Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 1, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Bees helping to monitor air quality at German airports- Graphene 2.0: A new approach to making a unique material
- Tibetan adaptation to high altitude occurred in less than 3,000 years
- Researchers identify genetic signatures of human exceptional longevity
- Man in the Moon has 'Graphite Whiskers'
- Print your own lasers, lights and TV screens
- Researchers Shed Light on Birth of the First Stars
- Study links low national average IQs with infectious diseases
- Transformation optics make a U-turn for the better
- RXTE Homes in on a Black Hole's Jets
- Last 2 shuttle flights delayed, final trip in 2011
- First Experiment to Attempt Prevention of Homosexuality in Womb
- Herschel reveals details of distant galaxies and quasars
- Scientists Prove Cosmic Rays Are Made of Protons
- Apple hit with lawsuit over iPhone 4 antenna woes
Space & Earth news
NZ carbon price system hikes household costs
(AP) -- New carbon-trading laws intended to reduce climate-changing pollution emissions took effect Thursday in New Zealand, immediately sending gas prices higher.
NASA Tests Engine Technology to Assist With Future Space Vehicle Landings
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA, in partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), recently completed the fourth and final series of tests on the Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE).
Polluting countries talk climate control in Rome
(AP) -- Climate change talks among some of the world's most polluting nations are continuing for a second day in Rome.
Indonesia's last glacier will melt within years
(AP) -- Lonnie Thompson spent years preparing for his expedition to the remote, mist-shrouded mountains of eastern Indonesia, hoping to chronicle the affect of global warming on the last remaining glacier in the Pacific. He's worried he got there too late.
CryoSat-2 exceeding expectations
Today, participants at the Living Planet Symposium have been hearing about ESA's most recently launched mission, CryoSat-2. In orbit for almost three months, the satellite is in excellent health with scientists very encouraged by the first ice-thickness data presented at the symposium.
Sustainability: Will We Recognize It When We See It?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most people today embrace sustainability as a good thing, and it may be the greatest technological challenge our society has ever faced.
NASA Retires TRACE Spacecraft After Highly Successful Mission
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Transition Region And Coronal Explorer, known as TRACE, conducted its final observations of the sun on June 21.
Confronting toxic blue-green algae in Madison lakes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Harmful algal blooms, once considered mainly a problem in salt water, have been appearing with increasing severity in the Madison lakes, and a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has geared up to understand the when, where and why of these dangerous "blooms."
GOES-13 satellite catches Alex as a tropical storm now, after a landfall in northeastern Mexico
Alex made landfall at 10 p.m. EDT in northeastern Mexico, about 110 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. By 8 a.m. EDT on July 1, Alex has weakened to a tropical storm and GOES satellite imagery showed it moving near the high mountains of Mexico.
Insights into early star formation
Merging beams of hydrogen atoms and hydrogen ions to create molecular hydrogen in the lab helps shed light on star assembly in the early universe, a U.S. and European research team reports in the July 2 issue of Science.
Next Mars Rover Sports a Set of New Wheels
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, is sitting pretty on a set of spiffy new wheels that would be the envy of any car show on Earth.
Last 2 shuttle flights delayed, final trip in 2011
(AP) -- NASA's space shuttle program will keep going until next year.
RXTE Homes in on a Black Hole's Jets
(PhysOrg.com) -- For decades, X-ray astronomers have studied the complex behavior of binary systems pairing a normal star with a black hole. In these systems, gas from the normal star streams toward the black hole and forms a disk around it. Friction within the disk heats the gas to millions of degrees -- hot enough to produce X-rays. At the disk's inner edge, near the black hole, strong magnetic fields eject some of the gas into dual, oppositely directed jets that blast outward at about half the speed of light.
Herschel reveals details of distant galaxies and quasars
(PhysOrg.com) -- Amazing new data captured by ESA's (European Space Agency) Herschel Space Observatory - carrying the largest mirror ever launched into space - have just been publicly released, allowing the World's astronomers to share in the Herschel SPIRE instrument's observations of distant galaxies. From its vantage point nearly 1.5 million km from Earth (1 million miles), the Herschel spacecraft has given astronomers new insights into the different types of galaxy in the distant Universe and will allow them to explore part of the Universe as it was some eleven billion years ago or just 3 billion years after the Big Bang.
How fast can microbes break down oil washed onto Gulf beaches?
A new Florida State University study is investigating how quickly the Deepwater Horizon oil carried into Gulf of Mexico beach sands is being degraded by the sands' natural microbial communities, and whether native oil-eating bacteria that wash ashore with the crude are helping or hindering that process.
Man in the Moon has 'Graphite Whiskers'
Up to now scientists thought that the trace amounts of carbon on the surface of the Moon came from the solar wind. Now researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory have detected and dated Moon carbon in the form of graphite -- the sooty stuff of pencil lead -- which survived from the late heavy bombardment era 3.8 billion years ago.
Researchers Shed Light on Birth of the First Stars
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the beginning, there were hydrogen and helium. Created in the first three minutes after the Big Bang, these elements gave rise to all other elements in the universe. The factories that made this possible were stars. Through nuclear fusion, stars generated elements such as carbon, oxygen, magnesium, silicon and the other raw materials necessary for making planets and ultimately life.
Technology news
Yahoo! clears way for massive stock buy back
Yahoo! has set the stage to buy back three billion dollars worth of its stock in the coming three years, according to a filing made with US securities regulators.
Using the rays of the sun to convert sea- to drinking water
Many of the world's remote areas with water shortages also have three things in abundance: Sun, wind and sea. How renewable energies can be harnessed more effectively in the future to transform salty seawater and brackish water into drinking water is the subject of a current study issued by an EU initiative dubbed "ProDes".
Smart meters help to save money
How can domestic electricity customers be motivated to use energy more efficiently, let alone make more efficient use of renewable sources? One possibility is to install electronic meters to measure the electricity consumed. In the RESIDENS project, scientists are examining how to get the best out of smart meters by simplifying their use.
Swiss team postpones solar plane night flight
(AP) -- A Swiss team planning to circle the globe in a solar-powered plane has postponed a 24-hour test flight because of an equipment problem.
S.Korea ends Microsoft's online shopping monopoly
South Korea on Thursday eased rules governing online financial transactions, ending a virtual monopoly for Microsoft's web browser Internet Explorer.
China orders online sellers to register details
Online sellers in China will have to provide their real names and addresses or pay hefty fines under new rules introduced Thursday, in Beijing's latest move to tighten control of the web.
Infrared camera provides a better view
Infrared cameras see more than the naked eye and can make road traffic safer. Cameras for the long-wave infrared range, however, have the disadvantage that the sensor requires constant cooling, which adds to the cost and complexity of the device. Now a new type of detector has been developed which functions at room temperature.
India gets tough with Blackberry, Skype: report
India has given Internet telephony pioneer Skype and the makers of BlackBerry handsets a deadline to fall into line with strict security-monitoring regulations or be blocked, a report said Thursday.
LEDs bringing good things to light
Forecasting the future of technology is anything but an exact science. In late 2006, for instance, my colleagues and I put together an article outlining our predictions for the top 10 tech trends for 2007. My record was, shall we say, mixed.
Yahoo board approves up to $3 billion of buybacks
(AP) -- The board of Yahoo Inc. has approved plans to repurchase up to $3 billion in stock over the next three years.
States ride broadband wave
Colorado is one of a number of states where state and local governments are prohibited by law from directly providing broadband service, for example, free municipal wireless connections. So a recommendation in the Federal Communication Commission's National Broadband Plan has state officials scrambling. Released in March, the plan calls for Congress to ensure that state and local governments don't pose any barriers to making broadband available. If approved, the action could override the state laws.
How Facebook has changed our idea of 'too much information'
The other day on the Internet, one man's Facebook circle received a public service announcement of sorts: "This goes out to any girl that ive ever been with. I got tested today for Herpes and i came out positive."
Sex.com domain name on sale
The world's "most valuable" Internet domain name, sex.com, went up for grabs on Thursday having fetched 12 million dollars in 2006, a German firm handling the sale said Thursday.
Motorola says separation on track
Motorola said Thursday it was on track to split into two separate companies next year, one focusing on handsets and the other on professional safety equipment.
Robots get an artificial skin
Robots are breaking barriers: Long banished behind steel barriers, they are entering new fields of application such as the manufacturing, household and healthcare sectors. The requisite safety can be provided by a tactile sensor system, which can be integrated in a floor or applied directly to robots as an artificial skin.
Virtual reality you can reach out and touch
A team of European researchers has "virtually" teleported real objects through cyberspace, touched things in virtual reality and even felt the movements of a virtual dance partner.
Apple hit with lawsuit over iPhone 4 antenna woes
Apple is hiring antenna engineers to work on its iPhone, the latest generation of which has triggered lawsuits from buyers upset because certain grips choke signal strength.
As world first, Finland makes broadband service basic right
Finland on Thursday became the first country in the world to make access to a broadband service a basic right, ensuring that a high-speed Internet connection is available to all Finns, a government official said.
New rules bring online piracy fight to US campuses
(AP) -- Starting this month, colleges and universities that don't do enough to combat the illegal swapping of "Avatar" or Lady Gaga over their computer networks put themselves at risk of losing federal funding.
Google buys travel software company for $700M
Google Inc. plans to buy travel technology company ITA Software Inc. in a $700 million deal that would enable the Internet search leader to steer more of the airline reservations booked on the Web.
Microsoft banishes battery bungling
Microsoft is taking the fumbling out of figuring out which way batteries fit into gadgets. The US technology colossus on Thursday unveiled "InstaLoad" technology that lets batteries energize devices regardless of how the negative and positive polarity connections are in place.
Medicine & Health news
AAO-HNS releases consensus statement: diagnosis and management of nasal valve compromise
Today, the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) announced the release of a consensus statement to address ambiguities and disparities in the diagnosis and management of nasal valve compromise (NVC).
Needles improve exercise tolerance in heart patients
Acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance in patients suffering from chronic heart failure. This was determined in a clinical pilot study by the team headed by Dr. Johannes Backs, physician and study director at the Department of Internal Medicine III of Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany. The needles do not increase the heart's pump function, but they seem to have an influence on skeletal muscle strength and thus can increase the walk distance that heart patients can cover. The results of the clinical study, which was conducted with a comparison group treated with placebo acupuncture using dull needles, have been published in the prestigious medical journal Heart.
New magnetic resonance imaging technology developed
The development of a new magnetic resonance imaging technology that could revolutionise the way medical conditions are diagnosed and treated is to take a major step forward as a £7m research centre is established at the University of York.
Resveratrol Linked to Positive Impact on Pre-diabetes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have linked resveratrol, a chemical compound found in red wine, to improved health of patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), also known as "pre-diabetes."
Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
(PhysOrg.com) -- A psychiatry professor at the UConn Health Center is comparing two treatment approaches for PTSD.
High potassium? Check your antibiotic
Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)—widely prescribed for urinary tract infections—are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). "We found a significant risk of severe hyperkalemia associated with TMP-SMX," comments Matthew A. Weir, MD (London Health Science Centre).
High fructose diet may contribute to high blood pressure
People who eat a diet high in fructose, in the form of added sugar, are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that cutting back on foods and beverages containing a lot of fructose (sugar) might decrease one's risk of developing hypertension.
Giving birth many times linked to increased risk of heart disease
Palestinian women frequently give birth many times. This has given researchers in the oPt a unique opportunity to study the effects of numbers of births per woman (parity) on risk of coronary heart disease, since previous studies have lacked high numbers of women giving birth more than six times. In this Abstract, the researchers, led by Dr Najwa Odeh Rizkallah, UNICEF Jerusalem, oPT, conclude that parity is linked to obesity, high blood triglyercide concentrations, and increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Any of these factors, alone or in combination, can in turn increase incidence of coronary heart diseases.
1 in 4 Palestinian children goes without breakfast
The eating habits of children and adolescents are studied in one of the Abstracts published Online by The Lancet, with the disturbing findings that one in four children miss breakfast, one in 10 is anaemic, and one in 17 is stunted. Furthermore, 2% are underweight and 15% are either overweight or obese. This abstract is from a paper by Mrs Kholoud Nasser, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ramallah, oPt, and colleagues.
The terror of childbirth under siege
One Abstract published Online by The Lancet gives the harrowing accounts of women who had to give birth during the Israeli assault on the Gaza strip in December 2008 and January 2009. The paper is by Sahar Hassan and Laura Wick, Birzeit University, oPt.
Brain freezer in Russia claims secret of eternal life
"I don't ever want to die... It wouldn't suit me," said Innokenty Osadchy. Fortunately, the 35-year-old investment banker is certain he has found a loophole out of death.
Hong Kong study promises new swine flu treatment
Hong Kong researchers have discovered a new way to treat patients suffering from swine flu, a report said Thursday, after the deadly virus killed more than 18,000 people worldwide in the past year.
New blood-test to aid in Schizophrenia Diagnosis
A new blood-test resulting from research at Cambridge University could aid in the early diagnosis of recent-onset schizophrenia - complementing the traditional patient interview-based diagnosis.
Millions of vaccine doses to be burned
(AP) -- About a quarter of the swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public has expired - meaning that a whopping 40 million doses worth about $260 million is being written off as trash.
Authoritative parenting style influences family eating behavior and better nutrition in adolescents
Investigators from the University of Minnesota have found a direct association between parenting style and the frequency of meals eaten together as a family and that an authoritative parenting style was associated with more frequent family meals. Their data further indicated that family meals have a positive influence on adolescents to eat a healthy diet. The results of the study are published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Optical imaging could create pathway for radiotracers, study finds
A study published in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) reports on investigative research of a novel optical imaging technique called "Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI)." According to the authors, the technique could lead to the faster and more cost-effective development of radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other conditions.
Study finds visually impaired people get insulin pen dosages right
Labels on the popular insulin pen used by people with diabetes warn against visually-impaired people using pens to measure out and administer their insulin dosage.
Study finds that simple two-question survey can better identify hungry children
Asking parents just two simple screening questions could help health care providers and social workers to easily and quickly identify families whose young children are suffering from hunger, enabling early interventions that could prevent serious health consequences, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers. The study, published July 1 in the journal Pediatrics, analyzed data gathered from more than 30,000 families nationwide, about a quarter of whom suffered from hunger.
Facial recognition at first glance
We meet a multitude of people on a daily basis: the nice waitress in the coffee shop around the corner, the bus driver or the colleagues at the office. Without the ability to recognize faces at first glance we would not be able to distinguish between people. Monkeys also possess the remarkable ability to differentiate faces of group members and to extract the relevant information about the individual directly from the face.
Study shows short-term kidney failure in heart patients may not be as detrimental
New research led by UC Health cardiologists shows that while short-term worsening kidney function is frequent among patients with heart failure, these patients also have better outcomes than those who have persistent kidney failure.
Multiple Symptoms Can Point to Bipolar Disorder
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to bipolar disorder, a successful diagnosis can be challenging.
'Wonder gene' found to affect blood pressure
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have identified an important gene that regulates the function of the muscle cells in arteries and thereby helps determine blood pressure.
UF experts urge wariness of mosquito-borne diseases this summer
For Floridians hoping that the record-breaking cold of this past winter might have stemmed the number of pesky mosquitoes, University of Florida entomologists have this message: the mosquitoes are out in full force, and so are the diseases they carry.
Stroke complications may subtract additional two years of healthy life
Complications shortly after a stroke deprive patients of about two years of healthy life — in addition to the toll of stroke, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Why are blacks more likely to die from cancer diagnosis?
Black people with cancer are up to twice as likely as other races to die from their disease. While disparities exist for nearly every common cancer type, the largest differences occur among cancers that benefit most from treatment -- suggesting that black patients are not getting needed lifesaving treatments, according to a review from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Scientists uncover novel role for DNA repair protein linked to cancer
Tufts University researchers in the School of Arts and Sciences have pinpointed a key cellular protein that repairs damaged DNA molecules but may also promote the development of cancer.
Cellular and molecular events that restrict HIV transmission identified
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified two molecules that when activated by drugs, can inhibit a number of specific aspects of HIV transmission. These findings, published July 1 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, may lead to therapies that target mucosal HIV transmission.
Ultrafine particles in air pollution may heighten allergic inflammation in asthma
A new academic study led by UCLA scientists has found that even brief exposure to ultrafine pollution particles near a Los Angeles freeway is potent enough to boost the allergic inflammation that exacerbates asthma.
Chromosomal abnormality found for inherited clubfoot
Although clubfoot is one of the most common congenital birth defects, few genetic causes have been found. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found what they believe to be the most common cause of inherited clubfoot yet discovered.
Gene regulating human brain development identified
With more than 100 billion neurons and billions of other specialized cells, the human brain is a marvel of nature. It is the organ that makes people unique.
Study shows how loss of key protein promotes aggressive form of leukemia
New research by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has illuminated in fine detail one of the genetic paths that leads to a particularly aggressive form of leukemia.
Cancer stem cells are not one size fits all, lung cancer models show
Cancer stem cells have enticed scientists because of the potential to provide more durable and widespread cancer cures by identifying and targeting the tumor's most voracious cells. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and their colleagues have identified cancer stem cells in a model of the most common form of human lung cancer and, more significantly, have found that the cancer stem cells may vary from tumor to tumor, depending upon the tumor's genetic signature.
Childhood malnutrition could weaken brain function in elderly
Malnutrition early in life appears to diminish brain function in older adulthood, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher that has implications for many poor, developing nations.
Exploratory Study: High BMI Linked to Proximity to Convenience Stores
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University at Buffalo conducting a neighborhood-scaled exploratory study that tested the association between the food environment, the built environment and women's body mass index (BMI) have found that women with homes closer to a supermarket, relative to a convenience store, had lower BMIs, and that the greater the number of restaurants within a five minute walk of a woman's home, the higher her BMI.
Brain atrophy responsible for depression in people battling multiple sclerosis
(PhysOrg.com) -- The cause of depression, researchers say, is atrophy of a specific region of the hippocampus, a critical part of the brain involved in mood and memory, among other functions.
Blocking inflammation in the brain: New therapeutic target for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(PhysOrg.com) -- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a common and fatal motor neuron disease. It generates gradual and irreversible damage in the neurons that control movement. The cause of the disease is largely unknown; however, it appears to depend on both inherited and environmental factors. Inflammatory processes in the brain may also cause the death of neurons.
Increasing fertility threefold
According to the American Pregnancy Association, six million women a year deal with infertility. Now, a Tel Aviv University study is giving new hope to women who want to conceive ― in the form of a pill they can find on their drugstore shelves right now.
Nutrition's potential to save sight
While 20/20 vision is a symbol of visual acuity, between now and the year 2020, more and more people will experience some extent of vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other sight-robbing diseases.
Researchers identify what makes MRSA lethal
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists studying the so-called "superbug" MRSA have identified one of the components responsible for making it so deadly.
Missed diagnosis: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
(PhysOrg.com) -- An article published in the June issue of the journal Nature Reviews: Neuroscience provides one of the first comprehensive overviews of the genetic, neural and cognitive bases of a frequently undiagnosed congenital disorder with an array of complex genetic, medical, neurological, behavioral and psychiatric features: the often baffling chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS).
CDC: West Nile virus illness continue to decline
(AP) -- Last year's West Nile virus season was the mildest in eight years, and just one case of serious illness has been reported so far this year.
Discovery of a hepatitis C-related virus in bats may reduce outbreaks in humans
Viral hepatitis affects more than 500 million people worldwide and is a cause of liver failure and liver cancer. While vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B, this is not the case for hepatitis C, which affects as much as two percent of the population in the U.S. Scientists today are reporting discovery of a virus related to hepatitis C in Asian bats, which may provide insights into the origins of the hepatitis C virus and into the mechanisms by which infectious diseases move from other species to humans.
Researchers Show How Active Immune Tolerance Makes Pregnancy Possible
(PhysOrg.com) -- The concept of pregnancy makes no sense -- at least not from an immunological point of view. After all, a fetus, carrying half of its father's genome, is biologically distinct from its mother. The fetus is thus made of cells and tissues that are very much not "self" -- and not-self is precisely what the immune system is meant to search out and destroy.
UVA radiation damages DNA in human melanocyte skin cells and can lead to melanoma
A new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine found that UVA radiation damages the DNA in human melanocyte cells, causing mutations that can lead to melanoma. Melanocytes, which contain a substance called melanin that darkens the skin to protect it from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, are more vulnerable to UVA radiation than normal skin cells because they are unable to repair themselves as efficiently.
Rare variants in gene coding may up risk of autoimmune disorders
(PhysOrg.com) -- Rare variants in the gene coding of an enzyme that controls the activity of a key immune cell occur more often in people with autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found in a multi-institutional study. The researchers' report, published in the journal Nature, identifies a pathway that could be a therapeutic target and may present a model for future studies of the role of rare gene variants in common disorders.
DNA mutation rates raise curtain on cause of cancer
What if we could understand why cancer develops? We know that certain risk factors, such as smoking or excessive sun exposure, can increase the chances of developing this terrible disease, but cancer can form in any tissue, and the cause is not always clear. One idea that has emerged is that for a cell to transform into a cancer cell it must suffer a large number of mutations affecting different genes needed to control cell growth. In a study published this week in Science, Brandeis University researchers have found that the process of repairing DNA damage also unexpectedly increases the rate of mutations and changes the kinds of mutations that arise.
Muscular problems in children with neonatal diabetes are neurological, study finds (w/ Video)
The muscle weakness and coordination problems sometimes seen in patients with neonatal diabetes - a rare, inherited form of diabetes - are caused by problems in the brain rather than the muscles, according to research published today. The findings could pave the way for the development of improved treatments for the disease.
Genetic regulator opens new avenues to AIDS, immune system research
Researchers at Oregon State University and the California Institute of Technology have discovered that a genetic regulator which is critical to many life functions also plays a key role in the formation of "T cells," a type of white blood cell that's important in immune function.
Work-life balance: Brain stem cells need their rest, too
Stem cells in the brain remain dormant until called upon to divide and make more neurons. However, little has been known about the molecular guards that keep them quiet. Now scientists from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified the signal that prevents stem cells from proliferating, protecting the brain against too much cell division and ensuring a pool of neural stem cells that lasts a lifetime.
First Experiment to Attempt Prevention of Homosexuality in Womb
(PhysOrg.com) -- "This is the first we know in the history of medicine that clinicians are actively trying to prevent homosexuality," says Alice Dreger, professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Study links low national average IQs with infectious diseases
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers in the US have noted areas of the world with the lowest average intelligence quotient (IQ) also tend to have the highest rates of infectious diseases, and suggest the energy required to fight off the diseases may hinder brain development in children because both are metabolically costly processes.
Tibetan adaptation to high altitude occurred in less than 3,000 years
(PhysOrg.com) -- A comparison of the genomes of 50 Tibetans and 40 Han Chinese shows that ethnic Tibetans split off from the Han less than 3,000 years ago and since then rapidly evolved a unique ability to thrive at high altitudes and low oxygen levels.
Researchers identify genetic signatures of human exceptional longevity
While environment and family history are factors in healthy aging, genetic variants play a critical and complex role in conferring exceptional longevity, according to a new study by a team of researchers from the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine and the Boston Medical Center.
Biology news
Health check for fish
Fish in fish farms are exposed to very high health risks. Owing to the cramped conditions, pathogens quickly spread. In future, wireless miniature sensors implanted under the skin of the fish will help to prevent diseases, by monitoring and diagnosing their health.
Pups sign up for bid to boost pet health
Thousands of Labrador Retriever owners are being asked to help find out how a dog's lifestyle affects its health.
Nest incest targets males
Fewer males than females are surviving the negative effects of inbreeding in a reintroduced population of a rare New Zealand bird, reports new research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
New Study Predicts Yield for Biofuel Jatropha
An article in the current issue of Global Change Biology Bioenergy predicts the yield of the biofuel crop, Jatropha curcas L., for present and future climates.
Warmer is better: Invasive cane toads set to thrive under global warming
As global warming threatens many animal species with extinction, the cane toad is set to flourish with increasing temperature. This is a major cause for concern as the cane toad, once introduced to Australia as agricultural pest-control of the cane beetle, is an already highly invasive species and considered a pest in Australia. The researchers present their new findings at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Prague on Friday, July 2, 2010.
Mountain mice show adaptation to altitude
This fuel-preference represents an adaptation in high altitude mice to use oxygen more efficiently than their low-altitude counterparts.
Stanford stem cell scientist leads effort to prevent fraudulent treatment
Leading stem cell researchers from institutions around the world are issuing warnings about unproven stem cell therapies being marketed on the Internet and have launched a website to educate and protect patients seeking such treatments. Often conducted outside of the United States, most of these therapies have little or no benefit — and can be dangerous as well as costly.
Reprogrammed human blood cells show promise for disease research
Cells from frozen human blood samples can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. These cells can be multiplied and used to study the genetic and molecular mechanisms of blood disorders and other diseases.
Killer whales and the mystery of human menopause
The evolutionary mystery of menopause is a step closer to being solved thanks to research on killer whales.
Benchtop biofuels: Fine-tuning growth conditions helps cyanobacteria flourish
Cyanobacteria are among the oldest living forms in nature, responsible for generating the atmospheric oxygen we breathe today. Now Hyun Woo Kim and Raveender Vannela, researchers at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University are perfecting the means to culture these microbes -- a potentially rich source of biofuels and biomaterials -- in significantly greater abundance. The work provides a vital foundation for optimizing a device known as a photobioreactor (PBR), in which these energy-packed photosynthetic organisms proliferate.
A worm bites off enough to chew (w/ Video)
Dramatic scenes are played out under Ralf Sommer's microscope: his research object, the roundworm Pristionchus pacificus, bites another worm, tears open a hole in its side and devours the oozing contents. The squirming victim does not stand a chance in this duel: Caenorhabditis elegans may be a close relative of Pristionchus; unfortunately, however, it does not have the same strong "teeth".
Histone H1 regulates gene activity throughout the cell cycle
A protein that helps pack DNA into the cell nucleus has an important role in regulating gene activity, scientists report. The researchers found that the protein, histone H1, also takes part in the formation of ribosomes, the cellular workbenches on which all proteins are made.
For female baboons, too, it's good to have friends
Female baboons that maintain closer ties with other members of their troop live substantially longer than do those whose social bonds are less stable, a recent study has found. The researchers say that the findings, reported online on July 1st in Current Biology, add to evidence in animals from mice to humans that social bonds have real adaptive value.
Bees helping to monitor air quality at German airports
(PhysOrg.com) -- Air quality around eight airports in Germany is being monitored with the help of bees, whose honey is tested regularly for toxins.
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