ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Campaign increases mouth and throat cancer screenings among low-income rural Floridians
• Findings reveal clues to functioning of mysterious 'mimivirus'
• Drug micro-factory engineered to attack tumors
• Bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres
• As carbon emissions climb, so too has Earth's capacity to remove CO2 from atmosphere
• 'Graduation' from poverty: Anti-poverty intervention provides sustained boost to incomes and wealth
• Ocean's hidden fertilizer revealed
• Gene regulation underlies the evolution of social complexity in bees
• Unique social structure of hunter-gatherers explained
• First fully warm-blooded fish: The opah or moonfish
• New mouse model for ALS and frontotemporal dementia gene offers hope for potential therapies
• Model predicts which delinquent credit card holders will pay
• Geckos resistant to antibiotics, may pose risk to pet owners, study finds
• Genomics laboratory capability in Liberia supports Ebola virus outbreak response
• Study clarifies best treatments for uncommon kidney cancers
• Growing interest: School-grown vegetables increase salad selection
• Researchers hone technique for finding signs of life on the Red Planet
• 'Hydrogels' boost ability of stem cells to restore eyesight and heal brains
• Do flies have fear (or something like it)?
• Signaling pathway revealed through which a promising anti-leukemia drug kills cancer cells
• Three perspectives on 'The Dress'
• CLAIRE Brings Electron Microscopy to Soft Materials
• Hubble Catches a Stellar Exodus in Action
• Further assessment needed of dispersants used in response to oil spills
• New trigger for volcanic eruptions discovered using jelly and lasers
• Computerized vital signs analysis may help prevent trauma patients from bleeding to death
• Study estimates prevalence of glaucoma among Singapore Chinese
• Study examines treatment factors associated with oral cavity cancer survival
• Sound waves could be viable alternative in diagnosing minor fractures
• New form of inherited blindness discovered
• Minimal residual disease alone not predictive in T-cell leukemia
• Research paves way for early detection of liver cancer
• Patient-centered outcomes studies needed in pain management
• How healthcare is organized may affect how well blood pressure is controlled
• Unemployment linked to rise in prostate cancer deaths
• Contraceptive, cholesterol-lowering drugs used to treat cancer
• New analytics model predicts readmission of congestive heart failure patients
• New release of Glioblastoma Atlas sheds light on deadly disease
• Safety switch preserves beneficial effects of cell therapy
• New cancer treatment, prevention studies signal major advances for children, adults
• Comet Wild 2: A window into the birth of the solar system?
• Educating the immune system to prevent allergies
• Breakthrough opens door to safer lupus drugs
• Computer intelligence system developed for acute stroke detection
• Frontline immune cells can travel for help
• Children's views should shape how research is conducted, says ethics body
• Climate scientists find warming in higher atmosphere: Elusive tropospheric hot spot located
• Afterlife belief preserves hope when thinking about death, new research suggests
• Definitive tests for irritable bowel syndrome developed
• Tiny wasp controls nuisance whitefly
• Bid for bandages to enter the electronic age: Electrical stimulation promotes healing
• Intense lasers cook up complex, self-assembled nanomaterials, fast
• Revealing kidney cancer's secret
• Bullying: What we know based on 40 years of research
• Those who believe in pure evil support more harsh criminal punishments, study finds
• New age of genome editing could lead to cure for sickle cell anemia
• Valuable Massachusetts ecosystems shrinking, doing more with less, study shows
• Common hospital soap effective in preventing hospital-acquired infections
• Geneticists clock genetic differences between 'larks' and 'night owls'
• Recommended levels of activity rarely achieved in busy workplace environment

Campaign increases mouth and throat cancer screenings among low-income rural Floridians Posted: 14 May 2015 12:28 PM PDT Raising awareness of the dangers of mouth and throat cancer increased the number of black men in some of Florida's poorest counties who sought screening for the first time, opening the door to improved survival rates through early detection and treatment, researchers report.

Findings reveal clues to functioning of mysterious 'mimivirus' Posted: 14 May 2015 12:28 PM PDT Researchers have discovered the structure of a key protein on the surface of an unusually large virus called the mimivirus, aiding efforts to determine its hosts and unknown functions. The mimivirus was initially thought to be a bacterium because it is much larger than most viruses. It was isolated by French scientists in 1992 but wasn't confirmed to be a virus until 2003.

Drug micro-factory engineered to attack tumors Posted: 14 May 2015 12:27 PM PDT A team of investigators has engineered therapeutic cells encapsulated in nanoporous capsules to secrete antitumor molecules from within the tumor.

Bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres Posted: 14 May 2015 12:07 PM PDT The mysterious bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres are better resolved in a image recently taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. The images were taken from a distance of 8,400 miles (13,600 kilometers).

As carbon emissions climb, so too has Earth's capacity to remove CO2 from atmosphere Posted: 14 May 2015 11:30 AM PDT New research confirms that as carbon emissions continue to climb, so too has the Earth's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

'Graduation' from poverty: Anti-poverty intervention provides sustained boost to incomes and wealth Posted: 14 May 2015 11:29 AM PDT An anti-poverty program tested extensively on three continents has produced sustained gains in individuals' income, wealth, and well-being, according to a study. The program provides very poor people with productive assets, such as livestock, as well as job training, life-skills coaching, and health information. Known as the "Graduation" program, its intention was to examine whether helping the poor in multiple ways simultaneously could be especially effective in fighting poverty.

Ocean's hidden fertilizer revealed Posted: 14 May 2015 11:29 AM PDT Phosphorus is one of the most common substances on Earth. An essential nutrient for every living organism -- humans require approximately 700 milligrams per day -- we are rarely concerned about consuming enough of it because it is present in most of the foods we eat. Despite its ubiquity and living organisms' utter dependence on it, we know surprisingly little about how it moves, or cycles, through the ocean environment.

Gene regulation underlies the evolution of social complexity in bees Posted: 14 May 2015 11:29 AM PDT Explaining the evolution of insect society, with sterile society members displaying extreme levels of altruism, has long been a major scientific challenge, dating back to Charles Darwin's day. A new genomic study of 10 species of bees representing a spectrum of social living -- from solitary bees to those in complex, highly social colonies -- offers new insights into the genetic changes that accompany the evolution of bee societies.

Unique social structure of hunter-gatherers explained Posted: 14 May 2015 11:29 AM PDT Sex equality in residential decision-making explains the unique social structure of hunter-gatherers, a new study reveals.

First fully warm-blooded fish: The opah or moonfish Posted: 14 May 2015 11:29 AM PDT New research has revealed the opah, or moonfish, as the first fully warm-blooded fish that circulates heated blood throughout its body much like mammals and birds, giving it a competitive advantage in the cold ocean depths.

New mouse model for ALS and frontotemporal dementia gene offers hope for potential therapies Posted: 14 May 2015 11:28 AM PDT A mouse model has been developed that exhibits the neuropathological and behavioral features associated with the most common genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which are caused by a mutation in the C9ORF72 gene. The researchers hope that this model will leave to new potential therapies.

Model predicts which delinquent credit card holders will pay Posted: 14 May 2015 11:28 AM PDT A way to accurately predict which delinquent credit card accounts will repay an outstanding balance has been created by researchers. Banks need to know which accounts are worth spending money on -- whether sending them to a collection agency, filing a lawsuit, or taking no action whatsoever -- based on the likelihood of repayment and the amount they can expect to recover. Having that information would influence the strategy a credit card issuer follows for each account, the authors say.

Geckos resistant to antibiotics, may pose risk to pet owners, study finds Posted: 14 May 2015 11:10 AM PDT Tokay geckos harbor bacteria that are resistant to a number of antibiotics, making them a health concern for pet owners, according to a study on geckos imported from Indonesia. The research focused on how the geckos respond to antibiotics; the study found that the bacteria from the geckos' intestines--known as enteric bacteria--were resistant to the antibiotics.

Genomics laboratory capability in Liberia supports Ebola virus outbreak response Posted: 14 May 2015 11:10 AM PDT Army scientists working to support the Ebola virus outbreak response in West Africa have established the first genomic surveillance capability in Liberia, enabling them to monitor genetic changes in the virus within one week of sample collection, a new article explains.

Study clarifies best treatments for uncommon kidney cancers Posted: 14 May 2015 11:10 AM PDT A head-to-head comparison of two biologic therapies used to treat a subset of patients with advanced kidney cancers provides much-needed clarity on the preferred treatment for the first line of attack. Research focused on three forms of non-clear cell kidney cancers: metastatic papillary, chromophobe or unclassified. The patients were randomly assigned to receive one of the two approved treatments that are typically used, everolimus or sunitinib, until their tumors progressed.

Growing interest: School-grown vegetables increase salad selection Posted: 14 May 2015 10:29 AM PDT If kids grow vegetables, they're more likely to eat them. A new study shows that when garden grown vegetables were slipped into school salads, kids were over four times as likely to take a salad.

Researchers hone technique for finding signs of life on the Red Planet Posted: 14 May 2015 10:29 AM PDT Astrobiologists want to improve the way unmanned Mars probes detect condensed aromatic carbon, thought to be a chemical signature of astrobiology.

'Hydrogels' boost ability of stem cells to restore eyesight and heal brains Posted: 14 May 2015 10:29 AM PDT Scientists and engineers have made a breakthrough in cell transplantation using a gel-like biomaterial that keeps cells alive and helps them integrate better into tissue. In two early lab trials, this has already shown to partially reverse blindness and help the brain recover from stroke.

Do flies have fear (or something like it)? Posted: 14 May 2015 10:29 AM PDT A fruit fly starts buzzing around food at a picnic, so you wave your hand over the insect and shoo it away. But when the insect flees the scene, is it doing so because it is actually afraid? Using fruit flies to study the basic components of emotion, a new study reports that a fly's response to a shadowy overhead stimulus might be analogous to a negative emotional state such as fear.

Signaling pathway revealed through which a promising anti-leukemia drug kills cancer cells Posted: 14 May 2015 10:29 AM PDT Due to overwhelming evidence of their effectiveness in mice, inhibitors of the leukemia protein BRD4, including the drug JQ1, moved into clinical trials starting in 2013. There are 12 trials targeting BRD4 in progress. Last year, clinical trial findings indicated that an oral inhibitor of BRD4 similar to JQ1 had led to complete remission in some patients. Now a team of researchers has determined the pathway through which JQ1 acts.

Three perspectives on 'The Dress' Posted: 14 May 2015 10:29 AM PDT When you look at this photograph, what colors are the dress? Some see blue and black stripes, others see white and gold stripes. This striking variation took the internet by storm in February; now Current Biology is publishing three short papers on why the image is seen differently by different observers, and what this tells us about the complicated workings of color perception.

CLAIRE Brings Electron Microscopy to Soft Materials Posted: 14 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT Researchers have invented a technique called "CLAIRE" that extends the incredible resolution of electron microscopy to the non-invasive nanoscale imaging of soft matter, including biomolecules, liquids, polymers, gels and foams.

Hubble Catches a Stellar Exodus in Action Posted: 14 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT Astronomers have captured for the first time snapshots of fledgling white dwarf stars beginning their slow-paced, 40-million-year migration from the crowded center of an ancient star cluster to the less populated suburbs.

Further assessment needed of dispersants used in response to oil spills Posted: 14 May 2015 09:25 AM PDT Experts argue for further in-depth assessments of the impacts of dispersants on microorganisms to guide their use in response to future oil spills. Chemical dispersants are widely used in emergency responses to oil spills in marine environments as a means of stimulating microbial degradation of oil. After the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, dispersants were applied to the sea surface and deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the latter of which was unprecedented. Dispersants were used as a first line of defense even though little is known about how they affect microbial communities or the biodegradation activities they are intended to spur.

New trigger for volcanic eruptions discovered using jelly and lasers Posted: 14 May 2015 09:25 AM PDT Scientists have made an important step towards understanding how volcanic eruptions happen, after identifying a previously unrecognized potential trigger. Researchers think their findings could lead to new ways of interpreting signs of volcanic unrest measured by satellites and surface observations.

Computerized vital signs analysis may help prevent trauma patients from bleeding to death Posted: 14 May 2015 09:25 AM PDT A research team has successfully field tested a system that analyzed patient vital signs during emergency transport in a fully automated fashion, finding that such a system could diagnose those with life-threatening bleeding before they arrive at the hospital, potentially saving lives.

Study estimates prevalence of glaucoma among Singapore Chinese Posted: 14 May 2015 09:25 AM PDT A study of Chinese adults in Singapore suggests the prevalence of glaucoma, a disease of the eye that can result in blindness, was 3.2 percent, with no difference from a previous study conducted in 1997, according to a study.

Study examines treatment factors associated with oral cavity cancer survival Posted: 14 May 2015 09:25 AM PDT The surgical procedure known as neck dissection to remove lymph nodes and receiving treatment at academic or research institutions was associated with improved survival in patients with stages I and II oral cavity squamous cell cancer, according to a report.

Sound waves could be viable alternative in diagnosing minor fractures Posted: 14 May 2015 09:19 AM PDT A study has been conducted of the usefulness and efficiency of portable ultrasound in detecting the presence of minor fractures in patients presenting to a minor injuries unit. Analysis showed that 85% of patients with a fracture confirmed by X-ray had injuries detected through ultrasonography. The authors say emergency clinicians could rule in fractures by studying the ultrasound images but ruling out fractures is still the job of radiographers.

New form of inherited blindness discovered Posted: 14 May 2015 09:19 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that mutations in the gene DRAM2 cause a new type of late-onset inherited blindness. The research describes individuals from five families with a variety of DRAM2 mutations, all of which lead to loss of central vision beginning at age 30-40. Peripheral vision loss is also described in older individuals.

Minimal residual disease alone not predictive in T-cell leukemia Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 AM PDT Researchers found that the presence of a few remaining leukemia cells, called minimal residual disease (MRD), at the end of induction chemotherapy was not predictive of risk or outcome in children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This opens the possibility for patients with T-cell ALL who have MRD to achieve complete remission without undergoing intensified cancer treatments and their associated toxicities.

Research paves way for early detection of liver cancer Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 AM PDT Researchers have developed the first robust and noninvasive detection of early stage liver cancer and liver metastases, in addition to other liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver fibrosis. More than 700,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 600,000 deaths annually.

Patient-centered outcomes studies needed in pain management Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 AM PDT People suffering chronic pain have valuable information to share about their condition and overall health that can help pain researchers and physicians in treatment planning, according to experts.

How healthcare is organized may affect how well blood pressure is controlled Posted: 14 May 2015 09:11 AM PDT For medical practices, having more unique doctors on staff and having doctors see more patients doesn't necessarily lead to improved patient outcomes—and in fact, may have the opposite effect, according to report.

Unemployment linked to rise in prostate cancer deaths Posted: 14 May 2015 08:06 AM PDT The knock-on effects of the economic downturn have been explored in economy and psychology. Now researchers are examining the effects of unemployment on an even darker subject - cancer mortality.

Contraceptive, cholesterol-lowering drugs used to treat cancer Posted: 14 May 2015 07:28 AM PDT The combination of a cholesterol-lowering drug, Bezafibrate, and a contraceptive steroid, Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, could be an effective, non-toxic treatment for a range of cancers, researchers have found.

New analytics model predicts readmission of congestive heart failure patients Posted: 14 May 2015 07:28 AM PDT Readmission of patients with chronic diseases is a growing problem, costing the U.S. health-care system about $25 billion each year. Researchers have developed a predictive analytics model that can identify congestive heart failure patients with high readmission risk and potentially help stymie those costs.

New release of Glioblastoma Atlas sheds light on deadly disease Posted: 14 May 2015 07:28 AM PDT Robust new data added to the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project changes the scope and impact of this publicly available resource for researchers and clinicians searching for treatments for this most deadly and aggressive of brain cancers, glioblastoma multiforme.

Safety switch preserves beneficial effects of cell therapy Posted: 14 May 2015 07:28 AM PDT A single dose of an otherwise harmless drug can safely control the severe and often lethal side effects associated with haploidentical stem cell transplantation, new research has found. The switch, scientists say, allows for the elimination of the donor cells that cause graft versus host disease but leave behind the component that fights viral infection.

New cancer treatment, prevention studies signal major advances for children, adults Posted: 14 May 2015 06:58 AM PDT Results from four major studies have been announced by experts, showing that: use of a widely available vitamin pill reduces the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers; that early chemotherapy extends the lives of men with advanced prostate cancers; and that new therapies can improve outcomes for children with a rare form of kidney cancer and adults with relapsed multiple myeloma.

Comet Wild 2: A window into the birth of the solar system? Posted: 14 May 2015 06:58 AM PDT Scientists have investigated the oxygen isotope and mineral composition of the comet dust returned from Wild 2. The team discovered an unexpected combination of material that has deepened the mystery of Wild 2's past.

Educating the immune system to prevent allergies Posted: 14 May 2015 06:58 AM PDT With the arrival of spring, millions of people have begun their annual ritual of sneezing and wheezing due to seasonal allergies. A research team is bringing them hope with a potential vaccine that nudges the immune response away from developing allergies. The findings have major clinical implications since allergies and asthma often start in childhood and for which there is presently no cure.

Breakthrough opens door to safer lupus drugs Posted: 14 May 2015 06:57 AM PDT A ground-breaking discovery could revolutionize treatments given to lupus sufferers, saving thousands of people each year from serious illness or death caused by secondary infections, researchers report.

Computer intelligence system developed for acute stroke detection Posted: 14 May 2015 06:57 AM PDT A novel computer-aided detection system has been developed for acute stroke using computer intelligence technology. The detection accuracy is 90 percent, which is as high as that conducted by specialists, but at a much reduced time from 10-15 minutes to three minutes. The new system serves as a second opinion for frontline medical doctors, enabling timely and appropriate treatment for stroke patients.

Frontline immune cells can travel for help Posted: 14 May 2015 06:57 AM PDT 'Neutrophils' cells that form the bulk of our fast-acting 'innate' immune system behave differently, depending on whether an injury is infected or not, new research shows.

Children's views should shape how research is conducted, says ethics body Posted: 14 May 2015 06:57 AM PDT A new report calls for a change in culture across all areas of children's health research, so that children's and young people's views and opinions can help to shape how research is prioritized, designed and reviewed. Unless ethical concerns about asking children to take part in research are addressed, our understanding of childhood disorders and ability to provide evidence based care will remain limited.

Climate scientists find warming in higher atmosphere: Elusive tropospheric hot spot located Posted: 14 May 2015 06:57 AM PDT Updated data and better analysis methods have found clear indications of warming in the upper troposphere and a 10 percent increase in winds over the Southern Ocean. The inability to detect this hotspot previously has been used by those who doubt human-made global warming to suggest climate change is not occurring as a result of increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

Afterlife belief preserves hope when thinking about death, new research suggests Posted: 14 May 2015 06:56 AM PDT The prospect of death does not necessarily leave people feeling hopelessly mortal but depends rather on afterlife belief, suggests new research from psychologists who set out to establish in four separate studies whether people lose hope when thinking about death - known as Terror Management Theory - under a range of different conditions. The research was based on the premise that self-awareness among humans has been shown to create the potential for hope - or the general expectation and feeling that future desired outcomes will occur.

Definitive tests for irritable bowel syndrome developed Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT Millions of people afflicted by irritable bowel syndrome can now be diagnosed quickly and accurately with two simple blood tests developed by a gastroenterologist. The tests confirm when a patient has developed IBS because of food poisoning, a major cause of the disorder.

Tiny wasp controls nuisance whitefly Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT The Rugose spiraling whitefly leaves a sticky white mess on everything from cars to homes and golf courses and trees. But a wasp the size of a pin head can control it, say scientists.

Bid for bandages to enter the electronic age: Electrical stimulation promotes healing Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT The most detailed study to date showing how electrical stimulation accelerates wound healing has now been carried out.

Intense lasers cook up complex, self-assembled nanomaterials, fast Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT New technique makes nanomaterial self-assembly 1,000 times faster and could be used for industrial-scale solar panels and electronics.

Revealing kidney cancer's secret Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT An international team of scientists has used a sophisticated combination of proteomics and metabolomics to show how renal cell carcinoma (RCC) reprograms its metabolism and evades the immune system. In addition, the study found that cancer grade has a major impact on this reprogramming. These results point to new therapeutic options for this particularly deadly cancer.

Bullying: What we know based on 40 years of research Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT Psychologists have reviewed over 40 years of research on bullying among school age youth, documented the current understanding of the complexity of the issue and suggested directions for future research.

Those who believe in pure evil support more harsh criminal punishments, study finds Posted: 14 May 2015 06:52 AM PDT People who believe in pure evil are more likely support sentences such as life in prison without parole and the death penalty for criminals, a psychology study finds. The researchers added that it's likely that life experience more than religion that influences a belief in pure evil. When investigating whether a religious upbringing was linked to a belief in pure evil, researchers found that people's belief in pure evil didn't necessitate a belief in pure good and vice versa.

New age of genome editing could lead to cure for sickle cell anemia Posted: 14 May 2015 05:59 AM PDT Researchers have shown that changing just a single letter of the DNA of human red blood cells in the laboratory increases their production of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin -- a world-first advance that could lead to a cure for sickle cell anemia and other blood disorders. The new genome editing technique introduces a beneficial, naturally occurring genetic mutation into the cells to switch on a gene that is turned off in most people after birth.

Valuable Massachusetts ecosystems shrinking, doing more with less, study shows Posted: 14 May 2015 05:59 AM PDT Ecologists and conservation groups single out the hardest-working ecosystems -- called "hotspots" -- for their exceptional conservation value. The number of ecosystem hotspots has increased in Massachusetts over the past decade, with more and more hotspots popping up in metro Boston, a study has found.

Common hospital soap effective in preventing hospital-acquired infections Posted: 14 May 2015 05:59 AM PDT A new study holds hope for a relatively inexpensive way to improve care and prevent the spread of deadly hospital-acquired infections by bathing patients in a common hospital soap. MRSA and other hospital acquired infections are a growing healthcare concern. The CDC reported that on any given day, about one in every 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. Its survey found an estimated 722,000 hospital-acquired infections in U.S acute care hospitals in 2011, the most recent year for which it has data. It also found 75,000 hospital patients with these infections died during their hospitalizations.

Geneticists clock genetic differences between 'larks' and 'night owls' Posted: 14 May 2015 05:57 AM PDT Geneticists have for the first time identified the genetic clues behind what makes you a 'lark' or an 'owl'. Based on analysis of a fruit fly, the scientists have discovered nearly 80 genes associated with 'morningness' and 'eveningness'.

Recommended levels of activity rarely achieved in busy workplace environment Posted: 14 May 2015 05:57 AM PDT Even a busy job may not provide enough exercise to meet current activity recommendations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, according to a study. The study examined the activity patterns of 83 employees working in six occupational groups at a European hospital during a typical working week. Everyone wore a pedometer to record each step taken and energy expenditure was assessed according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

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