Science News
Physicists' work may help change future of transistors
Phys.org - 1 Dec 2016 16:02
UT Dallas physicists have published new findings examining the electrical properties of materials that could be harnessed for next-generation transistors and electronics.
Neutron Star May Display First Evidence of 80-Year-Old Quantum Prediction
Scientific American - 1 Dec 2016 20:00
Polarized light suggests the presence of quantum phenomenon first predicted in the 1930s --
Modifying a live virus in a vaccine to be just strong enough
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:59
By genetically tweaking the constituent live virus, scientists have created a vaccine against influenza in which the virus is capable of activating the immune system but cannot replicate in healthy cells -- an approach t...
White deaths exceeded births in one-third of states
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:50
More whites died than were born in a record high 17 states in 2014 compared to just four in 2004, according to new research. Some 121 million people representing 38 percent of the U.S. population reside in these states: ...
Disabling critical 'node' revs up attack when cancer immunotherapies fall short
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:44
An existing drug known as a JAK inhibitor may help patients who don't respond to the so-called checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs overcome that resistance, suggests a new preclinical study. Importantly, the results...
Shoulder replacements skyrocketing in the United States
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:36
The number of shoulder replacement surgeries has skyrocketed across the United States as technology improves and aging Baby Boomers seek to relieve pain and restore function to arthritic shoulders.
Scientists identify unique genomic features in testicular cancer
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:34
Researchers have identified unique genomic changes that may be integral to testicular cancer development and explain why the great majority are highly curable with chemotherapy - unlike most solid tumors.
Women dissatisfied with long process to diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:17
A large international survey of women with a common condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized by reproductive and metabolic problems, found nearly two in three were dissatisfied with the l...
Researchers examine effects of toxic stress on children's brain development
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:17
A new study uses fMRI data to compare brain development between children who experience pervasive, continuing trauma and those with "normal" development.
Fertilized egg cells trigger, monitor loss of sperm's epigenetic memory
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 23:07
Scientists have discovered how an embryo's genomic integrity is safeguarded during the first 24 hours after fertilization. Insights into this mechanism have implications for improving in vitro fertilization.
A friend of a friend is... a dense network
Phys.org - 1 Dec 2016 20:10
It's a familiar request in the digital age: one of your friends on social media has a friend who wants to be your friend. Frequent linking among friends of friends can cause a rapid increase in social network connectivit...
Concerns as face recognition tech used to 'identify' criminals
New Scientist - 1 Dec 2016 19:47
A computer that gauges if someone has a conviction based on their photo has aroused much scepticism, but it's a reminder of the ethical dilemmas of smart tech
Gut microbes promote motor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:21
Gut microbes may play a critical role in the development of Parkinson's-like movement disorders in genetically predisposed mice, researchers report. Antibiotic treatment reduced motor deficits and molecular hallmarks of ...
Autism-linked protein crucial for feeling pain
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:20
Sensory problems are common to autism spectrum disorders. Some individuals with autism may injure themselves repetitively -- for example, pulling their hair or banging their heads -- because they're less sensitive to pai...
How Zika infects the growing brain
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:19
The fast-spreading Zika virus can take multiple routes into developing human nerve cells, research demonstrates. Around the world, hundreds of women infected with the Zika virus have given birth to children suffering fro...
Breakthrough in diabetes research: Cells produce insulin upon artemisinin treatment
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:17
FDA-approved artemisinins, which have been used for decades to treat malaria, transform glucagon-producing alpha cells in the pancreas into insulin producing cells, report researchers.
New role for Hippo pathway in suppressing cancer immunity
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:16
Previous studies identified the Hippo pathway kinases LATS1/2 as a tumor suppressor, but new research reveals a surprising role for these enzymes in subduing cancer immunity. The findings could have a clinical role in im...
New form of autism found: New genetic cause of ASD
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:15
Autism spectrum disorders affect around one percent of the world's population and are characterized by a range of difficulties in social interaction and communication. In a new study, a research team has identified a new...
Detailed images of NMDA receptors help explain how zinc and a drug affect their function
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:14
The difference between mental health and mental illness can turn on changes in brain cells and their connections that are almost incomprehensibly tiny, at least in physical terms. This irony is brought to light by X-ray ...
First structural map of cystic fibrosis protein sheds light on how mutations cause disease
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:14
Scientists have created the first three-dimensional map of the protein responsible for cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease for which there is no cure. This achievement offers the kinds of insights essential to better u...
Restaurants not good at explaining risks of undercooked meat to customers
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:12
Front-line staff, such as servers in restaurants, are often trusted with providing customers with food safety information regarding their meals. A challenge to the food-service industry is that these positions have high ...
Novel compound to alleviate pain and itch discovered
Science Daily - 1 Dec 2016 19:12
A possible drug candidate that suppresses pain and itch in animal models has been discovered by researchers. Their new approach also reduces the potential for drug abuse and avoids the most common side effects--sedation ...