A team of researchers led by North Carolina State University has found that stacking materials that are only one atom thick can create semiconductor junctions that transfer charge efficiently, regardless of whether the crystalline structure of the materials is mismatched - lowering the manufacturing cost for a wide variety of semiconductor devices such as solar cells, lasers and LEDs. "This work demonstrates that by stacking multiple two-dimensional (2-D) materials in random ways we can create semiconductor junctions that are as functional as those with perfect alignment" ...

Researchers have found new evidence that explains how some aspects of our personality may affect our health and wellbeing, supporting long-observed associations between aspects of human character, physical health and longevity. A team of health psychologists at The University of Nottingham and the University of California in Los Angeles carried out a study to examine the relationship between certain personality traits and the expression of genes that can affect our health by controlling the activity of our immune systems. The study did not find any results to support ...

Could there finally be tangible evidence for the existence of dark matter in the Universe? After sifting through reams of X-ray data, scientists in EPFL's Laboratory of Particle Physics and Cosmology (LPPC) and Leiden University believe they could have identified the signal of a particle of dark matter. This substance, which up to now has been purely hypothetical, is run by none of the standard models of physics other than through the gravitational force. Their research will be published next week in Physical Review Letters. When physicists study the dynamics of galaxies ...

In the hunt for better knowledge on the aging process, researchers from Lund University have now enlisted the help of small birds. A new study investigates various factors which affect whether chicks are born with long or short chromosome ends, called telomeres. The genetic make-up of our cells consists of genes lined up on chromosomes. The ends of the chromosomes are called telomeres, and they protect the chromosomes from sticking to each other. The longer the telomeres, the longer time the chromosomes are able to function. And conversely, the shorter these ends, ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Invasive plant and animal species can cause dramatic and enduring changes to the geography and ecology of landscapes, a study from Purdue University and the University of Kentucky shows. A review of studies on how life forms interact with and influence their surroundings concluded that invasive species can alter landscapes in myriad ways and with varying degrees of severity. These changes can be quick, large-scale and "extremely difficult" to reverse, said study author Songlin Fei, a Purdue associate professor of quantitative ecology. "Invaders ...

A species of small fish uses a homemade coral-scented cologne to hide from predators, a new study has shown, providing the first evidence of chemical camouflage from diet in fish. Filefish evade predators by feeding on their home corals and emitting an odor that makes them invisible to the noses of predators, the study found. Chemical camouflage from diet has been previously shown in insects, such as caterpillars, which mask themselves by building their exoskeletons with chemicals from their food. The new study shows that animals don't need an exoskeleton to use chemical ...

Researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine may have identified a way to assess who is at risk for developing a urinary tract infection (UTI) following pelvic-floor surgery. These findings were reported in the latest issue of PLOS ONE. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common type of bacterial infection and have estimated treatment costs exceeding $1 billion a year in the United States. Women who undergo surgery for pelvic-organ prolapse or urinary incontinence are more likely to develop a UTI following the procedure. Clinicians have ...

Three studies presented by University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2014 demonstrate the effects of blocking androgen receptors in breast cancer. One shows that, counterintuitively, blocking the action of androgen receptors reduces the growth of estrogen-positive (ER+) breast cancers. The second study found that even triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), which are without known hormone drivers and carry the poorest prognosis, are dependent on androgen receptor activation. And the third study finds that targeting androgen ...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Kent State University a $300,000 grant for three College of Arts and Sciences faculty members to study how human dynamics across social media and social networks can be modeled. The grant is part of a $999,887 collaboration with San Diego State University and the University of Arkansas. Professor Jay Lee and Assistant Professor Xinyue Ye of Kent State's Department of Geography and Associate Professor Ruoming Jin of Kent State's Department of Computer Science will use information diffusion, visualization and simulations ...

Dr. Damon Little, Associate Curator of Bioinformatics in the Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics at The New York Botanical Garden, has just published a new study in the journal Genome investigating the use of DNA barcoding to test the authenticity of Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba), an herbal dietary supplement sold to consumers that is supposed to boost cognitive capacity. Unfortunately, herbal supplements on the market are subject to mislabelling, and therefore consumers may not be getting the products and benefits they believe they are getting. Dr. Little's research ...

Tampa, FL (Dec. 11, 2014) -- Despite emerging evidence otherwise, many college students consider hookah smoking safer than smoking cigarettes, reports a University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health study published this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study, appearing online in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease, examined the prevalence of hookah use and described social and behavioral factors associated with hookah smoking among students at USF, a large urban public university in Tampa, Fla. The research suggests ...

A cold 'sensor' which triggers the skin's vascular response to the cold could represent an exciting new therapeutic target for the treatment of frostbite and hypothermia, according to scientists at King's College London. Known to be linked to pain sensitivity and currently used in the development of painkillers, this is the first time the TRPA1 gene has been implicated in the response of blood vessels in the skin to cold. Published today in Nature Communications, the research was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research ...

The rise in tourism, fishing and sea transport between the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands is compromising the wellbeing of a small population of common bottlenose dolphins living in coastal waters off the Pityusic Islands. This is the conclusion of a study led by the University of Barcelona (Spain), which has, for the first time, counted these mammals in summer and spring, which are crucial seasons for them. Despite being one of the most common cetaceans in the Mediterranean Ocean, the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) resides in areas close to ...

The drive for energy efficient homes could increase asthma risks, according to new research. Led by a team at the University of Exeter Medical School, the research has found that a failure by residents to heat and ventilate retrofitted properties could lead to more people developing the respiratory condition. Working with leading UK social housing provider, Coastline Housing, the research team assessed data from the residents of 700 properties in Cornwall. They found that people living in more energy efficient homes had a greater risk of asthma, and that the presence ...

Scientists at Brunel University London have found a way of targeting hard-to-reach cancers and degenerative diseases using nanoparticles, but without causing the damaging side effects the treatment normally brings. In a huge step forward in the use of nanomedicine, the research helped discover proteins in the blood that disguise nanoparticles so they are absorbed into cells without causing inflammation and destroying healthy cells. Two studies, Complement activation by carbon nanotubes and its influence on the phagocytosis and cytokine response by macrophages and Complement ...

The preventive effect of breast cancer drug 'tamoxifen' remains virtually constant for at least 20 years - with rates reduced by around 30 per cent - new analysis published in The Lancet Oncology reveals. The IBIS-I trial (International Breast Cancer Intervention Study), led by Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK, examined the long-term risks and benefits of taking tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of the disease (aged 35-70 years old, primarily with a family history of breast cancer). During the study* 7,154 pre ...

Smart agricultural practices and an extensive grain-trade network enabled the Romans to thrive in the water-limited environment of the Mediterranean, a new study shows. But the stable food supply brought about by these measures promoted population growth and urbanisation, pushing the Empire closer to the limits of its food resources. The research, by an international team of hydrologists and Roman historians, is published today in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). Stretching over three continents and persisting ...

Phoenix, AZ (December 11th, 2014) - Signs of cognitive decline related to aging populations, and even the severe cognitive losses seen in Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative disorders, may emerge many years earlier, according to a report presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting in Phoenix (Arizona). The study suggests that early signs of cognitive decline are already present for some individuals during midlife, and that they are linked with risk factors such as elevated blood pressure. It is possible that if these risk factors ...

December 11, 2014--(BRONX, NY)--Sleep-related breathing problems and chronic lack of sleep may each double the risk of a child becoming obese by age 15, according to new research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The good news is that both sleep problems can be corrected. The study, which followed nearly 2,000 children for 15 years, published online today in The Journal of Pediatrics. "In recent years, lack of sleep has become a well-recognized risk for childhood obesity," said Karen Bonuck, Ph.D., professor of family and social medicine ...

WASHINGTON, DC (December 11, 2014)--A new study led by a researcher at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University looks at the metal cadmium and finds that higher human exposure can lead to significantly shorter telomeres, bits of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that are associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other diseases of old age. The study, which was published online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology, is the largest-ever to look at cadmium exposure and telomeres. "We looked at heavy ...

TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2014 -- Nearly seventeen per cent of adults surveyed in Ontario said they have suffered a traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for five minutes or required them to be hospitalized overnight, according to new research. These same adults also reported more substance use, smoking and recent psychiatric distress. Researchers compared the prevalence of reported TBI with current substance use, cigarette smoking and psychological distress among 1,999 Ontario adults. "We found that one in six Ontario adults reported a history of TBI," said Dr. ...

Novel research reveals that the risk of acute gout attacks is more than two times higher during the night or early morning hours than it is in the daytime. The study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), confirms that nocturnal attacks persist even among those who did not consume alcohol and had a low amount of purine intake during the 24 hours prior to the gout attack. The body produces uric acid from the process of breaking down purines--natural substances in cells in the body and in most foods--with especially ...

New research suggests that toddlers who share a bed with their parents might have an increased risk of asthma in later childhood. The study, which is published online today (11 December, 2014) in the European Respiratory Journal, sheds light on the potential health effects of bed-sharing for infants and toddlers. The researchers investigated 6,160 mothers and their children in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. They collected information via a questionnaire on wheezing and asthma symptoms every year from the age of one to six years. They also assessed sleeping patterns at ...

A new study has revealed key steps for hospitals to improve care for pregnant mums and babies affected by a life-threatening condition. In the UK today, almost one in every 100 babies is stillborn or dies soon after birth. Up to 100 women die every year during or just after pregnancy. A team of academics, clinicians and charity representatives, called MBRRACE-UK*, has looked at how care for mothers and babies can be improved. The report, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership as part of the Clinical Outcome Review Programmes**, is led by a team ...

This approach may offer a new weight management option, suggest the researchers. Animal studies have shown that the natural fermentation of dietary fibre by gut bacteria produces short chain fatty acids, one of which is propionate. These fatty acids stimulate the release of the gut hormones PYY and GLP-1, which in turn suppress appetite. And propionate seems to be the most effective at stimulating PYY and GLP-1 release. To find out if increasing levels of propionate in the bowel could reduce food intake and stave off weight gain in people, the researchers developed ...