicted based on the way certain breast cancer genes act or express themselves, a researcher has concluded.

New type of immunological treatment of cancer? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST Researchers have found an important piece of the puzzle leading towards an understanding of how our innate immune system reacts against viral infections and recognises foreign DNA, for example from dying cancer cells. The discovery may prove to be of great importance for immunological treatment of cancer as well as autoimmune diseases in the future.

Anti-epilepsy medicine taken by pregnant women does not harm the child's overall health Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST Previous studies have shown that anti-epilepsy medicine may lead to congenital malformations in the fetus and that the use of anti-epilepsy medicine during pregnancy affects the development of the brain among the children. There is still a lack of knowledge in the area about the general health of children who are exposed to anti-epilepsy medicine in fetal life. But this new study is generally reassuring for women who need to take anti-epilepsy medicine during their pregnancy.

Youth handball players get injured by sudden increases in training volume Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST With extra training sessions in the sports hall and more matches on the program, youth handball players risk getting shoulder injuries, conclude investigators.

Discovery could help doctors to spot cardiovascular disease at an earlier stage Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST Screening methods for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes could be improved by measuring different biological signposts to those currently being tested, a new study suggests. The study could allow doctors to better predict the development of cardiovascular disease at an earlier stage.

Second case of 'Down syndrome' in chimps Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST Japanese researchers have confirmed the second case known to science of a chimpanzee born with trisomy 22, a chromosomal defect similar to that of Down syndrome (or trisomy 21) in humans.

Drug treatment could combat hearing loss Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST A combination of drugs has been discovered that induces supporting cells in the ear to differentiate into hair cells, offering a potential new way to treat hearing loss.

Exercise most important lifestyle change to help reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST For patients with breast cancer, physical activity and avoiding weight gain are the most important lifestyle choices that can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and death, according to an evidence-based review.

Expert calls for shorter radiation use in prostate cancer treatment Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:04 AM PST Men with prostate cancer can receive shorter courses of radiation therapy than what is currently considered standard, according to scientists.

ORC as loader of the rings: Study details ringed structure of ORC in DNA replication Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:04 AM PST An international collaboration of life scientists has described in exquisite detail the critical first steps of DNA replication, which allows cells to divide and most advanced life, including human, to propagate.

Mediterranean diet may decrease pain associated with obesity Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:04 AM PST Eating a Mediterranean diet could decrease the chances an overweight person will experience regular pain, new research suggests.

Growing number of teens think getting heroin is 'probably impossible' Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:08 AM PST How easy do adolescents think it is to get heroin? A researcher examines how their perceptions have changed from 2002 to 2014.

How habitat destruction figures in long-term survival plans Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:08 AM PST Some organisms might have an interesting strategy for long-term survival: switching between two unsustainable forms of behaviour that, when kept unchecked, can actually cause them to wipe out their own homes.

Genetic mutations that drive antibiotic resistance in bacteria Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:08 AM PST Scientists have identified novel mutations in bacteria that promote the evolution of high-level antibiotic resistance.

Three-way dance between herbivores, plants and microbes unveiled Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:08 AM PST What looks like a caterpillar chewing on a leaf or a beetle consuming fruit is likely a three-way battle that benefits most, if not all of the players involved, according to an entomologist.

Waste silicon sawdust recycled into anode for lithium-ion battery Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:07 AM PST By recycling silicon sawdust, researchers have created a high performance anode material.

Online daters ignore wish list when choosing a match Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:07 AM PST Despite having a 'wish list' stating their preference for potential ideal matches, most online daters contact people bearing no resemblance to the characteristics they say they want in a mate, according to new research. The finding was revealed by researchers who analyzed the online dating preferences and contact behavior of more than 41,000 Australians aged between 18-80.

Cutting-edge cameras reveal the secret life of dolphins Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:07 AM PST Dolphins have been recorded in rarely-seen activities of mother-calf interaction, playing with kelp, and intimate social behaviors like flipper-rubbing through the use of largely non-invasive new cameras.

Anyone can be backyard scientist, mole study shows Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:07 AM PST Scientific findings are awaiting discovery in your backyard. The requirement? A keen sense of observation and patience. A researcher recently completed a study on moles' behavior that proves the concept. His laboratory? A molehill-dotted city lawn in downtown Chico, California.

Cocaine addiction leads to build-up of iron in brain Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:07 AM PST Cocaine addiction may affect how the body processes iron, leading to a build-up of the mineral in the brain, according to new research. The study raises hopes that there may be a biomarker -- a biological measure of addiction -- that could be used as a target for future treatments.

Significant epilepsy gene discovery in dogs