NIST researchers have demonstrated the autonomous computer-controlled assembly of atoms into perfect nanostructures using a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope. The results, published in an invited article in the Review of Scientific Instruments, show the construction without human intervention of quantum confined two-dimensional nanostructures using single atoms or single molecules on a copper surface.

Microbiomes, communities of one-celled organisms, are everywhere in nature. They play important roles in health and agriculture, yet we know surprisingly little about them. Nanoscience might help.

A new mobile device that allows bladder and kidney cancer to be detected at an early stage. This is being worked on by Wilfred van der Wiel, professor of nanoelectronics at the University of Twente MESA+ research institute. Thanks to this method, it is possible to read from DNA cells whether their carrier has bladder or kidney cancer.

A Saturday story in the MIRROR.CO.UK, the online edition of the Daily Mirror, carried a headline that made readers look once, twice, three times: "'Virtual twins' could save lives as doctors prepare to test technology by CLONING soldiers set to do battle." The story nonetheless made useful reading for practical purposes. The story, along with other reports from news sites, is about a technology approach presented at a scientific meeting event with the entire world listening. Soldiers headed for battle duty could be scanned before deploying and their body twin kept online.

Attention to optical fiber communication networks has been paid in a recent paper showing their potential. Optical fiber communication networks can provide terabit aggregate capacities to buildings and offices in modern cities whereas practical wireless systems are orders of magnitude below this capacity. The authors reported on an indoor optical bidirectional wireless link with an aggregate capacity over 100 Gb/s. The link operated over ~3 m range at 224 Gb/s (6 x 37.4 Gb/s) and 112 Gb/s (3 x 37.4 Gb/s) with a wide field of view (FOV) of 60° and 36°, respectively. The authors said that this was the first demo of a wireless link of this type with a field of view that offers practical room-scale coverage.

An infant born three months prematurely fails to flush pink at birth and has an alarmingly low blood pressure. Ultrasound identifies a heart abnormality and doctors rush the newborn to an MRI suite to confirm the diagnosis. But the scanning itself can cause physical agitation that interferes with clear imaging. In some cases, it can make it harder for the baby to breathe.

Scientists at VTT have developed a prototype of a tree that harvests solar energy from its surroundings - whether indoors or outdoors - stores it and turns it into electricity to power small devices such as mobile phones, humidifiers, thermometers and LED light bulbs. The technology can also be used to harvest kinetic energy from the environment.

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.

Researchers from the Ramón Llull University (Spain) have created a system capable of geolocating videos by comparing their audiovisual content with a worldwide multimedia database. In the future, this could help to find people who have gone missing after posting images on social networks, or even to recognise locations of terrorist executions.

Standards are a key part of technical progress and for the increased use of renewable energy.

According to Fariba Karimi, network scientist at Umeå University, analysis of massive online data can reveal what information matters to us and with whom we have most in common. For example, networks can be used to study how information travels from one part of the world to another. She defends her thesis on Friday 20 February.

Authorities in Brazil have got hold of a valuable Twitter account to publicise next year's Rio Olympics, after a humble Spanish shoeshine man surrendered the rights to it for free.

Netflix next year will release "Jadotville," a war film starring "50 Shades of Gray" star Jamie Dornan, the US online entertainment powerhouse said on Monday.

Security and temporal efficiency of security personnel are the focus of a current Austrian Science Fund FWF research project. And here, the journey is the reward: improved route planning for armoured vehicles and security companies. In particular, the project is aimed at reducing travel times while simultaneously avoiding predictable driving routes. A key component in the project is a novel analysis method for modelling such routes: it combines mathematic and heuristic methods to achieve optimum results. This decision-supporting tool will offer security companies not only cost savings, but also improved protection for the transport of valuable goods and VIPs, as well as for staff.

It's a firmly established fact straight from Biology 101: Traits such as eye color and height are passed from one generation to the next through the parents' DNA.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all cancers affecting the female reproductive system with very few effective treatments available. Prognosis is even worse among patients with certain subtypes of the disease. Now, researchers at The Wistar Institute have identified a new therapeutic target in a particularly aggressive form of ovarian cancer, paving the way for what could be the first effective targeted therapy of its kind for the disease.

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have uncovered a marvel molecule that blocks a key driver of inflammatory diseases. The finding could meet a major unmet clinical need by inspiring new non-invasive treatments for arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Muckle-Wells syndrome, among a myriad of other inflammatory diseases.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

The Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of the drug olaparib for ovarian cancer patients with inherited mutations in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 came as welcome news to the thousands of women now eligible to receive it. A new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists indicates that the pool of patients who can benefit from the drug is potentially much wider – and offers a ready means of identifying them.

Problem gambling and obsessive-compulsive behaviors share genetic as well as behavioral links, according to a study by researchers at Yale, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. These findings may help guide not only treatment development efforts but also identify biological measures underlying the conditions.

Investigators with the National Institutes of Health have discovered the genomic switches of a blood cell key to regulating the human immune system. The findings, published in Nature today, open the door to new research and development in drugs and personalized medicine to help those with autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis.

The importance of RNA editing in melanoma has been demonstrated by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study revealed that a lack of RNA editing, a process by which information inside RNA molecules is transformed, leads to tumor growth and progression through manipulation of proteins.

Duke Medicine researchers have shown how gene mutations may cause common forms of cartilage tumors.

Cells lining the intestinal tract form a critical barrier, protecting our bodies from the billions of bacteria living in the gut. Breaches in this barrier are driven largely by a single signaling molecule called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), elevated amounts of which are associated with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Mixing our genes through sex helps purge us of disease mutations

Researchers in public health have reported in the first broad study in the United States the frequency of two muscle-weakness disorders that strike mostly boys: Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Becker muscular dystrophy.

Sufficient sleep is critical for adolescent health, yet the number of hours slept per night has decreased among teenagers in the United States over the last 20 years. A study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that female students, racial/ethnic minorities, and students of lower socioeconomic status are particularly affected, with teens in these categories less likely to report regularly getting seven or more hours of sleep each night compared with their male counterparts, non-Hispanic white teenagers, and students of higher socioeconomic status, respectively. Findings from "The Great Sleep Recession: Changes in Sleep Duration Among U.S. Adolescents, 1991-2012" are published online in Pediatrics.

Researchers have discovered a novel role for Mitofusin 2, and the findings may point to a new treatment for patients with diseases caused by loss of the mitochondrial protein. The study appears in The Journal of Cell Biology .

Few health care providers in rural India know the correct treatments for childhood diarrhea and pneumonia - two leading killers of young children worldwide. But even when they do, they rarely prescribe them properly, according to a new Duke University study.

Frequent menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS), including hot flashes and night sweats, lasted for more than seven years during the transition to menopause for more than half of the women in a large study and African American women reported the longest total VMS duration, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Mindfulness meditation practices resulted in improved sleep quality for older adults with moderate sleep disturbance in a clinical trial comparing meditation to a more structured program focusing on changing poor sleep habits and establishing a bedtime routine, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

The arctic cold snap affecting the Midwest and the Northeast this weekend should not be taken lightly, says David Holmes, MD, clinical associate professor of family medicine in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Cigarette packets have long been emblazoned with warnings and graphic images of the dangers of tobacco.

A Rutgers nutritional scientist and two cancer biologists at New York City's Hunter College have found that an ingredient in extra-virgin olive oil kills a variety of human cancer cells without harming healthy cells. The ingredient is oleocanthal, a compound that ruptures a part of the cancerous cell, releasing enzymes that cause cell death.

In the movie Still Alice, Julianne Moore plays a Columbia linguistics professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, an extremely rare version of the disease. Moore's performance, for which she has already won several awards and been nominated for an Oscar, depicts her character's swift decline from a quick-witted academic to a shadow of herself.

Paul Armstrong has always found quiet satisfaction knowing his life's work has made a difference in the world. Armstrong, a professor of cardiology at the University of Alberta and director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre, has won awards and acclaim for his more than 35 years of service in the field of cardiology, but his greatest pride has always come from serving people. It's why his thoughts go to his patients upon learning of the success of a lifesaving program built on the work he and others began more than 15 years ago.

A UBC researcher explains why some lacy new lingerie might just do the trick

Knowing where we are and remembering routes that we've walked are crucial skills for our everyday life. In order to identify neural mechanisms of spatial navigation, RUB researchers headed by Prof Dr Nikolai Axmacher, together with colleagues from Bonn, analysed the relevant processes with the aid of an electroencephalography (EEG) monitored directly in the brain. Thus, they identified the neural signature during learning and remembering of specific spatial locations. Their report was published in the current edition of Current Biology.

Heavy alcohol use by students during university orientation weeks may be a gateway into heavier drinking during the rest of the academic year, according to latest Otago research.

High intensity weight training is important for brains not just brawn and could be prescribed in the fight against dementia according to new research from the University of Sydney.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a possible cause of death in patients with non-ischaemic cardiac muscle weakness, i.e. a type of heart failure caused by genetics or for which no cause is known. Now, researchers at the University Department of Internal Medicine II at the MedUni Vienna (Clinical Department of Cardiology), as part of an international cooperation, have successfully demonstrated the advantages of an implanted defibrillator (ICD) as a means of prevention in patients with moderately restricted cardiac function, and that patients with the condition must be treated as carefully as patients with ischaemic heart failure which has developed following a heart attack, for example.

Eating more folate, found in various green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, may reduce migraine frequency, a QUT research team has found.

A British study released Monday suggested that the risk of psychosis was five times higher for regular users of cannabis, adding to a growing body of evidence linking drug use and mental health disorders.

Should teenagers be able to hit the snooze button one more time before school? Ask their parents and half say they would support later school start times, according to today's University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

The psychological damage caused by unemployment is greater than previously thought, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Stirling.

Ovarian cancer patients throughout Europe and the United States could soon be treated with a new drug discovered through pioneering research at the University of Sheffield funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

While people in the early years of marriage have sex more frequently, and their sexual activity tapers off over time, a slight rebound occurs for those whose marriages endure longer than half a century, according to new research.

While much of the attention in the ongoing measles outbreak has focused on student vaccination requirements and exemptions, less attention has been paid to another group in the nation's classrooms: Teachers and staff members, who, by and large, are not required to be vaccinated.

Middle-aged women who are physically active a few times per week have lower risks of heart disease, stroke and blood clots than inactive women, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Surprisingly, more frequent physical activity didn't result in further reductions in risk, researchers said.

Most "risk calculators" used by clinicians to gauge a patient's chances of suffering a heart attack and guide treatment decisions appear to significantly overestimate the likelihood of a heart attack, according to results of a study by investigators at Johns Hopkins and other institutions.

(HealthDay)—Children appear more likely to develop asthma if their living rooms, kitchens or bedrooms have mold or moisture damage, according to a new study.

(HealthDay)—Disturbing images on cigarette warning labels have a significant effect on smokers' brains, according to a new study.

(HealthDay)—For postmenopausal women, lycopene intake seems to be inversely associated with the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of Cancer.

(HealthDay)—For individuals with HIV and chronic pain, various pain self-management strategies are employed, including physical activity, cognitive and spiritual strategies, and substance use, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in Pain Medicine.

(HealthDay)—Many adults maintain adequate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels even in periods of minimal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

(HealthDay)—Considerable practice variation exists among surgeons at a high-volume academic center when selecting patients with prostate cancer to undergo radical prostatectomy, according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.

(HealthDay)—For individuals with dementia living in nursing homes, the provider's rationale for use of antipsychotic drug therapy frequently relates to indications for which these drugs are not approved, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

(HealthDay)—Some bakery products sold as free of cow's milk may not be safe for those with milk allergies because they still contain milk protein, according to research published online Feb. 4 in Allergy.

(HealthDay)—Usage of nondrug, nonoperative interventions in community-dwelling individuals with hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) is low, according to research published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

(HealthDay)—During 2002 to 2011, U.S. hospitals experienced productivity growth in treating Medicare patients with heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia, according to a study published in the February issue of Health Affairs.

(HealthDay)—Refeeding patients with anorexia nervosa to achieve more rapid weight gain can be safe and effective in a hospital-based protocol, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

(HealthDay)—For Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation and hemoglobin A1C (A1C) of 5.6 to 6.4 percent, minimization of the risk of diabetes requires a minimum of 4 to 5 percent weight loss, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

An ambulance pulls into the hospital parking lot, and paramedics bring a patient into the emergency room - suffering from a dangerously low body temperature but bundled in blankets and dry after being pulled from icy water after a car accident.

Measles was once considered a childhood illness, spreading rapidly across schools, playgrounds and parks.

More rural Americans are signing up for Medicare Advantage despite reductions in payments, according to new research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

It usually falls to scientists to talk about the urgency of the need to combat climate change, but Dr Ingo Weber is among a growing number of medicos who believe that doctors should also take a leading role.

Ebola outbreaks are always possible but next time many African countries will be better prepared to stymie the spread and mortality rate, thanks to people like QUT microbiologist Dr Belinda Herring who volunteered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to travel to Ethiopia to evaluate its preparedness for Ebola.

Australia is funding a three-year, 2.3 million Australian dollar ($1.8 million) project that will aid snakebite victims in Myanmar by upgrading care facilities and the quality and availability of antivenom.

Children trickled back to school in Liberia on Monday after the restart of lessons that had been delayed for months by the deadly Ebola outbreak, as the country begins to turn the page on the crisis.

The death toll from a cholera epidemic in Mozambique that broke out after widespread flooding has climbed to 28, the government said Monday.

Sierra Leone's government promised a full investigation Monday after an internal audit found that nearly one-third of the money received to fight Ebola was spent without saving the necessary receipts and invoices to justify the spending.

Northwestern University's David H. Uttal will discuss a program that has enhanced students' learning at a variety of levels, from basic spatial reasoning to solving complex problems involving the coordination of numerous variables, such as those involved in climate change.

Canadian health officials warned Monday that a person with measles may have spread the virus at a recent large gathering of Christian youth in Toronto.

(Phys.org)—When it comes to tagging items to prove their authenticity, the goal is to stay ahead of counterfeit technology. The best tags are unique, complex, easy to read, and difficult to reproduce. One naturally-occurring authentication "tag" is fingerprints, which are difficult to replicate, but are easy to read. Wook Park and Sunghoon Kwon from Seoul National University developed a process for making anti-counterfeit tags from wrinkled silica polymers that is based on the way fingerprints are used for identification. Their work is published in Advanced Materials.

Estimates of deaths from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the United States range upwards of 19,000 annually. Around 1960, when Staphylococcus aureus developed resistance to first-generation penicillin, methicillin and other second-generation beta-lactam antibiotics were adopted to fight the illness. The modern variants of the bacterium have developed resistance to the four drugs now used to treat it.

Scientists and engineers have looked to nature for their inspiration for centuries. The field of biomimetics uses ideas from nature to solve complex human challenges.

Corannulene is a carbon molecule with a unique shape (similar to the better known fullerene) and promising properties. A team of scientists from SISSA and the University of Zurich carried out computer simulations of the molecule's properties and discovered that it might help overcome the difficulties building molecular circuits (i.e., of the size of molecules). The study has just been published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.