ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Urban ERs see high rates of hepatitis C infection
• Many seniors overestimate their mobility
• Five ways to improve health information exchange in ERs
• Salmon vulernability: Proposed controversial terminal to load fossil fuels in Skeena River estuary has far-reaching risks
• Nicotine-chomping bacteria may hold key to anti-smoking therapy
• Excessive workout supplement use: An emerging eating disorder in men?
• Single dose Ebola vaccine is safe, effective in monkeys against outbreak strain
• Some radiation okay for expectant mother and fetus, study suggests
• Sticky situation: Researchers study, improve a small molecule that possesses an impressive ability to adhere in wet environments
• High blood sugar of diabetes can cause immune system malfunction, triggering infection
• Abusive men put female partners at greater sexual risk, study finds
• Galaxy star birth regulated by black-hole fountain
• Tweeting responses to complaints on social media triggers new complaints
• Gravitational constant appears universally constant, pulsar study suggests
• April 2015 earthquake in Nepal reviewed in detail
• Artificially evolved robots that efficiently self-organize tasks
• Why it's hard to make a bunny mad
• Punishing a child is effective if done correctly
• Topical gel proves safe, effective treatment for patients with skin t cell lymphoma
• Flexible dielectric polymer can stand the heat
• If you purchase an embarrassing product online, do you still blush? New study says yes
• Fly model of motor neuron degeneration provides new avenues for exploration in humans
• Paleo diet: Big brains needed carbs
• Observing live energy production by malignant cells
• Rapid aging of the thymus linked to decline in free radical defenses
• Chemical-only cell reprogramming transforms human and mouse skin cells into neurons
• Heads of Brazilian frogs are venomous weapons
• Genders differ dramatically in evolved mate preferences
• Pesticides: More toxic than previously thought?
• Neutrophil and cancer cell 'crosstalk' underlies oral cancer metastasis
• Why the human heart cannot regenerate
• Hypofractionation vs. conventional fractionation in breast cancer radiotherapy
• Falling off the wagon with Facebook
• Animal-eye view of the world revealed with new visual software
• Bacteria that prevents type 1 diabetes
• Researchers developing architecture to build cybersecurity into systems
• When dinner table defiance could lead to health problems
• The secret to the success of insects
• Power grid forecasting tool reduces costly errors
• Population changes, priorities cause woodlands to increase
• Long-term ovarian cancer survival higher than thought
• Siblings of children with schizophrenia show resilience to the condition as they grow up
• How emotions influence learning and memory processes in the brain
• Working to ensure the heart's ideal performance
• Safe motorcycle helmets made of carrot fibers?
• Searching for life in the Alpha Centauri system
• Is Modern living leading to a ‘hidden epidemic’ of neurological disease?
• Important regulation of cell invaginations discovered
• Diabetes drug modulates cholesterol levels
• DNA Repair: Pincer attack
• Natural selection, key to evolution, also can impede formation of new species
• Targeting the early-teens for extra exercise could cut diabetes risk

Urban ERs see high rates of hepatitis C infection Posted: 06 Aug 2015 02:10 PM PDT An urban emergency department that set up a hepatitis C testing protocol saw high rates of infection among intravenous drug users and Baby Boomers, with three-quarters of those testing positive unaware they were infected.

Many seniors overestimate their mobility Posted: 06 Aug 2015 02:10 PM PDT Many seniors who visit emergency departments require more assistance with physical tasks than they think they do, which may lead to hospital readmission later on, a new report suggests.

Five ways to improve health information exchange in ERs Posted: 06 Aug 2015 02:10 PM PDT An emergency physician-led workgroup has published five primary and seven secondary recommendations about how to maximize the value of health information exchange in emergency departments.

Salmon vulernability: Proposed controversial terminal to load fossil fuels in Skeena River estuary has far-reaching risks Posted: 06 Aug 2015 02:10 PM PDT New research suggests that a proposed controversial terminal to load fossil fuels in the Skeena River estuary has more far-reaching risks than previously recognized. Researchers call for effective environmental decision-making to balance risks to environment and culture, as well as the economy.

Nicotine-chomping bacteria may hold key to anti-smoking therapy Posted: 06 Aug 2015 01:09 PM PDT A new study explores a bacterial enzyme that might be used as a drug candidate to help people quit smoking. The research shows that this enzyme can be recreated in lab settings and possesses a number of promising characteristics for drug development.

Excessive workout supplement use: An emerging eating disorder in men? Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:15 PM PDT In an effort to build better bodies, more men are turning not to illegal anabolic steroids, but to legal over-the-counter bodybuilding supplements to the point where it may qualify as an emerging eating disorder, according to research.

Single dose Ebola vaccine is safe, effective in monkeys against outbreak strain Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:14 PM PDT A single dose of an experimental Ebola virus vaccine completely protects cynomolgus macaques against the current EBOV outbreak strain, EBOV-Makona, when given at least seven days before exposure, and partially protects them if given three days prior, scientists report. The live-attenuated vaccine, VSV-EBOV, uses genetically engineered vesicular stomatitis virus to carry an EBOV gene that has safely induced protective immunity in macaques.

Some radiation okay for expectant mother and fetus, study suggests Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:14 PM PDT During pregnancy, approximately 5 to 8 percent of women sustain traumatic injuries, including fractures and muscle tears. To help evaluate and manage these injuries, orthopaedic surgeons often recommend radiographs and other imaging studies. Most diagnostic studies are generally safe, and the radiation doses from these studies are well below thresholds considered risky, researchers now say.

Sticky situation: Researchers study, improve a small molecule that possesses an impressive ability to adhere in wet environments Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:13 PM PDT Wet adhesion is a true engineering challenge. Marine animals such as mussels, oysters and barnacles are naturally equipped with the means to adhere to rock, buoys and other underwater structures and remain in place no matter how strong the waves and currents. Researchers have now studied and improved a small molecule that possesses an impressive ability to adhere in wet environments.

High blood sugar of diabetes can cause immune system malfunction, triggering infection Posted: 06 Aug 2015 12:13 PM PDT Scientists may have uncovered a molecular mechanism that sets into motion dangerous infection in the feet and hands often occurring with uncontrolled diabetes. It appears that high blood sugar unleashes destructive molecules that interfere with the body's natural infection-control defenses.

Abusive men put female partners at greater sexual risk, study finds Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:47 AM PDT Men who were physically and sexually abusive to women were more likely than non-abusive men to engage in behaviors that exposed them and their partners to sexually transmitted infections.

Galaxy star birth regulated by black-hole fountain Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:46 AM PDT Astronomers have uncovered a unique process for how the universe's largest elliptical galaxies continue making stars long after their peak years of star birth. Hubble Space Telescope's exquisite high resolution and ultraviolet-light sensitivity allowed the astronomers to see brilliant knots of hot, blue stars forming along the jets of active black holes found in the centers of giant elliptical galaxies.

Tweeting responses to complaints on social media triggers new complaints Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:45 AM PDT Companies engaging with customers on Twitter beware: responding to complaints on social media has the side effect of triggering new complaints, new research has found.

Gravitational constant appears universally constant, pulsar study suggests Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:45 AM PDT Astronomers have produced the best constraint ever of the gravitational constant measured outside of our Solar System.

April 2015 earthquake in Nepal reviewed in detail Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:45 AM PDT An international team of scientists has pieced together the first complete account of what physically happened during the Gorkha earthquake -- a picture that explains how the large temblor wound up leaving the majority of low-story buildings in Kathmandu unscathed while devastating some treasured taller structures.

Artificially evolved robots that efficiently self-organize tasks Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:44 AM PDT Darwinian selection can be used to evolve robot controllers able to efficiently self-organize their tasks. Taking inspiration from the way in which ants organize their work and divide up tasks, researchers evolved complex robot behaviors using artificial evolution and detailed robotics simulations.

Why it's hard to make a bunny mad Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:44 AM PDT Rabbits have long been considered immune to prion disease, but recently scientists have shown that they can -- under certain circumstances -- get transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (or TSE, the scientific term for the fatal brain disease caused by prions). Two studies address what makes rabbits hard to infect with prions and how their resistance can be overcome.

Punishing a child is effective if done correctly Posted: 06 Aug 2015 11:44 AM PDT While recently published parenting books have preached the effectiveness of positive parenting and 'no drama' discipline, psychologists are now saying, "don't put timeout in timeout yet."

Topical gel proves safe, effective treatment for patients with skin t cell lymphoma Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:32 AM PDT Results of a phase one trial show that an investigational topical drug, resiquimod gel, causes regression of both treated and untreated tumor lesions and may completely remove cancerous cells from both sites in patients with early stage cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) – a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the skin. Currently, there is no cure for CTCL aside from a bone marrow transplant. However, the new study shows that the topical gel can eliminate malignant T cells, leading to diminished lesions.

Flexible dielectric polymer can stand the heat Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:31 AM PDT Easily manufactured, low cost, lightweight, flexible dielectric polymers that can operate at high temperatures may be the solution to energy storage and power conversion in electric vehicles and other high temperature applications, according to a team of engineers.

If you purchase an embarrassing product online, do you still blush? New study says yes Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:31 AM PDT Published research and common knowledge suggest that embarrassment is something we experience only when we are around other people. But a new research study has found that people often are embarrassed when buying sensitive health care products privately and online -- products such as home test kits and medications for incontinence and sexual dysfunction.

Fly model of motor neuron degeneration provides new avenues for exploration in humans Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new model to study motor neuron degeneration and have used this to identify three genes involved in the neurodegeneration process. These findings could have relevance for understanding the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other forms of motor neuron disease. ALS is the most common form of adult-onset motor neuron disease.

Paleo diet: Big brains needed carbs Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:31 AM PDT Understanding how and why we evolved such large brains is one of the most puzzling issues in the study of human evolution. A new study argues that carbohydrate consumption, particularly in the form of starch, was critical for the accelerated expansion of the human brain over the last million years. Eating meat may have kick-started the evolution of bigger brains, but cooked starchy foods together with more salivary amylase genes made us smarter still.

Observing live energy production by malignant cells Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:30 AM PDT To be able to function, cell mitochondria import 'fuel' using a carrier, the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC). In order to determine whether the MPC is still functional in malignant cells, scientists have just developed a biosensor to measure its live activity.

Rapid aging of the thymus linked to decline in free radical defenses Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:30 AM PDT A critical immune organ called the thymus shrinks rapidly with age, putting older individuals at greater risk for life-threatening infections. A new study reveals that thymus atrophy may stem from a decline in its ability to protect against DNA damage from free radicals. The damage accelerates metabolic dysfunction in the organ, progressively reducing its production of pathogen-fighting T cells.

Chemical-only cell reprogramming transforms human and mouse skin cells into neurons Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:30 AM PDT Two labs in China have independently succeeded in transforming skin cells into neurons using only a cocktail of chemicals, with one group using human cells from healthy individuals and Alzheimer's patients, and the other group using cells from mice. The two studies reinforce the idea that a purely chemical approach is a promising way to scale up cell reprogramming research.

Heads of Brazilian frogs are venomous weapons Posted: 06 Aug 2015 10:30 AM PDT It's no surprise that some frogs secrete poison from glands in their skin. But researchers have discovered the first two species of frog, both living in Brazil, that are actually venomous. Not only do the frogs produce potent toxins, but they also have a mechanism to deliver those harmful secretions into another animal using bony spines on their heads.

Genders differ dramatically in evolved mate preferences Posted: 06 Aug 2015 09:20 AM PDT Men's and women's ideas of the perfect mate differ significantly due to evolutionary pressures, according to a cross-cultural study on multiple mate preferences. According to the study, men favor mates who are younger and physically attractive. Women seek older mates with good financial prospects, higher status and ambition.

Pesticides: More toxic than previously thought? Posted: 06 Aug 2015 09:18 AM PDT Insecticides that are sprayed in orchards and fields across North America may be more toxic to spiders than scientists previously believed. The researchers focused on the way that exposure to insecticide affected the behavior of individual spiders, including things like their ability to leap on prey and their interest in exploring new territory, both of which are crucial to their survival and to their role in keeping down pests.

Neutrophil and cancer cell 'crosstalk' underlies oral cancer metastasis Posted: 06 Aug 2015 09:18 AM PDT An abnormal immune response or 'feedback loop' could very well be the underlying cause of metastases in oral cancers, according to research that has unearthed a significant connection between the inflammatory response of a very specific form of immune cells, neutrophils, and the spread of this deadly disease.

Why the human heart cannot regenerate Posted: 06 Aug 2015 09:18 AM PDT Damage to the human heart causes cardiac muscle cells to die, which in turn leads to reduced heart function and death. However, this is not the case for zebrafish or amphibians. If their hearts become damaged and cardiac muscle cells die, their remaining cardiac muscle cells can reproduce, allowing the heart to regenerate. Researchers have now found a possible explanation as to why this does not happen in humans.

Hypofractionation vs. conventional fractionation in breast cancer radiotherapy Posted: 06 Aug 2015 09:18 AM PDT New research has examined outcomes in women with breast cancer who had breast-conserving surgery and were treated with hypofractionated radiation therapy (shorter courses of radiation treatment administered in larger daily fraction sizes) compared with longer courses of conventionally fractionated radiation therapy.

Falling off the wagon with Facebook Posted: 06 Aug 2015 08:25 AM PDT Despite the growing use of online support groups such as those on Facebook to help curb substance abuse, attending traditional face-to-face meetings may continue to be more effective for people trying to maintain sobriety, according to research.

Animal-eye view of the world revealed with new visual software Posted: 06 Aug 2015 08:21 AM PDT New camera technology that reveals the world through the eyes of animals has been developed. The software, which converts digital photos to animal vision, can be used to analyze colors and patterns and is particularly useful for the study of animal and plant signalling, camouflage and animal predation, but could also prove useful for anyone wanting to measure colors accurately and objectively.

Bacteria that prevents type 1 diabetes Posted: 06 Aug 2015 08:21 AM PDT To combat pathogens, the immune system has developed various mechanisms to detect, defend against and even destroy micro-organisms that are harmful to the body. This includes antimicrobial peptides and natural proteins that destroy pathogenic bacteria by disrupting their cellular membrane. Not only are they produced by immune cells, they are also produced by cells whose functions are not immune-related. Researchers have recently shown how microbiota protects against the development of type 1 diabetes.

Researchers developing architecture to build cybersecurity into systems Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:24 AM PDT A lightweight virtualization architecture that can be used to build cybersecurity into systems used in the so-called Internet of Things is currently being developed by a research team.

When dinner table defiance could lead to health problems Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:24 AM PDT When most people think of eating disorders, they think of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. But there's another condition that has nothing to do with concerns over weight, shape or body image, and it has been recognized in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The secret to the success of insects Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:22 AM PDT A new family of glycerol transporters may help to explain why insects are the most successful group of organisms in the history of life. Excluding bacteria, insects represent more than half of the world´s biodiversity and are thus considered to be the most evolutionary successful group of terrestrial organisms ever.

Power grid forecasting tool reduces costly errors Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:22 AM PDT A new tool to forecast for future energy needs has been developed. Researchers say that is up to 50 percent more accurate than several commonly used industry tools, showing potential to save millions in wasted electricity.

Population changes, priorities cause woodlands to increase Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:22 AM PDT Woody plant encroachment is one of the biggest challenges facing rangelands worldwide, but it consistently has been under-measured and poorly understood, said an expert who is trying to change both the understanding and measurement with his latest study.

Long-term ovarian cancer survival higher than thought Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:22 AM PDT Combing data collected on thousands of California ovarian cancer patients, researchers have determined that almost one-third survived at least 10 years after diagnosis.

Siblings of children with schizophrenia show resilience to the condition as they grow up Posted: 06 Aug 2015 07:22 AM PDT Fundamental differences between how the brain forms during adolescence have been discovered in children with schizophrenia and their siblings, a new study shows.

How emotions influence learning and memory processes in the brain Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:14 AM PDT The scientific explanation behind the saying "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" has been uncovered by a groundbreaking new study. The work has found, for the first time, that emotions are not only the product of the processing of information by the brain, but that they also directly influence processes of learning and memory in the brain.

Working to ensure the heart's ideal performance Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:14 AM PDT Utilizing a pharmaceutical treatment for systolic heart failure, that is being tested in clinical trials, new research determined the precise interaction between the drug and the cardiac myosin protein or the cardiac "motor," forming a structure that regulates the contraction of cardiac muscle and allows the heart to efficiently pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Safe motorcycle helmets made of carrot fibers? Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Crackpot idea or recipe for success? This is a question entrepreneurs often face. Is it worth converting the production process to a new, ecologically better material? Now developers have created an analysis method that enables companies to simulate possible scenarios -- and therefore avoid bad investments. Here's an example: Nanofibers made of carrot waste from the production of carrot juice, which can be used to reinforce synthetic parts.

Searching for life in the Alpha Centauri system Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Biopigments of plants, so-called biological photosynthetic pigments, leave behind unique traces in the light they reflect, an international team has discovered. The scientists studied these biosignatures with the help of polarization filters: If biopigments were present as a sign of life on a planet, they would leave behind a detectable polarized signature in the reflected light.

Is Modern living leading to a ‘hidden epidemic’ of neurological disease? Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Modern living could be responsible for an 'almost epidemic' increase in neurological brain disease.

Important regulation of cell invaginations discovered Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Lack of microinvaginations in the cell membrane, caveolae, can cause serious diseases such as lipodystrophy and muscular dystrophy. Researchers have now discovered a "main switch" that regulates the formation of these invaginations.

Diabetes drug modulates cholesterol levels Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Besides affecting the blood sugar levels, the substance Metformin, also has an impact on blood fat levels, a research team reports, adding that it is especially the harmful LDL cholesterol can be reduced.

DNA Repair: Pincer attack Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Defects in DNA can cause serious harm to an organism, including cell death or the development of cancer. Efficient repair mechanisms are therefore of vital importance. Researchers have explained for the first time in detail how a human DNA repair enzyme works. Their computer simulations show that the repair process is different from what was previously thought.

Natural selection, key to evolution, also can impede formation of new species Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:12 AM PDT An intriguing study involving walking stick insects shows how natural selection, the engine of evolution, can also impede the formation of new species.

Targeting the early-teens for extra exercise could cut diabetes risk Posted: 06 Aug 2015 06:12 AM PDT Physical activity provides the greatest benefits to adolescent insulin resistance -- a risk factor for type 2 diabetes -- when the condition peaks at age 13, but provides no benefit to it at age 16. The findings could help design more effective interventions for children by targeting the early-teens.

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