Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for May 25, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Physicists build quantum amplifier with single artificial atom- GPS getting an upgrade - for $8 billion
- Women less trusting when taking testosterone
- Graphane yields new potential: Physicists dig theoretical wells to mine quantum dots
- Researchers print field-effect transistors with nano-infused ink
- Supermassive black holes may frequently roam galaxy centers
- Energy answer: Blowing in the wind?
- STEREO, SOHO spacecraft catch comet diving into sun (w/ Video)
- Scaling Goes eXtreme: Researchers reach 34K CPUs
- Super Accurate Radiation Robots Kill Cancer Cells and Leave Healthy Ones Untouched (w/ Video)
- Researchers Developing Potentially 'Transformative' Method to Produce Clean, Green Biofuels (w/ Video)
- Half-heard phone conversations reduce cognitive performance
- A delicate balance: New study shows how networks keep themselves in synch
- Engineers Help Power Solar Use by 'Mapping' the Sun
- Why NASA Keeps a Close Eye on the Sun's Irradiance
Space & Earth news
UAF scientists collaborate to study Eyjafjallajokull lightning
For travelers in Europe, the recent eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull [AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl-uh] meant a major disruption in business and travel plans. For Alaska volcano researchers, the eruption has offered a chance to learn more about the way volcanoes work.
MSU environmental scholar heads into heart of the Amazon
A Michigan State University researcher is helping lead the first research expedition along the western-most leg of the Transamazon Highway - a 700-mile dirt road that begins at the point where civilization essentially ends in the Brazilian Amazon.
US secretary sees clean energy tie-ups in Indonesia
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said on Tuesday the United States was keen to develop clean-energy partnerships with Indonesia, a leading energy producer, ahead of a visit by President Barack Obama.
South African Astronomical Observatory selected as host for the IAU Office for Astronomy Development
At its 88th meeting, on Thursday, 13 May 2010 in Baltimore, USA, the International Astronomical Union selected a proposal submitted by the Director of the SAAO, Professor Phil Charles, from 20 excellent proposals that were carefully assessed over several months. This was an extremely difficult process, given the high quality of so many of the proposals, and its successful outcome represents a milestone in a new era of astronomy development activities for the IAU.
The story behind SOFIA, 13 years in the making
(PhysOrg.com) -- SOFIA, carrying the Cornell-built telescope FORCAST, has a colorful history that includes Bill Nye '77 the Science Guy.
CU telescope debuts on NASA flying observatory
(PhysOrg.com) -- SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, will take flight May 25 along with the Cornell-built FORCAST (the Faint Object InfraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope).
Webb Telescope's NIRCam engineering test unit arrives at NASA Goddard
A test unit for the "NIRCam" instrument that will fly aboard the James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. and has been placed in a clean room for a year's worth of tests.
Climate: El Nino weakens, La Nina threatens
The Pacific weather pattern known as El Nino is all but gone, climate scientists say, while its alter ego, La Nina, might soon appear on the horizon.
Love that dirty water: Scientists find low-tech way to recycle H2O
Horticulturists at Pennsylvania State University have come up with a low-cost, green method for recycling so-called "gray" water -- the stuff from sinks, showers and washing machines that would otherwise go down the drain.
Space shuttle Atlantis on last leg of last mission
(AP) -- The Atlantis astronauts are getting their spaceship ready to come home.
Indian 'miracle lake' becomes pilgrim destination
A dried-up and polluted lake in eastern India has become a major pilgrimage site attracting thousands of people a day after claims that its mud cures cancer and other diseases.
Saving rainforests may help reduce poverty
A new study shows that saving rainforests and protecting land in national parks and reserves reduced poverty in two developing countries, according to research by a Georgia State University professor.
Climate change making Everest more dangerous: Sherpa
Climate change is making Mount Everest more dangerous to climb, a Nepalese Sherpa said in Kathmandu Tuesday after breaking his own record by making a 20th ascent of the world's highest peak.
Launch of Mars500 mission on 3 June in Moscow
(PhysOrg.com) -- The first full-duration simulation of a human mission to Mars is about to begin. After closing the hatch, the crew of six will remain in their 'spacecraft' for 520 days.
NASA Satellites Keep Watch on Gulf Current Near Spill
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists and agencies monitoring the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are keeping a wary eye on changes in the nearby Loop Current, a warm ocean current that is part of the Gulf Stream.
Spacecraft Reveals Small Solar Events Have Large Scale Effects
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, has allowed scientists for the first time to comprehensively view the dynamic nature of storms on the sun. Solar storms have been recognized as a cause of technological problems on Earth since the invention of the telegraph in the 19th century.
WISE Makes Progress on Its Space Rock Catalog (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, is busy surveying the landscape of the infrared sky, building up a catalog of cosmic specimens -- everything from distant galaxies to "failed" stars, called brown dwarfs.
STEREO, SOHO spacecraft catch comet diving into sun (w/ Video)
Solar physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, have captured for the first time the collision of a comet with the sun.
Long odds on BP's desperate 'top kill' bid to plug oil leak (Update)
BP on Tuesday readied an ambitious plan to smother a ruptured underwater oil pipeline in heavy drilling fluid and cement, although company officials conceded that the "top kill" procedure has long odds for success.
Nearby black hole is feeble and unpredictable
For over 10 years, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has repeatedly observed the Andromeda Galaxy for a combined total of nearly one million seconds. This unique data set has given astronomers an unprecedented view of the nearest supermassive black hole outside our own Galaxy.
Coastal birds carry toxic ocean metals inland
A collaborative research team led by Queen's University biologists has found that potent metals like mercury and lead, ingested by Arctic seabirds feeding in the ocean, end up in the sediment of polar ponds.
Supermassive black holes may frequently roam galaxy centers
A team of astronomy researchers at Florida Institute of Technology and Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States and University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, find that the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of the most massive local galaxy (M87) is not where it was expected. Their research, conducted using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), concludes that the SMBH in M87 is displaced from the galaxy center.
Why NASA Keeps a Close Eye on the Sun's Irradiance
(PhysOrg.com) -- For more than two centuries, scientists have wondered how much heat and light the sun expels, and whether this energy varies enough to change Earth's climate. In the absence of a good method for measuring the sun's output, the scientific conversation was often heavy with speculation.
20th century one of driest in 9 centuries for northwest Africa
Droughts in the late 20th century rival some of North Africa's major droughts of centuries past, reveals new research that peers back in time to the year 1179.
Technology news
Foxconn worker dies in China; 10th in a year
(AP) -- A Chinese employee of Foxconn Technology Group fell from a building and died Tuesday, state-run media said, in the 10th such death this year at the world's largest contract maker of electronics, such as the iPod, Dell computers and Nokia phones.
Hong Kong labour activists push for iPhone boycott
Hong Kong labour activists said Tuesday they plan to kick off a worldwide boycott of Apple's newest iPhone after a spate of suicides at a southern Chinese factory that makes the iconic device.
Hugo Chavez launches website in Venezuela
(AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has launched a new website and has starting blogging in an attempt to expand his online presence.
France and Netherlands plan Internet anti-censorship drive
France and the Netherlands have joined forces to develop an international code of conduct against Internet censorship, the Dutch foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Simple Energy Efficiency Measures Can Eliminate Electricity Shortage in India: Report
(PhysOrg.com) -- Electricity in India can be a dicey proposition. Half the population lacks access or is too poor to afford it. The other half is using so much that demand far outstrips supply, resulting in daily power outages. And with a growing middle class buying more TVs, air conditioners and the like, the situation will only get worse. As chaotic as things are, there is a solution: simple energy efficiency measures, according to a new report from Berkeley Lab, can eliminate the electricity deficit as early as 2013.
FSU researchers work to help mobile devices keep going and going...
So, your smart phone lets you play music, send text messages, check e-mail, surf the Web, access apps and play games, but somehow it's not quite smart enough to keep from running out of juice when you actually need to make a phone call.
Fujitsu Introduces Ultra-Compact Wireless LAN Module with Antenna Diversity
Fujitsu Components America today announced the release of a compact, 802.11a/b/g SDIO wireless LAN module with antenna diversity, low power consumption and reduced footprint.
Pac-Man play to stay at Google
Google on Monday made permanent a playable Pac-Man doodle posted in tribute to the classic arcade game's 30th birthday.
Yahoo! buys mobile phone networking firm Koprol
Yahoo! has announced that it has acquired Koprol, an Indonesian Internet service that lets people use mobile telephones to instantly connect with nearby people and places.
Copyright dramas no happy birthday to YouTube
(PhysOrg.com) -- The internet's most successful video-sharing website, YouTube, which celebrates its fifth birthday this month, faces a far less vibrant future if copyright squabbles put an end to creative re-uses of media content, says a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researcher.
Virtual Romanesque monuments being created
Spanish researchers from the Cartif Foundation and the University of Valladolid have created full color plans in 3-D of places of cultural interest, using laser scanners and photographic cameras. The technique has been used to virtually recreate five churches in the Merindad de Aguilar de Campoo, a region between Cantabria, Palencia and Burgos which boasts the highest number of Romanesque monuments in the world.
Microsoft top entertainment executives step down
(AP) -- Microsoft is announcing the departure of the president and another key executive from the group that makes its Xbox 360 game system, Windows mobile phones and Zune media players.
UK Murdoch newspapers unveil pay-for websites
The Times and Sunday Times on Tuesday unveiled new-look websites as they prepare to become the first UK national newspapers to charge online readers for content.
Europe wants unified system for recharging electric cars in 2011
EU nations agreed Tuesday on the need to develop a standardised system for recharging electric cars throughout Europe by next year as part of efforts to convince sceptical consumers.
NYC mayor announces $22M fund for tech startups
(AP) -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a message for computer geeks everywhere: Forget sunny Silicon Valley and launch your company here.
Forbes buying online news startup True/Slant
(AP) -- Forbes Media is buying the online news startup True/Slant.
Widespread outage for AT&T's digital phone lines
(AP) -- AT&T's new digital home phone service failed across the country Tuesday, illustrating continuing reliability issues with Internet-based phone service.
Google ads used by 1.5M US marketers, websites
(AP) -- Google has pulled back another curtain and revealed the size of its lucrative Internet ad network in the U.S. It spans more than 1.5 million advertisers and websites.
Mobile computer shipments surge: Gartner
Shipments of mobile personal computers surged worldwide in the first three months of 2010 due to the popularity of low-cost mini-notebooks, Gartner said Tuesday.
Facebook told to set up warning system after new sex scam
A major computer security firm urged Facebook on Tuesday to set up an early-warning system after hundreds of thousands of users were hit by a new wave of fake sex-video attacks.
Nitro PDF Reader out to blow away Adobe
Nitro PDF Software on Tuesday released a free reader built to break rival Adobe System's grip on the world's top digital document format.
High-energy project in high desert
The sprawling solar installations gobbling up California's deserts have a new competitor, one that claims to generate more energy at lower costs while using less open space. Known as concentrator photovoltaics, or CPV, the technology is featured in an installation that will be revealed Tuesday at Victor Valley College.
Scaling Goes eXtreme: Researchers reach 34K CPUs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Currently, researchers have demonstrated the scalability of high-level excited-state coupled-cluster approaches and parallel-in-time algorithms, reaching a staggering 34,000 Core Processing Units. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are targeting the software that is capable of describing the behavior of molecules in excited states, as well simulating their dynamics.
Energy answer: Blowing in the wind?
(PhysOrg.com) -- When the federal government approved the Cape Wind project in April, allowing 130 power-generating turbines to be placed in the waters off Cape Cod, it gave a significant boost to the prospects of wind energy. The comparatively high costs of wind power, however, remain a problem. But in a study, MIT researchers have concluded that some of the price problems associated with wind power can be remedied right now, given a couple of changes to the electricity grid.
Engineers Help Power Solar Use by 'Mapping' the Sun
(PhysOrg.com) -- As the use of solar power grows in California it will become more important to know exactly how much radiation and energy are generated in regions throughout the state. That's the basis behind an improved solar map for the state created by UC San Diego environmental engineering professor Jan Kleissl and his Ph.D. student Anders Nottrott.
GPS getting an upgrade - for $8 billion
(PhysOrg.com) -- GPS is getting an upgrade costing $8 billion (US), which aims to increase the system's accuracy, improve its reliability, and make the technology even more widespread.
Medicine & Health news
Simple change results in fewer unnecessary imaging exams for patients
A new rule preventing medical support staff from completing orders for outpatient imaging exams that were likely to be negative resulted in a marked decrease in low-yield exams for patients, according to a study appearing in the June issue of Radiology.
IRMA: Research on lubricant safety very past due
Do some currently available lubricants used for anal sex actually make it easier for HIV to be transmitted?
Medicine's secret archives: How patients are harmed by the concealment of knowledge
No one knows how many mothers' and babies' lives have been saved by the obstetrical forceps. This device has been part of the standard equipment of every maternity room for about 250 years. However, a shadow lies over the success story: after the Chamberlen brothers developed the device at the beginning of the 17th century, the brothers and their descendants used it for 3 generations, but kept it a secret from other obstetricians. While thanks to the forceps the Chamberlen family became rich and famous, at the same time women and babies were still dying elsewhere because the device was not available.
Study shows RA patients and doctors differ on disease severity assessment
A novel study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that nearly one-third of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients differed from their physicians in assessment of their disease severity. The disagreement between patient and doctor evaluation of RA activity was most prevalent in patients with depressive symptoms, and those who had poor overall function. Details of the study, the first to examine discordance in an ethnically diverse population, are published in the June issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
CPR-training rates low in Toronto
Almost half the high schools in Toronto do not teach students how to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even though it's part of the Grade 9 curriculum and studies have shown it can greatly increase the survival rates of people who suffer heart attacks outside of hospitals.
New book reviews research on key signaling molecule, NF-kB
NF-κB is a critical signaling molecule in the immune system that regulates cell survival and cell death, lymphocyte responses, and inflammation. Acting as a transcription factor that can receive several inputs, it coordinates distinct gene expression programs in response to a wide variety of stimuli.
Change policy that bans blood donations from men who have sex with men
It is time to change the policy that bans blood donations in Canada from all men who have sex with men, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Lawmakers look to ban drop-side cribs
(AP) -- Cribs with a side rail that moves up and down so parents can lift children from them more easily would be banned under legislation aimed at reducing infant deaths.
Biomedical Researchers Develop Device to Predict Wound Healing
(PhysOrg.com) -- The new device can change the current landscape of chronic wound management.
Bacteria as a predicter of colorectal cancer
Recent findings suggest that bacteria residing in the the human intestinal tract may be associated with an individual's risk of developing colon cancer. Scientists from the University of Florida present their research today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego, CA.
Prevention Program Linked to Fewer Air Force Suicides
A new study links the U.S. Air Force's extensive suicide prevention program to a major drop in the military branch's suicide rate since the mid-1990s.
Hands-on osteopathic treatment cuts hospital stays for pneumonia patients
Older patients battling pneumonia spent less time in the hospital when treated using osteopathic manipulative medicine - a drug-free form of hands-on medical care focusing on increasing muscle motion - in addition to conventional care, recently published research shows.
Early antibiotic treatment for severe COPD symptoms linked with improved outcomes
Among patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), those who received antibiotics in the first 2 hospital days had improved outcomes, such as a lower likelihood of mechanical ventilation and fewer readmissions, compared to patients who received antibiotics later or not at all, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA.
Vaccination key to preventing childhood pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa
Researchers at the University of Warwick, and the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya, have found that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) appears to be the predominant virus detected among infants and children hospitalized in Kenya with severe pneumonia, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA. The contribution to this severe disease by an individual pathogen stresses the need for effective infant vaccination.
8-point manifesto urges increased control, elimination and R&D efforts against Neglected Tropical Diseases
Although advances in the control and elimination of neglected infections have been steadily increasing in the past decade—specifically with heightened interest by policy makers, governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), and private philanthropies—more can and must be done, says a new editorial, "'Manifesto' for Advancing the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases," published May 25 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Subtyping breast cancer by immunohistochemistry to investigate survival terms
A study by Paul Pharoah and colleagues published in this week's PLoS Medicine evaluates immunohistochemistry-based subtype classification of breast tumors for the prediction of disease outcome. Their analysis is based on more than 10,000 breast cancer cases with early disease, and examines the influence of a patient's tumour type on the prediction of future survival.
The challenge of creating culturally appropriate assessment tools for child development
Of the approximately 200million children under 5 years old who are thought to be at risk of not fulfilling their developmental potential, the majority live in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. However, little work has been done to establish, and evaluate, the reliability of tools for assessing developmental progress of young children in such settings.
Gene change raises odds of mother-to-child HIV transmission
A correlation has been discovered between specific variants of the gene that codes for a key immune system protein, TLR9, and the risk of mother-to-child, or vertical, transmission of HIV. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Translational Medicine studied three hundred children born to HIV-positive mothers, finding that those who had either of two TLR9 gene variants were significantly more likely to acquire the virus.
9/11 attacks linked to increased male baby miscarriages
Stress caused by psychological shock from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, felt even by people with no direct link to the event, may have led to an increase in male children being miscarried in the U.S.
Lohan's ankle bracelet has breathalyzer technology
(AP) -- If an alcohol-monitoring bracelet can keep celebrities like Lindsay Lohan from drinking, some parents might wonder, Can I get one for my teen?
GATOR approach can help surfers to evaluate Web-based health information
Patients researching health conditions on the internet should use reputable and frequently updated websites and not see online research as a replacement for consulting healthcare professionals, according to a paper in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Antiviral therapy impacts esophageal varices in HCV-induced cirrhosis
Italian researchers have discovered that antiviral treatment and sustained virologic response (SVR) prevents esophageal varices in patients with compensated hepatitis C (HCV)-induced cirrhosis, indicating that endoscopic surveillance can be safely delayed or avoided in these patients. Full findings are published in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Newly discovered gene variants lead to autism and mental retardation
Researchers working with Professor Gudrun Rappold, Director of the Department of Molecular Human Genetics at Heidelberg University Hospital, have discovered previously unknown mutations in autistic and mentally impaired patients in what is known as the SHANK2 gene, a gene that is partially responsible for linking nerve cells. However, a single gene mutation is not always enough to trigger the illness.
Parents' physical inactivity influences children
Children are more likely to watch high levels of television if their parents do, but parents do not need to be physically active to help their children to be active, a new study has found.
MRI research highlights high-risk atherosclerotic plaque hidden in the vessel wall
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in an animal model can non-invasively identify dangerous plaques. The findings, which appear in the May issue of Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging, offer possible applications in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with atherosclerosis.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals pose cancer risk
Longtime environmental health researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine describe the carcinogenic effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), ubiquitous chemicals that have hormone-like effects in the body. In a review article published online May 25 in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, the researchers express the need for more complex strategies for studying how these chemicals affect health but report that ample evidence already supports changing public health and environmental policies to protect the public from exposure to EDCs.
Exercise limits: Just 1 in 5 kids live near parks
(AP) -- Health officials say one reason so many American kids are overweight is that few have a nearby place to play and exercise.
Stem-cell disruption induces skull deformity, study shows
University of Rochester Medical Center scientists discovered a defect in cellular pathways that provides a new explanation for the earliest stages of abnormal skull development in newborns, known as craniosynostosis.
Adolescents cope with mental illness stigmas, researchers report
Living with a mental illness can be a tough experience for adults, but with the increasing numbers of youth diagnosed and taking medications for mood disorders, it can become a time of isolation, according to a study from Case Western Reserve University Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
'Obese' BMI does not harm current health of young adults, study says
A study examining the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and illness suggests that a BMI of 30 or above, a signal of obesity according to federal health standards, does not translate into current illness among adults under age 40.
New study confirms link between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver cancer
A study conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic finds that patients suffering from cirrhosis preceded by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are at an equal risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma than those who develop cirrhosis resulting from hepatitis C virus (HCV). Results of this study appear in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
E. coli 0157:H7 present but not common in wildlife of nation's salad bowl
The disease-causing bacterium E. coli O157:H7 is present but rare in some wildlife species of California's agriculturally rich Central Coast region, an area often referred to as the nation's "salad bowl," reports a team or researchers led by a UC Davis scientist.
Researchers move closer to a universal influenza vaccine
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new influenza vaccine that brings science one step closer to a universal influenza vaccine that would eliminate the need for seasonal flu shots. The new findings can be found in the inaugural issue of mBio, the first online, open-access journal published by the American Society for Microbiology.
New book offers formula for Alzheimer's disease management and prevention
With the aging of nearly 80 million baby boomers, Alzheimer's disease is an impending epidemic that requires a new approach to prevention as well as management of the disease, according to a UC Santa Barbara professor who has co-authored a new book on the topic.
Mutant gum disease bacteria provide clue to treatment for Alzheimer's
A defective, mutant strain of the bacterium that causes gum disease could provide a clue to potential treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and a number of other diseases. Researchers from the University of Florida College of Dentistry report their findings today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.
Novel RNA interference screening technique identifies possible path for malignant glioma treatment
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School report in the journal Nature Medicine on a cellular pathway in the deadly brain cancer malignant glioma, a pathway essential to the cancer's ability to grow - and a potential target for therapy that would stop the cancer's ability to thrive.
Stress causes poor mental health in parents of kids with cancer
(PhysOrg.com) -- Hospital appointments, invasive procedures and the uncertainty of their child's situation combine to produce severe stress in parents of children with cancer.
Unexpected decline in newborn mortality drives child deaths below 8 million
(PhysOrg.com) -- Worldwide mortality in children younger than 5 years has dropped from 11.9 million deaths in 1990 to 7.7 million deaths in 2010, a rate of decline that is faster than expected, according to new research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
Visually-guided laser may be viable treatment for abnormal heartbeat
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new treatment known as a visually-guided laser-balloon catheter successfully interrupted abnormal electrical pulses in patients and pigs with intermittent, irregular heartbeats, in a study reported in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Control of high blood pressure improving in US, but prevalence not decreasing
About 50 percent of patients with hypertension have adequate control of their blood pressure, meeting a goal of Healthy People 2010, but the rate of hypertension in the U.S. has not decreased in recent years, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA.
Drains linked to lymphatic filariasis and malaria in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
The most common aquatic habitat in Dar es Salaam - drains - are important vectors for the development of lymphatic filariasis (LF) and malaria, according to new research. The study, published May 25 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, shows that more than 70% of open Anopheles and Culex larval habitats in Dar es Salaam are human-made, and may be treatable.
Discovery of stem cell illuminates human brain evolution, points to therapies
UCSF scientists have discovered a new stem cell in the developing human brain. The cell produces nerve cells that help form the neocortex - the site of higher cognitive function -- and likely accounts for the dramatic expansion of the region in the lineages that lead to man, the researchers say.
More 'good' cholesterol is not always good for your health
(PhysOrg.com) -- We've all heard about the importance of raising HDL, or the so-called "good" cholesterol, and lowering LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, to improve heart health. While we've come to assume HDL cholesterol is an inherently good thing, a new study shows that for a certain group of patients, this is not always the case. The study is the first to find that a high level of the supposedly good cholesterol places a subgroup of patients at high risk for recurrent coronary events, such as chest pain, heart attack, and death.
Novel anti-malarial drug candidate found
As part of a multicenter study, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a series of chemical compounds that might serve as starting points for the identification of new classes of anti-malarial drugs.
Super Accurate Radiation Robots Kill Cancer Cells and Leave Healthy Ones Untouched (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Traditional radiation therapy has been used for years to kill cancer cells. The disadvantage of using this method is that healthy cells are also destroyed along with the cancer cells. In the past ten years radiation blasting robotic systems have been introduced that can target and fire with millimeter precision.
Half-heard phone conversations reduce cognitive performance
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study finds that overheard cell phone conversations are distracting because we can't predict what will be said next.
Dangerous lung worms found in people who eat raw crayfish
If you're headed to a freshwater stream this summer and a friend dares you to eat a raw crayfish - don't do it. You could end up in the hospital with a severe parasitic infection.
Chinese lunar calendar: Don't paint the nursery just yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- If you're among the parents-to-be who've used one of the increasingly popular online Chinese calendar charts to predict your baby's sex, a University of Michigan epidemiologist recommends that you hold off on painting the nursery pink or blue.
Women less trusting when taking testosterone
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research suggests women become less trusting, less open, more vigilant, and more skeptical and cynical if they are given the male hormone testosterone. This may reflect the survival value for women of being sociable and co-operative, whereas males have historically needed to fight competitors for resources if they were to survive.
Biology news
The Handicraft of Cellular Transport Complexes
(PhysOrg.com) -- A protein complex, which is an important link in a cellular transport chain, also initiates the assembly of the next link in the chain. This newly-won insight will now allow a better understanding of a transport process that plays a crucial role in numerous cellular processes including virus infections, cell division and signal transmission. The additional function of the ESCRT-II transport complex was discovered during the course of a research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and recently reported in The EMBO Journal.
Researchers reveal parasitic threat to animals and the environment
Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have discovered animal populations may often be under a much larger threat from parasites than previously recognised.
Study finds high level of bacteria in bottled water in Canada
A Montreal study finds heterotrophic bacteria counts, in more than 70 percent of bottled water samples, exceed the recommended limits specified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Researchers from Ccrest laboratories report their results today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.
Model developed for manipulating vitamin D levels in calves
A new model for manipulating vitamin D levels in young calves has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists who say it could help establish just how much of this important nutrient the young animals need to promote optimal growth and health.
Microbial team may be culprit in colony collapse disorder
New research from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) identifies a new potential cause for "Colony Collapse Disorder" in honeybees. A group of pathogens including a fungus and family of viruses may be working together to cause the decline. Scientists report their results today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.
Scientists produce new QC tool for microbial genomes (w/ Video)
More than a thousand microbial genomes have been sequenced at various sequencing centers in the past 15 years to better understand their roles in tasks ranging from bioenergy to health to environmental cleanup. Conservative estimates suggest roughly 10,000 microbial genomes will be publicly available within the next two years, but genomic standards have not caught up with the technological advances that have made the sequencing process faster and cheaper. As a result, the torrent of DNA sequences being released has varying levels of quality, which impacts researchers' ability to use this information.
Researchers Developing Potentially 'Transformative' Method to Produce Clean, Green Biofuels (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new way to make valuable chemicals and more affordable "green" fuel from solar power, bacteria and carbon dioxide could be "truly transformative" for our society if it works on a commercial scale, says microbiologist Derek Lovley, head of a research group developing the method at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Study sheds light into the nature of embryonic stem cells
New insight into what stem cells are and how they behave could help scientists to grow cells that form different tissues.
Lowly termite, not the lion or elephant, may be the star of Africa's savanna
The majestic animals most closely associated with the African savanna -- fierce lions, massive elephants, towering giraffes - may be relatively minor players when it comes to shaping the ecosystem.
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