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Science News for May 10, 2016


Long-term survival achieved in metastatic melanoma with personalized vaccine

Two patients with liver metastasis from melanoma survived for at least 8.5 and 12 years after receiving patient-specific immunotherapeutic vaccines. The vaccines were derived from the patients' own dendritic cells loaded with proteins isolated from their tumors. Co-Editor-in-Chief Donald J. Buchsbaum, PhD, describes these results as

SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalCancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals·DateMay 10, 2016

Alcohol accelerates liver damage in people living with hepatitis C

A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that excessive alcohol use can accelerate liver damage in people living with hepatitis C. The research suggests that comprehensive approaches to care are needed for these patients, including increased diagnosis and effective interventions to reduce alcohol use.

SourceElsevier Health Sciences·JournalAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine·DateMay 10, 2016

How does robotic video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery compare to VATS for treating lung cancer?

A new study published in Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques shows that robotic video-assisted lung resection achieves comparable outcomes to conventional VATS and preserves more healthy lung tissue. The robotic approach allows for fewer conversions to open thoracotomy and more lymph nodes retrieved for testing.

SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalJournal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques·DateMay 10, 2016

CNIC researchers discover the molecular mechanisms that produce the heart's contractile structure

Researchers at CNIC have discovered a crucial mechanism underlying the contractile structures in both hearts and skeletal muscles. The study reveals how Chd4/NuRD acts as a molecular key to shut down one muscle program in another, leading to hybrid striated muscles that can cause severe myocardiopathies and polymyositis-type myopathies.

Study links parental depression to brain changes and risk-taking in adolescents

A new study found that parental depression is linked to increased brain activity in areas responsible for risk taking in adolescent children, leading to more rule-breaking behaviors. The study suggests that even mild depressive symptoms in parents can influence teens' behavior through changes in the brain's response to rewards.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalSocial Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·DateMay 10, 2016

The Lancet: Link between weekend hospital staffing and patient deaths represents 'major oversimplification', say two new studies

Two new studies published in The Lancet find no association between weekend senior doctor staffing levels and mortality, instead highlighting variations in quality of care throughout the week. Researchers suggest that policies to address weekend quality of care alone represent a major oversimplification of the problem.

SourceThe Lancet·JournalThe Lancet·DateMay 10, 2016

Why cancer drugs can't take the pressure

Researchers discovered that high-pressure environments in solid tumors, fueled by hyaluronic acid, hinder drug delivery. Treatment with an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid can restore vessel expansion and improve treatment outcomes for drug-resistant cancers.

SourceCell Press·JournalBiophysical Journal·DateMay 10, 2016

Swept up in the solar wind

Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have found that the slow solar wind originates from magnetic reconnection in the sun's hot atmosphere. The team used newly processed observations to determine the source of the slow wind, which is important for understanding space weather around Earth.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMay 10, 2016

Why bad experiences are remembered out of context

A new UCL study found that bad experiences are strongly remembered, but surrounding context is weakly recalled due to reduced activity in the hippocampus. This imbalance can lead to strong but fragmented memory for traumatic content, contributing to post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalSocial Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·DateMay 10, 2016

Out of mind, out of sight

The frontal cortex plays a crucial role in controlling vision, actively constructing the visual scene and making decisions about it. The research found that the brain's organization of perception can lead to distractions like texting while driving, which can impair vision and increase the risk of accidents.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 10, 2016

World's oldest axe fragment found in Australia

A team of archaeologists from the University of Sydney has discovered a piece of the world's oldest axe, which dates back to a Stone Age period of 45,000 to 49,000 years ago. The axe fragment was found in Western Australia and reveals that the first Australians were technological innovators.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalAustralian Archaeology·DateMay 10, 2016

New design of primitive quantum computer finds application

Scientists at the University of Bristol have developed a new method to simulate a 'quantum walk' on a primitive quantum computer, which they claim can solve problems that classical computers cannot. The study suggests that these smaller quantum processors could outperform classical computing for specific tasks, such as 'Boson Sampling'.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 10, 2016

Researchers integrate diamond/boron nitride crystalline layers for high-power devices

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique to deposit diamond on the surface of cubic boron nitride, creating a single crystalline structure. This integration enables the creation of high-power devices and addresses material limitations such as oxidation and compatibility issues with steel tools.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalJournal of Applied Physics·DateMay 10, 2016

Three lessons gut microbes have taught us about antibiotics

Antibiotics disrupt gut microbiome communication with the immune system, impairing immune function. New approaches aim to restore balance by targeting infectious bacteria or modifying the microbiota, such as using bacteriocins, CRISPR-CAS9 gene editing, or fecal material transplants

SourceCell Press·JournalTrends in Molecular Medicine·DateMay 10, 2016

Study points to challenges, hopes of helping vulnerable patients avoid stroke

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that ticagrelor, a commonly used antiplatelet medication, did not significantly reduce stroke risk in patients with transient ischemic attacks or minor strokes. The study suggests that combination therapies may be needed to better prevent strokes in this vulnerable pati...

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateMay 10, 2016

Nuclear physics' interdisciplinary progress

Nuclear physicists can extend methods and observations from solid state physics to study the atomic nucleus. This collaboration has led to new understanding of Cooper pair tunneling, a phenomenon not possible in solid state physics. The authors encourage further interdisciplinarity to enrich nuclear physics research.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal A·DateMay 10, 2016

Rapid diagnostics for multidrug resistant organisms in combat-related infection

Researchers at Denver Health have developed a new diagnostic tool to identify multidrug-resistant organisms in combat-related infections, allowing for faster treatment. The test can characterize multiple pathogens within 2 hours, including MRSA, and determine antibiotic susceptibility with high accuracy.

LED treatments enhance lettuce phytochemicals, antioxidants

Continuous LED light significantly decreases nitrate content in preharvest lettuce, increasing nutrient contents. Researchers found that RB LED light was more effective than white LED light in facilitating lettuce growth, leading to enhanced free-radical scavenging activity and increased phenolic compound concentrations.

SourceAmerican Society for Horticultural Science·JournalJournal of the American Society for Horticultural Science·DateMay 10, 2016

Stave off cognitive decline with seafood

A study published in Neurology found that eating seafood at least once a week can help mitigate age-related cognitive decline. Participants who consumed more seafood showed slower rates of decline in semantic memory and perceptual speed, while those with the APOE-ε4 gene showed an even stronger protective association.

SourceRush University Medical Center·JournalNeurology·DateMay 10, 2016

Illinois River water quality improvement linked to more efficient corn production

A new study from the University of Illinois reports a 10% reduction in nitrate load in the Illinois River from 2010 to 2014, compared to the 1980s and early 1990s. The reduction is linked to improved fertilizer management and higher corn yields, resulting in less nitrogen left in the soil and washed into the river.

Radioactive isotopes reveal age of oil and gas wastewater spills

A trio of new age-dating methods developed at Duke University can determine the age of oil and gas wastewater spills and identify their origins based on radium isotope variations. The methods verify that radium's decay products, including thorium and lead isotopes, can be used to detect the age and source of spills.

SourceDuke University·JournalEnvironmental Science & Technology Letters·DateMay 10, 2016

Gene mutations shown to cause form of HSP

Scientists at McGill University have identified novel gene mutations that cause hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a debilitating disease characterized by weakness or spasticity in the lower limbs. The discovery will aid in the development of treatments for HSP, with researchers predicting improved diagnosis and treatment options.

SourceMcGill University·JournalAmerican Journal of Human Genetics·DateMay 10, 2016