Daily News chosen by Anchor Science

Extractive Electrospray Ionization Mass SpectrometryEnhanced Sensitivity Using an Ion Funnel

Analytical Chemistry

Ambient Nanoelectrospray Ionization with In-Line Microdialysis for Spatially Resolved Transient Biochemical Monitoring within Cell Culture Environments

Analytical Chemistry

Multiplexed Nanoflares: mRNA Detection in Live Cells

Analytical Chemistry

Grasslands soils offer some insurance against climate change
The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage – a key factor in climate change – and new research shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others.

Good news about carbon storage in tropical vegetation
Tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previously thought. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America.

How bacteria behind serious childhood disease evolve to evade vaccines
Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective.

Alcohol and your heart: Friend or foe?
A meta-analysis of the relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease provides new insight into the long-held belief that drinking a glass of red wine a day can help protect against heart disease.

Divorce hurts health more at earlier ages
Divorce at a younger age hurts people's health more than divorce later in life, according to a new study.

Chirality of a nanotube controls growth: Armchair nanotubes grow fastest
Scientists have experimentally confirmed a theory that foretold a pair of interesting properties about nanotube growth: That the chirality of a nanotube controls the speed of its growth, and that armchair nanotubes should grow the fastest.

Chimp 'X factor': Extensive adaptive evolution specifically targeting the X chromosome of chimpanzees
Genetic mutations that boost an individual's adaptability have greater chances of getting through to X chromosomes -- at least in chimpanzees, according to new Danish research. An analysis of the genes of 12 chimpanzees has now demonstrated that the chimpanzee X chromosome plays a very special role in the animal's evolutionary development.

Cutting off the oxygen supply to serious diseases
A new family of proteins which regulate the human body’s ‘hypoxic response’ to low levels of oxygen has been discovered.

Warming in the Tasman Sea, near Australia, a global warming hot spot
Oceanographers have identified a series of ocean hotspots around the world generated by strengthening wind systems that have driven oceanic currents, including the East Australian Current, polewards beyond their known boundaries.

Genetic breakthrough for brain cancer in children
Scientists have made a major genetic breakthrough that could change the way pediatric cancers are treated in the future. The researchers identified two genetic mutations responsible for up to 40 per cent of glioblastomas in children. The mutations were found to be involved in DNA regulation, which could explain the resistance to traditional treatments, and may have significant implications on the treatment of other cancers.

Sun unleashes an X1.8 class flare on Jan. 27, 2012
The sun unleashed an X1.8 class flare that began at 1:12 PM ET on January 27, 2012 and peaked at 1:37. The flare immediately caused a strong radio blackout at low-latitudes, which was rated an R3 on NOAA's scale from R1-5. The blackout soon subsided to a minor R1 storm. Models from NASA's Goddard Space Weather Center predict that the CME is traveling at over 1500 miles per second. It does not initially appear to be Earth-directed, but Earth may get a glancing blow.

Need muscle for a tough spot? Turn to fat stem cells
Stem cells derived from fat have a surprising trick up their sleeves: Encouraged to develop on a stiff surface, they undergo a remarkable transformation toward becoming mature muscle cells. The new cells remain intact and fused together even when transferred to an extremely stiff, bone-like surface, which has bioengineers intrigued. These cells, they suggest, could hint at new therapeutic possibilities for muscular dystrophy.

Willpower and desires: Turning up the volume on what you want most
Trying to resist that late-night tweet or checking your work email again? The bad news is that desires for work and entertainment often win out in the daily struggle for self-control, according to a new study that measures various desires and their regulation in daily life.

Processes leading to acute myeloid leukemia discovered
Researchers have discovered a molecular pathway that may explain how a particularly deadly form of cancer develops. The discovery may lead to new cancer therapies that reprogram cells instead of killing them.

Oxygen molecule survives to enormously high pressures
Using computer simulations, researchers have shown that the oxygen molecule (O₂) is stable up to pressures of 1.9 terapascal, which is about nineteen million times higher than atmosphere pressure. Above that, it polymerizes, i.e. builds larger molecules or structures.

Targeted DNA vaccine using an electric pulse
The vaccines of the future against infections, influenza and cancer can be administered using an electrical pulse and a specially-produced DNA code, new research suggests. The DNA code programs the body’s own cells to produce a super-fast missile defense against the disease, researchers say.

Long-term response plan for possible Cuban oil spill
Researchers are working on long-term sustainability study to prepare for an oil spill that could catastrophically impact Florida.

Lifelong payoff for attentive kindergarten kids
Attentiveness in kindergarten accurately predicts the development of "work-oriented" skills in school children, according to a new study.

What do killer whales eat in the Arctic?
Killer whales are the top marine predator. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behavior and diet in the Arctic.

That which does not kill yeast makes it stronger: Stress-induced genomic instability facilitates rapid cellular adaption in yeast
Cells trying to keep pace with constantly changing environmental conditions need to strike a fine balance between maintaining their genomic integrity and allowing enough genetic flexibility to adapt to inhospitable conditions. In their latest study, researchers were able to show that under stressful conditions yeast genomes become unstable, readily acquiring or losing whole chromosomes to enable rapid adaption.

Addicts' cravings have different roots in men and women
A new brain imaging study suggests stress robustly activates areas of the brain associated with craving in cocaine-dependent women, while drug cues activate similar brain regions in cocaine-dependent men. The study suggests men and women with cocaine dependence might benefit more from different treatment options.

Was the Little Ice Age triggered by massive volcanic eruptions?
Scientists suggest that the Little Ice Age was triggered by an unusual, 50-year episode of four massive volcanic eruptions. This led to an expansion of sea ice and a related weakening of Atlantic currents that caused the cool period to persist for centuries.

Smart paint could revolutionize structural safety of bridges, mines and more
An innovative low-cost smart paint that can detect microscopic faults in wind turbines, mines and bridges before structural damage occurs is being developed.

New study may answer questions about enigmatic Little Ice Age
According to a new study, the Little Ice Age began abruptly between A.D. 1275 and 1300, triggered by repeated, explosive volcanism, and was sustained for centuries by a self- perpetuating sea ice-ocean feedback system in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Biological time-keeper linked to diabetes
Sleeping disorders have been known for some years to increase the risk of diabetes. Scientists have now linked a gene that plays a key role in synchronizing biological rhythms to type two diabetes.

Early intervention may curb dangerous college drinking
The first few weeks of college are a critical time in shaping students' drinking habits. Now researchers have a tailored approach that may help prevent students from becoming heavy drinkers.

Ferroelectric switching discovered for first time in soft biological tissue
The walls of the aorta, the largest blood vessel carrying blood from the heart, exhibits a response to electric fields known to exist in inorganic and synthetic materials. The discovery could have implications for treating human heart disease.