Science News Daily-Forget Sponges: The Earliest Animals Were Marine Jellies

Medical News Anthrax Spores Use RNA Coat to Mislead Immune System Researchers from Harvard Medical School have discovered that the body’s immune system initially detects the presence of anthrax spores by recognizing RNA molecules that coat the spores’ surface. But this prompts an unfavorable immune response tha... – The Rockefeller University Press Journal of Experimental Medicine, May 2017; U54 AI057159; R01 AI070999 Embargo expired on 11-Apr-2017 at 09:00 ET PID1 Gene Enhances Effectiveness of Chemotherapy on Brain Cancer Cells Investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have found that the gene PID1 enhances killing of medulloblastoma, the most commonly occurring malignant primary brain tumor in children, and glioblastoma, the most commonly occurring malignant prima... – Children's Hospital Los Angeles Saban Research Institute Scientific Reports; NS094990 Embargo expired on 11-Apr-2017 at 06:00 ET El Nino Shifts Geographic Distribution of Cholera Cases in Africa Cholera cases in East Africa increase by roughly 50,000 during El Niño, the cyclical weather occurrence that profoundly changes global weather patterns, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests. – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 15:00 ET Research Uncovers Potential New Treatment to Treat and Stop Progression of Cystic Fibrosis Researchers published in Nature Medicine from the George Washington University, the University of Perugia, and the University of Rome have discovered a potential new drug to treat and stop the progression of cystic fibrosis. Thymosin α1 is a novel t... – George Washington University Nature Medicine Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 11:00 ET Heart Surgeons Actively Involved with TAVR Patients Every Step of the Way Cardiothoracic surgeons are fully invested in the patient-centered, team-based model of care, guiding patients through the entire transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) experience, from the decision to undergo TAVR to discharge from the hospit... – The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 10:00 ET Matching Pre-Treatment Tumor Size to Strength of Immune Response Allows Tailoring of Melanoma Drug Regimen A new study published in Nature provides clues that could enhance physicians’ ability to pinpoint, in real-time, which patients are not responding to therapy – and intervene with additional drugs to boost the chances of shrinking tumors. – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania R01 AI105343; P01 AI108545; U19 AI082630; P50-CA174523 Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 11:00 ET Researchers Identify Link Between Birth Defect and Neurodegenerative Diseases A new study has found a link between neurological birth defects in infants commonly found in pregnant women with diabetes and several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. This is the first ti... – University of Maryland School of Medicine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 15:00 ET Fast Capture of Cancer Markers Will Aid in Diagnosis and Treatment Researchers at Penn State have developed nanoprobes to rapidly isolate rare markers in blood for potential development of precision cancer diagnosis and personalized anticancer treatments. – Penn State Materials Research Institute Nature Biomedical Engineering Apr-2017 Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 11:00 ET Time-Lapse Video Reveals Cells Essential for ‘Birth’ of Blood Stem Cells St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital study examines origin of blood stem cells during development and offers clues for making “donor blood” in the laboratory for therapeutic use – St. Jude Children's Research Hospital R00HL097 Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 11:00 ET Cancer Geneticist to Lead New High Risk Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center Medical oncologist Ophira Ginsburg, MD, has joined NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center as director of its new High Risk Program, which identifies, studies and cares for patients with hereditary syndromes that increase cancer risk. – NYU Langone Medical Center Embargo expired on 11-Apr-2017 at 07:00 ET Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease Earlier Using … Greebles? Unique graphic characters called Greebles may prove to be valuable tools in detecting signs of Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms become apparent. – University of Louisville Journal of Alzheimer's Disease; RO1AG038471; RO1NS078828; T32MH064913; HHMI MIG 56006779 New Study Offers Hope for More Effective Treatment of Leukemia The discovery of a protein signature that is highly predictive of leukemia could lead to novel treatments of the leading childhood cancer, according to new study showing that competition among certain proteins causes an imbalance that leads to leukem... – University of Vermont Nature Immunology Location Matters ... – Harvard Medical School Wistar Scientists Reveal the Role of a Telomere Capping Complex in Cancer Scientists at The Wistar Institute have unveiled part of the protein complex that protects telomeres—the ends of our chromosomes. – Wistar Institute R01 GM088332; R01 CA201312; DE-AC02-76SF00515 ; DE-AC02-05CH11231 ; P41GM103393; P30 CA010815 Researchers Find Novel Way to Induce Pancreatic Cancer Cell Death Pancreatic cancer, most frequently pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is the most lethal and aggressive of all cancers. Unfortunately, there are not many effective therapies available other than surgery, and that is not an option for many patie... – Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Autophagy, April-2017 What's Your Company Policy on E-Cigarettes? As E-cigarettes continue to increase in popularity, employees are unclear on whether their employers have any company policy on "vaping"—or whether that policy is different for vaping versus tobacco smoking, reports a survey study in the April Jour... – Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine New Approach Makes Cells Resistant to HIV Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a way to tether HIV-fighting antibodies to immune cells, creating a cell population resistant to the virus. – Scripps Research Institute Laser-Based Dermatological Procedures Could Be Revolutionized with New Technique Clinicians and dermatologists have seen a rise in demand for minimally invasive laser-based treatments, including tattoo removal. However, it is difficult for the laser light to be perfectly and selectively absorbed by only the targeted birthmark or ... – University of Missouri Health Lasers in Surgery and Medicine Study Examines Factors of Inmate Relationships During Incarceration and STI/HIV Prevention The study, ”The Committed Inmate Relationships During Incarceration and STI/HIV Prevention,” aimed to characterize the relationships of incarcerated African-Americans and the influence of those characteristics in protection against STI/HIV risk ... – New York University Archives of Sexual Behavior; 1K24HD059358; R01DA028766 611 ; AI050 612 410 Conscious Sedation Is a Safe Alternative to General Anesthesia for Heart Valve Procedure UCLA scientists have found that conscious sedation — a type of anesthesia in which patients remain awake but are sleepy and pain-free — is a safe and viable option to general anesthesia for people undergoing a minimally invasive heart procedure c... – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences PLOS One, April 5 10 Minutes. 22 People. 54 Percent. At this moment, more than 118,000 people in the United States are in need of a lifesaving organ transplant. And 64 percent of them are currently on a waiting list – to which roughly 1 person is added every 10 minutes – according to the United Ne... Expert Available – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Hackensack Meridian Health Invites Local Businesses to Paint the Town Pink Hackensack Meridian Health is inviting local businesses to help raise awareness about the importance of annual mammography and overall women’s wellness by participating in “Paint the Town Pink” throughout the month of May. “Paint the Town Pin... – Meridian Health Vanderbilt’s Pietenpol Named as a Chief Scientific Advisor for Susan G. Komen Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., Executive Vice President for Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and director of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has been named a Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) for the nonprofit breast cancer or... – Vanderbilt University Medical Center Science News As Fins Evolve to Help Fish Swim, So Does the Nervous System The sensory system in fish fins evolves in parallel to fin shape and mechanics, and is specifically tuned to work with the fish’s swimming behavior, according to new research from the University of Chicago. The researchers found these parallels acr... – University of Chicago Medical Center PNAS, April 2017 Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 15:00 ET Forget Sponges: The Earliest Animals Were Marine Jellies One of the longest-running controversies in evolutionary biology has been, “What was the oldest branch of the animal family tree?” Was it the sponges, as had long been thought, or was it the delicate marine predators called comb jellies? A powerf... – Vanderbilt University Nature Ecology & Evolution (10Apr2017) Embargo expired on 10-Apr-2017 at 11:00 ET From Moo – to Goo Scientists have developed a new system to convert methane into a deep green, energy-rich, gelatin-like substance that can be used as the basis for biofuels and other bioproducts, specialty chemicals – and even feed for cows that create the gas in t... – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Bioresource Technology Stress Can Increase Empathy Acute psychosocial stress leads to increased empathy and prosocial behavior. An international team of researchers led by Claus Lamm from the University of Vienna investigated the effects of stress on neural mechanisms and tested the relationship betw... – University of Vienna Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Nutrients Are Nice, but Produce Better Pass the Taste Test Consumers want produce that tickles their taste buds and is easy on the eye, but they think quality fruits and vegetables are a matter of luck, according to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers. – University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Putting a Spin on Logic Gates Computer electronics are shrinking to small enough sizes that the electrical currents underlying their functions can no longer be used for logic computations in the ways of their larger-scale ancestors. A traditional semiconductor-based logic gate ca... – American Institute of Physics (AIP) Researchers Gain Insight Into Protein Critical to Zika Virus Reproduction Berkeley Lab researchers collaborated with colleagues from the University of Indiana and Texas A&M University to solve the atomic structure of a Zika virus protein that is key to viral reproduction. The X-ray studies were conducted at the Advanced Li... – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Plant Scientists Untangle the Molecular Mechanisms Connecting Plant Stress and Growth ISU researchers are piecing together the genetic mechanisms that link plant growth and stress response. In a new paper, the research group links autophagy, an important energy recycling function, with slower growth during stress conditions. Autophagy... – Iowa State University Scientists Make Strides Explaining How We Discern Language Physics Today magazine features “From Sound to Meaning” this month, a special article highlighting physics’ role in understanding language – American Institute of Physics (AIP) Researchers Use Graphene, Electricity to Change Stem Cells for Nerve Regrowth Two Iowa State research groups are combining their expertise to change stem cells for nerve regrowth. The groups -- one led by a mechanical engineer and the other by a chemical engineer -- just published their findings in Advanced Healthcare Material... – Iowa State University Advanced Healthcare Materials, April 5, 2017, DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201770032 New Model Maps Likelihood of Ebola Spillovers Ecologists at the University of Georgia have developed a model that maps the likelihood of Ebola virus “spillovers”—when the virus jumps from its long-term host to humans or animals such as great apes—across Africa on a month-by-month basis. ... – University of Georgia Repairing California's Water Infrastructure ​​​Recent extreme weather has put increased stress on California's aging water infrastructure and highlighted the fact that the state must invest billions to improve and repair its civil infrastructure. – California State University (CSU) Chancellor's Office Agronomy Feeds the World Videos Created Agronomy is the study of crop and soil science – important in delivering food from farm to table. But most people don’t know the word. And most agronomists – the scientists working in the field of agronomy – find their complicated jobs hard t... – American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Lifestyle & Social Sciences Cross-Cultural Study Strengthens Link Between Media Violence and Aggressive Behavior New Iowa State research offers compelling evidence that media violence affects aggressive behavior. This first-of-its-kind study, conducted in seven different countries, confirms six decades of research showing the effect is the same, regardless of c... – Iowa State University Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Expressing Gratitude Makes Us Healthier. Who Wouldn’t Be Grateful for That? . In a new article in the National Communication Association’s Review of Communication, authors Stephen M. Yoshimura and Kassandra Berzins explore the connection between gratitude expression and psychological and physical well-being. As one might e... – National Communication Association Review of Communication Alaska, Delta Finish No. 1 and 2 in New Airline Quality Rating While Overall Airline Industry Posts Best-Ever Results After four years at the top of the Airline Quality Rating, Virgin America slipped to third in 2016, and the airline it announced a merger with last year – Alaska Airlines – has finished No. 1, with Delta coming in at a close second, according to ... – Wichita State University What Triggers a High-School Student to Suddenly Drop Out? Divorcing parents, a car accident, a job layoff or any other major stressful event can provoke adolescents to quit their studies, a new UdeM study shows . – Universite de Montreal Child Development, March 28, 2017 Student and School Variables Can Predict High School Dropout, Study Finds The gap in the high school dropout rate among students of different racial and demographic backgrounds narrows when certain variables, such as socioeconomic status and school size, are the same, according to a Georgia State University study. – Georgia State University School Psychology Quarterly Michael Foods CEO Advises Planning for the Unplanned An account of the talk given by Michael Foods CEO Jim Dwyer (MBA ’82) at a recent UVA Darden Leadership Speaker Series event – University of Virginia Darden School Foundation Trump’s Strike Appropriate But He Needs To Reconsider Refugees, Says Fmr. U.S. Amb. To Syria President Trump’s missile strikes against the Assad regime in Syria on Friday were “appropriate and measured,” says Former Amb. to Syria Ryan Crocker, but the emotion Trump showed when discussing the chemical attack on civilians should give him... – Texas A&M University US Trade Association Calls on South Carolina State University to Stop Promoting Bad Science The National Candle Association is calling upon the leadership of South Carolina State University to put a stop to the university's promotion of unsupported research and scientifically inaccurate claims. – National Candle Association Smithsonian Brings Garden Stories to Life with “Community of Gardens” Mobile App Smithsonian Gardens celebrates National Garden Month with the launch of its first mobile app “Community of Gardens,” which brings stories of gardening in the United States to life. – Smithsonian Institution Business News Globus Joins Spectra Logic's Growing Partner Developer Program with BlackPearl Client Certification Spectra and Globus solution lets users share, store, and access valuable research data to advance scientific research worldwide – Computation Institute Embargo expired on 11-Apr-2017 at 08:00 ET ‘Most Powerful Woman in Finance’ on Investment Banking, Challenge the Industry UVA Darden Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt interviews Barbara Byrne, vice-chair of investment banking at Barclays. They discuss the importance of diversity, the success of the Barclays Women in Leadership Total Return Index, Brexit, and why this is the... – University of Virginia Darden School Foundation