ScienceDaily: Top News

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• A new view of the content of Earth's core
• Eating more fruits and non-starchy vegetables is associated with less weight gain
• Biodiversity and carbon co-benefits to improve sustainable palm oil production
• Determining ion beam effects to greater precision
• Research reveals complications of conservation decisions
• Atomic fractals in metallic glasses
• Secret unlocked to rice seed survival when underwater
• New resource will help growers manage the olive fruit fly
• Urgent change needed to improve diagnosis in health care or diagnostic errors will likely worsen, experts say
• Feeling anxious? Check your orbitofrontal cortex, cultivate your optimism
• New study maps the progression of Parkinson's disease within the brain
• New graphene oxide biosensors may accelerate research of HIV, cancer drugs
• CPAP therapy reduces symptoms of depression in adults with sleep apnea
• Overweight firefighters more likely to attempt weight loss if advised by doctor
• Researchers try to halt march of destructive pest preying on tomatoes
• Two-drug combination shows promise against one type of pancreatic cancer
• Superbug study reveals how E. coli strain acquired deadly powers
• How former problem drinkers navigate social drinking situations
• Are we wiser about tsunamis? Expert says yes and no
• On the metabolite's trail
• Researchers reveal when global warming first appeared
• Tracking down the beam
• Chemistry for the methanol economy
• Permanent data storage with light
• Confusion afoot: People struggle to tell their toes apart with their eyes closed
• Bugs in space: How microbes are surviving on astronauts
• Energy use feedback key to unlocking savings, if used wisely
• Androgen deprivation therapy associated with increased risk for fatal heart attack
• Researchers find novel signature in brains of children with cerebral malaria
• DNR orders often do not align with poor prognosis
• Outcomes of ICU admission for older, low-risk patients with pneumonia
• Lifestyle focused text messaging results in improvement in cardiovascular risk factors
• Combination drug treatment reduces agitation for patients with probable Alzheimer's disease
• Diagnostics breakthrough brings viral sequencing to doctors' toolkit
• Role of cancer-suppressing gene uncovered
• Age, not post-op infection, more important for kidney transplant success, study finds
• Probiotic formula reverses cow's milk allergies by changing gut bacteria of infants
• ‘Lost world’ of cold weather dinosaurs discovered
• New smart robot accelerates cancer treatment research
• Increased chances for early detection of Alzheimer's disease
• Unexpected link between choroid plexus, chronic pain
• Scientists create rice variety with high folate stability
• Echolocation: Yes, size matters
• Could being a good father send you to an early grave?
• First circularly polarized light detector on a silicon chip
• Discovery of the redox-switch of a key enzyme involved in n-butanol biosynthesis
• Prion disease detected soon after infection, in surprising place in mouse brains
• Gene magnifies psychological impact of life experiences, for better and for worse
• More men at risk for prostate cancer as a result of less regular screening
• The 'Pig-Pen' in each of us: People emit their own personal microbial cloud
• Turing nanopatterns in insect eyes
• New pathway to regenerate insulin-producing cells discovered

A new view of the content of Earth's core Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:16 PM PDT There is more oxygen in the core of Earth than originally thought. Geologists have discovered some new findings about Earth's core and mantle by considering their geophysical and geochemical signatures together.

Eating more fruits and non-starchy vegetables is associated with less weight gain Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:00 PM PDT Increased consumption of fruits and non-starchy vegetables is inversely associated with weight change, according to a new study. The longitudinal study shows differences by type of fruit or vegetable, suggesting that characteristics of these foods influence the strength of their association with weight change.

Biodiversity and carbon co-benefits to improve sustainable palm oil production Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:03 AM PDT Important new information has been revealed to help conserve biodiversity and facilitate more sustainable palm oil production.

Determining ion beam effects to greater precision Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:03 AM PDT A precise understanding of how ion beams affect biological tissue is of great importance for both radiotherapy applications and the assessment of radioprotection risks, e.g. to astronauts on long term missions in space. Radiation biology and biophysics research groups conducted experimental high resolution analyses on the 3D lesion distribution induced by high energy ion beams in biological tissue and to compare these with theoretical model predictions.

Research reveals complications of conservation decisions Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:00 AM PDT A Guam native insect impacts a native tree, posing a conundrum for conservationists. The tree species is particularly important to the island of Guam, where the tree is called ifit and has been designated as the official territorial tree. As in other regions where it is native, ifit wood commands reverence for its quality for construction, furniture, and artisan uses.

Atomic fractals in metallic glasses Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:00 AM PDT The atoms that make up metallic glasses lack the orderly lattice structure present in most other crystalline solids. Researchers have now shown that within randomly packed clusters of atoms, a fractal pattern emerges at the scale of two atomic diameters.

Secret unlocked to rice seed survival when underwater Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:00 AM PDT Scientists have done a study unlocking the secret to just how rice seeds might be able to survive when grown under water. The study identified a gene -- the AG1 gene -- that controls the availability of sugar to a growing seed shoot -- especially when under flooded conditions.

New resource will help growers manage the olive fruit fly Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:58 AM PDT New research aims to support California olive producers with an overview of the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae), which has become the key pest of olives since its introduction in 1998.

Urgent change needed to improve diagnosis in health care or diagnostic errors will likely worsen, experts say Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:58 AM PDT Most people will experience at least one diagnostic error -- an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis -- in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences, says a new report.

Feeling anxious? Check your orbitofrontal cortex, cultivate your optimism Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:58 AM PDT A new study links anxiety, a brain structure called the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and optimism, finding that healthy adults who have larger OFCs tend to be more optimistic and less anxious.

New study maps the progression of Parkinson's disease within the brain Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:58 AM PDT Scientists have made advances in understanding the process involved in the progression and spread of Parkinson's disease within the brain. The study focused on understanding the process that drives the disease's progression by mapping the distribution and degree of atrophy, characteristic of the disease, in certain brain regions and identify the paths leading the spread from affected to healthy tissue.

New graphene oxide biosensors may accelerate research of HIV, cancer drugs Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:56 AM PDT Researchers have devised a novel type of graphene oxide-based biosensor that could potentially significantly speed up the process of drug development. The outstanding properties of this carbon allotrope help to improve significantly the biosensing sensitivity, which in future may enable the development of new drugs and vaccines against many dangerous diseases including HIV, hepatitis and cancer.

CPAP therapy reduces symptoms of depression in adults with sleep apnea Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:56 AM PDT Depressive symptoms are extremely common in people who have obstructive sleep apnea, and these symptoms improve significantly when sleep apnea is treated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy, a new study shows.

Overweight firefighters more likely to attempt weight loss if advised by doctor Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:56 AM PDT Overweight firefighters are twice as likely to attempt to lose weight if their health care provider gives them weight loss advice, according to new research. More than 75 percent of firefighters are overweight or obese and more than half do not consider themselves to be overweight, according to previous research.

Researchers try to halt march of destructive pest preying on tomatoes Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:56 AM PDT A tomato pest -- established in Panama and Costa Rica -- is moving northward but has not yet arrived in the United States. Its potential arrival is a big concern among US government agricultural officials. New research is trying to stop this pest before it enters the country.

Two-drug combination shows promise against one type of pancreatic cancer Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:56 AM PDT One form of pancreatic cancer has a new enemy: a two-drug combination that inhibits tumors and kills cancer cells in mouse models. For the first time, researchers have shown that a certain protein becomes overabundant in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, allowing them to thrive. They also found that pairing a synthetic compound with an existing drug provides a more effective anticancer punch than a single drug.

Superbug study reveals how E. coli strain acquired deadly powers Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:56 AM PDT A strain of E. coli became a potentially fatal infection in the UK around 30 years ago, when it acquired a powerful toxin, a gene study has revealed. Scientists say new findings show that E. coli O157 is continuing to evolve and should be monitored closely.

How former problem drinkers navigate social drinking situations Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:55 AM PDT A small, qualitative study highlights a wide variety of approaches that former problem drinkers take to determine how and whether to tell people in social situations that they don't drink.

Are we wiser about tsunamis? Expert says yes and no Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:54 AM PDT The world may not be well prepared for the next significant tsunami, report researchers. In a study of 17 tsunamis since and including the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman tsunami, a researcher used a 'wisdom index' (based on the warning issued, or not, and on the response of the population) to grade the performance of scientists, decision-makers and at-risk populations. Results were mixed as to how much wiser people have become about these natural events and how to reduce their impact.

On the metabolite's trail Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:54 AM PDT A bioinformatics team has developed a search engine that significantly simplifies the identification of molecular structures of metabolites.

Researchers reveal when global warming first appeared Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:54 AM PDT Human caused climate change is increasingly apparent today through multiple lines of evidence. But now researchers have revealed for the first time when and where the first clear signs of global warming appeared in the temperature record and where those signals are likely to manifest in extreme rainfall events in the very near future.

Tracking down the beam Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:54 AM PDT Proton beams are new high-precision weapons in the fight against cancer. However, uncertainty with regard to the range of the beams has prevented the full exploitation of the potential of this method until now. Researchers are therefore looking for ways to measure the exact range during a course of treatment, and have developed a surprisingly simple solution. Initial preclinical tests have already gone well.

Chemistry for the methanol economy Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:54 AM PDT Unstable crude oil prices and limited oil resources have made the production of petrochemicals from methanol increasingly popular -- above all in China. Scientists have now deciphered the complex chemistry behind the start of this process.

Permanent data storage with light Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:49 AM PDT The first all-optical permanent on-chip memory has been developed. This is an important step on the way towards optical computers. Phase change materials that change their optical properties depending on the arrangement of the atoms allow for the storage of several bits in a single cell.

Confusion afoot: People struggle to tell their toes apart with their eyes closed Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:49 AM PDT Most people can't tell their toes apart without looking. Some healthy people can 'lose' a toe if their eyes are closed. While most of us would assume we've got a pretty good idea of where the various parts of our body are, research suggests we may have a problem telling our toes apart -- with implications for the way our brains see our bodies.

Bugs in space: How microbes are surviving on astronauts Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:49 AM PDT Bugs are winning out, and that's a good thing according to NASA's Human Research Program. As part of NASA's One-Year Mission, researchers are studying how microbes living on astronauts' skin, inside their bodies and on the International Space Station impact their health. To prepare for a journey to Mars, it is important to understand how long-duration spaceflight affects microorganisms because changes to this complex ecosystem could be detrimental to future missions.

Energy use feedback key to unlocking savings, if used wisely Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:49 AM PDT Using feedback that incorporates goals or incentives and leverages new media and technology appears to be the best way to get people to cut back on their energy use, according to researchers who analyzed dozens of studies on feedback's effectiveness in energy conservation.

Androgen deprivation therapy associated with increased risk for fatal heart attack Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT Long term follow up of a randomized clinical trial that compared ADT and radiation therapy (RT) to RT alone finds that men with significant comorbidity; most commonly prior heart attack, who received ADT died earlier, due to a fatal heart attack, compared to men who did not receive ADT.

Researchers find novel signature in brains of children with cerebral malaria Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT Cells associated with inflammation and blood clotting accumulate in the brain blood vessels of children affected by a potentially fatal form of malaria called cerebral malaria, potentially contributing to the disease process, an international team of researchers has found, and HIV can exacerbate this development.

DNR orders often do not align with poor prognosis Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT Although do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders after in-hospital cardiac arrest were generally aligned with patients' likelihood of favorable neurological survival, almost two-thirds of patients with the worst prognosis did not have DNR orders, according to a study.

Outcomes of ICU admission for older, low-risk patients with pneumonia Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT Among Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with pneumonia, intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients which appeared to be discretionary was associated with improved survival and no significant differences in Medicare spending or hospital costs, compared with patients admitted to general wards, according to a study.

Lifestyle focused text messaging results in improvement in cardiovascular risk factors Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT A simple, low-cost automated program of semi-personalized mobile phone text messages supporting lifestyle change led to improvement in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking status in patients with coronary heart disease, according to a study.

Combination drug treatment reduces agitation for patients with probable Alzheimer's disease Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT In a preliminary 10-week randomized trial, patients with probable Alzheimer's disease who received the combination medication dextromethorphan-quinidine demonstrated less occurrences and severity of agitation, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a study.

Diagnostics breakthrough brings viral sequencing to doctors' toolkit Posted: 22 Sep 2015 08:47 AM PDT A breakthrough genetic testing method promises to give clinicians a powerful new tool to detect and sequence viruses. The Virome-Capture-Sequencing platform for Vertebrate viruses is as sensitive as the gold standard polymerase chain reaction assays while enabling simultaneous testing for hundreds of different viruses and providing near complete sequence of their genomes.

Role of cancer-suppressing gene uncovered Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:46 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered the role played by a gene which suppresses the development of cancer. The findings open new opportunities for scientists to find treatments for cancer, and shed light on the activity of the gene WWOX.

Age, not post-op infection, more important for kidney transplant success, study finds Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:46 AM PDT Infection by virus cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major complication following kidney transplantation. CMV infection has been associated with increased kidney transplant failure and reduced patient survival. However, a new clinical study finds that age may be more important for long-term transplant and patient outcome.

Probiotic formula reverses cow's milk allergies by changing gut bacteria of infants Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:46 AM PDT The gut bacteria of infants who developed tolerance to cow's milk after treatment with probiotic formula showed significant differences from those who remained allergic, according to a new study.

‘Lost world’ of cold weather dinosaurs discovered Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:46 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered a new species of duck-billed dinosaur, a 30-footlong herbivore that endured months of winter darkness and probably experienced snow. The skeletal remains of the dinosaurs were found in a remote part of Alaska. These dinosaurs were the northernmost dinosaurs known to have ever lived.

New smart robot accelerates cancer treatment research Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:44 AM PDT A new smart research robot accelerates research on cancer treatments by finding optimal treatment combinations, experts report. For patients with the same cancer type returning multiple times, sometimes the cancer cells develop resistance against the pharmacotherapy used. The new robot systems may also become important in the efforts to find new drug compounds that make these resistant cells sensitive again, they add.

Increased chances for early detection of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:44 AM PDT A method for detecting early signs of Alzheimer's disease using amyloid PET imaging works as well as the previously used cerebrospinal fluid sample method conclude researchers at the conclusion of what they say is the most thorough and extensive undertaken in the field so far.

Unexpected link between choroid plexus, chronic pain Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:42 AM PDT Neuroscientists have found a novel connection between the size of the choroid plexus in the brain and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), an unexpected finding, they say.

Scientists create rice variety with high folate stability Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:42 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in stabilizing folates in biofortified rice in order to prevent their degradation upon long term storage. They used two strategies: by linking folates with folate binding proteins and by extending the tail of the folate molecules. These approaches can offer a solution to serious health problems caused by folate deficiency in developing countries.

Echolocation: Yes, size matters Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:42 AM PDT Why do whales use echolocation when bacteria do not? Because body size determines available sensing modes, argue researchers following a new study.

Could being a good father send you to an early grave? Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:40 AM PDT Non-genetic inheritance plays a huge role in determining the characteristics of offspring. For example, bad parenting creates bad parents-to-be, while well-cared for larvae mature into high quality parents.

First circularly polarized light detector on a silicon chip Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:40 AM PDT Invention of the first integrated circularly polarized light detector on a silicon chip opens the door for development of small, portable sensors could expand the use of polarized light for drug screening, surveillance, etc, say scientists.

Discovery of the redox-switch of a key enzyme involved in n-butanol biosynthesis Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:40 AM PDT The redox-switch of thiolase, a key enzyme for n-butanol production in Clostridium acetobutylicum, one of the best known butanol-producing bacteria, has been discovered by a group of scientists.

Prion disease detected soon after infection, in surprising place in mouse brains Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:40 AM PDT Prion diseases -- incurable, ultimately fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders of mammals -- are believed to develop undetected in the brain over several years from infectious prion protein. In a new study, NIH scientists report they can detect infectious prion protein in mouse brains within a week of inoculation. Equally surprising, the protein was generated outside blood vessels in a place in the brain where scientists believe drug treatment could be targeted to prevent disease.

Gene magnifies psychological impact of life experiences, for better and for worse Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:40 AM PDT People with a certain type of gene are more deeply affected by their life experiences, a new study has revealed. The findings challenge traditional thinking about depression, showing what might be considered a risk gene for depression in one context, may actually be beneficial in another.

More men at risk for prostate cancer as a result of less regular screening Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:39 AM PDT The US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against regular prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer is controversial. While it may reduce the risk of over diagnosis and overtreatment, the reduction in intermediate and high risk cancer diagnoses raises concern because of the potential for delayed diagnoses of important cancers in men who may benefit from treatment, according to investigators.

The 'Pig-Pen' in each of us: People emit their own personal microbial cloud Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:39 AM PDT We each give off millions of bacteria from our human microbiome to the air around us every day, and that cloud of bacteria can be traced back to an individual. New research focused on the personal microbial cloud -- the airborne microbes we emit into the air -- examined the microbial connection we have with the air around us. The findings demonstrate the extent to which humans possess a unique 'microbial cloud signature.'

Turing nanopatterns in insect eyes Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT In 1952, the legendary British mathematician and cryptographer Alan Turing proposed a model, which assumes formation of complex patterns through chemical interaction of two diffusing reagents. Scientists managed to prove that the corneal surface nanopatterns in 23 insect orders completely fit into this model.

New pathway to regenerate insulin-producing cells discovered Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT A new pathway that triggers regeneration of beta cells in the pancreas, a key development that may aid in the development of diabetes treatments, has been discovered by scientists.

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