Curated News: Scientific Reports

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Released: 7-Feb-2017 4:05 AM EST
More Order with Less Judgement: An Optimal Theory of the Evolution of Cooperation
University of Vienna

A research team led by Mathematician Tatsuya Sasaki from the University of Vienna presents a new optimal theory of the evolution of reputation-based cooperation. This team proves that the practice of making moral assessments conditionally is very effective in establishing cooperation in terms of evolutionary game theory. "Our study also demonstrates the evolutionary disadvantage of seeking reputation by sanctioning wrongdoers," says Sasaki. The results of the study were published on the in Scientific Reports.

Released: 6-Feb-2017 9:30 AM EST
Supercomputers for Quantum Computers
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Researchers simulate the design of new quantum bits for easier engineering of quantum computers.

30-Jan-2017 5:05 PM EST
Thirdhand Smoke Affects Weight, Blood Cell Development in Mice
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A new Berkeley Lab-led study found that the sticky residue left behind by tobacco smoke led to changes in weight and blood cell count in mice. These latest findings add to a growing body of evidence that thirdhand smoke exposure may be harmful.

24-Jan-2017 4:35 PM EST
Artificial Intelligence Uncovers New Insight Into Biophysics of Cancer
Tufts University

For the first time, artificial intelligence has been used to discover the exact interventions needed to obtain a specific, previously unachievable result in vivo, providing new insight into the biophysics of cancer and raising broad implications for biomedicine.

Released: 24-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
Timing of Chemo Affects Inflammation, Mice Study Suggests
Ohio State University

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The time of day that breast cancer chemotherapy drugs are given affects the amount of damaging inflammation in the body, a new study in mice suggests.

Released: 24-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
The Great Unknown: Risk-Taking Behaviour in Adolescents
Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft)

Adolescents are more likely to ignore information that could prompt them to rethink risky decisions. This may explain why information campaigns on risky behaviors such as drug abuse tend to have only limited success.

19-Jan-2017 5:00 AM EST
Chip-Sized, High-Speed Terahertz Modulator Raises Possibility of Faster Data Transmission
Tufts University

Tufts University engineers have invented a chip-sized, high-speed modulator that operates at terahertz (THz) frequencies and at room temperature at low voltages without consuming DC power. The discovery could help fill the “THz gap” that is limiting development of new and more powerful wireless devices that could transmit data at significantly higher speeds than currently possible.

Released: 18-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
Super-Resolution Imaging Offers Fast Way to Discern Fate of Stem Cells
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new way to identify the state and fate of individual stem cells earlier than previously possible.

Released: 16-Jan-2017 8:05 PM EST
Fossils Found Reveal Unseen ‘Footprint’ Maker
University of Adelaide

Fossils found in Morocco from the long-extinct group of sea creatures called trilobites, including rarely seen soft-body parts, may be previously unseen animals that left distinctive fossil ‘footprints’ around the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.

Released: 10-Jan-2017 6:05 PM EST
Not Your Typical “Cut Glass Crystal”
Department of Energy, Office of Science

With a new approach, scientists can fabricate single crystals of compositions that are unstable at the high temperatures. The team’s process is simple and low cost. It enables fabrication of complex shapes with single crystals. These shapes could enable new materials for solar cell devices or other uses.

Released: 6-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Changing Antarctic Waters Could Trigger Steep Rise in Sea Levels
University of New South Wales

Current changes in the ocean around Antarctica are disturbingly close to conditions 14,000 years ago that led to the rapid melting of the Antarctic ice sheets and a three metre rise in global sea levels.

4-Jan-2017 7:05 PM EST
Buzzing the Vagus Nerve Just Right to Fight Inflammatory Disease
Georgia Institute of Technology

Electrical vagus nerve stimulation can help fight inflammatory diseases like Crohn's or arthritis but can also contribute somewhat to inflammation. Engineers have tweaked the buzz to keep the good effects and minimize those less desirable. Their innovation could be adapted to existing medical devices with relative ease.

Released: 4-Jan-2017 11:05 AM EST
Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Risk of Chronic Headache
University of Eastern Finland

Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of chronic headache, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. The findings were published in Scientific Reports

Released: 22-Dec-2016 12:05 PM EST
Scientists Discover Concussion Biomarker
Northwestern University

The secret to reliably diagnosing concussions lies in the brain’s ability to process sound, according to a new study by researchers from Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. Widely considered a crisis in professional sports and youth athletic programs, sports-related concussions have had devastating neurological, physical, social and emotional consequences for millions of athletes.

Released: 20-Dec-2016 4:05 PM EST
UT Southwestern Study Identifies a Way to Prevent Burn Injury Infection – Without Antibiotics
UT Southwestern Medical Center

A new way to fight multidrug-resistant bacteria by blinding them rather than killing them proved highly effective in a model of burn injuries, UT Southwestern Medical Center research shows.

16-Dec-2016 2:00 PM EST
Sunlight Offers Surprise Benefit — It Energizes Infection Fighting T Cells
Georgetown University Medical Center

Researchers have found that sunlight, through a mechanism separate than vitamin D production, energizes T cells that play a central role in human immunity. The findings suggest how the skin, the body’s largest organ, stays alert to the many microbes that can nest there.

Released: 19-Dec-2016 1:05 PM EST
New Prehistoric Bird Species Discovered
University of Rochester

A team of geologists at the University of Rochester has discovered a new species of bird in the Canadian Arctic. At approximately 90 million years old, the bird fossils are among the oldest avian records found in the northernmost latitude, and offer further evidence of an intense warming event during the late Cretaceous period.

Released: 19-Dec-2016 10:05 AM EST
Arctic Lakes Thawing Earlier Each Year
University of Southampton

Scientists from the University of Southampton have found Arctic lakes, covered with ice during the winter months, are melting earlier each spring.

Released: 15-Dec-2016 4:05 AM EST
Exciting New Creatures Discovered on Ocean Floor
University of Southampton

Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered six new animal species in undersea hot springs 2.8 kilometres deep in the southwest Indian Ocean. The unique marine life was discovered around hydrothermal vents at a place called Longqi (‘Dragon's Breath’), 2000 kilometres southeast of Madagascar and is described in the journal Scientific Reports.

Released: 14-Dec-2016 5:00 AM EST
University of Minnesota Research Shows That People Can Control a Robotic Arm with Only Their Minds
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have made a major breakthrough that allows people to control a robotic arm using only their minds. The research has the potential to help millions of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.

Released: 12-Dec-2016 4:05 PM EST
Energy Cascades in Quasicrystals Trigger an Avalanche of Discovery
Argonne National Laboratory

In a new study from Argonne National Laboratory, scientists looked at networks of magnetic material patterned into the unique and quite beautiful geometries of quasicrystals to see how the nature of the non-repeating patterns lead to the emergence of unusual energetic effects.

Released: 12-Dec-2016 10:05 AM EST
New Diamond Harder Than Ring Bling
Australian National University

International project to make a diamond that's predicted to be harder than a jeweller's diamond and useful for cutting through ultra-solid materials on mining sites.

Released: 8-Dec-2016 10:05 AM EST
Hunting the Wild Fava
Weizmann Institute of Science

The wild faba – today, fava – bean is believed to be extinct. Dr. Elisabeth Boaretto has identified the oldest known faba beans – about 14,000 years old. Understanding how the wild fabas survived can help scientists grow hardier fava crops today. Favas are a major source of nutrition in many parts of the world

Released: 29-Nov-2016 8:00 AM EST
Platypus Venom Could Hold Key to Diabetes Treatment
University of Adelaide

Australian researchers have discovered remarkable evolutionary changes to insulin regulation in two of the nation's most iconic native animal species – the platypus and the echidna – which could pave the way for new treatments for type 2 diabetes in humans.

Released: 28-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
Hurricane Risk to Northeast U.S. Coast Increasing, Research Warns
Skidmore College

New research published in the journal Scientific Reports and co-authored by an Associate Professor at Skidmore College suggests the Northeastern coast of the U.S. could be struck by more frequent and more powerful hurricanes in the future due to shifting weather patterns.

Released: 23-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Hurricane Risk to Northeast USA Coast Increasing, Research Warns
Durham University

The Northeastern coast of the USA could be struck by more frequent and more powerful hurricanes in the future due to shifting weather patterns, according to new research.

23-Nov-2016 5:00 AM EST
Scientists Trace ‘Poisoning’ in Chemical Reactions to the Atomic Scale
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A combination of experiments, including X-ray studies at Berkeley Lab, revealed new details about pesky deposits that can stop chemical reactions vital to fuel production and other processes.

Released: 22-Nov-2016 5:05 PM EST
Researchers Find Potential Therapy for Brain Swelling During Concussion
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A team of biomedical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have identified a cause of fluid swelling of the brain, or cellular edema, that occurs during a concussion.

   
Released: 21-Nov-2016 3:05 PM EST
Common Probiotics Can Reduce Stress Levels, Lessen Anxiety
University of Missouri

Studying how gut bacteria affect behavior in zebrafish could lead to a better understanding of how probiotics may affect the central nervous system in humans.

Released: 21-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
Frontline Attack Against HIV Infection Is Closer to Reality
University of Adelaide

Researchers have made significant progress in the development of a potential vaccine to protect against HIV infection.

Released: 14-Nov-2016 11:05 AM EST
A New Physical Constant Explains Human Vision
University of Salamanca

• The hypothesis accepted until now was based in the fact that radiation from the Sun has its maximum intensity near the absorption peaks of human vision • This study uses information theory and the entropy of radiation to explain why human vision has evolved to adapt to solar radiation

Released: 8-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
Greenland Fossils Help Show Recovery After Mass Extinction Event 252 Million Years Ago
Uppsala University

A new study published in Scientific Reports shows how higher latitude ecosystems recovered after the World's most cataclysmic extinction event 252 million years ago.

Released: 7-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
Drug Shows Promise for Preventing Pre-Term Birth
University of Adelaide

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have successfully tested a drug that is showing some early promise in efforts to prevent pre-term birth.

Released: 7-Nov-2016 5:00 AM EST
Punching Cancer with RNA Knuckles
Georgia Institute of Technology

Researchers achieved an unexpected eye-popping reduction of ovarian cancer during a successful test of targeted nanohydrogel delivery in vivo in mice. Adding cisplatin eliminated or starkly diminished tumors.

Released: 2-Nov-2016 4:05 PM EDT
UCI, Other Researchers Shed Light on Process of Programmed Mitochondrial Cell Death
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Nov. 2, 2016 – Employing a novel sensor made of graphene – a one-atom-thin layer of carbon – University of California, Irvine researchers have gained new insight into the process of programmed cell death in mitochondria, possibly opening the door to new ways of forcing cancer cells to self-destruct. They also hit a scientific jackpot of sorts by finding that an accepted paradigm of how cells create energy is only half-right.

31-Oct-2016 6:05 PM EDT
Earlier Alzheimer’s Diagnosis May Be Possible with New Imaging Compound
Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers have developed a chemical compound that detects the Alzheimer’s protein amyloid beta better than current FDA-approved agents. The compound potentially could be used in brain scans to identify the signs of Alzheimer’s early, or to monitor response to treatment.

2-Nov-2016 6:05 AM EDT
Gatekeeping Proteins to Aberrant RNA: You Shall Not Pass
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Berkeley Lab researchers found that aberrant strands of genetic code have telltale signs that enable gateway proteins to recognize and block them from exiting the nucleus. Their findings shed light on a complex system of cell regulation that acts as a form of quality control for the transport of genetic information. A more complete picture of how genetic information gets expressed in cells is important in disease research.

Released: 31-Oct-2016 12:05 PM EDT
UCI Study Finds Acupuncture Lowers Hypertension by Activating Opioids
University of California, Irvine

Researchers with the UCI Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine have found that regular electroacupunture treatment can lower hypertension by increasing the release of a kind of opioid in the brainstem region that controls blood pressure.

Released: 28-Oct-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Ancient Strain of Cholera Likely Present in Haiti Since Colonial Era
University of Florida

A non-virulent variant of the deadly Vibrio cholerae O1 strain has likely been present in Haitian aquatic environments for several hundred years, with the potential to become virulent through gene transfer with the toxigenic strain introduced by UN peacekeepers, according to research published today by scientists at the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute.

Released: 25-Oct-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Robotic Cleaning Technique Could Automate Neuroscience Research
Georgia Institute of Technology

For scientists listening in on the faint whispers of brain neurons, a first-ever robotic technique for cleaning the tiny devices that record the signals could facilitate a new level of automation in neuroscience research. That could accelerate the gathering of information used to map the functions of brain cells and ultimately provide a better understanding what’s going on between our ears.

23-Oct-2016 8:00 PM EDT
Ludwig Researchers Develop a New Way to Evaluate Aggressiveness of Bladder Cancer
Ludwig Cancer Research

A Ludwig Cancer Research study published in the current issue of Scientific Reports describes a new method and risk model to assess how aggressive a bladder cancer is likely to be. “If confirmed in larger studies, our findings could help physicians get a better handle on how a patient’s bladder cancer is likely to progress and allow them to personalize treatment on the basis of that knowledge,” said Ralph Weichselbaum, director of the Ludwig Center at Chicago University, who led the study.

Released: 24-Oct-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Tumor Markers Can Reveal Lethality of Bladder Cancers, Guide Treatment
University of Chicago Medical Center

Tumor cells collected during the removal of a cancerous bladder and transplanted into mice with weakened immune systems could help physicians rapidly identify high-risk cancers, determine prognosis and refine the use of biomarkers to personalize care for patients with this common cancer.

17-Oct-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Study Shows Promise to Repair the Urethra Using Bone Marrow Stem Cells
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

A study published in Scientific Reports describes a potential new strategy that may be utilized to correct hypospadias, a birth defect which occurs when boys are born with a urinary opening on the underside of the penis, found in up to one in every 200 boys. Current treatment involves surgical reconstruction with a graft using tissue taken from the inside of a child’s cheek. This approach is associated with multiple complications and sometimes requires repeated surgeries.

Released: 17-Oct-2016 6:00 AM EDT
Scientists Uncover New Facets of Zika-Related Birth Defects to Help Develop Treatment
Scripps Research Institute

In a study that could one day help eliminate the tragic birth defects caused by Zika virus, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have elucidated how the virus attacks the brains of newborns, information that could accelerate the development of treatments.

Released: 13-Oct-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Building a Better Rat Maze Could Help Us All Cooperate
American Technion Society

A fully-automated rat maze built by Technion researchers could help scientists better understand how individuals cooperate, and how this process may go awry in the brains of people with disorders ranging from autism to schizophrenia.

Released: 11-Oct-2016 1:05 PM EDT
A Step Forward in Building Functional Human Tissues
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

Wyss Institute materials scientists have bioprinted a tubular 3-D renal architecture that recapitulates functions of the kidney.

7-Oct-2016 4:00 PM EDT
Mars-Bound Astronauts Face Chronic Dementia Risk From Galactic Cosmic Ray Exposure
University of California, Irvine

Will astronauts traveling to Mars remember much of it? That’s the question concerning University of California, Irvine scientists probing a phenomenon called “space brain.” UCI’s Charles Limoli and colleagues found that exposure to highly energetic charged particles – much like those found in the galactic cosmic rays that will bombard astronauts during extended spaceflights – causes significant long-term brain damage in test rodents, resulting in cognitive impairments and dementia.

   
6-Oct-2016 5:00 AM EDT
Study Demonstrates Role of Gut Bacteria in Neurodegenerative Diseases
University of Louisville

Research has revealed that exposure to bacterial proteins called amyloid that have structural similarity to brain proteins may lead to an increase in clumping of proteins in the brain. Aggregates of misfolded amyloid proteins are seen in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Released: 4-Oct-2016 5:00 AM EDT
Can You Zap Your Brain Back to Health?
University of Southern California (USC)

Rather than taking medication, a growing number of people who suffer from chronic pain, epilepsy and drug cravings are zapping their skulls in the hopes that a weak electric current will jolt them back to health. Here's the issue: Until now, scientists have been unable to look under the hood of this DIY therapeutic technique to understand what is happening.



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