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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 19, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Vibration-powered generating batteries recharge when shaken- Computer program predicts MRSA's next move
- Of bugs and brains: Researchers discover that gut bacteria affect multiple sclerosis
- 'The friend of my enemy is my enemy': Virtual universe study proves 80-year-old theory on how humans interact
- Artificial cells communicate and cooperate like biological cells, ants (w/ Video)
- Polymer synthesis could aid future electronics
- New catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells resists CO contamination
- Sea lamprey research sheds light on how stress hormones evolved
- Blackberry rejects Apple's signal loss claim
- Footloose Glaciers Crack Up: What Happens When Glaciers Float On Ocean Surface
- Bacteria munch up alumina impurities
- Lessening the Penalty for Creating Block Copolymer Nanostructures
- Breast cancer cells regulate multiple genes in response to estrogen-like compounds
- Advance made toward communication, computing at 'terahertz' speeds
- Global model confirms: Cool roofs can offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate global warming
Space & Earth news
Cambridge researchers get backing for cosmic vision
(PhysOrg.com) -- A proposal to design a spacecraft that would seek out habitable planets beyond our own solar system could become reality after receiving support from the UK Space Agency.
Stormwater model to inform regulators on future development projects
North Carolina State University researchers have developed a computer model that will accurately predict stormwater pollution impacts from proposed real-estate developments - allowing regulators to make informed decisions about which development projects can be approved without endangering water quality. The model could serve as a blueprint for similar efforts across the country.
NASA Goddard Felt July 16 Quake
(PhysOrg.com) -- A small earthquake, centered in Germantown, Md. occurred at 5:04 a.m. EDT today, July 16, and its vibrations were felt from West Virginia to Bridgeport, Conn. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center located in Greenbelt, Md., lies about 25 miles east-southeast of today's small earthquake and reported no damages. In fact, there were no reports of damage throughout Maryland.
LSU researchers survey health impacts of Deepwater Horizon disaster on coastal Louisiana residents
LSU Sociology Professors Matthew Lee and Troy Blanchard have conducted a survey to gain an understanding of the health impacts the ongoing Deepwater Horizon disaster is having on people living in Louisiana's coastal communities.
NASA telescope made in Utah set to finish survey
(AP) -- A telescope made by Utah State University's Space Dynamics Lab for NASA is on track to complete its first sky survey.
Scientists to make detailed map of Calif. coast
(AP) -- Scientists will be using laser beams, computer software and airplanes to piece together what they say will be the most detailed map ever assembled of the California coastline.
NASA appears to no longer be shooting for the stars
In a cavernous structure at NASA's Plum Brook Station near Lake Erie, a concrete chamber five stories high rises from the ground. Its walls are 2-feet thick to withstand the blast of powerful gas-operated horns strong enough to destroy human organs.
Virgin Galactic spacecraft makes 1st crewed flight
(AP) -- A company working to send tourists on suborbital flights says it has tested its spacecraft with a crew for the first time.
Black Holes: Peering Into the Heart of Darkness (w/ Video)
A new infrared image has captured the center of our galaxy in never-before-seen detail--showing stars and gas swirling into the super massive black hole that lurks at the heart of our own Milky Way.
Global model confirms: Cool roofs can offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate global warming
(PhysOrg.com) -- Can light-colored rooftops and roads really curb carbon emissions and combat global climate change? The idea has been around for years, but now, a new study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that is the first to use a global model to study the question has found that implementing cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can not only help cities stay cooler, they can also cool the world, with the potential of canceling the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.
Footloose Glaciers Crack Up: What Happens When Glaciers Float On Ocean Surface
(PhysOrg.com) -- Glaciers that lose their footing on the seafloor and begin floating behave very erratically, according to a new study led by a Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego researcher. Floating glaciers produce larger icebergs than their grounded cousins and do so at unpredictable intervals, according to Scripps glaciologist Fabian Walter and colleagues in a paper to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Technology news
Advances in Seismic Safety and NextGen NanoSensors
(PhysOrg.com) -- In between spring and fall quarters, engineering professors at UC San Diego are working to keep society safe, healthy and on the leading edge of smart technologies through a variety of research projects - from keeping buildings earthquake safe to enhancing heart surgery for children and developing the next generation of nano sensors.
New generation security body scanner unveiled by ThruVision Systems
ThruVision Systems Ltd has officially launched the TS4, its new generation of compact security body scanner, at the Farnborough International Air Show in Hampshire.
GM breaks ground on China hi-tech car lab
US auto giant General Motors broke ground in Shanghai on Monday on a research facility that will develop electric cars, lightweight materials and alternative fuel technology for China and the world.
Nations to seek clean energy cooperation
The world's top economies will look next week at ways to work together on clean energy, striking a rare note of cooperation amid an impasse in drafting a new climate change treaty.
Nokia Siemens to buy Motorola wireless gear unit
(AP) -- Motorola Inc. said Monday that it is selling most of its wireless network division to Nokia Siemens Networks, a Finnish-German joint venture, for $1.2 billion as part of a planned breakup of the company.
The Internet can make or break a brand in China: report
With 420 million people now online, the Internet can make or break a brand in China, a new report released Monday said, as far more people use the web to help decide what to buy than in the west.
Free speech fight ends quietly in lost iPhone saga
(AP) -- A free-speech debate touched off by the lost prototype of Apple's iPhone has ended quietly with a blogger's agreement to cooperate with investigators.
Spanish channel announces 'world's first 3-D TV series'
Spanish TV firm Antena 3 will shoot an entire season of one of its television series entirely in 3-D in what it said would be a world first.
IBM ups 2010 forecast, but 2Q rev falls short
(AP) -- IBM Corp. jacked up its 2010 guidance Monday on the technology company's belief that it can wring more profit from its workhorse services and software divisions.
TI 2Q revenue rises 42 pct as demand roars back
(AP) -- Texas Instruments Inc.' second-quarter income and revenue jumped as demand continued to recover after the recession. The company predicted even better results in the new quarter.
Wi-Fi hotspot option for 2011 Subaru Outback
(PhysOrg.com) -- The 2011 Subaru Outback model will include the option of a secure Wi-Fi hotspot to provide Internet access for over 10 users either inside the car or within a range of 45 meters (150 feet) of the vehicle.
Terapixel Project: Lots of Data, Expertise
How can you achieve the impossible? Easy -- as long as you have the right people and the right tools. The Terapixel project from Microsoft Research Redmond is proof positive.
Heads-Up Virtual Reality (HUVR) Bridges Visual with Tactile, in 3D and on the Cheap
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have created a new, relatively low-cost virtual reality device that allows users not only to see a 3D image, but 'feel' it, too.
Blackberry rejects Apple's signal loss claim
Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has fired back at Apple over its claim that all smartphones suffer signal loss when held in a certain way.
Vibration-powered generating batteries recharge when shaken
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whether you're away from electricity or you don't mind expending a few of your own calories, a new generator allows you to recharge it simply by shaking it. Its developer, Brother Industries Ltd, says that the "vibration-powered generating battery" can replace AA and AAA batteries for devices that have a power consumption of about 100 mW, such as a flashlight or remote control.
Medicine & Health news
Seasonal influenza immunization rates among health-care workers
Campaigns to increase seasonal influenza vaccination rates amongst health care workers in Canada that include a combination of interventions had the greatest effect on increasing vaccine coverage, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
A dead Sirt(3) to protect preimplantation embryos
Infertility affects approximately 10% of couples worldwide. Although assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization are commonly used in developed countries to treat infertile couples, the processes remain relatively inefficient.
Impaired activity of the protein MTOR a strain on the heart
A team of researchers, led by Gianluigi Condorelli, at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, has generated data in mice that suggest that drugs that inhibit the protein MTOR, which are used to treat several forms of cancer, might have adverse effects on heart function in patients with ongoing heart dysfunction.
Online Tools Provide Insight for Prostate Cancer Patients
(PhysOrg.com) -- Patients with prostate cancer now have two new interactive web tools known as risk calculators to help them better understand their disease.
Toolkit allows anyone to test for ADA compliance
Twenty years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is finally a "tool kit" for non-experts to measure whether public facilities are in compliance.
Battlefield psychologists investigate stress in combat and after
Psychologists aren't usually called to the battlefield, but the 2008-09 Gaza War gave Tel Aviv University researchers a unique picture of how anxiety manifests during stressful situations.
Research project analyzes cerebral bioelectricity in order to detect epilepsy
A group of researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid has presented a new algorithm that uses a new method to analyze the information obtained from electroencephalograms to detect neurodegenerative diseases, such as epilepsy, using the bioelectric signals of the brain.
L-methionine in patients with neurogenic bladder disorders: neither benefit nor harm proven
It is unclear whether patients with neurogenic bladder disorders benefit from the drug L-methionine. The only study currently available provides neither proof of benefit nor proof of harm. This is the result of a report published by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 12 July 2010.
Athletes undergoing tissue transplant surgery for knee damage have bright future
Athletes with bone and cartilage knee damage who are treated with transplanted tissue can return to sports after surgery, according to a study reported at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, held July 15-18 in Providence, R.I. The study (abstract 8970) overturns the widely held belief that patients who undergo this surgery do not return to athletics.
Tuning cocaine addiction
small bits of genetic material that influence gene expression - reduces the urge for a cocaine fix in mice, according to a paper published online on July 19 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Socioeconomic status not associated with access to cochlear implants
Poor children with hearing loss appear to have equal access to cochlear implantation, but have more complications and worse compliance with follow-up regimens than children with higher socioeconomic status, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Obesity in early adulthood associated with increased risk of psoriatic arthritis
Among persons with psoriasis, those who reported being obese at age 18 had an increased risk of developing psoriatic arthritis, according to a report in the July 19 issue of Archives of Dermatology.
Study examines sepsis and septic shock after surgery
Sepsis and septic shock appear to be more common than heart attacks or pulmonary blood clots among patients having general surgery, and the death rate for patients with septic shock is approximately 34 percent within 30 days of operation, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery.
Test could predict which children with T-cell ALL are best candidates for clinical trials
A genetic clue uncovered by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists enables doctors to predict, for the first time, which children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) are unlikely to benefit from standard chemotherapy for the disease and should therefore be among the first to receive new treatments in future clinical trials.
Increased waistline and high triglyceride levels indicate risk of coronary heart disease
People with a larger waistline and high triglyceride levels are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, according to a research study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
In US cities, HIV linked more to poverty than race
(AP) -- Poverty is perhaps the most important factor in whether inner-city heterosexuals are infected with the AIDS virus, according to the first government study of its kind.
Test-tube kids and cancer? Method unlikely a cause
(AP) -- For the first time, a large study suggests a higher rate of childhood cancer among test-tube babies, but researchers say the reason probably has nothing to do with how the infants were conceived.
Bill Clinton, Gates: Fight AIDS more efficiently
(AP) -- Two heavy hitters on the world health stage - Bill Clinton and Bill Gates - called Monday for a more efficient fight worldwide against the AIDS virus.
WHO: 5.2 million people on AIDS drugs in 2009
(AP) -- The number of people taking crucial AIDS drugs climbed by a record 1.2 million last year to 5.2 million overall, the World Health Organization said Monday - but Bill Clinton says that's still not nearly enough.
The essential ingredients of supportive sibling relationships
Many moms and dads say the toughest part of parenting is keeping the peace when their kids squabble and bicker. But making an end to conflict your primary focus is a mistake, said Laurie Kramer, a University of Illinois professor of applied family studies and co-editor of a special section of Child Development Perspectives devoted to sibling relationships.
When climate change becomes a health issue, are people more likely to listen?
Framing climate change as a public health problem seems to make the issue more relevant, significant and understandable to members of the public -- even some who don't generally believe climate change is happening, according to preliminary research by George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication (4C).
New study challenges stereotypes of adolescent sex offenders
Adolescent sex offenders are often stereotyped and treated as socially inept, but new research negates this image, finding that they are more likely to be characterized by atypical sexual interests -- such as desire for prepubescent children, coercive sex with peers and adults, and exposing their genitals to strangers. Adolescent sex offenders are also more likely to have a history of sexual abuse themselves, been exposed to sexual violence in their families, and experienced early exposure to sex or pornography.
Report examines relationship between nasal zinc gels and loss of sense of smell
An evaluation of 25 patients and a review of reports of clinical, biological and experimental data suggest that over-the-counter, homeopathic nasal zinc therapies may be associated with a reduced sense of smell, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Melanoma rates among minorities in Florida differ from national trends
Racial and ethnic trends in the skin cancer melanoma appear different in Florida than from national estimates, with higher incidence rates among Hispanic men and non-Hispanic black women but lower rates among Hispanic women, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Dermatology.
Trauma patients undergoing emergency operations may receive transfusions of their own blood
Transfusion with a trauma patient's own blood may offer a cost-effective alternative to transfusion with blood from another individual as a resuscitation method during surgery, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery.
New publications examine treatment outcomes for infantile hemangiomas
In an ongoing effort to find better and safer treatment for complicated infantile hemangiomas, researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, report outcomes on two treatment options. The first study examined the effects of oral steroids on a group of patients and the second highlights possible complication/side effect from propranolol, a novel therapy for hemangioma. Both studies published in the Archives of Dermatology, will facilitate safer therapy.
Soldiers with brain injuries at higher risk of epilepsy decades later
Soldiers who receive traumatic brain injuries during war may be at a higher risk of epilepsy even decades after the brain injury occurred. The new research is published in the July 20, 2010, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Physicians perform poorly when patients need special care
Patients often receive inappropriate care when their doctors fail to take into account their individual circumstances, according to a new study by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the VA Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care.
Transparency through open notes: The risks and rewards of inviting patients to review their medical records
Technology has placed vast amounts of medical information literally a mouse click away. Yet what often may be central - a doctor's notes about a patient visit - has traditionally not been part of the discussion. In effect, such records have long been out of bounds.
HIV/AIDS treatment curbs spread of disease: study
The BC Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) published an important study today in the globally respected Lancet medical journal. The study strongly reinforces the view that the benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) extend beyond treatment of the virus to significantly preventing the transmission and spread of HIV.
Bridging the gender gap: Combined technologies offer promise for detecting colon cancer in women
A team led by a Northwestern University biomedical engineer has found that combining novel optical technologies with a common colon cancer screening test may allow doctors to more accurately detect the presence of colon cancer, particularly in women.
Tour de France Stresses Riders' Bodies to the Limit
Glancing at the elevation profiles of the stages of the 2010 Tour de France is enough to tire a couch potato. The mountainous race is legendarily strenuous, but beyond short-term discomforts such as road rash and bruised egos, some impacts could last long after racers retire.
Laughter is not just funny
(PhysOrg.com) -- Everybody enjoys a laugh but new research from an international team shows it's not as simple as you might think.
New Approach Developed to Improve Drug Delivery in Tumors
(PhysOrg.com) -- By using mathematical modeling to understand blood flow, researchers -- including the UA's Timothy Secomb, a pioneer in the field -- have proposed a novel approach to treating cancerous tumors.
Scientists devise strategy in bid to beat viruses
Scientists have developed a new way to target viruses which could increase the effectiveness of antiviral drugs.
Autism has unique vocal signature, new technology reveals
A new automated vocal analysis technology could fundamentally change the study of language development as well as the screening for autism spectrum disorders and language delay, reports a study in the July 19 online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers develop new test to predict success of IVF treatment
Women who fail to become pregnant after undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment often grapple with the decision of whether to try IVF again. It's a difficult one to make: The procedure carries hefty financial, physical and emotional costs, and there are no guarantees it will work.
AIDS breakthrough: Gel helps prevent infection
Researchers are reporting a breakthrough against AIDS. A vaginal gel containing an AIDS drug cut in half a woman's chances of getting HIV from an infected partner.
Breast cancer cells regulate multiple genes in response to estrogen-like compounds
Cancer researchers have discovered a previously unknown type of gene regulation and DNA behavior in breast cancer cells that may lead to better insight about environmental exposure to estrogen-like compounds.
'Runaway' development implicated in loss of function of the aging brain
The brain undergoes rapid growth and development in the early years of life and then degenerates as we progress into old age, yet little is known about the biological processes that distinguish brain development and aging. In a report published online today in Genome Research, researchers have identified a gene regulatory link between changes in the young and aging brain, describing "runaway" development as a potentially significant factor in age-related loss of function.
Foreign accents make speakers seem less truthful to listeners
A foreign accent undermines a person's credibility in ways that the speaker and the listener don't consciously realize, new research at the University of Chicago shows.
Large Studies Link Asthma and Air Pollution to Suicide Risk
(PhysOrg.com) -- Suicide rates increase not only as a result of mental illness, but also when there are difficulties with breathing, according to two large Asian population studies that detected the effects of air pollution and asthma, an illness that itself is exacerbated by poor air conditions.
Of bugs and brains: Researchers discover that gut bacteria affect multiple sclerosis
Biologists at the California Institute of Technology have demonstrated a connection between multiple sclerosis (MS) -- an autoimmune disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord -- and gut bacteria.
Biology news
Six tiger skulls seized in Sumatra
Indonesian police have arrested two men on Sumatra island with six tiger skulls and other parts from the critically endangered species, an official said Monday.
iGEM team helps prevent rogue use of synthetic biology
A team of students from ENSIMAG, an engineering school in Grenoble, France, and Virginia Tech is using bioinformatics to implement federal guidance on synthetic genomics. The students' work will help gene synthesis companies and their customers better detect the possible use of manufactured DNA as harmful agents for bioterrorism.
New biotech company grows from MCG diabetes and genomic research
A new biotech company has grown out of laboratory and clinical studies at the Medical College of Georgia with the goal of improving the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and cancer.
Mapping out pathways to better soybeans
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are a step closer to unlocking genetic clues that may lead to packing more protein and oil into soybeans, a move that would boost their value and help U.S. growers compete in international markets.
How does climate change affect ferns and fog on the forest floor?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Ferns play an important role in California's redwood forests by transferring moisture from fog to the forest floor -- even when it's not raining. If these plants can successfullly adapt to reduced rainfall, it will mitigate the impact of drought on the ecosystem and reduce the potential for local population extinctions, say UC Berkeley researchers.
Adaptation in mole blood aids tunnelling
'Super hemoglobin' allows moles to thrive underground. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology have made the first identification of an adaptation in the blood of Eastern moles which allows more efficient transport of carbon dioxide, facilitating the moles' burrowing behavior.
Wood's 'noble rot' fungus genetically decoded
An international team including Empa researcher Francis Schwarze has sequenced the genome of the common split gill mushroom, Schizophyllum commune, a widely distributed fungus which grows on and decomposes wood. The genome, containing some 13,000 genes, has recently been published in Nature Biotechnology. The new data allows scientists a view of the mushroom's unique enzyme-based digestive apparatus which gives it the ability to attack and degrade wood, causing white rot. It is this ability which Schwarze, together with other colleagues, has exploited to improve the tonal qualities of wood used to make violins.
Research develops simple 'recipe' for fungus-free horseradish
In the battle against soil fungi that discolor horseradish roots and can render the entire crop unsellable, University of Illinois researcher Mohammad Babadoost found that subjecting the roots to hot water before planting was most effective in killing the pathogen in propagative root stocks.
Wide-eyed primate caught on camera for first time
A "cute" primate so rare it was thought to be extinct has been caught on camera in the forests of Sri Lanka for the first time, scientists said Monday.
'Winner effect' linked to changes in brain circuitry, study finds
The next time the Brewers go on a road-trip skid, it might not be their fault. The "winner effect," in which animals that win a competition win subsequent ones, occurs because of changes in their brain's circuitry. Those changes are even stronger if the animal had a home-field advantage, according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.
Fish can be picky eaters
(PhysOrg.com) -- We all know how fussy kids can be about their food, but now new research suggests they're not the only ones.
DNA barcoding reveals 5 undiscovered frog species among 30 wiped out by fungal epidemic in Panama
The first before-and-after view of an amphibian die-off has just been published by scientists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and the University of Maryland.
Bacteria munch up alumina impurities
Previously unknown species of naturally-occurring bacteria have the potential to save the alumina and aluminium industries millions of dollars while helping to reduce their impact on the environment, microbiologist Naomi McSweeney has found in a collaborative project between Alcoa of Australia, CSIRO and the University of Western Australia.
Stem cells made by reprogramming hold onto their past
Adult cells that have been reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) do not completely let go of their past, perhaps limiting their ability to function as a less controversial alternative to embryonic stem cells for basic research and cell replacement therapies, according to researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, John Hopkins University and their colleagues.
Drilling down to the nanometer depths of leaves for biofuels
(PhysOrg.com) -- By imaging the cell walls of a zinnia leaf down to the nanometer scale, energy researchers have a better idea about how to turn plants into biofuels.
Reprogrammed cells 'remember,' retain characteristics of their cells of origin
(PhysOrg.com) -- Investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Regenerative Medicine have confirmed that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) retain some characteristics of the cells from which they were derived, something that could both assist and impede potential clinical and research uses. In their report that will be published in Nature Biotechnology and has received early online release, the researchers also describe finding that these cellular "memories" fade and disappear as cell lines are cultured through successive generations.
Sea lamprey research sheds light on how stress hormones evolved
Michigan State University researchers are the first to identify a stress hormone in the sea lamprey, using the 500 million-year-old species as a model to understand the evolution of the endocrine system.
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