ScienceDaily: Top News

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• You could be paying more for less effective medicine
• Rainfall following drought linked to historic nitrate levels in Midwest streams in 2013
• Flipped classrooms turning STEM education upside down
• Laboratory breakthrough may lead to improved x-ray spectrometers
• How honeybees do without males
• Autism with intellectual disability linked to mother's immune dysfunction during pregnancy
• Antipsychotic meds for foster care, other poor children: Still quality challenges
• Predicting advanced prostate cancer outcomes with NaF-PET/CT
• New molecular toolkit for the de-novo design of bioactive agents
• Long-term marijuana use changes brain's reward circuit
• Magnetic material could host wily Weyl fermions
• Maternal weight gain between pregnancies is linked to complications and adverse outcomes
• A third of young children in low- and middle-income countries are failing to meet basic milestones
• New cheap method of surveying landscapes can capture environmental change
• How 4-D simulation can help construction projects come in on time, budget
• Preschool academic skills improve only when instruction is good to excellent
• Research finds offender risk assessment tools in US are promising, but questions remain
• 'Missing tooth' hydrogels handle hard-to-deliver drugs
• Scientists craft an artificial seawater concoction
• Anti-epileptic drug linked to birth defects when taken with other drugs
• Natural killer cells have a memory
• Scientists use modelling to show the role of metabolism and signaling in cancer metastasis
• Ebola map may help prepare for future outbreaks
• Two in five formerly depressed adults are happy, flourishing
• Universe's first life might have been born on carbon planets
• Weak spots in Europe's 'Right to be Forgotten' data privacy law
• Revisiting trajectories at the quantum scale
• Coral reefs fall victim to overfishing, pollution aggravated by ocean warming
• New tool could help investors pick the clean energy project right for them
• Bad behavior may not be a result of bad parenting, but a lack of common language
• Study questions cancer link with bone growth factor for spinal surgery
• Prevalence of obesity in U.S. increases among women, but not men
• Anesthesia is safe in the young, study finds
• Climate change will affect farmers' bottom line
• Watching the dance of nano-particles
• One hour of driving a day = 2.3kg more weight and 1.5cm wider waist, study reveals
• Computer simulations shed light on the Milky Way's missing red giants
• New types of blood cancer discovered in children
• How did ignoring people for our smartphones become the norm?
• Deer make collision-free escapes thanks to inbuilt 'compasses'
• Nordic countries: Highest in gender equality and intimate partner violence against women
• You are not as anonymous as you think online
• Study uncovers clue to deciphering schizophrenia
• Spintronics development gets boost with new findings into ferromagnetism in Mn-doped GaAs
• Anorexia nervosa: Pleasure at getting thin more than fear of getting fat
• New high-capability solid-state electron microscope detector enables novel studies of materials
• Towards building next-generation batteries using a pigment electrode
• Biological clock gets a time stamp
• Chemical 'sponges' designed to soak up toxic cancer-fighting drugs after targeting tumors
• Benefits to timing chemotherapy to body's 'awake' time
• New method detects 83% of immature citrus; helping cut costs
• Origami ninja star inspires new battery that runs on a few drops of dirty water
• Bleachwatch program needs volunteers to monitor corals in Florida Keys
• Bacteria hairs make excellent electrical wires
• Mediterranean diet high in healthy fat does not lead to weight gain, according to randomized trial
• Surprises about antibiotic resistance uncovered
• Fukushima radioactivity diluted in the Pacific makes tracing ocean currents possible
• Opioids regulate spermatozoon formation, research shows
• Scientists identify protein which boosts rice yield by fifty percent
• Clinical trial opens new avenues for pharmacological therapy in Down's syndrome

You could be paying more for less effective medicine Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:02 PM PDT A new study suggests that weak drug regulation and misleading marketing can lead doctors to prescribe more expensive, riskier, and less beneficial drugs.

Rainfall following drought linked to historic nitrate levels in Midwest streams in 2013 Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:01 PM PDT Drought periods followed by rainfall caused nitrate levels to increase to the highest ever measured in some Midwest streams during a 2013 study, according to a new report.

Flipped classrooms turning STEM education upside down Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:15 PM PDT Given the difficult-to-digest subject matter in many STEM classrooms, educators have customarily relied on traditional lecture-based educational methods where they spend class time walking through content and then assign homework problems to supplement that learning. The problem is that this is a difficult way for some students to learn, so educators applying a new approach by flipping their classrooms.

Laboratory breakthrough may lead to improved x-ray spectrometers Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:15 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new design for X-ray spectrometers that eschews a commonly utilized component to lowers overall production costs and increase the efficiency of x-ray flux, which may lead to faster acquisition times for sample imaging and increased efficiency for the system. This is essential for biological samples which may be damaged by continued x-ray exposure.

How honeybees do without males Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:13 PM PDT An isolated population of honeybees, the Cape bees, living in South Africa has evolved a strategy to reproduce without males. A research team has sequenced the entire genomes of a sample of Cape bees and compared them with other populations of honeybees to find out the genetic mechanisms behind their asexual reproduction.

Autism with intellectual disability linked to mother's immune dysfunction during pregnancy Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT Pregnant women with higher levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, proteins that control communication between cells of the immune system, may be at significantly greater risk of having a child with autism combined with intellectual disability, researchers have found.

Antipsychotic meds for foster care, other poor children: Still quality challenges Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT Significant quality challenges persist in antipsychotic medication use for children in foster care and other Medicaid-insured children, according to a new study. While overall prescribing rates for children in foster care and other Medicaid-insured children have leveled since the mid-2000s, some important guideline-recommended practices are frequently not followed.

Predicting advanced prostate cancer outcomes with NaF-PET/CT Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT A recent pilot study found that sodium fluoride (Na-F-18) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (NaF-PET/CT) accurately detects bone metastases in patients with advanced prostate cancer, and follow-up scans over time correlate clearly with clinical outcomes and patient survival.

New molecular toolkit for the de-novo design of bioactive agents Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT Scientists take a new approach to the production of bioactive natural substances: Using synthetic biotechnology methodologies they have developed a biochemical strategy to synthesize medical agents by a templated enzyme design process. First products, a precursor of the anti-cancer medicament Taxol, anti-inflammatory substances and omega-3 fatty acids prove the successfulness of their strategy.

Long-term marijuana use changes brain's reward circuit Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that long-term marijuana users had more activity in the brain's reward processes when presented with cannabis cues than with natural reward cues.

Magnetic material could host wily Weyl fermions Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT An elusive massless particle could exist in a magnetic crystal structure, revealed by neutron and X-ray research.

Maternal weight gain between pregnancies is linked to complications and adverse outcomes Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT Weight gain between pregnancies is linked to pregnancy complications and adverse neonatal outcomes in second born children, according to a new study.

A third of young children in low- and middle-income countries are failing to meet basic milestones Posted: 07 Jun 2016 12:12 PM PDT An estimated 32.9 percent of all 3- and 4-yerr-old children living in low- and middle-income countries scored poorly on either their cognitive or socioemotional development, according to a new study.

New cheap method of surveying landscapes can capture environmental change Posted: 07 Jun 2016 11:07 AM PDT Cheap cameras on drones can be used to measure environmental change which affects billions of people around the world, new research shows.

How 4-D simulation can help construction projects come in on time, budget Posted: 07 Jun 2016 11:06 AM PDT Researchers have developed an advanced technique to avoid costly delays often associated with massive public transportation infrastructure projects.

Preschool academic skills improve only when instruction is good to excellent Posted: 07 Jun 2016 11:06 AM PDT As the overall quality of instruction in preschool classrooms increases, children experience better outcomes across a range of skills, but the needle only moves on language and reading skills when instructional quality is at or above a threshold.

Research finds offender risk assessment tools in US are promising, but questions remain Posted: 07 Jun 2016 11:04 AM PDT The criminal justice system in the United States uses a variety of tools to assess the behavior of criminal offenders, and those risk assessments can have a significant impact on an offender's fate. A new meta-analysis of the research conducted in the US on these tools shows that -- while promising -- it is still unclear whether these tools reduce bias against offenders based on race or other factors.

'Missing tooth' hydrogels handle hard-to-deliver drugs Posted: 07 Jun 2016 11:04 AM PDT A 'missing tooth' peptide may be an efficient way to deliver insoluble drugs to precise locations in the body, report scientists.

Scientists craft an artificial seawater concoction Posted: 07 Jun 2016 11:04 AM PDT Microbiologists have concocted an artificial seawater medium that can be used to successfully cultivate abundant marine microorganisms, many of which have not been genetically characterized before.

Anti-epileptic drug linked to birth defects when taken with other drugs Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:09 AM PDT In an analysis of pregnancies in Australia from 1999 to 2014 in which women were taking anti-epileptic drugs, fetal malformation rates fell over time in pregnancies where only one drug was taken, but rates increased in pregnancies where multiple drugs were taken.

Natural killer cells have a memory Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:09 AM PDT Researchers have decoded a new mechanism of how the immune system can specifically attack pigmented cells of the skin. It was previously believed that so-called natural killer cells did not have an immunological memory for the body's own tissues. However, the scientists have now been able to show that these special immune cells can indeed "remember" pigmented cells when they come into more frequent contact with a specific contact allergen. These results may provide new insights into the development of the skin-depigmenting disease vitiligo but may also offer new options for the treatment of malignant melanoma.

Scientists use modelling to show the role of metabolism and signaling in cancer metastasis Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:08 AM PDT Researchers have built a model to investigate the metastasis of cancer by examining the metabolism of breast epithelial cells and look at the role of signaling. This research may contribute to the development of cell specific anti-cancer interventions.

Ebola map may help prepare for future outbreaks Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:08 AM PDT To be prepared for new Ebola virus disease cases, it is fundamental to start by identifying the range of the virus and the regions that are more favorable for its propagation.

Two in five formerly depressed adults are happy, flourishing Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:08 AM PDT Approximately two in five adults (39 percent) who have experienced major depression are able to achieve complete mental health. Researchers consider complete mental health as occurring when people achieve almost daily happiness or life satisfaction, positive social and psychological well-being, and are also free of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse for at least one full year.

Universe's first life might have been born on carbon planets Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:08 AM PDT Our Earth consists of silicate rocks and an iron core with a thin veneer of water and life. But the first potentially habitable worlds to form might have been very different. New research suggests that planet formation in the early universe might have created carbon planets consisting of graphite, carbides, and diamond. Astronomers might find these diamond worlds by searching a rare class of stars.

Weak spots in Europe's 'Right to be Forgotten' data privacy law Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:08 AM PDT In the first study of its kind, university researchers say that hackers can discover the identities of people who requested to be delisted under Europe's 'Right to be Forgotten' law. The law allows citizens to petition Internet search providers such as Google to remove search results linked to personal information that is negative or defamatory.

Revisiting trajectories at the quantum scale Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:06 AM PDT There is a gap in the theory explaining what is happening at the macroscopic scale, in the realm of our everyday lives, and at the quantum level, at microscopic scale. Scientists now say that the assumption that quantum particles move because they follow a precise trajectory over time has to be called into question.

Coral reefs fall victim to overfishing, pollution aggravated by ocean warming Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:06 AM PDT Coral reefs are declining around the world because a combination of factors -- overfishing, nutrient pollution, and pathogenic disease -- ultimately become deadly in the face of higher ocean temperatures, researchers have concluded. The findings are based on one of the largest and longest studies done on this issue.

New tool could help investors pick the clean energy project right for them Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:06 AM PDT In 2013, Serbia announced its goal of having 27 percent of the country's power be generated from renewable sources by 2020. Hitting that target will require building additional clean energy facilities, but figuring out what type of project -- solar, wind, hydropower or other renewable sources -- to support can be a daunting task for investors. Now, a team of researchers is trying to simplify the decision.

Bad behavior may not be a result of bad parenting, but a lack of common language Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:33 AM PDT Most parents will admit that talking with a teenage child can be difficult. It's even more challenging when they don't speak the same language – a reality for a growing number of immigrant families. New research suggests this language barrier can have negative consequences.

Study questions cancer link with bone growth factor for spinal surgery Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:32 AM PDT Adding to previous evidence, a study based on a statewide cancer database shows no increase in cancer risk in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery with the bone-promoting growth factor recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP).

Prevalence of obesity in U.S. increases among women, but not men Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:32 AM PDT The prevalence of obesity in 2013- 2014 was 35 percent among men and 40 percent among women, and between 2005 and 2014, there was an increase in prevalence among women, but not men, according to an American study.

Anesthesia is safe in the young, study finds Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:32 AM PDT A single exposure to general anesthesia poses no cognitive risk to healthy children under age three, a critical time in brain development, according to a multicenter study.

Climate change will affect farmers' bottom line Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:31 AM PDT Over the next 70 to 100 years, our climate is projected to change dramatically, with major impacts on a wide variety of economic sectors. But the sector that is most likely to be affected by these changes is agriculture. A number of studies support this assertion, but relatively few look at the effect of climate change on agriculture from a comprehensive economic perspective.

Watching the dance of nano-particles Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:31 AM PDT Life in the nano lane is fast and just got faster in terms of knowledge of fundamental mechanisms working at the nanoscale -- where processes are driven by a dance of particles such as atoms and ions one-billionth of a meter in size.

One hour of driving a day = 2.3kg more weight and 1.5cm wider waist, study reveals Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:30 AM PDT The convenience of car travel has a significant impact on public health, say researchers. And men are more likely than women to put on weight due to time spent behind the wheel, their new report outlines.

Computer simulations shed light on the Milky Way's missing red giants Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:30 AM PDT Simulations investigate the possibility that red giants at the center of our galaxy were dimmed after they were stripped of 10s of percent of their mass millions of years ago during repeated collisions with an accretion disk.

New types of blood cancer discovered in children Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:30 AM PDT Through a detailed study of leukemia cells from more than 200 children, a research group has discovered two new types of childhood leukemia. Using next-generation sequencing technology (NGS), the researchers were able to study the genome of cancer cells, which is how they discovered the new types of cancer.

How did ignoring people for our smartphones become the norm? Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:30 AM PDT It's common now to see people snubbing social companions to concentrate on their smartphone. But what causes this behavior -- known as 'phubbing' -- and how did it come to be regarded as normal?

Deer make collision-free escapes thanks to inbuilt 'compasses' Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:30 AM PDT Why do deer in a group, when startled, suddenly bolt away together and never collide with each other? It's because these deer have an inner compass that allows them to follow a certain direction in order to make their escape.

Nordic countries: Highest in gender equality and intimate partner violence against women Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:30 AM PDT The Nordic countries are the most gender equal nations in the world, but at the same time, they also have a disproportionately high rate of intimate partner violence against women. This is perplexing because logically violence against women would be expected to drop as women gained equal status in a society. A new study explores this contradictory situation, which has been labeled the 'Nordic paradox.'

You are not as anonymous as you think online Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:28 AM PDT You may not be anonymous as you think you are online; reveals a new study. Your browsing behavior can indicate your personality and provide a unique digital signature which can identify you, sometimes after just 30-minutes of browsing.

Study uncovers clue to deciphering schizophrenia Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:28 AM PDT The brains of healthy relatives of people with schizophrenia may hold a clue to better understand - and ultimately treat - the devastating illness, finds new research.

Spintronics development gets boost with new findings into ferromagnetism in Mn-doped GaAs Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:28 AM PDT A research group has succeeded in finding the origin and the mechanism of ferromagnetism in Mn-doped GaAs. The discovery is significant as it will accelerate the development of the spintronic element.

Anorexia nervosa: Pleasure at getting thin more than fear of getting fat Posted: 07 Jun 2016 08:28 AM PDT Anorexia nervosa might not be explained by fear of gaining weight, but by the pleasure of losing it, say researchers, adding that the phenomenon might be genetically influenced. The work challenges the notion of fear of weight gain in anorexia patients.

New high-capability solid-state electron microscope detector enables novel studies of materials Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:35 AM PDT Scientists developed and demonstrated a new type of imaging electron detector. It records an image frame in 1/1000 of a second, and can detect from 1 to 1,000,000 electrons per pixel. This is 1000 times the intensity range and 100 times the speed of conventional electron microscope image sensors.

Towards building next-generation batteries using a pigment electrode Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:34 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated calcium ion batteries (CIBs) using pigment electrodes such as Prussian blue and its analogues. The CIBs showed excellent cyclability of discharge and charge in a calcium-based organic electrolyte. This is thought to derive from strong atomic bonds in Prussian blue structures, which possess movable pathways for large-sized ions in three dimensions. Such unique structures have excellent potential for application in newly designed batteries.

Biological clock gets a time stamp Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:34 AM PDT Researchers have identified the molecular pathways involved in the aging of human eggs. This research could eventually lead to treatments to correct age-related damage and improve fertility in women age 40 and older.

Chemical 'sponges' designed to soak up toxic cancer-fighting drugs after targeting tumors Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:34 AM PDT Researchers are creating materials for a cancer treatment system that can limit the side effects of chemotherapy drugs by quickly removing them from the body after use.

Benefits to timing chemotherapy to body's 'awake' time Posted: 07 Jun 2016 07:33 AM PDT Not a morning person? Neither are your kidneys. Research suggests there may be benefits to timing chemotherapy in cancer patients to the time of day the body is 'most awake.'

New method detects 83% of immature citrus; helping cut costs Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:43 AM PDT By detecting green, immature citrus more accurately and efficiently, growers can plan when and where to apply nutrients when fruit is growing and estimate their yield and profit before harvest.

Origami ninja star inspires new battery that runs on a few drops of dirty water Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:43 AM PDT A new disposable battery that folds like an origami ninja star could power biosensors and other small devices for use in challenging field conditions. The microbial fuel cell runs on the bacteria available in a few drops of dirty water.

Bleachwatch program needs volunteers to monitor corals in Florida Keys Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:43 AM PDT With coral bleaching prevalent worldwide -- and recently breaking records off Australia -- U.S. scientists are eager to learn how their home reefs will weather the summer heat. Marine researchers are seeking volunteers to monitor for heat-driven bleaching in the Florida Keys, home to the largest coral reef system along the continental U.S.

Bacteria hairs make excellent electrical wires Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:43 AM PDT Scientists found that the electronic arrangement and small molecular separation distances in electrically insulating, hair-like filaments on the surface of Geobacter bacteria give the structures an electrical conductivity comparable to that of copper.

Mediterranean diet high in healthy fat does not lead to weight gain, according to randomized trial Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:40 AM PDT Eating a non-calorie restricted Mediterranean diet high in vegetable fats such as olive oil or nuts does not lead to significant weight gain compared to a low-fat diet, according to a large randomized trial. The study suggests that current health guidelines that recommend a low-fat, low-calorie diet create unnecessary fear of healthy fats present in a Mediterranean diet, which have known health benefits.

Surprises about antibiotic resistance uncovered Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:40 AM PDT It's thought that antibiotic resistance is associated with a fitness cost, meaning that bacteria that develop antibiotic resistance must sacrifice something in order to do so. Because of this, proper use of antibiotics should result in susceptible strains eventually replacing resistant ones.< According to recent research, though, it appears that this paradigm might not be as solid as previously thought. In fact, antibiotic-resistant strains might also be fitter and more virulent, which may have profound impacts on the control and treatment of bacterial infections.

Fukushima radioactivity diluted in the Pacific makes tracing ocean currents possible Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:40 AM PDT Very little is known about ocean currents and generally about dynamics in the oceans. But radioactivity released into the Pacific by the Fukushima nuclear accident, which was quickly diluted to harmless levels, has allowed scientists to trace the ocean's currents.

Opioids regulate spermatozoon formation, research shows Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:39 AM PDT Infertility has become a major medical and social problem worldwide and many of the cases are due to male infertility. Yet the molecular mechanisms involved in spermatogenesis are only now beginning to emerge. A piece of research has, for the first time, described the presence of opioids in the cells involved in the formation of spermatozoa.

Scientists identify protein which boosts rice yield by fifty percent Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:37 AM PDT A research team has developed rice crops with an improved ability to manage their own pH levels, enabling them to take up significantly more nitrogen, iron and phosphorous from soil and increase yield by up to 54 percent.

Clinical trial opens new avenues for pharmacological therapy in Down's syndrome Posted: 07 Jun 2016 06:35 AM PDT The results of the phase 2 study suggest that participants who had received the treatment had better scores in the visual memory recognition and inhibition tasks, and improvement in adaptive behavior than those in the control group. Though not a cure, this is the first time that a treatment has shown some effectiveness in this syndrome, and it opens the door to new research geared towards treating what was believed to be orphan of treatment.

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