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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 20, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Could dark baryons explain dark matter?- By 'putting a ring on it,' microparticles can be captured
- Self-sustaining robot has an artificial gut (w/ Video)
- A plane that lands like a bird (w/ Video)
- Replacing hydrogen in fluorescent dyes improves detection ability, stability and shelf life
- Researchers seeking the fourth property of electrons
- Astrophysicists discover a quasar that acts as a cosmic lens (w/ Video)
- Rapid growth in adolescence leads to fewer offspring, biologists find
- Taking music seriously: How music training primes nervous system and boosts learning
- New hypothesis for human evolution and human nature
- Market changes, investors drive Motorola's breakup
- Video Camera Will Show Mars Rover's Touchdown
- Research shows it is not about more sunlight and higher temperatures
- Back to the future for flu fighters
- Cassini Sees Moon Building Giant Snowballs in Saturn Ring
Space & Earth news
Demonstration project to store CO2 underground in China
CSIRO (Australia) is partnering with China United Coalbed Methane Corporation Limited (CUCBM) on a A$10 million joint demonstration project that will store 2000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) underground in the Shanxi Province and extract methane for use as an energy source. The project will focus on advancing enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM) recovery and providing a pathway to adoption for near zero emissions technology from coal-fired power.
Engineers Find New 'Lake,' Prompting Emergency Floodwater Release from Falcon Dam
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Center for Space Research at The University of Texas at Austin has discovered that a 200-square-mile lake has formed in the Rio Grande Basin of northern Mexico, threatening residents of Starr County and others in the Rio Grande Valley.
NOAA ship Fairweather maps aid shipping through Bering Straits
As Arctic ice recedes, countries are looking forward to faster, safer and more efficient sea routes across the top of the world. Responding to a request from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Maritime Pilots and the commercial shipping industry, NOAA sent one of its premier surveying vessels, NOAA Ship Fairweather, to detect navigational dangers in critical Arctic waters that have not been charted for more than 50 years.
A baby, Skype and water research partnership with Israel
A year ago, Sharon Walker, an associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering at the UC Riverside Bourns College of Engineering, flew to Israel with support from a Fulbright fellowship to study water quality and sustainability issues in a similarly arid environment.
Toxic spill from China copper mine spreads
A toxic pollution spill from a mine operated by China's top gold producer Zijin Mining Group has spread to a second province, threatening the fishing industry there, state media said Tuesday.
China uses oil-eating bacteria to clean up spill
Authorities in China are using over 23 tonnes of oil-eating bacteria to help clean up an oil spill in the Yellow Sea caused by a pipeline explosion and fire at the weekend, state media said Tuesday.
New methodology improves winter climate forecasting
It's hot out right now, but new research from North Carolina State University will help us know what to expect when the weather turns cold. Researchers have developed a new methodology that improves the accuracy of winter precipitation and temperature forecasts. The tool should be valuable for government and utility officials, since it provides key information for use in predicting energy consumption and water availability.
First-of-its-kind map details the height of the globe's forests
Using satellite data, scientists have produced a first-of-its kind map that details the height of the world's forests. Although there are other local- and regional-scale forest canopy maps, the new map is the first that spans the entire globe based on one uniform method.
Scientists receive first CryoSat-2 data
(PhysOrg.com) -- A better understanding of how Earth's ice fields are changing has come another step closer as the first data from ESA's ice mission are released to selected scientists around the world for fine-tuning.
NASA infrared image of Tropical Storm Chanthu shows convection missing on west side
The fourth tropical depression of the western Pacific Ocean strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Chanthu today. Infrared imagery from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured areas of strong convection from northeast to southwest, but convection isn't showing on the storm's west side.
Australian laser system to track space junk
An Australian company Tuesday said it had developed a laser tracking system that will stop chunks of space debris colliding with spacecraft and satellites in the Earth's orbit.
Finding frugal aliens: 'Benford beacons' concept could refocus search for intelligent extraterrestrial life
(PhysOrg.com) -- For 50 years, humans have scanned the skies with radio telescopes for distant electronic signals indicating the existence of intelligent alien life. The search — centered at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif. — has tapped into our collective fascination with the concept that we may not be alone in the universe.
Astrophysicists discover a quasar that acts as a cosmic lens (w/ Video)
A quasar acting as a gravitational lens has now been observed for the first time. This discovery, made by the EPFL's Laboratory of Astrophysics in cooperation with Caltech, represents an advance in the field, since it will allow scientists to weigh and measure a galaxy that contains a quasar. The news is published today in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Video Camera Will Show Mars Rover's Touchdown
(PhysOrg.com) -- A downward-pointing camera on the front-left side of NASA's Curiosity rover will give adventure fans worldwide an unprecedented sense of riding a spacecraft to a landing on Mars.
Cassini Sees Moon Building Giant Snowballs in Saturn Ring
(PhysOrg.com) -- While orbiting Saturn for the last six years, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has kept a close eye on the collisions and disturbances in the gas giant's rings.
Expedition to Mid-Cayman Rise identifies unusual variety of deep sea vents
(PhysOrg.com) -- The first expedition to search for deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Cayman Rise has turned up three distinct types of hydrothermal venting, reports an interdisciplinary team led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Technology news
NASA's Nebula Cloud Computing Technology To Play Key Role In New Open Source Initiative
(PhysOrg.com) -- The core technology developed for NASA's Nebula cloud computing platform has been selected as a contributor for OpenStack, a newly-launched open source cloud computing initiative. It will pull together more than 25 companies to play a key role in driving cloud computing standards for interoperability and portability.
Playboy launches work-safe website for office use
(AP) -- Finally, something for those guys who say they read Playboy for the articles: a chance to prove it.
Research prunes 60 per cent off energy use
A combination of alternative energy and computational modelling developed by CSIRO in collaboration with Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and the Australian Prune Industry Association has cut energy requirements by 60 per cent in some areas of food processing.
Apple rivals hit back at Jobs' antenna claims
Smartphone makers Blackberry, Samsung and HTC on Tuesday rejected claims by Apple chief Steve Jobs that other smartphones have antenna problems similar to those reported with the latest iPhone model.
Official: Google's China changes in line with law
(AP) -- China renewed Google's Internet license after it pledged to obey censorship laws and stop automatically switching mainland users to its unfiltered Hong Kong site, an official said Tuesday.
Digital movie locker 'UltraViolet' nears launch
(AP) -- A group of media and electronics companies will soon start testing a system that will let you watch the movies you buy wherever you are, regardless of formats and other technical hurdles. Like ATMs, your account would follow you, no matter what brand of machine you use.
Netflix chooses Canada for its international debut
(AP) -- Netflix Inc. will make its international debut this fall when the rapidly growing movie subscription service offers video over the Internet in Canada.
Notebooks 'able to hold off iPads in Asia-Pacific'
Notebook computers will be able to hold their own against Apple's iPad and other tablet devices in the Asia-Pacific region, technology industry analysts IDC said Tuesday.
Warned on future, nations look at clean energy
Some of the world's most developed nations were expected Tuesday to announce initiatives to cooperate on clean energy after a top policy board warned that the world's current path on power was unsustainable.
Yahoo 2Q earnings climb 51 pct, but revenue modest
(AP) -- Yahoo Inc.'s turnaround effort wavered in the second quarter as the Internet company's lackluster revenue growth overshadowed a surge in net income.
China surpasses US as world's top energy consumer
(AP) -- China has overtaken the United States as the world's largest energy consumer, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday. China immediately questioned the report, claiming its calculations were "unreliable."
EU clears Sybase takeover by Germany's SAP
European competition regulators on Tuesday approved German business software giant SAP's 5.8-billion-dollar (4.5-billion-euro) takeover of California-based Sybase.
Apple fiscal 3Q net income jumps 78 percent
(AP) -- Apple Inc. blew past expectations when reporting results for its latest quarter on Tuesday, selling almost as many of its new iPad tablets as it sold Mac computers.
Profits are so last quarter: Wall St. eyes revenue
(AP) -- Even in a tough economy, increasing profits can be easy: Just cut costs enough and the bottom line keeps improving. But companies can only do that for so long.
Market changes, investors drive Motorola's breakup
(AP) -- For decades, Motorola Inc.'s products told the story of the march of electronics into the hands of consumers: car radios in the 1930s, TVs in the 1940s and cell phones starting the 1980s.
'Condor' brings genome assembly down to Earth
(PhysOrg.com) -- Borrowing computing power from idle sources will help geneticists sidestep the multimillion-dollar cost of reconstituting the flood of data produced by next-generation genome-sequencing machines.
Italy to China in driverless vehicles
(AP) -- It's a modern-day version of Marco Polo's journey halfway around the world - but is anyone at the controls?
Radio Waves: Alternative Power Source
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Duke University are harvesting ambient radio waves to power small microprocessor devices that consume very little energy. Devices such as sensors that monitor critical environmental changes can be powered from radio waves.
LightSquared wireless broadband network set to launch next year
(AP) -- U.S. consumers and businesses may get more options in wireless service starting next year, with the launch of a new wireless broadband network that aims to provide competition to the incumbent phone companies.
A plane that lands like a bird (w/ Video)
Everyone knows what it's like for an airplane to land: the slow maneuvering into an approach pattern, the long descent, and the brakes slamming on as soon as the plane touches down, which seems to just barely bring it to a rest a mile later. Birds, however, can switch from barreling forward at full speed to lightly touching down on a target as narrow as a telephone wire. Why can't an airplane be more like a bird?
Medicine & Health news
Intensive behavioral interventions needed to reduce amphetamine use, which is linked to HIV risk
A paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in people who use drugs looks at the relationship between amphetamine drug use and HIV. Among the conclusions are that because of the increased HIV risk associated with amphetamine use, amphetamine users should have ready access to HIV prevention interventions, including HIV testing. Furthermore, treatment for amphetamine dependence should be more integrated with HIV prevention and care in populations with high levels of both amphetamine use and HIV, such as men who have sex with men. In this rigorous meta-analysis, the authors found that only intensive, multi-session treatment programmes reduced amphetamine use. This paper is by Dr Grant Colfax, Director of HIV Prevention and Research, San Francisco Department of Public Health, CA, USA, and colleagues.
HIV-infected drug users at greater risk of viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, bacterial infections and mental illness
HIV-infected drug users have increased age-matched morbidity and mortality compared with HIV-infected people who do not use drugs. This includes an increased risk of viral hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB), bacterial infections, and mental illness. In a new paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in people who use drugs, Professor Frederick L Altice, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA, and colleagues show that there are evidence based treatments for both HIV and these co-morbidities, and that antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV can improve not only the course of HIV infection but also these other conditions.
Drug users must be decriminalized along with scale-up of combination treatment and changes to drug control
In a paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in people who use drugs, a call to action is made by experts who say that while scale-up of various interventions outlined in earlier papers are vital, these are not enough. Drug users should be decriminalised, along with other changes in policy on drug control and law enforcement. The paper is by Professor Chris Beyrer, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA, and colleagues.
Health of people with HIV who use drugs cannot improve without acknowledging their human rights
The a new paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in people who use drugs says a review of evidence shows that there is widespread abuse of human rights in people who use drugs, which increases risk of HIV infection and adversely affects delivery of HIV programmes. The paper is by Dr Ralf Jürgens, Consultant on HIV/AIDS, Health, Policy, and Human Rights, Mille-Isles, Quebec, Canada, and colleagues.
Improved antiretroviral treatment access requires decriminalization
A paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in people who use drugs says that in order to improve access to antiretroviral therapy among injecting drug users (IDUs), health providers must focus less on individual patient's ability to adhere to treatment, and more on conditions of health delivery that create treatment interruptions. Among low-income and middle-income countries, almost half of all injecting drug users with HIV are in just five of these countries: China, Vietnam, Russia, Ukraine, and Malaysia. Access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is disproportionately low in these countries—IDUs make up two thirds of cumulative HIV cases in these countries, but only 25% of patients receiving ART. This third paper is by Daniel Wolfe, Open Society Institute, International Harm Reduction Development Program, New York, USA, and colleagues.
Less than 10 percent of injecting drug users covered by existing HIV prevention interventions
Globally, fewer than 1 in 10 injecting drug users (IDUs) are covered by effective HIV prevention interventions, with just 5% of injections likely covered by a syringe provided from a needle and syringe programme (NSP). Only eight clients receive opioid substitution therapy (OST) for every 100 IDUs, while only 4 of every 100 HIV-positive IDUs receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). While all these interventions can have a stand-alone effect, they must be used together to substantially reduce HIV transmission among IDUs. This is a key message of a new paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in People Who Use Drugs, written by Professor Louisa Degenhardt, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues. The paper also shows the need for policy, legal and other structural changes as a core element of HIV prevention for IDUs.
Inadequate provision of treatments driving drug-related HIV epidemics
Of the estimated 16 million injecting drug users (IDUs) worldwide, some 3 million are thought to be HIV positive. To curtail the HIV epidemic in IDUs, a combination of interventions are needed specific to the location and population profile. In the new paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in People Who Use Drugs, Dr Steffanie Strathdee, University of California San Diego, CA, USA, and colleagues conclude that inadequate provision of opioid substitution (OST), needle and syringe programmes (NSP) and antiretroviral therapy (ART), along with laws preventing OST, are all driving the HIV epidemic in people who use drugs.
HIV in women who use drugs: Double neglect, double risk
A Comment in The Lancet Series on HIV says that HIV infections continue to rise in drug-involved women,especially injecting drug users in Asia and eastern Europe, and in crack-cocaine users in the USA and other countries. Women who use drugs are doubly at risk for HIV infection via unprotected sex and unsafe injections. The Comment is by Dr Nabila El-Bassel, Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, USA, and colleagues.
Alcohol: The forgotten drug in HIV/AIDS
A Comment The Lancet Series on HIV highlights the forgotten drug in the HIV/AIDS epidemic: alcohol. The Comment, by Dr Katherine Fritz, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC, USA, and colleagues, says that patterns of hazardous alcohol consumption exist in countries with the worst HIV epidemics, most notably Southern and Eastern Africa.
Faster tracking of lung tumors may help treatment
Today, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in Philadelphia, a group of researchers from Stanford University will describe the latest developments toward their goal of integrating two existing medical devices -- medical linear accelerators, or "linacs," which produce powerful X-rays for treating cancer, and magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs), which are widely used to image tumors in the human body.
Men and women respond equally to naltrexone as treatment for alcohol dependence
While the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in the United States during the 1980s was roughly five times more common among men than women, the gap between the genders has narrowed: AUDs are now only twice as prevalent in men than in women. Treatment for alcohol dependence (AD) utilizes multiple therapeutic modalities, including pharmacotherapy. This study found that women respond to naltrexone treatment for AD similarly to men.
Using a learning collaborative model to combat maternal HIV transmission in Eastern Rwanda
An article in this week's PLoS Medicine by Younsook Lim (from Dartmouth Medical School, USA) and colleagues shows how the Rwanda Learning Collaborative on Child Health (RLC) sought to increase access to and the quality of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT) services in the Eastern Province of Rwanda using a learning collaborative model. The model, which uses peer-to-peer learning methods, allows for multiple improvement ideas to be simultaneously tested and evaluated.
Model for roll-out of comprehensive adult male circumcision services in South Africa
In research published this week in PLoS Medicine. Bertran Auvert (INSERM) and colleagues describe the large-scale roll-out of adult male circumcision (AMC) in Orange Farm, South Africa.
Researchers team on sickle cell clinical trial
Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have joined forces with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Washington University in St. Louis to investigate a potential new therapy for sickle cell disease, a severe and chronic illness affecting more than 70,000 Americans and several million people worldwide. A drug called Lexiscan (regadenoson - Astellas Pharma US,Inc.), approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a pharmacologic stress agent used to diagnose heart disease in some patients, will be tested in the multi-center clinical trial. Patient recruitment for the trial is under way.
Children have a negative impact on physical activity among individuals with heart disease
A study conducted at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) has shown unexpectedly that living with children is linked to a reduction in physical activity. Carried out with 756 participants and led by Dr. Simon L. Bacon, Associate Researcher at the MHI and Professor at Concordia University, the study assessed the impact of social networks on exercise, revealing that people with heart disease who live with children exercise less than those people who do not live with children.
Probiotics use in mothers limits eczema in their babies
Mothers who drank milk with a probiotic supplement during and after pregnancy were able to cut the incidence of eczema in their children by almost half, a new study published in the British Journal of Dermatology has shown.
High doses of ursodeoxycholic acid ineffective for NASH patients
A study conducted by researchers at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany found that high doses of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), suggested by some studies to have a beneficial effect on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), does not improve overall histology in these patients. Full findings of this study are published in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Depression overlooked in patients with hepatitis C; compromising HCV therapy
Researchers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland (the NORDynamIC project group) have observed that depressive symptoms in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are commonly overlooked in routine clinical interviews, and that treatment-induced depression compromises the outcome of HCV therapy. A second U.S. study found that patients with chronic infection had lower (work) productivity and incurred higher medical benefit costs than those without HCV. Both studies are available in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Screen yields drugs that could help treat fatal brain disorder
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using novel screens to sort through libraries of drugs already approved for use in human patients, a team of Wisconsin researchers has identified several compounds that could be used to treat a rare and deadly neurological disorder.
Drinking trends increase for whites, blacks and Hispanics
Given that Whites are the majority population in the United States, drinking trends for this group tend to determine overall trends in drinking for the country and simultaneously minimize trends and possible risks among Black and Hispanic populations. A study of trends in drinking patterns and amounts drank among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics from 1992 to 2002 has found a rise in the proportion of drinkers across all three ethnic groups and both genders.
Genders of alcohol-dependent parents and children influence psychopathology in the children
Scientists already know that the children of alcohol-dependent (AD) individuals have a greater risk of developing a psychiatric illness, but the effects of gender on this risk are not well known. A new study has found that the effects of parental AD on a child's psychopathology can be different, depending on both the gender of the AD parent and the gender of their child.
Children of older women appear vulnerable to the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure
The presence and severity of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are influenced by factors beyond alcohol consumption. A new study of one of those factors that may increase the risk of FASD - maternal age - has found that the impact of maternal binge drinking during pregnancy on attention was greater among children born to older drinking mothers.
HIV testing for children must be improved
National HIV programs should recognize that HIV testing and counseling systems designed for adults do not meet the needs of children. Therefore, according to Scott Kellerman from Management Sciences for Health, Virginia, USA and Shaffiq Essajee from the Clinton Health Access Initiative, New York, USA, specific strategies to increase opportunities for children to access HIV testing, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, need to be designed and implemented.
Biophysicist explores the science behind the mind-body practice of tai chi
(PhysOrg.com) -- Shin Lin moves with a measured grace that comes from years of practicing tai chi, the centuries-old Chinese martial art that emphasizes serenity and calm over combat. When practicing tai chi, his hands slowly push the air and his body sways like "seaweed that's gently carried by the water."
Beach umbrellas do not block out all solar radiation
A team of researchers from the University of Valencia (UV) has proven that 34% of ultraviolet radiation filters through under beach umbrellas. According to what is published in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology, umbrellas intercept the full direct flow that comes from the Sun, but not the diffused radiation that penetrates through from the sides.
Are all meditation techniques the same?
As doctors increasingly prescribe meditation to patients for stress-related disorders, scientists are gaining a better understanding of how different techniques from Buddhist, Chinese, and Vedic traditions produce different results.
Remembering so as not to forget
Verbal distractions are a primary cause of poor memory, according to scientific tests, which prove that the key to preventing ourselves from forgetting is to rehearse and 'refresh' our thoughts.
Experts veto Avastin as a breast cancer treatment
(AP) -- A panel of cancer experts said Tuesday that the government should remove its endorsement of Roche's drug Avastin for breast cancer, after follow-up studies failed to show benefits for patients.
Can deciphering your doctor's notes improve care?
(AP) -- Don't be offended if your doctor writes that you're SOB, or that an exam detected BS.
Researchers link widely used chemicals to ADHD in children
A new study led by a team of Boston University School of Public Health researchers suggests a link between polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), industrial compounds which are widely used in many consumer products, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
Asthma and eczema sufferers have a lower risk of developing a cancer
Men who had a history of asthma or eczema generally had a lower risk of developing cancer, according to a study carried out by researchers at INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, the Research Centre of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, and McGill University. The findings, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, show that male eczema sufferers had a lower risk of lung cancer while those with a history of asthma had a similar effect in relation to stomach cancer.
Antibiotics for the prevention of malaria
If mice are administered an antibiotic for three days and are simultaneously infected with malaria, no parasites appear in the blood and life-threatening disease is averted. In addition, the animals treated in this manner also develop robust, long-term immunity against subsequent infections.
Bone cells' branches sense stimulation, when to make new bone
A long-standing question in bone biology has been answered: It is the spindly extensions of bone cells that sense mechanical stimulation and signal the release of bone-growth factors, according to research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Healthy families, religious involvement buffer youth against risk factors related to drug abuse
American-Indian adolescents continue to have the highest rates of illicit drug use among all ethnic groups. Although previous research has found that increasing adolescent exposure to protective factors can reduce their risk for substance abuse, this has not been thoroughly examined in American-Indian adolescents. Recent findings from a University of Missouri study reveal that positive family relationships and religious affiliation can counteract risk factors - including addicted family members, exposure to violence and deviant peers - associated with drug use.
Next generation surgical robots: Where's the doctor?
As physician-guided robots routinely operate on patients at most major hospitals, the next generation robot could eliminate a surprising element from that scenario -- the doctor.
Feeling insecure in relationships may predispose people to later health problems, says research
People who feel insecure about their attachments to others might be at higher risk for cardiovascular problems than those who feel secure in their relationships, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.
Cultural reactions to anger expression can affect negotiation outcomes
Getting angry might help you get your way if you're negotiating with European Americans, but watch out - in negotiations with East Asians, getting angry may actually hurt your cause. That's the conclusion of a new study on how people from different cultures react to anger in negotiations.
FDA accepts historical controls for epilepsy monotherapy studies
New York University researchers revealed that data from previously completed withdrawal to monotherapy studies for antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) provide a valid control for future studies, obviating the need for placebo/pseudo-placebo trials to demonstrate the efficacy of these drugs as monotherapy. Results of this study are now available online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.
Natural substance NT-020 aids aging brains in rats, study finds
A combination of nutrients called NT-020 promoted adult neural stem cell proliferation in aged rats and boosted their memory performance, reported University of South Florida researchers studying natural therapeutic approaches to promoting the health of neurons in the aging brain.
Wrist Fractures May Cause Serious Disabilities
(PhysOrg.com) -- Wrist fractures have an important personal and public health impact and may play a role in the development of disability in older people, according to a Northwestern University study published by the British Medical Journal.
Key pathway in end-stage prostate cancer tumor progression blocked
Prostate cancer advances when tumors become resistant to hormone therapy, which is the standard treatment for patients, and begin producing their own androgens.
Research results confirm need for protection against ticks that carry Lyme disease
Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors.
Future HIV vaccines -- if we build it, will they come?
A new University of Toronto research review shows many people wouldn't get inoculated against HIV even if a vaccine was developed.
Scientists discover new genetic marker of ovarian cancer risk
A team of Yale researchers have identified a genetic marker that can help predict the risk of developing ovarian cancer, a hard to detect and often deadly form of cancer.
Brain training reverses age-related cognitive decline
Specialized brain training targeted at the regions of a rat's brain that process sound reversed many aspects of normal, age-related cognitive decline and improved the health of the brain cells, according to a new study from researchers at University of California, San Francisco.
Disease genes that followed the Silk Road identified
Scientists have identified key genes responsible for a severe inflammatory disease that has spread along the old silk trading routes from the Far East to the edge of Europe.
Why does everything look gray when you feel blue?
Regardless of culture, language, era, or individual artist, the arts consistently depict depression using darkness. Scientific findings now lend empirical support to this representation of depression that everything looks gray when you feel blue.
Taking music seriously: How music training primes nervous system and boosts learning
Those ubiquitous wires connecting listeners to you-name-the-sounds from invisible MP3 players -- whether of Bach, Miles Davis or, more likely today, Lady Gaga -- only hint at music's effect on the soul throughout the ages.
Back to the future for flu fighters
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian National University researchers have breathed new life into an old protein drug target in a discovery that could open the door to a new range of drugs to combat influenza.
Unlocking the secrets of cellular energy holds promise for obesity, diabetes and cancer
(PhysOrg.com) -- A breakthrough on how cells regulate their energy is promising for clinical gains into diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. Researchers at McGill University and University of Pennsylvania have uncovered new insights into how a protein known as the AMP-activated protein kinase, or AMPK, a master regulator of metabolism, controls how our cells generate energy. AMPK has previously been linked to a number of biological functions including cancer, diabetes, and proper immune function.
Biology news
Experts warn rapid losses of Africa's native livestock threaten continent's food supply
Urgent action is needed to stop the rapid and alarming loss of genetic diversity of African livestock that provide food and income to 70 percent of rural Africans and include a treasure-trove of drought- and disease-resistant animals, according to a new analysis presented today at a major gathering of African scientists and development experts.
What causes hybrid vigor?
Plant scientists at the John Innes Centre have provided a new solution to an old debate on why species hybrids can be more vigourous than their parents. In a study to be published online next week in the online open access journal PLoS Biology, the researchers found a type of genetic "noise" caused by a surprising degree of variation in gene activity even for highly similar traits in closely related species. They found that when species hybridise, some of the variation in gene activity may be cancelled out, leading to greater vigour.
Gut flora study gives insight into obesity
A UQ academic's research into whether nature or nurture influences the development of gut flora has been published in Nature and may hold the key to understanding obesity.
Dairy farmers can fight growing disease threat with chlorine and stainless steel
Two good tips for preventing Johne's disease on dairy farms: Use stainless steel water troughs and add chlorine to the water. That's according to Kim Cook, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist at the agency's Animal Waste Management Research Unit in Bowling Green, Ky. Cook did the research with Carl Bolster, a hydrologist at Bowling Green, and other colleagues.
Where the wild veggies are: Cultivated cucumber and melon originated in Asia and Australia
Sites of origin and regions of domestication of many of our most important cultivated plants are still unknown. The botanical genus Cucumis, to which both the cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and the honeydew melon (C. melo) belong, was long thought to have originated and diversified in Africa, because many wild species of Cucumis are found there.
Gulf Oil Spill Could Affect Maine Bird Populations
(PhysOrg.com) -- Even though the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico isn't likely to directly affect Maine coastal habitats and wildlife, it likely will affect some of the birds that are iconic in Maine, including the common loon, many of the state's shore birds and some of its tern species.
Hundreds of dead penguins wash up on Brazil shores
Hundreds of dead penguins and other sea animals have washed up on Sao Paulo state's shores and scientists are investigating the causes, environment officials told Folha Online news agency.
Genetic mismatch keeps yeast species distinct
How species form and what keeps them distinct from each other, even though they can interbreed, is a key question in evolution. Researchers from Taiwan, led by Dr. Jun-Yi Leu, an Assistant Research Fellow from the Institute of Molecular Biology at Academia Sinica, have recently identified genes in three closely-related yeast species that cause sterility, increasing our understanding of how species can remain distinct. The findings will be published next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology.
CSI at the service of cellulose synthesis
(PhysOrg.com) -- Grains, vegetables and fruit taste delicious and are important sources of energy. However, humans cannot digest the main component of plants - the cellulose in the cell wall. Even in ruminants, animals that can metabolise cellulose, the digestibility of the cell wall plays a crucial role in feed utilisation. Scientists are therefore looking for ways of increasing the digestibility of animal feed, and of utilising plant cell walls to generate energy. To do this they must first understand how plant cells develop their cell walls from cellulose and identify the genes and proteins involved.
New hypothesis for human evolution and human nature
It's no secret to any dog-lover or cat-lover that humans have a special connection with animals. But in a new journal article and forthcoming book, paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman of Penn State University argues that this human-animal connection goes well beyond simple affection. Shipman proposes that the interdependency of ancestral humans with other animal species -- "the animal connection" -- played a crucial and beneficial role in human evolution over the last 2.6 million years.
Rapid growth in adolescence leads to fewer offspring, biologists find
University of California, Riverside biologists working on guppies - small freshwater fish that have been the subject of long-term studies - report that rapid growth responses to increased food availability after a period of growth restriction early in life have repercussions in adulthood.
Research shows it is not about more sunlight and higher temperatures
The tropics owe their stunning biodiversity to consistent year-round temperatures, not higher temperatures or more sunlight, according to a novel survey of insect diversity at different latitudes and at different points in the planet's history.
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