ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Going barefoot: Strong 'foot core' could prevent plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other common injuries
• Study advances potential test to sort out precancerous pancreatic cysts from harmless ones
• Study quantifies risk of cardiac arrest in children during spine surgeries
• Stretch mark science: What happens to your skin when pregnancy gives you a stretch mark?
• 'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease
• 'Changing the rules of the game' on collaborative climate change research
• Study links deep-time dust with major impacts on carbon cycling
• African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack
• Social and practical barriers keep HF patients from benefits of exercise therapy
• More proof of Einstein's general theory of relativity
• Bone protein inhibits prostate cancer invasion, scientists find
• Mother's age at birth may influence symptoms of depression in daughters
• Increased potential for perovskites as a material for solar cells
• Managing the data deluge for national security analysts
• Minority patients less likely to receive analgesic medications for abdominal pain
• Researchers devise new diabetes diagnostic tool
• Scientists find way to reduce pesticide use and save millions for ornamental industry
• Vitamin D deficiency may limit immune recovery in HIV-positive adults
• Blood phosphorus levels can help predict kidney failure risk in African Americans
• Obesity and type 2 diabetes harm bone health
• Compounds discovered with potential to treat persistent tuberculosis
• Scarcity, not abundance, enhances consumer creativity, study says
• Mathematical model helps show how zebrafish get their stripes
• Scientists find surprising trait in anti-HIV antibodies
• From nanocrystals to earthquakes, solid materials share similar failure characteristics
• Nondrug interventions improve quality of life for Chinese cancer patients
• Prostate cancer screening drops dramatically in middle-aged men
• Measuring immune cells before surgery may help predict recovery time, study finds
• Cheaper, Higher Performing LEDs
• Self-healing sensor brings 'electronic skin' closer to reality
• For kids prone to wheezing with respiratory infections, early antibiotics help?
• Study compares risk of anaphylaxis among marketed IV iron products
• Self-help books: Stressed readers or stressful reading?
• Climate macroscope: New software for finding tipping points and critical network structures
• Drug driving: Are your meds affecting you?
• Why are some wild animals more tolerant to human interaction than others?
• Parents aiming too high can harm child's academic performance
• Melting Scandinavian ice provides missing link in Europe's final Ice Age story
• 'Shrinking bull's-eye' algorithm speeds up complex modeling from days to hours
• Perpetual youth for batteries?
• New technique could prevent dangerous biofilms on catheters
• Nanotech-based sensor developed to measure microRNAs in blood, speed cancer detection
• Team approach may reduce readmissions due to falls in seniors
• Bright prospects: Repairing neurons with light
• Navy researchers recruit luminescent nanoparticles to image brain function
• Every species counts: Value of biodiversity is particularly high in poor environmental conditions
• Eating to impress: Men eat more food when dining with women
• Gene mutation linked to reckless drunken behavior
• Fungus causes emerging snake disease found in Eastern US
• Researchers find experimental drug can help fight debilitating side effect of ovarian cancer
• Cancer cells poised for growth when opportunity knocks
• New symmetry underlies the search for new materials
• Small RNA has big impact on prostate cancer
• The unwanted extras in your morning filter coffee
• Advanced method, first platform of DNA simulations developed
• New advanced computing systems under investigation
• Millions of those infected with hiv have never been diagnosed due to the fear of being tested, new research reveals
• What's in a name? More than you think...
• Ringing the changes 'opens the road to new medicines'
• Flexoelectricity is more than Moore

Going barefoot: Strong 'foot core' could prevent plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other common injuries Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:19 PM PST Barefoot activities can greatly improve balance and posture and prevent common injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, bursitis, and tendonitis in the Achilles tendon, according to one expert.

Study advances potential test to sort out precancerous pancreatic cysts from harmless ones Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST In a 'look-back' analysis of data stored on 130 patients with pancreatic cysts, scientists have used gene-based tests and a fixed set of clinical criteria to more accurately distinguish precancerous cysts from those less likely to do harm.

Study quantifies risk of cardiac arrest in children during spine surgeries Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST Although the vast majority of pediatric spine surgeries are safe, a handful of neuromuscular conditions seem to fuel the risk of cardiac arrest during such operations, according to new research.

Stretch mark science: What happens to your skin when pregnancy gives you a stretch mark? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST Don't believe the hype when you see those creams and ointments promising to prevent or reduce pregnancy stretch marks. Dermatologists are still learning about what causes stretch marks in the first place. For a new study, researchers investigate what could be causing them at the molecular level.

'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:15 PM PST A new virus has been discovered that is carried by one of the Australia's most common pest mosquitoes. The new virus -- known as Parramatta River virus -- infects only mosquitoes and doesn't pose any direct health risks to people, according to the researchers.

'Changing the rules of the game' on collaborative climate change research Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:14 PM PST A new framework seeks to clarify roles, responsibilities of local stakeholders on climate change research. The goal of the project is to help define how research involving collaboration and co-production on the part of local stakeholders -- from farmers, fisherman and hunters to those simply living in areas especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change -- is being done and where.

Study links deep-time dust with major impacts on carbon cycling Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:14 PM PST A new study links vast amounts of iron-rich dust deposits from the late Paleozoic period of 300 million years ago with implications for major ecosystem fertilization and a massive drawdown of atmospheric carbon. Understanding iron fertilization and other deep-time events may explain present and future climate change and aid scientists and policymakers when making decisions related to geoengineering Earth.

African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Major depressive symptoms -- perceived stress, neuroticism, life dissatisfaction -- are associated with nearly twice the increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease among African-Americans. African-Americans with depressive symptoms suffered more chronic conditions, exercised less, and had lower levels of education and income.

Social and practical barriers keep HF patients from benefits of exercise therapy Posted: 17 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Lack of social support and barriers to exercise (such as lack of transportation) reduce the amount of time heart-failure patients exercise. Assessing and eliminating barriers to exercise may reduce hospitalizations and heart disease deaths in people with heart failure, say authors of a new report.

More proof of Einstein's general theory of relativity Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:50 AM PST A high-performance computing researcher has predicted a physical effect that would help physicists and astronomers provide fresh evidence of the correctness of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Bone protein inhibits prostate cancer invasion, scientists find Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:50 AM PST A secreted protein predominantly expressed in bone inhibits prostate cancer metastasis to bone, new research shows. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. If detected at early stages the prognosis is quite favorable; however, aggressive forms of metastatic prostate cancer spread primarily to the skeleton.

Mother's age at birth may influence symptoms of depression in daughters Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:50 AM PST The daughters, but not the sons, of women who give birth at age 30 or older are more likely to experience symptoms of depression as young adults, according to new research.

Increased potential for perovskites as a material for solar cells Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated a way to significantly increase the efficiency of perovskite solar cells by reducing the amount of energy lost to heat.

Managing the data deluge for national security analysts Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST National security analysts often find that available data is growing much faster than their ability to observe and process it. Sometimes they can't make key connections and often they are overwhelmed struggling to use data for predictions and forensics. A research team has developed solutions that will enable analysts to work smarter, faster and more effectively when looking at complex data in real-time, stressful environments.

Minority patients less likely to receive analgesic medications for abdominal pain Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST Minority patients with acute abdominal pain are less likely to receive analgesic medications, compared to their white counterparts, new American research demonstrates.

Researchers devise new diabetes diagnostic tool Posted: 17 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST Researchers have developed a new test to help diagnoses diabetes, which they say will lead to more effective diagnosis and patient care. The research shows how a genetic test can help doctors to differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in young adults.

Scientists find way to reduce pesticide use and save millions for ornamental industry Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:19 AM PST Results of new research may help control some dangerous species of fungi, known as phytophthora -- or water molds -- that can cause millions of dollars in damage annually to ornamental plants and some fruit trees.

Vitamin D deficiency may limit immune recovery in HIV-positive adults Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST Low levels of vitamin D may limit the effectiveness of HIV treatment in adults, a researcher has found. An 18-month longitudinal study was conducted in which the immune status of 398 HIV-positive adults was measured at 0, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months. The researchers, through observation, related the rise in immune function to whether or not individuals had adequate levels of vitamin D.

Blood phosphorus levels can help predict kidney failure risk in African Americans Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST An increase in serum phosphorus levels in African Americans with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with faster progression to kidney failure, known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The study confirmed in African Americans what previous studies in Caucasians demonstrated, that an increase in the biomarker predicted ESRD risk.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes harm bone health Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:03 AM PST In a new animal study, researchers examined how the development of obesity and insulin resistance contribute to bone-fracture risk and whether exercise prevents weight gain and diabetes and protects bone health. They found obesity and type 2 diabetes negatively affected bone, but exercise prevented weight gain and diabetes and increased bone strength. These findings could inform interventions to improve bone health among individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Compounds discovered with potential to treat persistent tuberculosis Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:03 AM PST In a substantial number of cases -- some two billion, in fact -- the tuberculosis bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) isn't active at all. Instead, it hides inside cell aggregates, latent and persistent, waiting to break out. Now, scientists have discovered several first-in-class compounds that target these hidden infections by attacking a critical process the bacteria use to survive in the hostile environment of the lungs.

Scarcity, not abundance, enhances consumer creativity, study says Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:03 AM PST Resource scarcity translates into enhanced consumer creativity, according to new research. A general sense of scarcity activates a constraint mindset that manifests itself through increased novelty in subsequent product-usage contexts -- that is, limits force consumers to think beyond the traditional functionality of a given product, thus enhancing product-use creativity, say authors of the new report.

Mathematical model helps show how zebrafish get their stripes Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:03 AM PST The iconic yellow and blue stripes of zebrafish form dynamically as young fish develop and grow. A new mathematical model helps to show how pigment cells interact to form the pattern.

Scientists find surprising trait in anti-HIV antibodies Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Scientists have new weapons in the fight against HIV. Their new study describes four prototype antibodies that target a specific weak spot on the virus.

From nanocrystals to earthquakes, solid materials share similar failure characteristics Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST An extensive study by an interdisciplinary research group suggests that the deformation properties of nanocrystals are not much different from those of Earth's crust. Researchers representing a broad a range of disciplines contributed to the study, comparing five different experimental systems, on several different scales, with model predictions. The results should be useful for applications in materials testing, failure prediction, and hazard prevention.

Nondrug interventions improve quality of life for Chinese cancer patients Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST A meta-analysis of dozens of studies of traditional Chinese medicine and other nonpharmacological interventions meant to improve patients' quality of life affirms that these approaches, on the whole, help alleviate depression, fatigue, pain, anxiety, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems in Chinese cancer patients.

Prostate cancer screening drops dramatically in middle-aged men Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Prostate-specific antigen testing has dropped significantly in middle-aged men after a 2012 recommendation that all men should not be routinely screened for prostate cancer, according to a new study.

Measuring immune cells before surgery may help predict recovery time, study finds Posted: 17 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST The behavior of a type of white blood cell can indicate how soon patients will be back on their feet after hip surgery, according to a study. The scientists plan to use the findings to develop a diagnostic blood test that patients can undergo before surgery.

Cheaper, Higher Performing LEDs Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:30 AM PST Scientists are using a class of materials called organometal halide perovskites to build a highly functioning LED.

Self-healing sensor brings 'electronic skin' closer to reality Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST Scientists have developed a self-healing, flexible sensor that mimics the self-healing properties of human skin. Incidental scratches or cuts to the sensors "heal" themselves in less than one day.

For kids prone to wheezing with respiratory infections, early antibiotics help? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST In children whose colds tend to progress and lead to severe wheezing and difficulty breathing — such that they are given oral corticosteroids as rescue therapy — researchers have shown that giving a common antibiotic at the first sign of cold symptoms can reduce the risk of the episode developing into a severe lower respiratory tract illness.

Study compares risk of anaphylaxis among marketed IV iron products Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST Recipients of intravenous (IV) iron (n = 688,183) enrolled in the fee-for-service Medicare program from January 2003 to December 2013 were the focus of recent study, which compared the risk of anaphylaxis among patients and products.

Self-help books: Stressed readers or stressful reading? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:27 AM PST Consumers of self-help books are more sensitive to stress and show higher depressive symptomatology, according to a new study that recruited 30 participants, half of whom were consumers of self-help books. The team measured several elements of the participants, including stress reactivity (salivary cortisol levels), openness, self-discipline, extraversion, compassion, emotional stability, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms.

Climate macroscope: New software for finding tipping points and critical network structures Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:27 AM PST If you wanted to know whether shifts in the African climate during Paleolithic times correlated with the appearance and disappearance of hominin species, how would you find the answer? It's a tricky question because of the massive amounts of noisy, complicated data you would need to analyze.

Drug driving: Are your meds affecting you? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:27 AM PST Warning labels on medications about the dangers of driving are not enough to stop people getting behind the wheel with most driving while affected by drugs, according to Australian research.

Why are some wild animals more tolerant to human interaction than others? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:27 AM PST Are we loving wild animals to death? Scientists analyzed 75 studies conducted over the last half-century of 212 animal species -- mostly birds, but also mammals and lizards -- in areas with large numbers of people and areas with few people to answer that question.

Parents aiming too high can harm child's academic performance Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:26 AM PST When parents have high hopes for their children's academic achievement, the children tend to do better in school, unless those hopes are unrealistic, in which case the children may not perform well in school.

Melting Scandinavian ice provides missing link in Europe's final Ice Age story Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:26 AM PST Molecular-based moisture indicators, remains of midges and climate simulations have provided climate scientists with the final piece to one of the most enduring puzzles of the last Ice Age.

'Shrinking bull's-eye' algorithm speeds up complex modeling from days to hours Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:26 AM PST Researchers have developed a new algorithm that vastly reduces the computation of virtually any computational model. The algorithm may be thought of as a shrinking bull's-eye that, over several runs of a model, and in combination with some relevant data points, incrementally narrows in on its target: a probability distribution of values for each unknown parameter.

Perpetual youth for batteries? Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:26 AM PST A key issue with lithium ion batteries is aging. It significantly reduces their potential storage capacity. To date, very little is known about the causes of the aging effects. Scientists have now come a step closer to identifying the causes in their latest experiments.

New technique could prevent dangerous biofilms on catheters Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST Biofilms frequently coat the surfaces of catheters, and of various medical implants and prostheses, where they can cause life-threatening infections. New research shows that coating implants with a certain 'activator' can prevent Staphylococcus aureus, the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, from forming biofilms.

Nanotech-based sensor developed to measure microRNAs in blood, speed cancer detection Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST A newly developed, simple, ultrasensitive microRNA sensor holds promise for the design of new diagnostic strategies and, potentially, for the prognosis and treatment of pancreatic and other cancers.

Team approach may reduce readmissions due to falls in seniors Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST A comprehensive care program that involves a team of specialists from multiple medical disciplines for treating injuries sustained from falls in older adults could help reduce hospital readmissions, according to researchers. Under the program, the 30-day readmission rate for falls declined 10 percent from 2012-13 and remained unchanged in 2014. The 30-90 day readmission rate from 2012-13 also declined, before rising slightly in 2014.

Bright prospects: Repairing neurons with light Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in stimulating the regeneration of injured neurons in living fish by the use of light. To this end, they employed so-called Optogenetics, i.e. light inducible protein activation.

Navy researchers recruit luminescent nanoparticles to image brain function Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST Scientists are on pace to develop the next generation of functional materials that could enable the mapping of the complex neural connections in the brain. The ultimate goal is to better understand how the billions of neurons in the brain communicate with one another during normal brain function, or dysfunction, as result of injury or disease.

Every species counts: Value of biodiversity is particularly high in poor environmental conditions Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning greatly depends on the prevalent environmental conditions. An interdisciplinary team consisting of microbiologists and ecological modellers has now tested this hypothesis which is considered crucial for biodiversity research. Through laboratory experiments on microbial communities, the researchers were able to demonstrate that although bacterial species may exhibit functional redundancy, the magnitude of this redundancy is strongly affected by environmental conditions.

Eating to impress: Men eat more food when dining with women Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST If you're a man, how much you eat may have more to do with the gender of your dining companions than your appetite. A new study has found that men will eat significantly more food in the company of women than they will with other men.

Gene mutation linked to reckless drunken behavior Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST Researchers of the University of Helsinki, Finland, have identified a genetic mutation which renders carriers susceptible to particularly impulsive and reckless behavior when drunk. The research took advantage of the unique Finnish data on impulsive sufferers of alcoholism and their relatives, and the discovery is based on long-term research cooperation between the University of Helsinki Psychiatry Clinic and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States.

Fungus causes emerging snake disease found in Eastern US Posted: 17 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST Researchers have identified the fungal culprit behind an often deadly skin infection in snakes in the eastern US. The research shows that Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola is the definitive cause of snake fungal disease, which will help researchers pinpoint why it is emerging as a threat to snake populations and how its impacts can be mitigated.

Researchers find experimental drug can help fight debilitating side effect of ovarian cancer Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:33 AM PST Women who have ovarian cancer often develop a condition called ascites, which is a buildup of fluids in the abdomen. A drug that inhibits a receptor called the Colony-Stimulating-Factor-1 Receptor, or CSF1R, reduces ascites with minimal side effects, new research shows.

Cancer cells poised for growth when opportunity knocks Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:32 AM PST Researchers have identified a mechanism that allows cancer cells to respond and grow rapidly when levels of sugar in the blood rise. This may help to explain why people who develop conditions in which they have chronically high sugar levels in their blood, such as obesity, also have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.

New symmetry underlies the search for new materials Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:32 AM PST A new type of symmetry operation has the potential to quicken the search for new advanced materials that range from tougher steels to new types of electronic, magnetic, and thermal materials.

Small RNA has big impact on prostate cancer Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:32 AM PST microRNA, miR-124, reduced tumor growth and increased cell death in castration-resistant prostate cancer, new research concludes. This small RNA fragment hit multiple targets, reducing androgen receptor signaling and reviving the potency of enzalutamide, a treatment for advanced prostate cancer. In addition, miR-124 impeded EZH2 and Src, proteins that contribute to treatment resistance.

The unwanted extras in your morning filter coffee Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST New research examines chemical leaching into coffee from filter coffee machines and electric kettles. The alarming results suggest that caffeine consumption is not all we have to worry about in our coffee culture.

Advanced method, first platform of DNA simulations developed Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST A new simulation method allows researchers to note -- with unprecedented accuracy -- of structural changes in DNA and of the interaction of DNA with proteins and drugs.

New advanced computing systems under investigation Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST Scientists are studying how to improve the development of advanced computing systems to create faster software under the auspices of RePhrase, a new research project from the European Union Horizon 2020 program. These new techniques will make it possible to improve applications such as industrial manufacturing processes and railway traffic monitoring, as well as the diagnosis of mental illnesses.

Millions of those infected with hiv have never been diagnosed due to the fear of being tested, new research reveals Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST British academics have carried out the largest global review of psychological barriers behind HIV testing and the factors that may influence people's decision to be tested.

What's in a name? More than you think... Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST What's in a name? In the case of the usernames of video gamers, a remarkable amount of information about their real world personalities, according to research by psychologists. Analysis of anonymized data from one of the world's most popular computer games also revealed information about their ages.

Ringing the changes 'opens the road to new medicines' Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:24 AM PST Inspired by the classic 'ball-in-a-cup' children's toy, researchers have discovered an innovative method to make medicinally important molecules.

Flexoelectricity is more than Moore Posted: 17 Nov 2015 06:22 AM PST The world's first integrated flexoelectric microelectromechanical system (MEMS) on silicon has been released by scientists in a new article.

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