ScienceDaily: Science & Society News

More than 2 million people die prematurely every year because treatment for kidney failure is unavailable Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:08 AM PDT At best, only half of people worldwide needing kidney dialysis or transplantation to treat kidney failure in 2010 received it, new research shows. This suggests that at least 2.3 million people may have died prematurely from kidney failure because they could not access this life-saving treatment.

Nearly 70 percent of evangelicals do not view religion, science as being in conflict Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT Media and popular culture might portray religion and science as being at odds, but new research suggests just the opposite.

Electronic cigarette vapors contain toxins, have potential to be a public health concern Posted: 12 Mar 2015 12:38 PM PDT On the heels of the Federal Drug Administration's (FDA) second public workshop to explore the public health considerations associated with e-cigarettes, researchers explore the composition of e-cigarette vapor and the potential health impacts of secondhand exposure.

Media portray unrealistic timelines for stem cell therapies Posted: 11 Mar 2015 01:03 PM PDT A new study reveals sometimes overly optimistic news coverage of clinical translation of stem cell therapies -- and as spokespeople, scientists need to be mindful of harnessing public expectations.

Urging HPV vaccine for boys could protect more people at same price Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:46 AM PDT Whether vaccinating U.S. boys against HPV in addition to girls is worth the cost has been hotly debated. But with HPV-related cancers in men on the rise, and coverage in girls stagnating below the levels needed to ensure that most people are protected, research suggests that devoting a portion of HPV funding to boys -- rather than merely attempting to improve female coverage -- may protect more people for the same price.

New genetic evidence resolves origins of modern Japanese Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:45 AM PDT Researchers identified the differences between the Ainu people -- direct descendants of indigenous Jomon -- with Chinese from Beijing -- same ancestry as Yayoi. The results from a genome-wide, single nucleotide polymorphism data strongly support a hybridization model as the best fit for Japanese population history.

Two new flu strains do not yet easily infect humans Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:44 AM PDT A key protein from two influenza strains that recently began causing sporadic infections among people in China and Taiwan have been analyzed by researchers. The analyses suggest that the flu viruses, variants of subtypes H10N8 and H6N1, have not acquired changes that would allow them to infect people easily and cause a much-feared pandemic.

Sea change for ocean resource management Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:44 AM PDT Ocean ecosystems around the world are threatened by overfishing, extensive shipping routes, energy exploration, pollution and other consequences of ocean-based industry. Data exist that could help protect these vulnerable ecosystems, but current management strategies often can't react quickly enough to new information. Experts now endorse a new approach called 'dynamic ocean management.'

When it comes to nuclear disaster, safety really is in numbers Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:43 AM PDT The safety of nuclear plants, as well as the medical management of acute radiation syndrome, could soon be dramatically improved thanks to a new mathematical equation.