news.myScience

New analysis explains role of defects in metal oxides
Sometimes things that are technically defects, such as imperfections in a material's crystal lattice, can actually produce changes in properties that open up new kinds of useful applications. New research from a team at MIT shows that such imperfections in a family of materials known as insulating metal oxides may be key to their performance for a variety of high-tech applications, such as nonvolatile memory chips and energy conversion technologies.

Genome editing reveals role of gene important for human embryo development
Researchers have used genome editing technology to reveal the role of a key gene in human embryos in the first few days of development. This is the first time that genome editing has been used to study gene function in human embryos, which could help scientists to better understand the biology of our early development.

One e-cigarette with nicotine leads to adrenaline changes in nonsmokers’ hearts
A new UCLA study has found that healthy nonsmokers experienced increased adrenaline levels in their hearts after one electronic cigarette with nicotine. The findings are published in Journal of the American Heart Association , the open access journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Scientists make atoms-thick Post-It notes for solar cells and circuits
Over the past half-century, scientists have shaved silicon films down to just a wisp of atoms in pursuit of smaller, faster electronics. For the next set of breakthroughs, though, they'll need novel ways to build even tinier and more powerful devices.   In a study published Sept. 20 in  Nature , UChicago and Cornell University researchers describe an innovative method to make stacks of semiconductors just a few atoms thick.

Individualized diets for irritable bowel syndrome better than placebo
Patients with irritable bowel syndrome who follow individualized diets based on food sensitivity testing experience fewer symptoms, say Yale researchers. Their study is among the first to provide scientific evidence for this medicationfree approach to a debilitating condition. As many as one in five adults meet the criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder that can cause chronic abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.

One in four girls is depressed at age 14
New research shows a quarter of girls (24%) and one in 10 boys (9%) are depressed at age 14. Researchers from the UCL Institute of Education and the University of Liverpool analysed information on more than 10,000 children born in 2000-01 who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. At ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14, parents reported on their children's mental health.

10,000 year-old DNA proves when fish colonialized our lakes
DNA in lake sediment forms a natural archive displaying when various fish species colonized lakes after the glacial period. This according to researchers at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umeå University in a study published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Their analyses of the prevalence of whitefish DNA in sediment reveal that the whitefish came to Lake Stora Lögdasjön in Västerbotten already 10,000 years ago, whereas Lake Hotagen in Jämtland had its whitefish only 2,200 years ago.

Guess who? Facial expressions can cause confusion
Photos of the same person can look substantially different. For example, your passport photo may look quite different from your driving licence, or your face in holiday photos. In fact, these differences can mean you look like a different person from one photo to the next, to those that don't know you.

Study suggests you can ‘pick up’ a good or bad mood from your friends - but it also suggests that depression doesn’t have the same effect
New research suggests that both good and bad moods can be ‘picked up' from friends, but depression can't. A team led by the University of Warwick has examined whether friends' moods can affect an individual therefore implying that moods may spread across friendship networks. The team analysed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health which incorporates the moods and friendship networks of US adolescents in schools.

Nanoscale printing breakthrough creates two colours per pixel
Scientists have developed a new form of high-resolution ‘printing' which could have wide-ranging applications in data storage, anti-counterfeiting measures, and digital imaging. Dr Alasdair Clark discusses plasmonic colour New research from the University of Glasgow, published today (Wednesday 20 September) in the journal Advanced Functional Materials , outlines how engineers have developed nano-scale plasmonic colour filters that display different colours depending on the orientation of the light which hits it.

Genetic risk profile predicts survival for people with severe lung disease
An international Yale-led research team has shown that a risk profile based on 52 genes accurately predicts survival for patients with a severe lung disease. If confirmed in further studies, the finding could transform the way patients are treated for the condition, which is on the rise in older adults.

Winner takes all: Success enhances taste for luxury goods, study suggests
Footballers in flashy cars, City workers in Armani suits, reality TV celebrities sipping expensive champagne while sitting in hot tubs: what drives people to purchase luxury goods' New research suggests that it may be a sense of being a 'winner' - but that contrary to expectations, it is not driven by testosterone.

National Cancer Institute designates UCLA brain cancer program a site of research excellence
The brain cancer program at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCLA Brain Tumor Center has been designated a Specialized Program of Research Excellence, or SPORE, by the National Cancer Institute, making it one of only five brain cancer programs nationwide to receive this national recognition and substantial research funding.

Size matters in the detection of exoplanet atmospheres
A group-analysis of 30 exoplanets orbiting distant stars suggests that size, not mass, is a key factor in whether a planet's atmosphere can be detected according to a UCL-led team of European researchers. The largest population-study of exoplanets to date successfully detected atmospheres around 16 'hot Jupiters', and found that water vapour was present in every case.

Belief in one’s abilities early in life predicts math, reading achievement later on
ANN ARBOR-When kids believe they can succeed in math and reading, it increases their chances later to achieve high test scores in those same subjects, a new study found. Researchers at the University of Michigan, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Independent Scholar used two U.S. data sets-with one being a nationally represented study-and one U.K. data set to measure self-concept and standardized assessments of early and later academic achievement.

Size matters in battle against extinction, scientists find
Researchers have found the Goldilocks zone for animals lies in being mid-sized, with apex predators over-hunted and small vertebrates like pollinators threatened by habitat changes because they cannot move far from home. Quick overview of the findings Filmed by Dr Newsome; edited by the Australian Science Media Centre.

A Cereal survives heat and drought
Pearl millet genome sequence provides a resource to improve agronomic traits in extreme environments An international consortium under the lead of the non-profit organization "International Crops Res

Study uncovers markers for severe form of multiple sclerosis
Scientists have uncovered two closely related cytokines - molecules involved in cell communication and movement - that may explain why some people develop progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the most severe form of the disease. The findings, authored by researchers at Yale University, Oregon Health & Science University, and the University of California point the way toward developing a novel treatment to prevent progressive forms of the disease.

Behavioral therapy increases connectivity in brains of people with OCD
UCLA study reveals enhanced connections between brain regions that may compensate for underlying dysfunction Leigh Hopper UCLA researchers report that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, when treated with a special form of talk therapy, demonstrate distinct changes in their brains as well as improvement in their symptoms.

Analyzing the language of color
The human eye can perceive millions of different colors, but the number of categories human languages use to group those colors is much smaller. Some languages use as few as three color categories (words corresponding to black, white, and red), while the languages of industrialized cultures use up to 10 or 12 categories.