ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Fertilizer applied to fields today will pollute water for decades
• Researchers turn carbon dioxide into sustainable concrete
• New chemistries found for liquid batteries
• Protecting the pancreas: Compound fights fibrosis in animal model
• Why sexual harassment is worse than other types of abuse online
• Scientists distinguish molecules most capable of fighting prostate cancer
• Astronomers report most 'outrageously' luminous galaxies ever observed
• Ancient seaweed fossils some of the oldest of multicellular life
• 'Watchdog' for greenhouse gas emissions
• Pandas hear more than we do
• Brain metabolism predicts fluid intelligence in young adults
• BPA substitute can trigger fat cell formation: Chemical used in BPA-free products exhibits similar endocrine-disrupting effects
• Chemical exposure linked to 1.4 billion euros in women's health care costs, study suggests
• Microscopic structures of vegetable surfaces contribute to foodborne illness
• Tougher plastic with 50 percent renewable content
• New method measures nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes
• Fungus that threatens chocolate forgoes sexual reproduction for cloning
• Improving benchtop particle accelerators
• How to spot elder abuse and neglect in the ER: Things are not always as they seem
• Finding a new 'sweet spot' for improving cancer risk assessment
• Mixed-strain malaria infections influence drug resistance
• New study ranks methods to induce labor on effectiveness, cost
• Forensic researchers set standards for X-ray identification of bodies
• Blending therapies improves treatment of severe anxiety
• Many targeted cancer therapies suppress T cell immune responses
• Antibiotics before age 2 increases risk for childhood obesity, study suggests
• Printing nanomaterials with plasma
• Drug combination reduces polyps for patients with high risk for colorectal cancer
• Use of open access platforms for clinical trial data
• Antibiotic exposure in infancy not associated with weight gain in childhood, study suggests
• Use of mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic low back pain
• Some light dinner reading: Can publishing calorie counts on restaurant menus help reduce obesity?
• Can an iPad help you see?
• Made ya look: Moviegoers may have little control over eye movements, study finds
• Greenhouse gas mitigation potential from livestock sector revealed
• Football training reduces the risk of disease in elderly men
• Measuring severity of spinal cord injuries
• Microagents with revolutionary potential
• A new-structure magnetic memory device developed
• Immunoproteasome inhibits healing function of macrophages
• No more washing: Nano-enhanced textiles clean themselves with light
• Unravelling the secret of antibiotic resistance
• Contact lenses alter eye bacteria, making it more skin-like
• Single bacteria grows 60 percent better on the International Space Station than on Earth
• More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought
• Depression study examines levels of 'love' hormone and its impacts on mother-baby emotional bonding
• Lake Erie phosphorus-reduction targets challenging but achievable
• Fish bond when they eat the same food
• Migratory birds disperse seeds long distances
• For older adults with dementia, transitions in care can increase risk for serious problems
• Link between public policy life expectancy reinforced by new international research
• Global spread of Zika linked to types of mosquitoes that transmit it
• Scientists reveal how animals find their way 'in the dark'
• Deadly flatworm's skin rejuvenation may explain its long-term survival in humans
• 'Burnt Hot Dog' sea cucumbers raise red flags for threatened global fisheries
• Social media use associated with depression among US young adults
• High-risk lung cancer patients may not need annual screenings
• Biodiversity brings disease resistance, study suggests
• Archaeologists create 3D interactive digital reconstruction of King Richard III’s grave found under a car park
• 'Adaptation energy' in aminals: Mathematicians provide solution to 78 year old mystery

Fertilizer applied to fields today will pollute water for decades Posted: 22 Mar 2016 03:21 PM PDT Dangerous nitrate levels in drinking water could persist for decades, increasing the risk for blue baby syndrome and other serious health concerns, according to a new study.

Researchers turn carbon dioxide into sustainable concrete Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:25 PM PDT Imagine a world with little or no concrete. Would that even be possible? After all, concrete is everywhere -- on our roads, our driveways, in our homes, bridges and buildings. For the past 200 years, it's been the very foundation of much of our planet. But the production of cement, which when mixed with water forms the binding agent in concrete, is also one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, about 5 percent of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions comes from concrete.

New chemistries found for liquid batteries Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:17 PM PDT A grid-scale approach to rechargeable power storage gets a new arsenal of possible materials, researchers have found. Liquid metal batteries are a promising candidate for making renewable energy more practical. The batteries can store large amounts of energy and thus even out the ups and downs of power production and power use, report researchers.

Protecting the pancreas: Compound fights fibrosis in animal model Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:17 PM PDT Scientists identify a group of proteins as new and important players in the mechanism that causes pancreatic fibrosis. Pancreatic fibrosis -- or the formation of scar tissue in the pancreas -- is associated with chronic pancreatitis, a progressive and debilitating illness that lacks a specific treatment.

Why sexual harassment is worse than other types of abuse online Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:16 PM PDT While many women gamers can shrug off much of the name-calling and abuse they receive while playing online video games, sexual harassment sticks with them even when they're offline.

Scientists distinguish molecules most capable of fighting prostate cancer Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:16 PM PDT Scientists have provided an overview of the most promising compounds which can be used as medications for prostate cancer in a new scientific article.

Astronomers report most 'outrageously' luminous galaxies ever observed Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:16 PM PDT Astronomers report that they have observed the most luminous galaxies ever seen in the Universe, objects so bright that established descriptors such as 'ultra-' and 'hyper-luminous' used to describe previously brightest known galaxies don't even come close. The lead author says, 'We've taken to calling them 'outrageously luminous' among ourselves, because there is no scientific term to apply.'

Ancient seaweed fossils some of the oldest of multicellular life Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:41 AM PDT Paleontologists have found fossilized multicellular marine algae, or seaweed, dating back more than 555 million years, ranking among the oldest examples of multicellular life on Earth.

'Watchdog' for greenhouse gas emissions Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:38 AM PDT Mistakes can happen when estimating emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Researchers have developed a method to independently validate national statistics.

Pandas hear more than we do Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:38 AM PDT A new study may help conservationists understand the potential for human activities to disturb giant pandas in native habitats. Using captive pandas, conservation scientists worked with animal care specialists to determine pandas' range of hearing sensitivity, discovering that they can detect sound into the ultrasonic range. Because giant pandas depend in large part on information transmitted through vocalizations for reproductive success, noise from human activities in or near forest areas could be disruptive.

Brain metabolism predicts fluid intelligence in young adults Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:38 AM PDT A healthy brain is critical to a person's cognitive abilities, but measuring brain health can be a complicated endeavor. A new study reports that healthy brain metabolism corresponds with fluid intelligence -- a measure of one's ability to solve unusual or complex problems -- in young adults.

BPA substitute can trigger fat cell formation: Chemical used in BPA-free products exhibits similar endocrine-disrupting effects Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:38 AM PDT Exposure to a substitute chemical often used to replace bisphenol A in plastics can encourage the formation of fat cells, according to a new study.

Chemical exposure linked to 1.4 billion euros in women's health care costs, study suggests Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:38 AM PDT Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may contribute to reproductive health problems experienced by hundreds of thousands of women, costing European Union an estimated 1.4 billion Euros ($1.5 billion) a year in health care expenditures and lost earning potential, according to a new study.

Microscopic structures of vegetable surfaces contribute to foodborne illness Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:05 AM PDT Foodborne illness outbreaks do more than make us sick. Not only can the U.S. economy suffer as a result of reduced worker productivity, particular sectors of the farming industry can experience negative consumer perception, potentially leading to sustained profit losses. In an effort to understand and eventually reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses, researchers studied the ability of pathogenic viruses to adhere to fresh produce surfaces.

Tougher plastic with 50 percent renewable content Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:04 AM PDT Researchers have made a better thermoplastic by replacing styrene with lignin, a brittle, rigid polymer that, with cellulose, forms the woody cell walls of plants. In doing so, they have invented a solvent-free production process that interconnects equal parts of nanoscale lignin dispersed in a synthetic rubber matrix to produce a meltable, moldable, ductile material that's at least ten times tougher than ABS, a common thermoplastic.

New method measures nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:04 AM PDT The effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking substitute will likely rely on whether they can consistently provide the amount of nicotine a smoker needs to resist the desire to return to traditional cigarettes.

Fungus that threatens chocolate forgoes sexual reproduction for cloning Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:04 AM PDT A fungal disease that poses a serious threat to cacao plants -- the source of chocolate -- reproduces clonally, researchers find. The fungus causes frosty pod rot, a disease that has decimated cacao plantations through much of the Americas. Because it belongs to a group of fungi that produces mushrooms -- the fruit of fungal sex -- many researchers and cacao breeders believed the fungus reproduced sexually.

Improving benchtop particle accelerators Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:04 AM PDT Researchers propose a new way to improve the beam quality in laser wakefield accelerators, which are small and inexpensive enough to bring high energy physics experiments to a wide variety of universities and labs.

How to spot elder abuse and neglect in the ER: Things are not always as they seem Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:04 AM PDT When older adults in severely debilitated states show up for treatment in the emergency department, emergency physicians and staff must be able to identify and document their symptoms and decide whether to report their concerns to adult protective services. This is a difficult decision as the patient's symptoms may stem from willful neglect, unintentional neglect or sub-acute symptoms caused by an underlying illness than manifest as neglect.

Finding a new 'sweet spot' for improving cancer risk assessment Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:03 AM PDT An environmental toxicologist who has been an outspoken critic of the current linear no-threshold (LNT) approach to risk assessment for radiation and toxic chemicals, now proposes a new approach integrating LNT with hormetic dose-response models. The new strategy, applied to chronic animal bioassays, would reconcile previously conflicting methods to offer 'significant improvements' and maximize public health benefits, he and co-authors say.

Mixed-strain malaria infections influence drug resistance Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:02 AM PDT When hosts are co-infected with drug-resistant and drug-sensitive strains, both strains are competitively suppressed. Anti-malarial therapy, by clearing the drug-sensitive parasites from mixed infections, may result in competitive release of resistant strains, report researchers.

New study ranks methods to induce labor on effectiveness, cost Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:02 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a review of the clinical and cost effectiveness of labor induction methods. As the number of women facing induction increases, and as new evidence from trials emerges, it has become urgent to address questions about which methods of inducing labor are most effective, cost-effective, safe and acceptable to women.

Forensic researchers set standards for X-ray identification of bodies Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:02 AM PDT Forensic researchers have for the first time established science-based standards for identifying human remains based on X-rays of an individual's spine, upper leg or the side of the skull.

Blending therapies improves treatment of severe anxiety Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:02 AM PDT During a randomized clinical trial, 85 participants underwent treatment for severe generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy alone was given to 43 participants and the rest received a combination of CBT and MI from therapists trained in both.

Many targeted cancer therapies suppress T cell immune responses Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT New research has demonstrated that dozens of these targeted therapies suppressed the activity of T cells that could actually help fight tumors. While studying the FDA-approved targeted therapy trametinib, the researchers also found that pairing it with a signaling protein 'superagonist' stimulated T cell activity while preserving the cancer-blocking effects of the cancer treatment.

Antibiotics before age 2 increases risk for childhood obesity, study suggests Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT A new study found that administration of three or more courses of antibiotics before children reach an age of 2 years is associated with an increased risk of early childhood obesity.

Printing nanomaterials with plasma Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT Printing has come a long way since the days of Johannes Gutenberg. Now, researchers have developed a new method that uses plasma to print nanomaterials onto a 3-D object or flexible surface, such as paper or cloth. The technique could make it easier and cheaper to build devices like wearable chemical and biological sensors, flexible memory devices and batteries, and integrated circuits.

Drug combination reduces polyps for patients with high risk for colorectal cancer Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT In a recent study, researchers randomly assigned 92 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis to the drugs sulindac twice daily and erlotinib daily (n = 46) or placebo (n = 46) for 6 months. The outcome of the study showed very positive results for those with a high risk of colorectal cancer

Use of open access platforms for clinical trial data Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT Researchers examined how shared clinical trial data are being used. The researchers evaluated how many clinical trials were publicly available to investigators through 3 open access platforms, and found that a total of 3,255 clinical trials were available in the platforms.

Antibiotic exposure in infancy not associated with weight gain in childhood, study suggests Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT Exposure to antibiotics within the first 6 months of life compared with no exposure among nearly 40,000 children was not associated with a significant difference in weight gain through age 7, according to a new study.

Use of mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic low back pain Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT Among adults with chronic low back pain, both mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in greater improvement in back pain and functional limitations when compared with usual care, according to a study.

Some light dinner reading: Can publishing calorie counts on restaurant menus help reduce obesity? Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:05 AM PDT An economist is studying how obesity rates are affected in communities where restaurants publish the calorie counts of the food they serve, an effort that is part of a broader campaign to reduce the number of Americans who are overweight.

Can an iPad help you see? Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:05 AM PDT The first experimental evidence has been provided that the Apple iPad is as good as technology traditionally used in reading rehabilitation for individuals with visual impairment.

Made ya look: Moviegoers may have little control over eye movements, study finds Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:04 AM PDT Viewers may have limited cognitive control of their eye movements while trying to understand films, new research indicates.

Greenhouse gas mitigation potential from livestock sector revealed Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:04 AM PDT Scientists have found that the global livestock sector can maintain the economic and social benefits it delivers while significantly reducing emissions, and in doing so help meet the global mitigation challenge.

Football training reduces the risk of disease in elderly men Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:04 AM PDT Long-term recreational football training produces a number of marked improvements in health profile for 63-75 year old untrained men -- including a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes -- research shows.

Measuring severity of spinal cord injuries Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:04 AM PDT Injuries to the spinal cord partially or completely disrupt the neural pathways between the brain and the limbs. The consequences for the representation of the affected limbs in the brain can be drastic. Researchers have now measured how severely this representation is affected.

Microagents with revolutionary potential Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:04 AM PDT Micro and nanorobots that attack tumors with maximum precision using drugs: this is what the fight against cancer may look like in the future. A group of researchers are laying the foundations with magnetoelectric-controlled Janus machines.

A new-structure magnetic memory device developed Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:03 AM PDT Engineers have developed a new-structure magnetic memory device utilizing spin-orbit torque-induced magnetization switching.

Immunoproteasome inhibits healing function of macrophages Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:02 AM PDT Scientists have observed that the immunoproteasome inhibits the repair function of alveolar macrophages. This opens up new therapeutic options. A specific inhibition of the immunoproteasome may promote healing processes of the lung.

No more washing: Nano-enhanced textiles clean themselves with light Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:02 AM PDT Pioneering research paves way towards nano-enhanced textiles that can spontaneously clean themselves of stains and grime simply by being put under a light bulb or worn out in the sun.

Unravelling the secret of antibiotic resistance Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:02 AM PDT Scientists have solved a 25-year-old question about how a family of proteins allow bacteria to resist the effects of certain antibiotics. The findings provide the first direct evidence of how this family of proteins 'protect' the bacterial ribosome, the protein makers in cells, from being blocked by antibiotics.

Contact lenses alter eye bacteria, making it more skin-like Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:02 AM PDT Contact lenses may alter the natural microbial community of the eyes, according to a study. In a study of 58 adults seeking outpatient eye care, researchers found that contact lenses make the eye microbiome more skin-like, with higher proportions of skin bacteria.

Single bacteria grows 60 percent better on the International Space Station than on Earth Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:07 AM PDT Researchers grew microbes collected from sports teams, historical monuments, museums, spacecraft, and schools and sent them to the International Space Station (ISS) for growth in space. While most of the microbes looked similar on Earth and in space, one type of bacteria actually grew much better in space.

More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:07 AM PDT Think your DNA is all human? Think again. And a new discovery suggests it's even less human than scientists previously thought. Nineteen new pieces of non-human DNA -- left by viruses that first infected our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago -- have just been found, lurking between our own genes.

Depression study examines levels of 'love' hormone and its impacts on mother-baby emotional bonding Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:07 AM PDT Widely referred to as the "love" hormone, oxytocin is an indispensable part of childbirth and emotional mother-child bonding. Psychologists are looking at how breast feeding, oxytocin and face-to-face interactions between a mother and her baby are impacted by depression and the mother's oxytocin levels.

Lake Erie phosphorus-reduction targets challenging but achievable Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:07 AM PDT Large-scale changes to agricultural practices will be required to meet the goal of reducing levels of algae-promoting phosphorus in Lake Erie by 40 percent, a new multi-institution computer modeling study concludes.

Fish bond when they eat the same food Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:05 AM PDT Similar-smelling chemical cues could explain why some animals choose to live together with other species, according to new research.

Migratory birds disperse seeds long distances Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:05 AM PDT Some species of plants are capable of colonizing new habitats thanks to birds that transport their seeds in their plumage or digestive tract. Until recently it was known that birds could do this over short distances, but a new study shows that they are also capable of dispersing them over more than 300 kilometres. For researchers, this function could be key in the face of climate change, allowing the survival of many species.

For older adults with dementia, transitions in care can increase risk for serious problems Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT Having coordinated care and a long-term care plan in place that considers the needs of a person with dementia may reduce unnecessary transitions, say the authors of a new study.

Link between public policy life expectancy reinforced by new international research Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT New research shows that life expectancy declined significantly and rapidly in three countries where policy changes increased access to prescription opioids, alcohol or illicit drugs. The study underscores the need for effective substance use policies and public health interventions, and provides key principles to guide policy decisions.

Global spread of Zika linked to types of mosquitoes that transmit it Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT More cities than previously assumed could soon grapple with the Zika virus if two species of mosquitos are found to be equally effective carriers of the disease, a disease ecologist and his colleagues argue.

Scientists reveal how animals find their way 'in the dark' Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT Scientists have revealed the brain activity in animals that helps them find food and other vital resources in unfamiliar environments where there are no cues, such as lights and sounds, to guide them.

Deadly flatworm's skin rejuvenation may explain its long-term survival in humans Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT A parasitic flatworm that infects hundreds of millions of people in the developing world is able to survive in the bloodstream for decades by constantly renewing its skin - a mechanism that could inform potential new treatments against infection.

'Burnt Hot Dog' sea cucumbers raise red flags for threatened global fisheries Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT 'Burnt Hot Dog' sea cucumbers take center stage in a new genetic study that digs into their valued spot in marine ecosystems across Japan's Okinawa Island as well as their extreme vulnerability to environmental stress and over-fishing. A team of researchers says their study's findings are an urgent call for increased fisheries management and protections for ecologically important sea cucumbers worldwide.

Social media use associated with depression among US young adults Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:04 AM PDT The more time young adults use social media, the more likely they are to be depressed, according to new research. The findings could guide clinical and public health interventions to tackle depression, forecast to become the leading cause of disability in high-income countries by 2030.

High-risk lung cancer patients may not need annual screenings Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:23 AM PDT Most high-risk lung cancer patients might not need annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screenings if they are cleared of disease in their initial test, according to a study.

Biodiversity brings disease resistance, study suggests Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:23 AM PDT A novel study of a Tibetan alpine meadow has shown a clear link between higher biodiversity and greater infectious disease resistance. The researchers say it provides further strong evidence that maintaining biodiversity among the world's species should be a high priority.

Archaeologists create 3D interactive digital reconstruction of King Richard III’s grave found under a car park Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:21 AM PDT The archaeologists who discovered and helped to identify the mortal remains of King Richard III have created a 3D interactive representation of the grave and the skeleton of the king under the car park.

'Adaptation energy' in aminals: Mathematicians provide solution to 78 year old mystery Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:21 AM PDT Researchers have developed a solution to a 78 year old mystery. In previous research, it was suggested that adaptation of an animal to different factors looks like spending of one resource and that the animal dies when this resource is exhausted.

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