ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Urine-based biomarkers for early cancer screening test
• When less is essential to keep the brain going
• PTSD risk can be predicted by hormone levels prior to deployment, study says
• Vision, not limbs, led fish onto land 385 million years ago
• Scientists show how to amplify or stifle signals for immune responses
• Incidence of dementia in primary care increased in the Netherlands over 23 years
• Equation helps to explain plant growth
• New study examines whether dogs are feline-friendly, or not
• Promising new strategy to attack the most lethal brain tumor in children
• Hiring data creates risk of workplace bias
• New biomarker 'bim' could enable smarter treatment for melanoma patients
• Iota orionis: Pulsating beacon of a constellation
• Snake bite? Chemists figure out how to easily and cheaply halt venom's spread
• Group tolerance linked to perceptions of fairness and harm
• Key mutation in melanoma suppresses the immune system
• 'Black swan' events strike animal populations
• Small molecules fighting aging-related diseases
• New protein discovered in aging, cancer
• Tungsten examined in extreme environments to improve fusion materials
• Caffeine boosts enzyme that could protect against dementia
• Survival instinct, not family bonds, weave massive spider colonies together
• Controlling energy production by calcium is an organ-specific affair
• Fault system off San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles counties could produce magnitude 7.3 earthquake
• Multilab replication project examines cooperation under time pressure
• Ovarian cancer researchers find biomarker linked to prognosis in aggressive disease type
• Species appears to evolve quickly enough to endure city temperatures
• Computer models could allow researchers to better understand, predict adverse drug reactions
• New drug combination targets aggressive blood cancer
• Study finds knowledge gaps on protecting cultural sites from climate change
• Progress towards a circuit diagram of the brain
• Manufacturing method may help keep work in high-cost areas
• Asian carp and old Chicago waterways
• Craters show Earth is bombarded at random
• Understanding the motion of vortex domain walls in ferromagnetic nanowires
• Computer simulations first step toward designing more efficient amine chemical scrubbers
• Wise deliberation sustains cooperation
• Americans are having sex less often, new study shows
• New design results in compact, highly efficient frequency comb
• Diabetes drug may be effective against deadly form of breast cancer, study suggests
• Study tests the 'three-hit' theory of autism
• Newly discovered DNA enhancers help switch on colorectal cancer
• Team examines molecular-level problems of heart disease
• Going glassy: Revealing structure and dynamics of glassy polymers during transition
• Synchrotron sheds (X-ray) light on carbon chemistry at ocean surfaces
• Reducing conducting thin film surface roughness for electronics
• Light rain can spread soil bacteria far and wide, study finds
• Understanding what's happening inside liquid droplets
• Researchers solve the mystery of the acid pump
• A new way to reset gene expression in cancer cells shows promise for leukemia treatment
• Supervised self-injection with empty syringes improved comfort in food-allergic adolescents administering epinephrine, study finds
• Can combined exercise and nutritional intervention improve muscle mass and function?
• Brain scans of service-dog trainees help sort weaker recruits from the pack
• US grasslands affected more by atmospheric dryness than precipitation
• Better injury data management can save fire departments hundreds of thousands of dollars
• Fly-over states matter when understanding -- and saving -- migratory birds
• New study shines light on photosynthesis
• Tackling Lupus and its renal complications with novel small molecule drug candidate
• Vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth
• Designing the fuel-efficient aircraft of the future
• Evidence lacking to support 'lead diet'

Urine-based biomarkers for early cancer screening test Posted: 07 Mar 2017 12:52 PM PST A new study has introduced a new technique that validates urine-based biomarkers for early detection of cancer. The research team expects that this may be potentially useful in clinical settings to test urinary EV-based biomarkers for cancer diagnostics.

When less is essential to keep the brain going Posted: 07 Mar 2017 12:51 PM PST Scientists have found that supply of the enzyme Rab4 could make a significant difference in the formation and organization of synapses. Interestingly, a reduced supply of the enzyme could increase the assembly of the synapse in neuronal networks, as well as corresponding brain functions.

PTSD risk can be predicted by hormone levels prior to deployment, study says Posted: 07 Mar 2017 12:25 PM PST Some soldiers might have a hormonal predisposition to experience such stress-related disorders, new research suggests.

Vision, not limbs, led fish onto land 385 million years ago Posted: 07 Mar 2017 12:25 PM PST A new study suggests it was the power of the eyes and not the limbs that first led our aquatic ancestors to make the leap from water to land. The researchers discovered that eyes nearly tripled in size before -- not after -- the water-to-land transition. Crocodile-like animals saw easy meals on land and then evolved limbs that enabled them to get there, the researchers argue.

Scientists show how to amplify or stifle signals for immune responses Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:27 AM PST Immunologists pioneered an approach to observe in real time what excites T cells at the nanoscale, pinpointed the pathway that controls immune response and identified drugs that could equip scientists with the ability to manipulate the immune system and prevent disease.

Incidence of dementia in primary care increased in the Netherlands over 23 years Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:27 AM PST The incidence of registered dementia cases has increased slightly over a 23-year period (1992 to 2014) in the Netherlands, according to a new study.

Equation helps to explain plant growth Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:27 AM PST A new biology breakthrough has important implications for plants as they adapt to a warming environment, say authors of a new report.

New study examines whether dogs are feline-friendly, or not Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:18 AM PST While most behavioral assessments focus on dogs’ responses to visual stimuli, the study found that dogs rely heavily on another sense, hearing.

Promising new strategy to attack the most lethal brain tumor in children Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:18 AM PST Researchers have revealed new insight into how the most deadly pediatric brain tumor, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), may develop. They also have identified a compound that targets the "on" switch for cancer-promoting genes, which resulted in shrinking tumor size and increased survival in an animal model of DIPG. Preparations for a clinical trial are now under way.

Hiring data creates risk of workplace bias Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:18 AM PST American employers increasingly rely on large datasets and computer algorithms to decide who gets interviewed, hired or promoted. While these data algorithms can help to avoid biased human decision-making, they also risk introducing new forms of bias or reinforcing existing biases, suggests a new report.

New biomarker 'bim' could enable smarter treatment for melanoma patients Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:18 AM PST Over the past few years, checkpoint blockade immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment and helped many patients who were previously considered untreatable. Now, new discoveries could help make these and other immunotherapies even more transformative for patients.

Iota orionis: Pulsating beacon of a constellation Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:16 AM PST Using the world's smallest astronomical satellites, researchers have detected the biggest stellar heartbeat ever. Astronomers are hopeful that this discovery will provide the initiative to search for other such systems, creating a fundamental shift in how we study the evolution of massive stars. This is important, since massive stars are laboratories of elements essential to human life.

Snake bite? Chemists figure out how to easily and cheaply halt venom's spread Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:12 AM PST Chemists have developed a way to neutralize deadly snake venom more cheaply and effectively than with traditional anti-venom -- an innovation that could spare millions of people the loss of life or limbs each year.

Group tolerance linked to perceptions of fairness and harm Posted: 07 Mar 2017 11:12 AM PST A new study of groups in tension or conflict found evidence that people are willing to share a society with those of differing beliefs as long as they believe that those groups share a commitment to universal moral values such as fairness and harm.

Key mutation in melanoma suppresses the immune system Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:11 AM PST Researchers have identified a specific mutation that allows melanoma tumor cells to remain undetected by the immune system.

'Black swan' events strike animal populations Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:11 AM PST A new analysis is the first to document that "black swan" events also occur in animal populations and usually manifest as massive, unexpected die-offs.

Small molecules fighting aging-related diseases Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:10 AM PST For the first time an international research network has succeeded in producing small molecules able to activate the enzyme sirtuin 6. Furthermore, the scientists were able to reveal the structural basis of such processes. These findings will enable the development of drugs that might support the fight against aging-related diseases.

New protein discovered in aging, cancer Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:10 AM PST A protein has been found to have a previously unknown role in the ageing of cells, according to an early study. The researchers hope that the findings could one day lead to new treatments for aging and early cancer.

Tungsten examined in extreme environments to improve fusion materials Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:09 AM PST A fusion reactor is essentially a magnetic bottle containing the same processes that occur in the sun. Deuterium and tritium fuels fuse to form a vapor of helium ions, neutrons and heat. As this hot, ionized gas -- called plasma -- burns, that heat is transferred to water to make steam to turn turbines that generate electricity. The superheated plasma poses a constant threat to the reactor wall and the divertor (which removes waste from the operating reactor to keep the plasma hot enough to burn).

Caffeine boosts enzyme that could protect against dementia Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:09 AM PST Researchers have identified 24 compounds -- including caffeine -- with the potential to boost an enzyme in the brain shown to protect against dementia.

Survival instinct, not family bonds, weave massive spider colonies together Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:08 AM PST Spiders will live in groups if environmental conditions make it too difficult for single mothers to go it alone, new research shows.

Controlling energy production by calcium is an organ-specific affair Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:08 AM PST Researchers have shown that the composition of the mitochondrial calcium portal (the protein that regulates when and how much calcium enters) is different depending on the organ in the body, and this difference allows mitochondria to tune their energy output by decoding a pattern of amplitude and/or frequency of calcium oscillations inside a cell. The results could shed light on our basic understanding of organ health and disease.

Fault system off San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles counties could produce magnitude 7.3 earthquake Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:08 AM PST The Newport-Inglewood and Rose Canyon faults had been considered separate systems but a new study shows that they are actually one continuous fault system running from San Diego Bay to Seal Beach in Orange County, then on land through the Los Angeles basin.

Multilab replication project examines cooperation under time pressure Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:08 AM PST In 2012, a trio of psychological scientists reported research showing that people who made quick decisions under time pressure were more likely to cooperate than were people who were required to take longer in their deliberations. A new multi-laboratory effort was partially successful in replicating those results.

Ovarian cancer researchers find biomarker linked to prognosis in aggressive disease type Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:08 AM PST Ovarian cancer researchers have identified a protein biomarker expressed on the surface of tumor cells in high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common and lethal subtype of the disease.

Species appears to evolve quickly enough to endure city temperatures Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:08 AM PST Urban acorn ants collected in Cleveland appear to have taken no more than 100 years -- no more than 20 generations -- to evolve and thrive in their heat-trapping city home. The capability suggests the species may be able to cope with other sources of rising temperatures.

Computer models could allow researchers to better understand, predict adverse drug reactions Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:45 AM PST Computer model shows what happens at the molecular level during severe allergic reactions to abacavir, a common HIV drug

New drug combination targets aggressive blood cancer Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:45 AM PST A pair of drugs that may be a one-two punch needed to help combat acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer that kills nearly three-fourths of patients within five years of diagnosis, is the focus of a new multi-center clinical trial that will enroll patients at three sites across the U.S.

Study finds knowledge gaps on protecting cultural sites from climate change Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:36 AM PST Many cultural sites vulnerable to climate-related changes such as rising sea levels, coastal erosion and flooding from stronger storms, warn researchers.

Progress towards a circuit diagram of the brain Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:35 AM PST Precise knowledge of the connections in the brain – the links between all the nerve cells – is a prerequisite for better understanding this most complex of organs. Now researchers have developed a new algorithm for analyzing image data.

Manufacturing method may help keep work in high-cost areas Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST A new study describes seru as a cellular assembly approach. The system appears to offer promise for manufacturing in dynamic, high-cost markets.

Asian carp and old Chicago waterways Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST Asian carp, currently confined to the Mississippi River system, are threatening to invade Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Researchers reaffirm that providing safe drinking water to Chicago residents must remain the number one priority; however, the Asian carp must be blocked to prevent them from getting into the Great Lakes.

Craters show Earth is bombarded at random Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST Asteroids don't hit our planet at regular intervals, as was previously thought. Earth scientists have reached this conclusion after analyzing impact craters formed in the last 500 million years, concentrating on precisely dated events.

Understanding the motion of vortex domain walls in ferromagnetic nanowires Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST Almost all information that exists in contemporary society is recorded in magnetic media, like hard drive disks. Researchers are studying the motion of vortex domain walls -- local regions of charge that collectively store information via their configuration -- driven by magnetic fields in ferromagnetic nanowires, which are configured in a straight line with an asymmetric Y-like branch.

Computer simulations first step toward designing more efficient amine chemical scrubbers Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST A proof-of-concept molecular modeling study that analyzes the efficiency of amine solutions in capturing carbon dioxide is the first step toward the design of cheaper, more efficient amine chemicals for capturing carbon dioxide -- and reducing harmful CO2 emissions -- in industrial installations.

Wise deliberation sustains cooperation Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST Giving people time to think about cooperating on a task can have a positive effect if they are big-picture thinkers, but if they tend to focus on their own, immediate experience, the time to think may make them less cooperative, research has found.

Americans are having sex less often, new study shows Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST While the topic of sex is less taboo than it was a generation ago, that doesn't necessarily mean people are having more of it. According to a new study, Americans who were married or living together had sex 16 fewer times per year in 2010-2014 compared to 2000-2004. The survey also found that overall, Americans had sex about nine fewer times per year in 2010-2014 compared to 1995-1999.

New design results in compact, highly efficient frequency comb Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST A quantum cascade laser (QCL) frequency comb has been developed that is dramatically more efficient than previous iterations. The device could detect many different kinds of chemicals, including industrial emissions, explosives, and chemical warfare agents, say scientists.

Diabetes drug may be effective against deadly form of breast cancer, study suggests Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST Researchers have discovered that a metabolic enzyme called AKR1B1 drives an aggressive type of breast cancer. The study, 'AKR1B1 promotes basal-like breast cancer progression by a positive feedback loop that activates the EMT program,' suggests that an inhibitor of this enzyme currently used to treat diabetes patients could be an effective therapy for this frequently deadly form of cancer.

Study tests the 'three-hit' theory of autism Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST Could a genetic predisposition to autism together with early stress have a more detrimental effect on boys than on girls? In experiments with mice, researchers found evidence that three factors -- genes, environment, and sex -- work together to produce problems with social interaction, a hallmark of autism.

Newly discovered DNA enhancers help switch on colorectal cancer Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST Genetic mutations can increase a person's cancer risk, but other gene 'enhancer' elements may also be responsible for disease progression, according to new research. In a breakthrough study, scientists discovered changes in specific regions of DNA, outside of colorectal cancer genes, that 'enhance' harmful gene expression to help grow tumors.

Team examines molecular-level problems of heart disease Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST In a recent study, researchers teamed up with cardiologists and heart therapy scientists from across the U.S. and Europe and found that dysfunction at the molecular level is present in heart failure. Understanding this abnormality could lead to new approaches for treating the number one killer among men and women worldwide.

Going glassy: Revealing structure and dynamics of glassy polymers during transition Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST Computational physicists and chemists have shed new light on how the polymer structure bears on the glass-transition temperature in the forming of glass in atactic polystyrene (PS), a commonly used glass substance.

Synchrotron sheds (X-ray) light on carbon chemistry at ocean surfaces Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST Carbonate, bicarbonate, and carbonic acid emerge when atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in the oceans, which is the largest sink for this greenhouse gas. Researchers are interested in better understanding the carbonate system to potentially help facilitate carbon sequestration schemes, to help mitigate climate change. Recently, researchers made breakthrough discoveries about the carbonate species' behavior at saltwater surfaces, like that of the ocean.

Reducing conducting thin film surface roughness for electronics Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:28 AM PST As transistor dimensions within integrated circuits continue to shrink, smooth metallic lines are required to interconnect these devices. If the surfaces of these tiny metal lines aren't smooth enough, it substantially reduces their ability to conduct electrical and thermal energy -- decreasing functionality. Engineers report an advance in modeling results that establish electrical surface treatment of conducting thin films as a physical processing method for reducing surface roughness.

Light rain can spread soil bacteria far and wide, study finds Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:27 AM PST A good rain can have a cleansing effect on the land. But a new study reports that, under just the right conditions, rain can also be a means of spreading bacteria. Using high-resolution imaging, researchers observed the effect of raindrops falling on dry soil laden with bacteria.

Understanding what's happening inside liquid droplets Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:27 AM PST For most people, the drip, drip, drip of a leaking faucet would be an annoyance. But what happens inside droplets is the stuff of serious science.

Researchers solve the mystery of the acid pump Posted: 07 Mar 2017 08:27 AM PST Researchers have succeeded in identifying the mechanisms involved in what is known as the acid pump, which at the cellular level pumps acid into the stomach -- in some cases leading to gastric ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

A new way to reset gene expression in cancer cells shows promise for leukemia treatment Posted:<