ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New climate stress index model challenges doomsday forecasts for world's coral reefs
• Inexperienced investors should take advantage of 'auto-pilot investing'
• Extra love and support doesn't make up for being a helicopter parent
• Yeast protein network could provide insights into human obesity
• New discoveries advance efforts to build replacement kidneys in the lab
• Researchers create new combination vaccine to fight Streptococcus A
• Online hookup sites increase HIV rates in sometimes surprising ways
• Aging couples connected in sickness and health
• Online gambling would benefit from better regulation
• Bacteria may cause type 2 diabetes
• Crashing comets may explain mysterious lunar swirls
• New evidence emerges on the origins of life
• Invasive microbe protects corals from global warming, but at a cost
• Mollusk shells: Modern humans inhabited Near East at least 45,900 years ago, colonized Europe from there
• New color blindness cause identified: Finding suggests potential therapeutic targets
• New method may eliminate antibiotic use in livestock
• Picture perfect: Researchers use photos to understand how diabetes affects kids
• Using robots, scientists assemble promising antimicrobial compounds
• Microgravity experiments may help lighten the load of joint diseases
• Kit may help train global health providers to insert, remove contraceptive implants
• Multimodality treatment for metastatic lung cancer that includes surgery may improve survival rates
• Britain’s oldest sauropod dinosaur identified from fossil bone that fell from a cliff face
• New study evaluates remedial pathways for community college students
• US Forest Service publishes plan for North American Bat Monitoring Program
• Physicists map electron structure of superconductivity’s 'doppelgänger'
• Available genetic data could help doctors make better use of cardiovascular drugs
• Zinc in the body may contribute to kidney stones
• Sex and musculoskeletal health: Differences between males and females
• Canada's radon guidelines are inadequate, experts say
• Despite guidelines, too many medical tests are performed before low-risk procedures
• Endangered sawfishes having babies, no sex required
• Ancient algae found deep in tropical glacier
• 10th-century medical philosophy and computer simulation in research
• Drug prevents passage of HBV during pregnancy
• At peak fertility, women who desire to maintain body attractiveness report they eat less
• Civilian physicians feel underprepared to treat veterans, survey finds
• Fructose contributes to weight gain, physical inactivity, and body fat, researchers find
• The ebb and flow of Greenland's glaciers
• Study links exposure to common pesticide with ADHD in boys
• Missing link found between brain, immune system; major disease implications
• Poor sleep linked to toxic buildup of Alzheimer's protein, memory loss
• New anti-microbial compounds evade resistance with less toxicity
• Scientists reveal epigenome maps of the human body's major organs
• Researcher discovers metabolite of prostate cancer drug more effective at treating aggressive tumors
• Medical home intervention with shared savings shows quality, utilization improvements
• Breastfeeding may lower risk of childhood leukemia, study suggests
• Happiest university graduates are more likely to land a good first job
• Study explores reasons behind alcohol abuse in non-heterosexual women
• How does human behavior lead to surgical errors? Researchers count the ways
• Thin coating on condensers could make power plants more efficient
• Scientists discover protein that plays key role in streptococcal infections
• Trials show immune drugs effective in advanced melanomas
• Insulin degludec: No hint of added benefit in children and adolescents
• New sensing tech could help detect diseases, fraudulent art, chemical weapons
• Highly explosive volcanism at Galapagos
• Researchers' discovery may explain difficulty in treating Lyme disease
• New perspective on phantom eye syndrome
• Twitter shared news of first Ebola case 3 days before officials
• Circular orbits of small exoplanets: Which Earth-sized exoplanets are potentially habitable?
• Common antibiotic part of a new potential pancreatic cancer therapy

New climate stress index model challenges doomsday forecasts for world's coral reefs Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT A newer and more complex model incorporating data from both environmental factors and field observations of coral responses to stress provides a better forecasting tool than the more widely used models and a more positive future for coral reefs, according to a new study.

Inexperienced investors should take advantage of 'auto-pilot investing' Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT Use of target-date is a positive trend that will help inexperienced investors invest safely without risking significant losses based on their lack of knowledge, an expert writes. Target-date funds, which were endorsed by Congress in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, are also known as life-cycle funds. This means that TDFs change their asset mix of stocks and bonds based on the age of the investor.

Extra love and support doesn't make up for being a helicopter parent Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT Scholars who found that helicopter parenting backfires have just published a follow-up study. Their question: Would lots of love and support negate the effects of parental hovering? Their data analysis says no, underscoring the need for parents to step back and let young adult children lead.

Yeast protein network could provide insights into human obesity Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT A team of biologists and a mathematician has identified and characterized a network composed of 94 proteins that work together to regulate fat storage in yeast. The findings suggest that yeast could serve as a valuable test organism for studying human obesity.

New discoveries advance efforts to build replacement kidneys in the lab Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT Researchers are making progress in their quest to build replacement kidneys in the lab by using the more than 2,600 kidneys that are donated each year, but must be discarded due to abnormalities and other factors. The scientists aim to 'recycle' these organs to engineer tailor-made replacement kidneys for patients.

Researchers create new combination vaccine to fight Streptococcus A Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT A groundbreaking, combination vaccine has been developed that may finally beat Streptococcus A infections. Human trials are set to begin, early as next year, for the vaccine which combines the protein, SpyCEP, with a previously developed vaccine J8-DT.

Online hookup sites increase HIV rates in sometimes surprising ways Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT The introduction of Craigslist led to an increase in HIV infection cases of 13.5 percent in Florida over a four-year period, according to a new study. The estimated medical costs for those patients will amount to $710 million over the course of their lives, research shows.

Aging couples connected in sickness and health Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT As the world's population of older adults increases, so do conversations around successful aging -- including seniors' physical, mental and social well-being. Two major factors can predict an older person's quality of life: the physical health and the cognitive functioning of the person's spouse.

Online gambling would benefit from better regulation Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:29 PM PDT The US government's attempt to crack down on Internet gambling is widely seen as a convoluted mess. Yet, more controlled and defined regulation would likely benefit the $41 billion industry and protect consumers alike, finds a new study by business scholars.

Bacteria may cause type 2 diabetes Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:28 PM PDT Chronic exposure to a toxin made by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria produces the hallmark symptoms of Type 2 diabetes (T2D), including insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, in rabbits, new research shows. The findings suggest that eliminating staph bacteria or neutralizing the toxins might have potential for preventing or treating T2D.

Crashing comets may explain mysterious lunar swirls Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:28 PM PDT Researchers have produced new evidence that lunar swirls -- wispy bright regions scattered on the moon's surface -- were created by several comet collisions over the last 100 million years.

New evidence emerges on the origins of life Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:28 PM PDT New research shows that the close linkage between the physical properties of amino acids, the genetic code, and protein folding was likely the key factor in the evolution from building blocks to organisms when Earth's first life was emerging from the primordial soup.

Invasive microbe protects corals from global warming, but at a cost Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:28 PM PDT An invasive species of symbiotic micro-alga has spread across the Caribbean Sea, according to an international team of researchers. These single-cell algae, which live within the cells of coral animals, are improving the resilience of coral communities to heat stress caused by global warming, but also are diminishing the abilities of corals to build reefs.

Mollusk shells: Modern humans inhabited Near East at least 45,900 years ago, colonized Europe from there Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:27 PM PDT New high precision radiocarbon dates of mollusk shells show that modern humans occupied the Near East at least 45,900 years ago and colonized Europe from there.

New color blindness cause identified: Finding suggests potential therapeutic targets Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:25 PM PDT A rare eye disorder marked by color blindness, light sensitivity, and other vision problems can result from a newly discovered gene mutation identified by an international research team. The findings could lead to new, targeted treatments for this form of color blindness.

New method may eliminate antibiotic use in livestock Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:25 PM PDT An animal scientist has developed an antibiotic-free method to protect animals raised for food against common infections. The innovation comes as growing public concern about antibiotic resistance has induced McDonald's, Tyson Foods and other industry giants to announce major cuts in antibiotic use in meat production. About 80 percent of antibiotics in the United States are used by farmers, because they both protect against disease and accelerate weight gain in many farm animals.

Picture perfect: Researchers use photos to understand how diabetes affects kids Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:53 AM PDT If a picture is worth a thousand words, Type 1 diabetes researchers have tapped into an encyclopedia, revealing new insights into how young people cope with the disease. The study found key differences in adolescents of different genders and socioeconomic classes that could shape patient care and diabetes education, especially for boys and less-affluent young people.

Using robots, scientists assemble promising antimicrobial compounds Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:53 AM PDT There's an urgent demand for new antimicrobial compounds that are effective against constantly emerging drug-resistant bacteria. Two robotic chemical-synthesizing machines at the Molecular Foundry have joined the search.

Microgravity experiments may help lighten the load of joint diseases Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:53 AM PDT Going into space might wreak havoc on our bodies, but a new set of microgravity experiments may help shed light on new approaches for treating cartilage diseases on Earth. A team of scientists suggests that our cartilage--tissue that serves as a cushion between bones--might be able to survive microgravity relatively unscathed.

Kit may help train global health providers to insert, remove contraceptive implants Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:49 AM PDT To address a global health challenge, a team of biomedical engineering undergraduates has developed a kit to teach front-line health care workers in developing countries how to implant contraceptives.

Multimodality treatment for metastatic lung cancer that includes surgery may improve survival rates Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:49 AM PDT Patients diagnosed with an advanced form of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may benefit from surgical resection (removal of all or part of the lung) in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, new research suggests.

Britain’s oldest sauropod dinosaur identified from fossil bone that fell from a cliff face Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:15 AM PDT Experts have identified Britain's oldest sauropod dinosaur from a fossil bone discovered on the Yorkshire coast. The vertebra (backbone) originates from a group of dinosaurs that includes the largest land animals to have ever walked on Earth. This new sauropod dinosaur, from the Middle Jurassic Period at about 176 million years old, was found near Whitby, Yorkshire, after it fell out of a cliff face. This find represents the earliest skeletal record of this type of dinosaur from the United Kingdom and adds to existing evidence from Yorkshire dinosaur tracks that this part of the country was once Britain's very own 'Jurassic World'.

New study evaluates remedial pathways for community college students Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:49 AM PDT Academic programs that provide alternatives to traditional remedial education help students succeed at community colleges, but different programs result in a range of outcomes for various sub-populations of students, a report says.

US Forest Service publishes plan for North American Bat Monitoring Program Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:49 AM PDT A new report provides detailed guidelines for participating in the North American Bat Monitoring Program, an international multiagency program created to provide the data needed to make effective decisions about bat populations across the North American continent.

Physicists map electron structure of superconductivity’s 'doppelgänger' Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:49 AM PDT Physicists have painted an in-depth portrait of charge ordering -- an electron self-organization regime in high-temperature superconductors that may be intrinsically intertwined with superconductivity itself.

Available genetic data could help doctors make better use of cardiovascular drugs Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:48 AM PDT Few heart specialists make use of published information about interactions between drugs used to treat cardiovascular disease and the genetic variations that affect how patients respond to them, researchers say. As a result, a group of physicians combed through the literature on the pharmacogenomics of the leading cardiovascular drugs and compiled summaries.

Zinc in the body may contribute to kidney stones Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:06 AM PDT New research on kidney stone formation reveals that zinc levels may contribute to kidney stone formation, a common urinary condition that can cause excruciating pain. The research found that zinc may be the core by which stone formation starts.

Sex and musculoskeletal health: Differences between males and females Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:05 AM PDT Woman in general have a higher incidence of osteoporosis-related hip fractures yet, conversely, they have a lower rate of mortality than men with the same fracture, according to a new study.

Canada's radon guidelines are inadequate, experts say Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:05 AM PDT Radon gas is a silent health threat, and Canada needs to align its guidelines for acceptable radon levels with World Health Organization limits, argues a physician expert.

Despite guidelines, too many medical tests are performed before low-risk procedures Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:05 AM PDT Despite guideline recommendations to limit medical tests before low-risk surgeries, electrocardiograms and chest X-rays are still performed frequently, found a Canadian study.

Endangered sawfishes having babies, no sex required Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:05 AM PDT Some female members of a critically endangered species of sawfish are reproducing in the wild without sex. The discovery marks the first time living offspring from 'virgin births' have been found in a normally sexually reproducing vertebrate in the wild, the researchers say.

Ancient algae found deep in tropical glacier Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:26 AM PDT Researchers looking for carbon in equatorial ice cores have found diatoms, a type of algae. Their presence is evidence of what the landscape around the Andes in Peru might have been like more than a millennium ago.

10th-century medical philosophy and computer simulation in research Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:26 AM PDT The writings of a 10th-century medical philosopher are being linked to the use of computer simulation as an alternative to using animals in medical research.

Drug prevents passage of HBV during pregnancy Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:25 AM PDT The antiviral drug telbivudine prevents perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus, according to a study. Hepatitis B virus, which has infected nearly two billion people worldwide, is a leading cause of liver disease.

At peak fertility, women who desire to maintain body attractiveness report they eat less Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:25 AM PDT Women near peak fertility -- those nearing ovulation -- and who are motivated to manage their body appearance, reported they desire to lose weight and so ate fewer calories. Previous ovulation research has attributed reduced eating solely to neuroendocrinological factors. The new findings indicate an additional factor is a woman's concern about her body appearance, say authors.

Civilian physicians feel underprepared to treat veterans, survey finds Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:25 AM PDT A survey of nearly 150 U.S. physicians who frequently treat veterans found civilian doctors aren't adequately trained in health issues related to military service. More than half of the respondent indicated they were not comfortable discussing health-related exposures and risks that veterans might experience such as depleted uranium, smoke and chemical weapons.

Fructose contributes to weight gain, physical inactivity, and body fat, researchers find Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:25 AM PDT Matched calorie for calorie with the simple sugar glucose, fructose causes significant weight gain, physical inactivity, and body fat deposition, a new study has concluded. Because of the addition of high-fructose corn syrup to many soft drinks and processed baked goods, fructose currently accounts for 10 percent of caloric intake for U.S. citizens.

The ebb and flow of Greenland's glaciers Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:25 AM PDT In northwestern Greenland, glaciers flow from the main ice sheet to the ocean in see-sawing seasonal patterns. The ice generally flows faster in the summer than in winter, and the ends of glaciers, jutting out into the ocean, also advance and retreat with the seasons. Now, a new analysis shows some important connections between these seasonal patterns, sea ice cover and longer-term trends.

Study links exposure to common pesticide with ADHD in boys Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:25 AM PDT A new study links a commonly used household pesticide with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and young teens. The study found an association between pyrethroid pesticide exposure and ADHD, particularly in terms of hyperactivity and impulsivity, rather than inattentiveness. The association was stronger in boys than in girls.

Missing link found between brain, immune system; major disease implications Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT In a stunning discovery that overturns decades of textbook teaching, researchers have determined that the brain is directly connected to the immune system by vessels previously thought not to exist. The discovery could have profound implications for diseases from autism to Alzheimer's to multiple sclerosis.

Poor sleep linked to toxic buildup of Alzheimer's protein, memory loss Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT Sleep may be a missing piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle. The toxic protein that is the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease blocks the deepest stages of sleep, resulting in memory decline, according to new research.

New anti-microbial compounds evade resistance with less toxicity Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT New compounds that specifically attack fungal infections without attacking human cells could transform treatment for such infections and point the way to targeted medicines that evade antibiotic resistance.

Scientists reveal epigenome maps of the human body's major organs Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT While the genome of an individual is the same in every cell, epigenomes vary since they are closely related to the genes a cell is actually using at any given time. A new atlas of human organ epigenomes provides a starting place to understand the role of chemical markers in development, health and disease.

Researcher discovers metabolite of prostate cancer drug more effective at treating aggressive tumors Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT A metabolite of an FDA-approved drug for metastatic prostate cancer, abiraterone, has more anti-cancer properties than its precursor, researchers have discovered for the first time. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with nearly 240,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United State.

Medical home intervention with shared savings shows quality, utilization improvements Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT By paying bonuses to participating medical practices based on reaching quality and spending benchmarks, shared savings contracts created direct financial incentives to contain the costs and utilization of care without compromising the quality of care. This intervention also helped practices develop care management systems, and health plans gave participating practices timely data on their patients' use of hospitals and emergency departments.

Breastfeeding may lower risk of childhood leukemia, study suggests Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT Breastfeeding for six months or longer was associated with a lower risk of childhood leukemia compared with children who were never breastfed or who were breastfed for a shorter time, according to an article.

Happiest university graduates are more likely to land a good first job Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:24 AM PDT Happy graduates have a greater chance of being hired for a high quality first job. The study points out that promoting learning and practice of attitudes that encourage happiness could improve the employability of graduates.

Study explores reasons behind alcohol abuse in non-heterosexual women Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:23 AM PDT Non-heterosexual women who feel a disconnect between who they are attracted to and how they identify themselves may have a higher risk of alcohol abuse, according to a new study.

How does human behavior lead to surgical errors? Researchers count the ways Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:23 AM PDT Why are major surgical errors called "never events?" Because they shouldn't happen -- but do. Researchers identified 69 never events among 1.5 million invasive procedures performed over five years and detailed why each occurred.

Thin coating on condensers could make power plants more efficient Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT Most of the world's electricity-producing power plants -- whether powered by coal, natural gas, or nuclear fission -- make electricity by generating steam that turns a turbine. That steam then is condensed back to water, and the cycle begins again. But the condensers that collect the steam are quite inefficient, and improving them could make a big difference in overall power plant efficiency. A thin coating on condensers could make power plants more efficient, scientists now report.

Scientists discover protein that plays key role in streptococcal infections Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT The effort to identify new ways of fighting infections has taken a step forward now that scientists have identified a key protein involved in the host's response to strep infections, scientists report.

Trials show immune drugs effective in advanced melanomas Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT Results of two clinical trials show continued promise of immune therapies nivolumab and pembrolizumab against advanced melanomas, specifically in the context of PD1 signaling that some tumors use to avoid immune system attack.

Insulin degludec: No hint of added benefit in children and adolescents Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT With regard to insulin degludec, no added benefit for adolescents and children with diabetes mellitus can be derived from the drug manufacturer dossier. In girls with type 1 diabetes, severe side effects were more frequent.

New sensing tech could help detect diseases, fraudulent art, chemical weapons Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT Discovered in the 1970s, SERS is a sensing technique prized for its ability to identify chemical and biological molecules in a wide range of fields. It has been commercialized, but not widely. That may soon change. An international research of engineers has developed nanotechnology that promises to make SERS simpler and more affordable.

Highly explosive volcanism at Galapagos Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT Eight to 16 million years ago, highly explosive volcanism occurred in the area of today's Galapagos Islands. This is shown for the first time by analyses of core samples obtained by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Researchers' discovery may explain difficulty in treating Lyme disease Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT The bac­terium that causes Lyme dis­ease forms dor­mant per­sister cells, which are known to evade antibi­otics, researchers have discovered. This sig­nif­i­cant finding, they said, could help explain why it's so dif­fi­cult to treat the infec­tion in some patients.

New perspective on phantom eye syndrome Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:22 AM PDT Approximately half of patients who have an eye removed because of a form of eye cancer experience `phantom eye syndrome,' new research concludes. Patients with the condition experience "seeing" and pain in the eye that is no longer there. Researchers assessed 179 patients whose eye had been removed as a result of a cancer, called intraocular melanoma.

Twitter shared news of first Ebola case 3 days before officials Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:21 AM PDT Tweets regarding the Ebola outbreak in West Africa last summer reached more than 60 million people in the three days prior to official outbreak announcements, according to a study.

Circular orbits of small exoplanets: Which Earth-sized exoplanets are potentially habitable? Posted: 01 Jun 2015 07:47 AM PDT Viewed from above, our solar system's planetary orbits around the sun resemble rings around a bulls-eye. Each planet, including Earth, keeps to a roughly circular path, always maintaining the same distance from the sun. For decades, astronomers have wondered whether the solar system's circular orbits might be a rarity in our universe. Now a new analysis suggests that such orbital regularity is instead the norm, at least for systems with planets as small as Earth.

Common antibiotic part of a new potential pancreatic cancer therapy Posted: 01 Jun 2015 07:47 AM PDT A new promising combination therapy has been discovered for the treatment of one of the most deadly and difficult cancers to manage. Scientists developed a novel combination of an experimental drug and a common antibiotic that has shown encouraging results in treating pancreatic cancer in preclinical experiments.

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