ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Bacterial gut biome may guide colon cancer progression
• Work with small peptide chains may revolutionize study of enzymes, diseases
• Flipping the switch on scleroderma
• Antioxidants can protect against omega 6 damage -- or promote it
• Grandparents may worsen some moms' baby blues
• Light-activated neurons from stem cells restore function to paralyzed muscles
• Does too much time at the computer lead to lower bone mineral density in adolescents?
• Mechanism that makes tumor cells sugar addicted discovered
• Some long non-coding RNAs are conventional after all
• 'Like a giant elevator to the stratosphere:' Newly discovered atmospheric layer may impact earth's climate
• Disease-free survival estimates for ovarian cancer improve over time
• Tracking sperm whales' ecology through stomach contents
• Bacteria get new badge as planet's detoxifier
• Watching for a black hole to gobble up a gas cloud: Gas cloud's fate illuminates growth of supermassive black holes
• Part of hagfish slime mystery solved
• Impact of long-term vitamin D insufficiency on fracture risk
• Extinctions reduce speciation
• Toward a clearer diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome
• Light-guiding gels provide new avenues for drug detection, delivery
• Materials, electronics that dissolve when triggered being developed
• Off the shelf, on the skin: Stick-on electronic patches for health monitoring
• New U.S. time standard: Atomic clock will neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years
• Quantum computing: Quantum photon properties revealed in another particle -- the plasmon
• Researchers probe the next generation of 2-D materials
• Insomnia may significantly increase stroke risk
• What bank voles can teach us about prion disease transmission and neurodegeneration
• Smoking may dull obese women’s ability to taste fat, sugar

Bacterial gut biome may guide colon cancer progression Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:04 AM PDT Gut bacteria can change the microenvironment in a way that promotes the growth and spread of tumors, research demonstrates. The results suggest that bacterial virulence proteins may suppress DNA repair proteins within the epithelial cells that line the colon. "There is a drastic, unmet need to look at new ways to define exactly how colon cancer forms in the gut and what triggers its progression into a lethal form," said the lead researcher. "We suggest that some bacterial proteins can promote genetic changes that create conditions in the gut that would favor the progression of colon cancer."

Work with small peptide chains may revolutionize study of enzymes, diseases Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:04 AM PDT Chemists, for the first time, have created enzyme-like activity using peptides that are only seven amino acids long. The breakthrough may revolutionize the study of modern-day enzymes, whose chains of amino acids usually number in the hundreds, and of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's, which are usually characterized by small clumps of misshapen proteins called amyloids.

Flipping the switch on scleroderma Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:03 AM PDT Scleroderma is a rare and often fatal disease, causing the thickening of tissue, that currently lacks a cure and any effective treatments. A group of researchers is looking to change that. The group has identified the core signaling pathway that activates the disease and the chemical compounds that can turn it off.

Antioxidants can protect against omega 6 damage -- or promote it Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:03 AM PDT Given omega 6 fatty acid's reputation for promoting cancer -- at least in animal studies -- researchers are examining the role that antioxidants play in blocking the harmful effects of this culprit, found in many cooking oils. After all, antioxidants are supposed to prevent DNA damage. But employing antioxidants could backfire, say researchers.

Grandparents may worsen some moms' baby blues Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:03 AM PDT Does living with grandparents ease or worsen a mother's baby blues? The answer may depend on the mother's marital status, a new study suggests. Married and single mothers suffer higher rates of depression when they live in multi-generational households in their baby's first year of life. But for moms who live with, but aren't married to, their partners, it's just the opposite.

Light-activated neurons from stem cells restore function to paralyzed muscles Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:03 AM PDT A new way to artificially control muscles using light, with the potential to restore function to muscles paralyzed by conditions such as motor neuron disease and spinal cord injury, has been developed by scientists. The technique involves transplanting specially-designed motor neurons created from stem cells into injured nerve branches. These motor neurons are designed to react to pulses of blue light, allowing scientists to fine-tune muscle control by adjusting the intensity, duration and frequency of the light pulses.

Does too much time at the computer lead to lower bone mineral density in adolescents? Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:02 AM PDT In boys, higher screen time was adversely associated to bone mineral density at all sites even when adjusted for specific lifestyle factors. These were contrasting results to those found in girls -- and this could not be explained by adjustments for the different parameters measured.

Mechanism that makes tumor cells sugar addicted discovered Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:29 AM PDT Cancer cells feel a special appetite for a type of sugar called glucose, research demonstrated nearly a hundred years ago. The tumor uses glucose like a sports car uses gasoline -- it depends on it to burn faster, to grow and to multiply rapidly. In cancer cells, glucose superaccelerates cell division in what is known as the Warburg effect. New research shows that in one in four human tumors, there is an excess of glucose receptors in the external face of the cell membrane and this protein acts as a magnet attracting all the glucose from the bloodstream.

Some long non-coding RNAs are conventional after all Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:29 AM PDT Researchers have come full circle and predicted that some long non-coding RNAs can give rise to small proteins that have biological functions. A recent study describes how researchers have used ribosome profiling to identify several hundred long non-coding RNAs that may give rise to small peptides.

'Like a giant elevator to the stratosphere:' Newly discovered atmospheric layer may impact earth's climate Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:29 AM PDT An international team of researchers has discovered a previously unknown atmospheric phenomenon over the tropical West Pacific. Like in a giant elevator to the stratosphere, many chemical compounds emitted at the ground pass unfiltered through the so-called 'detergent layer' of the atmosphere, known as the 'OH shield.' The newly discovered phenomenon over the South Seas boosts ozone depletion in the polar regions and could have a significant influence on the future climate of the Earth.

Disease-free survival estimates for ovarian cancer improve over time Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:29 AM PDT The probability of staying disease-free improves dramatically for ovarian cancer patients who already have been disease-free for a period of time, and time elapsed since remission should be taken into account when making follow-up care decisions, according to a study. This measure is known as conditional disease-free survival.

Tracking sperm whales' ecology through stomach contents Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:29 AM PDT While studying pygmy and dwarf sperm whales, a researcher involved in a new project stated that 'understanding what resources support populations of these incredibly rare animals is important to conservation. If there are changes in the environment or their prey, we can now hope to better anticipate the potential impacts. There had been quite a knowledge gap about these animals, but this work gives us an idea of their ecological niche and requirements in the current environment.'

Bacteria get new badge as planet's detoxifier Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:58 AM PDT Amino acids, the fundamental building blocks of life, come in two forms that, like our left and right hand, have identical parts. But the two forms are not the same from a three dimensional perspective. One is the mirror image of the other. Proteins and enzymes in Earth organisms, without exception, all use L-forms. New evidence has demonstrated that Earth bacteria can do something that is quite unusual. Despite the fact that these bacteria are made of left-handed (L) amino acids, they are able to grow on right-handed (D) amino acids. The study takes a closer look at what these implications mean for studying organisms on Earth and beyond.

Watching for a black hole to gobble up a gas cloud: Gas cloud's fate illuminates growth of supermassive black holes Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:58 AM PDT G2, a doomed gas cloud, is edging closer to Sgr A*, the hungry supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center. The closest approach between the two is predicted to occur any day now. Astrophysicists have been watching closely, and the data do not show enhanced emission in the X-rays.

Part of hagfish slime mystery solved Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:58 AM PDT Some of the inner workings of slime produced by one of nature's most bizarre creatures -- the hagfish -- have been unraveled. The super-strong and mega-long protein threads secreted by the eel-like animals are organized at the cellular level. The slime-making process has fascinated and perplexed biologists for more than 100 years, the researchers note.

Impact of long-term vitamin D insufficiency on fracture risk Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:57 AM PDT The results of a study suggest that long-term low levels of vitamin D intake are associated with higher 10-year fracture risk in elderly women. Vitamin D insufficiency in seniors has been shown to contribute to increased risk of osteoporotic fractures. Previous studies have used single vitamin D measurements to investigate effects on bone. However, in elderly women, relatively little is known about the effects of long-term vitamin D insufficiency on bone health.

Extinctions reduce speciation Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:55 AM PDT The same factors that increase the risk of species extinctions also reduce the chance that new species are formed. We often see alarming reports about the global biodiversity crisis through the extinction of species. The reasons why species become extinct is much discussed, particularly the consequences of human activities. Less often discussed is how environmental changes affect the chances that new species are formed.

Toward a clearer diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:55 AM PDT Functional PET imaging to show that levels of neuroinflammation, or inflammation of the nervous system, are higher in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome than in healthy people, research has shown. Chronic fatigue syndrome, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic, profound, and disabling fatigue. Unfortunately, the causes are not well understood.

Light-guiding gels provide new avenues for drug detection, delivery Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:54 AM PDT With the ability to deliver light inside the body in a predictable manner and to host a variety of genetically engineered cells, hydrogels may help address current challenges with applying optogenetic approaches in clinical care. Optogenetics is a relatively new technique that harnesses light to activate or inhibit light-responsive proteins that control specific cell functions.

Materials, electronics that dissolve when triggered being developed Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:54 AM PDT An research team is developing "transient materials" and "transient electronics" that can quickly and completely melt away when a trigger is activated. That could mean that one day you could send out a signal to destroy a lost credit card, or when soldiers are wounded, their electronic devices could be remotely triggered to melt away, securing sensitive military information. The field of study is very new, but progress is being made.

Off the shelf, on the skin: Stick-on electronic patches for health monitoring Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 PM PDT Wearing a fitness tracker on your wrist or clipped to your belt is so 2013. Engineers have demonstrated thin, soft stick-on patches that stretch and move with the skin and incorporate off-the-shelf electronics for sophisticated wireless health monitoring. The patches stick to the skin like a temporary tattoo and incorporate a unique microfluidic construction with wires folded like origami to allow the patch to bend and flex.

New U.S. time standard: Atomic clock will neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 PM PDT National Institute of Standards and Technology has officially launched a new atomic clock, called NIST-F2, to serve as a new US civilian time and frequency standard, along with the current NIST-F1 standard. NIST-F2 would neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years, making it about three times as accurate as NIST-F1, which has served as the standard since 1999. Both clocks use a 'fountain' of cesium atoms to determine the exact length of a second.

Quantum computing: Quantum photon properties revealed in another particle -- the plasmon Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 PM PDT One approach to make qubits for quantum computing relies on the creation of two single photons that interfere with one another in a device called a waveguide. Results from a recent applied science study support the idea that waveguides coupled with another quantum particle -- the surface plasmon -- could also become an important piece of the quantum computing puzzle.

Researchers probe the next generation of 2-D materials Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:25 PM PDT As the properties and applications of graphene continue to be explored in laboratories all over the world, a growing number of researchers are looking beyond the one-atom-thick layer of carbon for alternative materials that exhibit similarly captivating properties.

Insomnia may significantly increase stroke risk Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:25 PM PDT Insomnia may significantly increase your risk of stroke and subsequent stroke hospitalizations. The risk was highest -- up to eight times -- among insomniacs 18-34 years old in a recent study. The risk also seems to be far greater when insomnia occurs as a young adult compared to those who are older, said researchers.

What bank voles can teach us about prion disease transmission and neurodegeneration Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:25 PM PDT Transmission of prions between species is inefficient, and only a small proportion of exposed recipients become sick within their lifetimes. A new study takes a close look at one exception to this rule: bank voles appear to lack a species barrier for prion transmission, and their universal susceptibility turns out to be both informative and useful for the development of strategies to prevent prion transmission.

Smoking may dull obese women’s ability to taste fat, sugar Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:45 PM PDT Cigarette smoking among obese women appears to interfere with their ability to taste fats and sweets, a new study shows. Despite craving high-fat, sugary foods, these women were less likely than others to perceive these tastes, which may drive them to consume more calories. "Obese people often crave high-fat foods," she said. "Our findings suggest that having this intense craving but not perceiving fat and sweetness in food may lead these women to eat more. Since smoking and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, the additional burden of craving more fats and sugars, while not fully tasting them, could be detrimental to health."

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