ScienceDaily: Top News

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• When it comes to making patients safer, is a hospital's 'safety culture' that important?
• Cancer patients miss appointments, prescriptions due to inability to afford care
• Counseling patients at risk for cancer over the phone reduces costs, access burdens, study finds
• Social adversity early in life may affect the expression of stress-related genes
• Personality changes can affect fish body shape, locomotion
• Constructing shale gas sites
• Therapeutic antibody eculizumab caught in action
• Cobimetinib in advanced melanoma with BRAF V600 mutation: Added benefit now considerable
• Meaningful work not created, only destroyed, by bosses, study finds
• Liquid by-products from wood and forest industry find use in wood-plastic composites
• Shy wild boars are sometimes better mothers
• Mechanisms of persistent infection for the human T-cell leukemia virus
• Anti-DNA antibody prefers damaged dsDNA over native
• Gene circuits in live cells can perform complex computations
• Skyrmions à la carte
• FTIR and microarrays: Enabling more information from less sample
• Low risk of dengue infection predicted for foreign visitors to Rio Olympics, shows study
• Physicist develops new model for speed, motion of solar flares
• Stress hormone link with psychosis
• Highly tuned catalytic controls
• Cancer cell immunity in the crosshairs: Worth the expense?
• Study shows how judgment of sensory simultaneity may develop in the brain
• From a heart in a backpack to a heart transplant
• Psychopathy need not be a disadvantage
• Better forecasting for solar and wind power generation
• Enzyme with high potential for new cancer treatment identified
• Investigational immunotherapy drug shrinks tumors in high-risk neuroblastoma patients
• Promising treatment prospects for invasive breast cancer
• Testing blood metabolites could help tailor cancer treatment
• Squeezing out opal-like colors by the mile
• Snails reveal how two brain cells can hold the key to decision making
• Genetically modified golden rice falls short on lifesaving promises
• Healing function of sweat glands declines with age
• Pregnant women may need more information about medicine use
• Underwater 'lost city' found to be geological formation
• Mortality is much lower in obese patients who have obesity surgery compared with those who don't
• Prodding leukemia cells with nanoprobes could provide cancer clues
• In resource-poor settings, vaccinating mothers against flu can protect newborns too, new study finds that
• Walnuts may improve your colon health
• Patient trial confirms Wearable Artificial Kidney proof of concept
• Scientists reconstruct the history of asteroid collisions
• Scientists find surprising magnetic excitations in a metallic compound
• Meta-lens works in the visible spectrum, sees smaller than a wavelength of light
• Study suggests new ways to protect against neurodegeneration
• Scientists identify mutation that causes muffs and beards to grow on chickens
• 3-D simulations illuminate supernova explosions
• Accelerating particles to high energies: A plasma tube to bring particles up to speed
• Researchers uncover how 'silent' genetic changes drive cancer

When it comes to making patients safer, is a hospital's 'safety culture' that important? Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:08 AM PDT If you work in a hospital these days, you've probably gotten the invitation: Take a survey about how well you, your team and your hospital do at protecting patients from harm, and how empowered you feel to do the right thing. But a new study questions whether such surveys actually measure how well a hospital is doing at keeping patients safe.

Cancer patients miss appointments, prescriptions due to inability to afford care Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:08 AM PDT 26 percent of a survey of adult cancer patients reported they paid more for medical care than they could afford, a new report outlines. Those patients also reported missing appointments and prescriptions because of affordability issues.

Counseling patients at risk for cancer over the phone reduces costs, access burdens, study finds Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:08 AM PDT Delivering genetic test results to patients at risk for cancer-causing genetic mutations over the phone helps to ease cost and transportation burdens and, compared to receiving results in person, does not cause patients additional stress, according to a new study.

Social adversity early in life may affect the expression of stress-related genes Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:06 AM PDT New research suggests that early severe social deprivation may impact DNA modifications that affect the expression of stress-related genes.

Personality changes can affect fish body shape, locomotion Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:06 AM PDT Fish that are bred to be bolder or more shy show corresponding changes to their body shape and locomotion, suggesting that personality changes affect other seemingly unrelated traits. The findings could be useful in animal breeding, pest management and studies of complex human behaviors.

Constructing shale gas sites Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:06 AM PDT Extracting gas from shale rock not only causes environmental disturbances below ground, the surface infrastructure required to drill the wells can cause a variety of problems above ground. Minimizing the environmental consequences above-ground is possible, but at a cost to the developers. However, a new study suggests that the additional cost to developers is far smaller than the savings made to the environment.

Therapeutic antibody eculizumab caught in action Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:06 AM PDT Scientists have used X-rays to understand how the therapeutic antibody eculizumab prevents our immune system from destroying red blood cells and damaging kidney tissue.

Cobimetinib in advanced melanoma with BRAF V600 mutation: Added benefit now considerable Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:03 AM PDT Further advantages of the drug Cobimetinib in comparison with the comparator therapy resulted from the analyses subsequently submitted by the drug manufacturer in the commenting procedure.

Meaningful work not created, only destroyed, by bosses, study finds Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:02 AM PDT Bosses play no role in fostering a sense of meaningfulness at work -- but they do have the capacity to destroy it and should stay out of the way, new research shows.

Liquid by-products from wood and forest industry find use in wood-plastic composites Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:02 AM PDT A novel method for adding liquid by-products from the wood industry into wood-plastic composites (WPCs) prior to manufacturing was developed in a new study from Finland. The study also discovered that proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a suitable method for measuring the amounts of volatile organic compounds, VOCs, released from WPCs.

Shy wild boars are sometimes better mothers Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:02 AM PDT The personality of wild boar mothers can affect the wellbeing of their young. A team of researchers has investigated whether, and under which circumstances, the personality affected the number of offspring reared. With sufficient food, shy wild boar mothers raise more young than risk-taking, aggressive females. When the availability of food becomes scarce, however, this advantage is no longer given.

Mechanisms of persistent infection for the human T-cell leukemia virus Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:02 AM PDT New research has revealed the mechanisms of persistent latent infection of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). This is an important achievement that may contribute to the prevention of refractory leukemia, a form of leukemia in which leukemic cells do not respond well to treatment.

Anti-DNA antibody prefers damaged dsDNA over native Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:02 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a study of structural mechanisms of an antigen recognition and interaction of anti-DNA antibodies which provides a basis for understanding the role of DNA-containing immune complexes in human pathologies and for new treatments.

Gene circuits in live cells can perform complex computations Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:02 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique to integrate both analogue and digital computation in living cells, allowing them to form gene circuits capable of carrying out complex processing operations.

Skyrmions à la carte Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:29 AM PDT Magnetic vortices -- so-called skyrmions -- are stable, can have a diameter of just a few nanometres, and can be moved efficiently by electrical currents. Therefore, they are presently being discussed as candidates for high density, energy-saving data storage and processing. However, until very recently, the only materials known to exhibit skyrmions did so at extremely low temperatures. Scientists have predicted that skyrmions can also be realized for application at room temperature -- and their properties specifically adjusted -- when enveloped in magnetic layer structures.

FTIR and microarrays: Enabling more information from less sample Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT By using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), researchers can greatly increase the amount of information that can be extracted from a protein microarray. In a new report, they show how high-quality spectra can be obtained from spots of protein no larger than the diameter of a human hair.

Low risk of dengue infection predicted for foreign visitors to Rio Olympics, shows study Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT Three months before the opening of the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, a group of researchers used a mathematical model to calculate the risk of dengue acquisition by the 400,000-odd foreign visitors expected to attend. This model was used with success during the last FIFA World Cup, in 2014. Once again a very low number of dengue cases among foreign visitors to the Olympics is likely, according the study.

Physicist develops new model for speed, motion of solar flares Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT A physicist who has developed a new model that predicts the speed of solar plasma during solar flares has likening it to the path traveled by a thrown baseball.

Stress hormone link with psychosis Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT A link between levels of the stress hormone cortisol and psychosis has been discovered by researchers, which could help identify people at greatest risk of developing the severe mental disorder.

Highly tuned catalytic controls Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT You could think of bioorthogonal chemistry as a discreet valet or concierge that steers two world leaders to a private meeting without making noise or trouble along the way. The valet is a catalyst of sorts, arranging the meeting to expedite a result that would not otherwise happen. Now, new work has given the valet an upgraded GPS and a turbo-charged engine, allowing for faster, more precise reactions that can be triggered by light or an enzyme.

Cancer cell immunity in the crosshairs: Worth the expense? Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT Scientists have found unique genetic alterations that could indicate whether expensive immune checkpoint inhibitors would be effective for a particular patient. Their study reports that genetic alterations affecting a part of the PD-L1 gene increases the production of the protein, allowing cancer cells to escape detection by the immune system.

Study shows how judgment of sensory simultaneity may develop in the brain Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:28 AM PDT In a study using tadpoles, neuroscientists tracked how the brain develops its sense of whether two sensory inputs -- for example, vision and touch -- happened at the same time.

From a heart in a backpack to a heart transplant Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:21 AM PDT More than a year after leaving the hospital without a human heart, Stan Larkin, 25, trades his wearable total artificial heart for a real one. The surgery was a unique national triumph in efforts to replace the failing heart as heart disease grows and donor hearts remain scarce.

Psychopathy need not be a disadvantage Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:19 AM PDT Persons with marked psychopathy are considered callous, cold, unrepentant, dishonest, and impulsive. At work, therefore, they can endanger the success of their entire team – at least that is the popular conception. But some people with psychopathic traits can also be different, research shows, because not all "psychopaths" are the same. Instead, at least two different facets of personality come together in psychopathy. They can occur together, but do not have to.

Better forecasting for solar and wind power generation Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:19 AM PDT The sun does not shine and the wind does not blow with constant intensity. This is a problem for the power grid, where the power supply must always match the power demand. Researchers in Germany have been working to develop better models for forecasting the generation of renewable electricity. Now they have launched a platform for transmission system operators to test the new models live.

Enzyme with high potential for new cancer treatment identified Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:19 AM PDT A team of researchers has identified an enzyme that separates DNA replication from repair. This discovery could be of tremendous significance in the treatment of tumors.

Investigational immunotherapy drug shrinks tumors in high-risk neuroblastoma patients Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:17 AM PDT Investigators report promising preliminary results for an experimental monoclonal antibody when combined with chemotherapy for newly diagnosed neuroblastoma patients.

Promising treatment prospects for invasive breast cancer Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:17 AM PDT Scientists have now been able to understand for the first time why many cancer cells adapt relatively quickly to the treatment with therapeutic antibodies in invasive forms of breast cancer. Instead of dying off, they are merely rendered inactive. The researchers have now developed an active substance that kills the cancer cells very effectively without harming healthy cells.

Testing blood metabolites could help tailor cancer treatment Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:17 AM PDT Testing for metabolic changes in the blood could indicate whether a cancer drug is working as designed, a new study reports. This new way of monitoring cancer therapy could speed up the development of new targeted drugs -- which exploit specific genetic weaknesses in cancer cells -- and help in tailoring treatment for patients.

Squeezing out opal-like colors by the mile Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:16 AM PDT Researchers have devised a new method for stacking microscopic marbles into regular layers, producing intriguing materials which scatter light into intense colors, and which change color when twisted or stretched.

Snails reveal how two brain cells can hold the key to decision making Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:16 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how just two neurons in the brain hold the key to explaining how complex behavioral decisions are made. Scientists studied the brain activity of freshwater snails and discovered how a circuit comprising of just two neurons can drive a sophisticated form of decision making.

Genetically modified golden rice falls short on lifesaving promises Posted: 02 Jun 2016 07:07 PM PDT Heralded on the cover of Time magazine in 2000 as a genetically modified (GMO) crop with the potential to save millions of lives in the Third World, Golden Rice is still years away from field introduction and even then, may fall short of lofty health benefits still cited regularly by GMO advocates, suggests a new study.

Healing function of sweat glands declines with age Posted: 02 Jun 2016 07:06 PM PDT A group of scientists and dermatologists is now looking at the role sweat glands play in how aging skin recovers from wounds. It's a step to better learn about aging skin, in order to better treat -- and slow -- the process.

Pregnant women may need more information about medicine use Posted: 02 Jun 2016 07:06 PM PDT Pregnant women overestimate the risks of taking over the counter and prescribed medication. New findings reveal that women choose not to medicate common pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, heartburn and aches and pains. Most worryingly, moms-to-be are choosing not to take medication for UTIs -- which can cause significant complications and harm the fetus if left untreated.

Underwater 'lost city' found to be geological formation Posted: 02 Jun 2016 07:05 PM PDT New research reveals how an underwater 'lost city' has been found to be a geological formation.The ancient underwater remains of what was thought to be a long lost Greek city, found close to the holiday island Zakynthos, were in fact created by a naturally occurring phenomenon up to five million years ago.

Mortality is much lower in obese patients who have obesity surgery compared with those who don't Posted: 02 Jun 2016 07:05 PM PDT A study of almost 49,000 obese patients shows that those who do not have obesity surgery are much more likely to die from any cause than those who do have surgery, after an average of five year's follow-up.

Prodding leukemia cells with nanoprobes could provide cancer clues Posted: 02 Jun 2016 07:05 PM PDT Giving blood cells a gentle squeeze can reveal a great deal about their health. To find out more, researchers have used a tiny force probe to compare the mechanical responses of healthy and cancerous hematopoietic cells (biological structures that help to renew blood in the body).

In resource-poor settings, vaccinating mothers against flu can protect newborns too, new study finds that Posted: 02 Jun 2016 01:39 PM PDT Each year, influenza causes between 250,000 and half a million deaths around the world. Now a new study has shown that immunizing mothers against flu can decrease by 70 percent the risk of their infants getting flu during the first four months after birth. This is the largest study so far to show that maternal vaccination against flu is feasible and effective in resource-poor environments.

Walnuts may improve your colon health Posted: 02 Jun 2016 01:29 PM PDT Eating walnuts may change gut bacteria in a way that suppresses colon cancer, researchers report. A team of researchers found that mice that ate 7-10.5 percent of their total calories as walnuts developed fewer colon cancers. The effect was most pronounced in male mice, which had 2.3 times fewer tumors when fed walnuts as part of a diet similar to the typical American's.

Patient trial confirms Wearable Artificial Kidney proof of concept Posted: 02 Jun 2016 01:29 PM PDT The results of an exploratory clinical trial indicate that a wearable artificial kidney could be developed as a viable, new dialysis technology. Some redesigns would be required to overcome device-related, technical problems observed during the testing. The technology is being developed as an alternative to conventional hemodialysis for people with end-stage kidney disease. Such a device would allow more freedom and mobility, and the benefits of more frequent, longer dialysis.

Scientists reconstruct the history of asteroid collisions Posted: 02 Jun 2016 12:18 PM PDT An international study reveals that asteroids have endured a multitude of impact strikes since their formation 4,565 million years ago. Scientists have reconstructed a timeline of these collisions using a physics-based model which reproduces the process through time, comparing its results with present-day information about chondrite meteorites.

Scientists find surprising magnetic excitations in a metallic compound Posted: 02 Jun 2016 12:18 PM PDT Scientists have found magnetic excitations in a metallic compound whose main source of magnetism is the orbital movement of its electrons. Their discovery challenges conventional wisdom that these excitations are only found in materials whose magnetism is dominated by the spin of its electrons.

Meta-lens works in the visible spectrum, sees smaller than a wavelength of light Posted: 02 Jun 2016 12:18 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated the first planar lens that works with high efficiency within the visible spectrum of light -- covering the whole range of colors from red to blue. The lens can resolve nanoscale features separated by distances smaller than the wavelength of light. It uses an ultra-thin array of tiny waveguides, known as a metasurface, which bends light as it passes through.

Study suggests new ways to protect against neurodegeneration Posted: 02 Jun 2016 12:17 PM PDT A new study has found evidence that an enzyme known as NMNAT2 may help protect against the debilitating effects of certain degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer's.

Scientists identify mutation that causes muffs and beards to grow on chickens Posted: 02 Jun 2016 12:17 PM PDT The growth of long facial feathers, creating the appearance of muffs and beards on chickens, is caused by a chromosomal rearrangement affecting a gene involved in feather development, researchers report in a new study.

3-D simulations illuminate supernova explosions Posted: 02 Jun 2016 10:32 AM PDT Researchers are using Mira to perform large-scale 3-D simulations of the final moments of a supernova's life cycle. While the 3-D simulation approach is still in its infancy, early results indicate that the models are providing a clearer picture than ever before of the mechanisms that drive supernova explosions.

Accelerating particles to high energies: A plasma tube to bring particles up to speed Posted: 02 Jun 2016 10:32 AM PDT Scientists have reached another milestone in developing a promising technology for accelerating particles to high energies in short distances: They created a tiny tube of hot, ionized gas, or plasma, in which the particles remain tightly focused as they fly through it.

Researchers uncover how 'silent' genetic changes drive cancer Posted: 02 Jun 2016 10:26 AM PDT Small molecules called tRNA, whose job is to help translate genes into proteins, are not usually considered important for understanding the causes of disease. But a new study shows that fluctuations in some tRNAs may in fact influence the progression of breast cancer.

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