ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Quasi-legal drug 15 times stronger than heroin hides in plain sight
• 500 million year reset for immune system
• Project serves up big data to guide managing America's coastal waters
• New tool makes online personal data more transparent
• Blood pressure medication does not cause more falls, study shows
• Pigs' hearts transplanted into baboon hosts remain viable more than a year
• Recycling old car batteries into solar cells: Environmental twofer could recycle lead batteries to make solar cells
• Invasion of Americas by mosquito-borne virus likely
• Smoking during pregnancy may affect grandchildren's growth
• Ocean warming could drive heavy rain bands toward poles
• Ebola has profound effects on wildlife population dynamics
• Butterflies' evolutionary responses to warmer temperatures may compromise their ability to adapt to future climate change
• Did an exceptional iceberg sink the Titanic?
• International scientific team criticizes adoption of 'novel ecosystems' by policymakers
• White, straight women leading surge in infertility treatments
• Antibiotics in early life may alter immunity long-term
• Sun's activity influences natural climate change
• New discovery: Microbes create dripstones
• Toothless 'dragon' pterosaurs dominated the Late Cretaceous skies
• Artificial cells act like the real thing
• Myc inhibition an effective therapeutic strategy against most aggressive brain tumors
• From rectal cells to neurons: Keys to understanding transdifferentiation
• Music to your ears? Evidence of damage to hearing from music
• Genes determine traces that stress leaves behind on brains
• Poor health literacy poses risks for pacemaker, defibrillator patients
• How genes, gender and environment influence substance abuse
• Women seek anti-aging clinicians to treat menopausal symptoms, study finds
• High-intensity exercise found safe and effective in long-term heart transplant, study concludes
• 'Super-parent' cultural pressures can spur mental health conditions in new Moms and Dads
• 'Bonus effect' for certain multiracial daters
• key clue for protecting hearts against deadly arrhythmia discovered
• Stroke researchers link ability to self-administer medication with memory loss
• New X-ray imaging developed by scientists
• #FeelingSick: Can Twitter help better identify foodborne illness cases?
• Dopamine replacement therapy associated with increase in impulse control disorders among early Parkinson's disease patients

Quasi-legal drug 15 times stronger than heroin hides in plain sight Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:52 AM PDT Emergency physicians should expect 'an upswing in what on the surface appear to be heroin overdoses,' but are actually overdoses tied to acetyl fentanyl, an opiate that is mixed into street drugs marketed as heroin, a new study suggests.

500 million year reset for immune system Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT A single factor can reset the immune system of mice to a state likely similar to what it was 500 million years ago, when the first vertebrates emerged. The model, researchers report, could provide an explanation of how the immune system had developed in the course of evolution.

Project serves up big data to guide managing America's coastal waters Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT Researchers have given a sweeping assessment to understand how human activities are affecting estuaries, the nation's sounds, bays, gulfs and bayous. This first comprehensive look at changes in land cover, river flow, pollution and nutrient levels offers a comprehensive look at the state of America's estuaries.

New tool makes online personal data more transparent Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT XRay is a new tool that reveals which data in a web account, such as emails, searches, or viewed products, are being used to target which outputs, such as ads, recommended products, or prices. Determined to provide checks and balances on data abuse, XRay is designed to be the first fine-grained, scalable personal data tracking system for the web.

Blood pressure medication does not cause more falls, study shows Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:50 AM PDT It's time to question the common belief that patients receiving intensive blood pressure treatment are prone to falling and breaking bones. A comprehensive study in people ages 40 to 79 with diabetes found no evidence supporting this belief.

Pigs' hearts transplanted into baboon hosts remain viable more than a year Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:34 AM PDT Investigators have successfully transplanted hearts from genetically engineered piglets into baboons' abdomens and had the hearts survive for more than one year, twice as long as previously reported. This was achieved by using genetically engineered porcine donors and a more focused immunosuppression regimen in the baboon recipients, according to a new study.

Recycling old car batteries into solar cells: Environmental twofer could recycle lead batteries to make solar cells Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:34 AM PDT This could be a classic win-win solution: A system proposed by researchers recycles materials from discarded car batteries -- a potential source of lead pollution -- into new, long-lasting solar panels that provide emissions-free power.

Invasion of Americas by mosquito-borne virus likely Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT While media attention has been focused recently on coronavirus cases in the Arabian peninsula and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, experts note that another threat lies in the spread of Chikungunya fever, an illness that is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause fever, joint and muscle pain, headaches, and rashes. While it does not often cause death, the symptoms can be severe and disabling, with no treatment available.

Smoking during pregnancy may affect grandchildren's growth Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT Smoking during pregnancy has discernible effects on the growth of a woman's future grandkids, a new study shows. The "likely transgenerational effects from the grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy need to be taken into account in future studies of the effects of maternal smoking on child growth and development. If replicated, such studies could be a useful model for the molecular analysis of human transgenerational responses," said the senior author.

Ocean warming could drive heavy rain bands toward poles Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT In a world warmed by rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, precipitation patterns are going to change because of two factors: one, warmer air can hold more water; and two, changing atmospheric circulation patterns will shift where rain falls. According to previous model research, mid- to high-latitude precipitation is expected to increase by as much as 50 percent. Yet the reasons why models predict this are hard to tease out.

Ebola has profound effects on wildlife population dynamics Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT New research in gorillas that were affected by an Ebola virus outbreak shows that disease can influence reproductive potential, immigration and social dynamics, and it highlights the need to develop complex models that integrate all the different impacts of a disease.

Butterflies' evolutionary responses to warmer temperatures may compromise their ability to adapt to future climate change Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT Members of the brown argus butterfly species that moved north in response to recent climate change have evolved a narrower diet dependent on wild Geranium plants, researchers report. However, butterflies that did not move north have more diverse diets, including plants such as Rockrose that are abundant in southern parts of the UK.

Did an exceptional iceberg sink the Titanic? Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT While the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 is typically blamed on human, design and construction errors, a new paper points to two other unfavorable factors outside human control: there were a greater number of icebergs than normal that year, and weather conditions had driven them further south, and earlier in the year, than was usual.

International scientific team criticizes adoption of 'novel ecosystems' by policymakers Posted: 18 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT Novel ecosystems arise when human activities transform biological communities through species invasions and environmental change. They are seemingly ubiquitous, and thus many policymakers and ecologists argue for them to be accepted as the "new normal" -— an idea the researchers say is a bad one.

White, straight women leading surge in infertility treatments Posted: 18 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT Heterosexual white women are twice as likely as racial or sexual minority women to obtain medical help to get pregnant, according to a recent study. While income and lack of insurance only partially explained the lower number of racial minority women receiving fertility assistance, lack of insurance appeared to play a crucial role in whether lesbian and bisexual women received medical fertility help, especially in more recent years, according to an American study.

Antibiotics in early life may alter immunity long-term Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:59 AM PDT A new study aims to help scientists understand how different antibiotics affect bacteria that play a positive role in promoting a healthy immune system. "This is the first step to understanding which bacteria are absolutely necessary to develop a healthy immune system later in life," says the lead researcher.

Sun's activity influences natural climate change Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:52 AM PDT A new study has, for the first time, reconstructed solar activity during the last ice age. The study shows that the regional climate is influenced by the sun and offers opportunities to better predict future climate conditions in certain regions.

New discovery: Microbes create dripstones Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT According to new research humble, microscopic organisms can create dripstones in caves. This illustrates how biological life can influence the formation of Earth's geology -- and the same may be happening right now on other planets in space.

Toothless 'dragon' pterosaurs dominated the Late Cretaceous skies Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT A new study provides an exciting insight into the diversity and distribution of pterosaurs from the Azhdarchidae family. Dominating the Late Cretaceous skies this group of toothless flying 'dragons' represent an important link in evolutionary transitions between the pre-historic times and the world as we know it today.

Artificial cells act like the real thing Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT Scientists have created an artificial, network-like cell system that is capable of reproducing the dynamic behavior of protein synthesis. This achievement is not only likely to help gain a deeper understanding of basic biological processes, but it may, in the future, pave the way toward controlling the synthesis of both naturally-occurring and synthetic proteins for a host of uses.

Myc inhibition an effective therapeutic strategy against most aggressive brain tumors Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT The Myc protein plays a key role in the development of several tumor types and its inhibition could therefore prove an effective therapy against many different cancers. Previous studies successfully blocked Myc through expression of an inhibitor, resulting in the eradication of lung tumors in preclinical models.

From rectal cells to neurons: Keys to understanding transdifferentiation Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT How can a specialized cell change its identity? A research team investigated a 100% effective natural example of this phenomenon, which is called transdifferentiation. This process, by which some cells lose their characteristics and acquire a new identity, could be more generally involved in tissue or organ regeneration in vertebrates, and is a promising research avenue for regenerative medicine. This study identifies the role of epigenetic factors involved in this conversion, underlines the dynamic nature of the process, and shows the key mechanisms for effective transdifferentiation.

Music to your ears? Evidence of damage to hearing from music Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Many people listen to loud music without realizing that this can affect their hearing. This could lead to difficulties in understanding speech during age-related hearing loss which affects up to half of people over the age of 65. New research has examined the cellular mechanisms that underlie hearing loss and tinnitus triggered by exposure to loud sound.

Genes determine traces that stress leaves behind on brains Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Our individual genetic make-up determines the effect that stress has on our emotional centers, researchers have found. Not every individual reacts in the same way to life events that produce the same degree of stress. Some grow as a result of the crisis, whereas others break down and fall ill, for example with depression. The outcome is determined by a complex interaction between depression gene versions and environmental factors.

Poor health literacy poses risks for pacemaker, defibrillator patients Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:46 AM PDT 40 percent of patients with pacemakers and defibrillators had little to no ability to understand information about their cardiac health, according to results of a new study. The study examined literacy among patients with medical conditions that are common among patients with pacemakers and defibrillators. Individuals with hypertension or high cholesterol were more than twice as likely to have limited health literacy as individuals without those conditions. Diabetics were almost twice as likely to have low health literacy.

How genes, gender and environment influence substance abuse Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:23 PM PDT Social integration, including strong family ties, can protect one's wellbeing and even reduce the impact high-risk genes have on health. Scientists call this phenomenon a gene-environment interaction. A study focusing on substance abuse, however, found that a three-way interplay of gender, genetics and social integration produced the different outcomes for men and women.

Women seek anti-aging clinicians to treat menopausal symptoms, study finds Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:23 PM PDT Feeling that conventional doctors did not take their suffering seriously, women instead sought out hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms from anti-aging clinicians, according to a study that investigated the appeal of anti-aging medicine.

High-intensity exercise found safe and effective in long-term heart transplant, study concludes Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:22 PM PDT High-intensity exercise can help stable heart transplant patients reach higher levels of exercise capacity, and gain better control of their blood pressure than moderate intensity exercise, investigators report. Their research shows that high-intensity interval exercise -— training for a few minutes at close to the maximum heart rate -— is safe and more efficient than moderate exercise for improving exercise capacity in different groups of patients with heart disease.

'Super-parent' cultural pressures can spur mental health conditions in new Moms and Dads Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:22 PM PDT Mental health experts in the past three decades have emphasized the dangers of post-partum depression for mothers, but a researcher says expanding awareness of several other perinatal mental health conditions is important for all new parents, including fathers.

'Bonus effect' for certain multiracial daters Posted: 17 Aug 2014 10:22 PM PDT While previous research has documented the existence of a racial hierarchy within the dating world with white women and men on top, a new study finds that in certain circumstances multiracial daters are actually seen as more desirable than individuals from all other racial groups, including whites.

key clue for protecting hearts against deadly arrhythmia discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:57 PM PDT Restoring blood flow to the heart following a heart attack can leave patients with ventricular fibrillation, a dangerous heart rhythm which puts people at greater risk of sudden cardiac death. New research sheds light on how carbon monoxide could be used to protect against life-threatening arrhythmias after a heart attack, scientists report.

Stroke researchers link ability to self-administer medication with memory loss Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:25 PM PDT Stroke researchers have identified an association between over-optimistic estimation of the ability to take medications accurately and memory loss among stroke survivors. Results indicate that assessing patients for their ability to estimate medication skills may predict memory disorder. Screening stroke survivors for medication self-administration ability may be a useful approach to identifying memory deficits that contribute to poor outcomes.

New X-ray imaging developed by scientists Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:25 PM PDT Scientists have developed an X-ray imaging system that enables researchers to see 'live' how effective treatments are for cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis affects many of the body's systems, but most severely the lungs, and currently it can take several months to measure how effective treatment is for the early-fatal lung disease.

#FeelingSick: Can Twitter help better identify foodborne illness cases? Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT An estimated 55 million to 105 million people in the United States suffer from foodborne illnesses each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), resulting in costs of $2-$4 billion annually. What if Twitter could be used to track those cases and more quickly identify the source of the problem? A new analysis shows that new technology might better allow health departments to engage with the public to improve foodborne illness surveillance.

Dopamine replacement therapy associated with increase in impulse control disorders among early Parkinson's disease patients Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety and fatigue are more common in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared to the general population. The study also found that initiation of dopamine replacement therapy, the most common treatment for PD, was associated with increasing frequency of impulse control disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness.

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