ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Scientists discover link between common medications and serious falls in older men
• Switching off street lights at night does not increase car crashes, crime
• Research grasps how brain plans gripping motion
• Tailored mobile health technologies may help patients take their medications appropriately
• New tool uses 'drug spillover' to match cancer patients with treatments
• Controlling phase changes in solids
• New chemistry makes strong bonds weak
• When being an immigrant makes it more–not less–likely to have a job
• Coffee consumption habits impact the risk of mild cognitive impairment
• More secondary schools serve healthier lunches
• Short wavelength plasmons observed in nanotubes
• World's first bilateral hand transplant on child
• Autism costs estimated to reach nearly $500 billion, potentially $1 trillion, by 2025
• Researchers provide new details about sea stars' immunity
• Parents' health literacy affects child weight-loss tactics, study finds
• Sleepy fruitflies get mellow
• Past and present sea levels in the Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
• How to digitally stoke that old-time auction fever
• Chimpanzees binge on clay to detox and boost the minerals in their diet
• Effects over time of tobacco tax increases in New Zealand
• Majority rule: Why conformity can actually be a good thing
• Anti-inflammatory drug acts against ovarian cancer, scientists find
• Neurology researchers evaluate evidence base for tests for clinical cognitive assessment
• How age, other factors influence online health information searches
• Cellphones can steal data from 'air-gapped computers'
• Immune cells in the skin remember, defend against parasites
• Firms 'underinvest' in long-term cancer research, experts say
• Chill-tolerant hybrid sugarcane also grows at lower temperatures, team finds
• Identifying biomarkers key to early intervention in Alzheimer's disease
• New eye-tracker method shows 'preferred retinal location' in both eyes
• Pygmies show growth plasticity is key to human evolution
• Illuminating mechanisms of repetitive thinking
• National study of deep brain stimulation for depression fails to demonstrate efficacy
• Practice doesn't always make perfect (depending on your brain)
• Doctor warns about lead poisoning risk from recycling older electronic equipment
• Early evidence suggests hybrid cochlear implants may benefit millions with common form of hearing loss
• Geography, skills, local companies affect higher education impact on economic development
• Diabetics who skip breakfast provoke hazardous blood sugar spikes
• Marked improvement in health, healthcare for Medicare patients
• Experimental MERS vaccine shows promise in animal studies
• First measurements taken of South Africa's Iron Age magnetic field history
• Cancer healthcare disparities exist in LGBTQ community, say researchers
• Two new tests may make diagnosing and monitoring diabetes easier and more affordable
• Hair samples may offer new insights into the relationship between asthma, cortisol, and complications in pregnancy
• Hormones influence unethical behavior, experts say
• Lobster-eye imager detects soft X-ray emissions
• Link between intestinal bacteria, depression found
• A new litmus test for chaos?
• Pharmacy expenditures for children with serious chronic illness
• Report examines Medicare, Medicaid programs at 50 years and challenges ahead
• Findings question measures used to assess hospital quality
• ACA Open Enrollment periods associated with improved coverage, access to care and health
• Origins of life: New model may explain emergence of self-replication on early Earth
• Link between mood, pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients
• 'Carbon sink' detected underneath world's deserts
• Humpback whale recovery in Australia: A cause for celebration
• Study finds unexpected biases against teen girls' leadership
• 'Seeing' molecular interactions could give boost to organic electronics
• Race, institutional factors play an important role in pharmacogenomic trial participation
• Stress hormone reduces heroin cravings

Scientists discover link between common medications and serious falls in older men Posted: 28 Jul 2015 04:49 PM PDT A significant link between serious falls causing injury in older men and a particular group of commonly used medicines has been identified by a group of researchers. Many medicines which are commonly prescribed for older people for bladder problems, depression, psychosis, insomnia, and respiratory problems, have anti-cholinergic effects. The medications affect the brain by blocking a key chemical called acetylcholine which is involved in passing messages between nerve cells. This can lead to side effects including blurred vision, increased heart rate, sedation and confusion.

Switching off street lights at night does not increase car crashes, crime Posted: 28 Jul 2015 04:49 PM PDT Reduced street lighting in England and Wales is not associated with road traffic collisions or crime, according to research. The study suggests that local authorities can safely reduce street lighting at night, saving energy costs and reducing carbon emissions.

Research grasps how brain plans gripping motion Posted: 28 Jul 2015 04:49 PM PDT A new study significantly advances neuroscientists' understanding of how a region of the brain formulates plans for the hand to grip an object. The findings could lead to direct application to improving brain-computer interface control over robotic arms and hands.

Tailored mobile health technologies may help patients take their medications appropriately Posted: 28 Jul 2015 04:49 PM PDT There was only a 5 percent error rate when patients with chronic kidney disease used mobile health technologies designed to help them use medications appropriately.

New tool uses 'drug spillover' to match cancer patients with treatments Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:52 PM PDT A new article describes a new tool that improves the ability to match drugs to disease: the Kinase Addiction Ranker predicts what genetics are truly driving the cancer in any population of cells and chooses the best 'kinase inhibitor' to silence these dangerous genetic causes of disease.

Controlling phase changes in solids Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:52 PM PDT Rewritable CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs owe their existence to phase-change materials, those materials that change their internal order when heated and whose structures can be switched back and forth between their crystalline and amorphous phases. Phase-change materials have even more exciting applications on the horizon, but our limited ability to precisely control their phase changes is a hurdle to the development of new technology.

New chemistry makes strong bonds weak Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:52 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new chemical reaction that breaks the strongest bond in a molecule instead of the weakest, completely reversing the norm for reactions in which bonds are evenly split to form reactive intermediates. The non-conventional reaction is a proof of concept that will allow chemists to access compounds that are normally off-limits to this pathway.

When being an immigrant makes it more–not less–likely to have a job Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:26 PM PDT Race and education shape employment outcomes for U.S.- and foreign-born blacks in surprising ways. This is the first time researchers have examined how the interactions between race and nativity status affect employment outcomes. Up until now, research on nativity status and employment outcomes had been race-blind -- and those prior findings could not have been more different.

Coffee consumption habits impact the risk of mild cognitive impairment Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:25 PM PDT A new study estimates the association between change or constant habits in coffee consumption and the incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), evaluating 1,445 individuals recruited from 5,632 subjects, aged 65-84 year old, from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging a population-based sample from eight Italian municipalities with a 3.5-year median follow-up.

More secondary schools serve healthier lunches Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Secondary students found healthier foods on more lunch menus in 2013 than in 2011, resulting in fewer nutrition disparities for small schools or those with racially diverse student bodies.

Short wavelength plasmons observed in nanotubes Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Researchers have observed 'Luttinger-liquid' plasmons in metallic single-walled nanotubes. This holds great promise for novel plasmonic and nanophotonic devices over a broad frequency range, including telecom wavelengths.

World's first bilateral hand transplant on child Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Surgeons recently completed the world's first bilateral hand transplant on a child. Earlier this month, the surgical team successfully transplanted donor hands and forearms onto 8-year-old Zion Harvey who, several years earlier, had undergone amputation of his hands and feet and a kidney transplant following a serious infection.

Autism costs estimated to reach nearly $500 billion, potentially $1 trillion, by 2025 Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Health economists have for the first time projected the total costs of caring for all people with autism spectrum disorder in the United States for the current calendar year and in 10 years if effective interventions and preventive treatments for the condition are not identified and widely available.

Researchers provide new details about sea stars' immunity Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT A study examining sea stars dying along the West Coast provides new clues about the starfish's immune response and its ability to protect a diverse coastal ecosystem. The team found that the sea stars have an immune response that is characterized by various types of immunities and that they have multiple aspects of the toll-signaling pathway, which is an important recognition.

Parents' health literacy affects child weight-loss tactics, study finds Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Parents who are less health literate may choose weight-loss strategies for their children that are unhealthy or not recommended. Governmental weight-control info may not be reaching families who need it most.

Sleepy fruitflies get mellow Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Whether you're a human, a mouse, or even a fruitfly, losing sleep is a bad thing, leading to physiological effects and behavioral changes. Researchers used fruitflies to probe deeper into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern aggression and sleep and found that sleep deprivation reduces aggression in fruitflies and affects their reproductive fitness. They identified a related molecular pathway that might govern recovery of normal aggressive behaviors.

Past and present sea levels in the Chesapeake Bay Region, USA Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Scientists write that sea-level rise (3.4 mm/yr) is faster in the Chesapeake Bay region than any other location on the Atlantic coast of North America, and twice the global average (1.7 mm/yr). They have found that dated interglacial deposits suggest that relative sea levels in the Chesapeake Bay region deviate from global trends over a range of timescales.

How to digitally stoke that old-time auction fever Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT The authors explore the impact of time pressure and social competition on bidders in online auctions and how those factors influence auction results and users' experience.

Chimpanzees binge on clay to detox and boost the minerals in their diet Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Wild chimpanzees in the forests of Uganda are increasingly eating clay to supplement the minerals in their diet, according to a long-term international study . The article describes how the researchers observed wild chimpanzees in the Budongo forest eating and drinking from clay pits and termite mounds.

Effects over time of tobacco tax increases in New Zealand Posted: 28 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Annual 10 percent tobacco tax increases in New Zealand over the next 20 years should lead to health gains, net health system cost savings and modest reductions of about 2 percent to 3 percent in health inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous people, according to a new study.

Majority rule: Why conformity can actually be a good thing Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:57 AM PDT Like to go your own way? Most of us actually prefer to follow the pack, according to research. That's one of the outcomes from a study that examines how mathematical models predict human behavior.

Anti-inflammatory drug acts against ovarian cancer, scientists find Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called ketorolac helped women with ovarian cancer to survive longer, researchers report. Ketorolac, marketed as Toradol®, is approved for clinical use in the United States for pain after surgery.

Neurology researchers evaluate evidence base for tests for clinical cognitive assessment Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:36 AM PDT Researchers have been conducting evidence-based reviews of testing used for five domains -- attention, language, memory, spatial cognition, and executive function. New recommendations for improving this clinical cognitive testing have been provided by the researchers.

How age, other factors influence online health information searches Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:36 AM PDT A new study aims to evaluate the types of search strategies that Internet users adopt when trying to solve a complicated health problem.

Cellphones can steal data from 'air-gapped computers' Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:36 AM PDT A research team discovered how to turn an ordinary air-gapped computer into a cellular transmitting antenna using software that modifies the CPU firmware. GSMem malicious software uses the electromagnetic waves from phones to receive and exfiltrate small bits of data, such as security keys and passwords.

Immune cells in the skin remember, defend against parasites Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:36 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have found resident T cells in a tissue in response to a parasite infection. The finding could help inform efforts to develop an effective vaccine for leishmaniasis, as well as other diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy.

Firms 'underinvest' in long-term cancer research, experts say Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:36 AM PDT Pharmaceutical firms 'underinvest' in long-term research to develop new cancer-fighting drugs due to the greater time and cost required to conduct such research, according to a newly published study.

Chill-tolerant hybrid sugarcane also grows at lower temperatures, team finds Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:36 AM PDT US farmers have long hoped to extend sugarcane's growing range northward from the Gulf coast, substantially increasing the land available for sugar and biofuels. Several hybrid canes developed in the 1980s have proved hardy in cooler climes, surviving overwinter as far north as Booneville, Arkansas. But until now, no one had tested whether these 'miscanes,' as they are called, actually photosynthesize, and thus continue to grow, when the thermometer dips.

Identifying biomarkers key to early intervention in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT Researchers are looking for biomarkers that might serve as an early warning system for Alzheimer's disease. The process is not without complications, but these scientists possess a collective "Rosie the Riveter" spirit.

New eye-tracker method shows 'preferred retinal location' in both eyes Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT Eyes with central vision loss adapt by developing a new fixation point in a different part of the retina, called the preferred retinal location (PRL). Now for the first time, a new method makes it possible to identify PRLs in both eyes simultaneously.

Pygmies show growth plasticity is key to human evolution Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT While the stature of pygmies is well-suited to tropical rainforests, the mechanisms underlying their growth remain poorly understood. In order to decipher these mechanisms, a team of scientists studied a group of Baka pygmies in Cameroon. Their findings revealed that their growth rate differed completely from that of another pygmy cluster, despite a similar adult height, which implies that small stature appeared independently in the two clusters.

Illuminating mechanisms of repetitive thinking Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT The ability to engage in mental time travel is a unique and central part of the human experience. And yet this very ability can have detrimental consequences for both physical and mental well-being when it becomes repetitive and uncontrolled. New research investigates this kind of repetitive thinking, exploring the core psychological processes that underlie maladaptive thought processes like worry and rumination.

National study of deep brain stimulation for depression fails to demonstrate efficacy Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and treatment-resistant symptoms of depression have a terrible personal and societal cost. They can devastate lives, careers, and families. Some severely ill patients may be unable to attend to even the basic elements of self-care, while others attempt or complete suicide. Now researchers report the results of the first large-scale, randomized, sham-controlled trial of deep brain stimulation treatment for treatment-resistant symptoms of depression.

Practice doesn't always make perfect (depending on your brain) Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT How do you get to Carnegie Hall? New research on the brain's capacity to learn suggests there's more to it than the adage that 'practice makes perfect.' A music-training study has found evidence to distinguish the parts of the brain that account for individual talent from the parts that are activated through training.

Doctor warns about lead poisoning risk from recycling older electronic equipment Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT The disposal and recycling of electronic devices has increased exposure to lead and other toxicants and created 'an emerging health concern,' according to a pediatrician who has expertise in the area.

Early evidence suggests hybrid cochlear implants may benefit millions with common form of hearing loss Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT People with a common form of hearing loss not helped by hearing aids achieved significant and sometimes profound improvements in their hearing and understanding of speech with hybrid cochlear implant devices, according to a new multicenter study.

Geography, skills, local companies affect higher education impact on economic development Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT Policy makers need to take factors like geography, available skills and knowledge and the networks of local companies into account to boost the impact of higher education on economic development, according to a new paper.

Diabetics who skip breakfast provoke hazardous blood sugar spikes Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:01 AM PDT A new study reveals how skipping breakfast affects people with type-2 diabetes. According to the researchers, pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin lose their "memory" due to the prolonged period between one evening's dinner and the next day's lunch. In other words, they "forget" their vital role.

Marked improvement in health, healthcare for Medicare patients Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:01 AM PDT In a 15-year study of older Medicare patients, researchers saw an estimated 20 percent drop in mortality, about 30 percent fewer hospitalizations, and 40 percent reduction in deaths after hospitalization.

Experimental MERS vaccine shows promise in animal studies Posted: 28 Jul 2015 09:01 AM PDT A two-step regimen of experimental vaccines against MERS prompted immune responses in mice and rhesus macaques. Vaccinated mice produced broadly neutralizing antibodies against multiple strains of the MERS coronavirus, while vaccinated macaques were protected from severe lung damage when later exposed to MERS-CoV. The findings suggest that the current approach, in which vaccine design is guided by an understanding of structure of viral components and their interactions with host cells, holds promise for developing a similar human MERS vaccine regimen.

First measurements taken of South Africa's Iron Age magnetic field history Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:59 AM PDT A team of researchers has for the first time recovered a magnetic field record from ancient minerals for Iron Age southern Africa (between 1000 and 1500 AD). The data, combined with the current weakening of Earth's magnetic field, suggest that the region of Earth's core beneath southern Africa may play a special role in reversals of the planet's magnetic poles.

Cancer healthcare disparities exist in LGBTQ community, say researchers Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:08 AM PDT The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transsexual, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community is a growing and medically-underserved minority population in the United States, with 3 to 12 percent of the population estimated to identify as LGBTQ. Researchers have now published one of the first articles that describe the current knowledge about cancers that may disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community, and also offered suggestions for improving their healthcare.

Two new tests may make diagnosing and monitoring diabetes easier and more affordable Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:08 AM PDT Researchers have successfully tested two new potential methods for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes in its standard and gestational forms. These findings may lead to easier, timelier, and more affordable ways of identifying and treating this chronic disease.

Hair samples may offer new insights into the relationship between asthma, cortisol, and complications in pregnancy Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:08 AM PDT Hair samples can be used to measure the effects of asthma on the cortisol levels of women during pregnancy, according to new research. This research also shows that levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone, tend to be lower among pregnant women with asthma than among pregnant women without the chronic, inflammatory lung disease.

Hormones influence unethical behavior, experts say Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:08 AM PDT Hormones play a two-part role in encouraging and reinforcing cheating and other unethical behavior, according to new research. With cheating scandals a persistent threat on college campuses and financial fraud costing businesses more than $3.7 trillion annually, researchers looked to hormones for more answers, specifically the reproductive hormone testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol.

Lobster-eye imager detects soft X-ray emissions Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT A group of scientists have described developing and launching their imager, which centers on "Lobster-Eye optics," as well as its capabilities and future applications in space exploration.

Link between intestinal bacteria, depression found Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT The complex mechanisms of interaction and dynamics between the gut microbiota and its host have been illuminated by recent research. Data show that relatively minor changes in microbiota profiles or its metabolic activity induced by neonatal stress can have profound effects on host behavior in adulthood.

A new litmus test for chaos? Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT Researchers have come up with a new definition of chaos that applies more broadly than Lyapunov exponents and other previous definitions of chaos. The new definition fits on a few lines, can be easily approximated by numerical methods, and works for a wide variety of chaotic systems.

Pharmacy expenditures for children with serious chronic illness Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT In an analysis of expenditures for outpatient pharmacy products used by publicly insured children with serious chronic illness in California, treating hemophilia accounted for about 40 percent of expenditures but included just 0.4 percent of the group studied, suggesting a need to improve pricing for this and other effective yet high-cost medications, according to a study.

Report examines Medicare, Medicaid programs at 50 years and challenges ahead Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT Although Medicare and Medicaid are playing a role in health care payment and delivery reform innovation, it will be difficult to enact large-scale program changes because of the conflicting priorities of beneficiaries, health practitioners and organizations, and policy makers, according to an article.

Findings question measures used to assess hospital quality Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT Hospitals that were penalized more frequently in the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program offered advanced services, were major teaching institutions and had better performance on other publicly reported process-of-care and outcome measures, according to a study.

ACA Open Enrollment periods associated with improved coverage, access to care and health Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT Results of a national survey that included more than half a million adults indicates significant improvements in trends for self-reported insurance coverage, access to a personal physician and medications, affordability and health after the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) first and second open enrollment periods.

Origins of life: New model may explain emergence of self-replication on early Earth Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:07 AM PDT One question of the origin of life in particular remains problematic: what enabled the leap from a primordial soup of individual monomers to self-replicating polymer chains? A new model proposes a potential mechanism by which self-replication could have emerged. It posits that template-assisted ligation, the joining of two polymers by using a third, longer one as a template, could have enabled polymers to become self-replicating.

Link between mood, pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT Depressive symptoms and mood in the moment may predict momentary pain among rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to researchers. Individuals in the study who reported greater depressive symptoms in general also reported more common pain and restrictions in daily life. This effect of depressive symptoms was not due to differences in day-to-day mood.

'Carbon sink' detected underneath world's deserts Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT The world's deserts may be storing some of the climate-changing carbon dioxide emitted by human activities, a new study suggests. Massive aquifers underneath deserts could hold more carbon than all the plants on land, according to the new research.

Humpback whale recovery in Australia: A cause for celebration Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT Australia has one of the highest rates of animal species that face extinction in the world. However, over the last decade, there have been animals that are rebounding. One example is the conservation success story of the recovery of the humpback whales that breed in Australian waters. A new study reviews data collected in past studies and proposes a revision of the conservation status for humpback whales found in Australian waters.

Study finds unexpected biases against teen girls' leadership Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT Are today's teen girls poised to close the gender gap tomorrow? A new research report suggests that teen girls face a powerful barrier to leadership: gender bias.

'Seeing' molecular interactions could give boost to organic electronics Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have directly seen how organic molecules bind to other materials at the atomic level. Using a special kind of electron microscopy, this information can lead to increasing the life span of electronic devices, for example.

Race, institutional factors play an important role in pharmacogenomic trial participation Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT The participation rate of patients in pharmacogenomic trials has been the focus of recent study. The research has concluded that there are a number of factors at the patient, physician, institution and community level that serve as incentives or hindrances for clinical trial participation, including beliefs and attitudes, awareness, opportunities and resources.

Stress hormone reduces heroin cravings Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:05 AM PDT Every addiction is characterized by a strong desire for a certain addictive substance, be it nicotine, alcohol or other drug. Researchers recently conducted a study on heroin addiction and demonstrated that the stress hormone cortisol can reduce addictive cravings.

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