Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for August 2, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Exercise and caloric restriction rejuvenate synapses in lab mice- Researchers find universal law for material evolution
- New solar energy conversion process could revamp solar power production
- Silicon can be made to melt in reverse
- New catalyst of platinum nanoparticles could lead to conk-out free, stable fuel cells
- Purified blood stem cells improve success of bone marrow transplants in mice, study shows
- One high-fat diet, two different outcomes: The path to obesity becomes clearer
- Our brain can be taught to control cravings, researchers find
- New study examines effects of drought in the Amazon
- Windy cities: Researchers invent new tool to calculate hurricane risk
- Research shows what you say about others says a lot about you
- Martian Face Turns Out to be a Rocky Mesa
- When memory-related region of brain is damaged, other areas compensate, study finds
- Stress hormones help lizards escape from fire ants
- New ID theft targets kids' SS numbers
Space & Earth news
Students get a feel for soil-water relationships
Using little more than PVC rings, a trashcan, and a scale, students can literally get a feel for soil water retention and field capacity, concepts that are important and useful in fields from farming to engineering.
EPA notes improvements at Michigan oil spill site
(AP) -- A regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency said Sunday that significant improvement had been made at the site of an oil spill in a southern Michigan river, but the agency cautioned that it will take months to complete the cleanup.
Addressing environmental challenges and controversies through science communication
What can we do for the environment? What can individual scientists, agencies and institutions do to improve the quality of environmental decision-making? These are among the questions explored by scientists and communications experts in a Special Issue of the Ecological Society of America's (ESA) peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Submissions are based on a 2009 conference held at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
Safe and efficient de-orbit of space junk without making the problem worse
Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) announced that Dr. Kristin L. Gates will present a paper on de-orbiting space junk at the August 2 Artificial and Natural Space Debris session of the AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Gates will describe GAC's Gossamer Orbit Lowering Device (GOLD) for safe and efficient removal from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of dangerous space objects. The patented GOLD system concept uses a very large ultra thin balloon envelope to increase the aerodynamic drag by a factor of several hundred. This will cause the space junk to enter the earth's atmosphere quickly and burn up. It will reduce the natural orbit decay of some objects from centuries to months. The computer-generated figure illustrates a GOLD system de-orbiting a large scientific observatory.
UH salt marsh expert studies damage to Gulf Coast
A giant vacuum powered by a lawnmower engine may not seem like a tool for scientific study, but salt marsh experts from the University of Houston are using the contraption to study the effects of the oil spill on insects and spiders along the Gulf Coast.
Is biochar the answer for ag?
Scientists demonstrate that biochar, a type charcoal applied to soils in order to capture and store carbon, can reduce emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, and inorganic nitrogen runoff from agriculture settings. The finding will help develop strategies and technologies to reduce soil nitrous oxide emissions and reduce agriculture's influence on climate change.
Gulf crews prepare to start plugging well for good
(AP) -- The only thing keeping millions more gallons of oil out of the Gulf of Mexico right now is a rush job: an experimental cap that has held for more than two weeks but was never meant to be permanent. As soon as this week, crews will be pumping in some insurance.
Mines and wines in Australia climate battle
Australian winemaker Brett Keating doesn't draw a parallel between the shorter, hotter seasons and slow creep of coal mining towards his land, but he is concerned.
NASA's First Robotic Crew Member To Tweet From Space Station
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Robonaut 2 has no voice but is ready to tell you its story -- in 140 characters or less. The prototype robot will travel to space this fall to give NASA a deeper understanding of human-robotic interaction.
Mallory and Irvine: Did extreme weather cause their disappearance?
Their legend has inspired generations of mountaineers since their ill-fated attempt to climb Everest over 80 years ago, and now a team of scientists believe they have discovered another important part of the puzzle as to why George Mallory and Andrew Irvine never returned from their pioneering expedition. The research, published in Weather, explores the unsolved mystery and uses newly uncovered historical data collected during their expedition to suggest that extreme weather may have contributed to their disappearance.
Instruments selected for Mars
ESA and NASA have selected the scientific instruments for their first joint Mars mission. Scheduled for 2016, it will study the chemical makeup of the martian atmosphere, including methane. Discovered in 2003, methane could point to life on the Red Planet.
Chinese environmental crusaders win 'Asia's Nobel'
Three Chinese environmental campaigners were on Monday named among the winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Awards, regarded as Asia's version of the Nobel prize.
US says it's committed to cutting greenhouse gases
(AP) -- The United States assured international negotiators Monday it remains committed to reducing carbon emissions over the next 10 years, despite the collapse of efforts to legislate a climate bill.
Taking a Shot at the Sun
(PhysOrg.com) -- This July, for a thrilling eight minutes, NASA researchers will get a peek at one of the sun's most mysterious regions.
Ice core drilling effort to help assess abrupt climate change risks
An international science team involving the University of Colorado at Boulder that is working on the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling project hit bedrock July 27 after two summers of work, drilling down more than 1.5 miles in an effort to help assess the risks of abrupt future climate change on Earth.
STAR TRAK: August 2010
Every three years, the same phase of the moon happens on about the same date of each month. The annual Perseid meteor shower of August last happened in a moonless sky in 2007, so this year if the sky is clear when the Perseids peak before dawn on Aug. 12 and 13, there will be an unhindered display of silent fireworks.
Life after Catastrophe
Scientists studying deep-sea hydrothermal vents have found that larvae travel hundreds of miles to re-colonize these harsh locations after a volcanic eruption. The new study could challenge existing beliefs about how life adapts to extreme environments.
Oxygen fuels the fires of time
Variations in the Earth's atmospheric oxygen levels are thought to be closely linked to the evolution of life, with strong feedbacks between uni- and multicellular life and oxygen. Over the past 400 million years the level of oxygen has varied considerably from the 21% value we have today. Scientists from The Field Museum in Chicago and Royal Holloway University of London publishing their results this week in the journal Nature Geoscience have shown that the amount of charcoal preserved in ancient peat bogs, now coal, gives a measure of how much oxygen there was in the past.
New carbon dioxide emissions model
Meteorologists have determined exactly how much carbon dioxide humans can emit into the atmosphere while ensuring that the Earth does not heat up by more than two degrees.
Eruptive characteristics of Oregon's Mount Hood analyzed
A new study has found that a mixing of two different types of magma is the key to the historic eruptions of Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain, and that eruptions often happen in a relatively short time - weeks or months - after this mixing occurs.
New study examines effects of drought in the Amazon
Recent research surrounding the impact of drought in the Amazon has provided contradictory findings as to how tropical forests react to a drier and warmer climate. A new study published in the August 2 Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) examines the response of Amazon forests to variations in climate conditions, specifically considering how those changes may influence forest productivity. These findings provide possible context for why previous studies have offered varying conclusions.
Windy cities: Researchers invent new tool to calculate hurricane risk
Bad news, Miami. Of all Florida's major population centers, the city is the most vulnerable to strong hurricane winds, according to Florida State University researchers who developed a new tool to estimate the frequency of extreme hurricane winds at a particular location.
Martian Face Turns Out to be a Rocky Mesa
(PhysOrg.com) -- In 1976, the Viking spacecraft, flying above Mars, captured an image of what appeard to be a large face on the surface of the planet. The face appeared, to many, as proof that a Martian civilization existed; beings not unlike humans must have populated Mars at one time. The famous "face on Mars" is located in the Cydonia region of Mars.
Two spacewalks needed to fix ISS cooling pump: NASA
Crew members on the International Space Station will make the first of two spacewalks this week to remove and replace a pump module on a cooling system that dramatically failed last week, NASA officials said Monday.
Aurora alert: The Sun is waking up (w/ Video)
Sky viewers might get to enjoy some spectacular Northern Lights, or aurorae, tomorrow. After a long slumber, the Sun is waking up. Early Sunday morning, the Sun's surface erupted and blasted tons of plasma (ionized atoms) into interplanetary space. That plasma is headed our way, and when it arrives, it could create a spectacular light show.
NASA Reveals Key to Unlock Mysterious Red Glow in Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA scientists created a unique collection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) spectra to interpret mysterious emission from space. Because PAHs are a major product of combustion, remain in the environment, and are carcinogenic, the value of this PAH spectral collection extends far beyond NASA and astronomical applications.
Ice-free Arctic Ocean may not be of much use in soaking up carbon dioxide: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- The summer of 2010 has been agonizingly hot in much of the continental U.S., and the record-setting temperatures have refocused attention on global warming. Scientists have been looking at ways the Earth might benefit from natural processes to balance the rising heat, and one process had intrigued them, a premise that melting ice at the poles might allow more open water that could absorb carbon dioxide, one of the major compounds implicating in warming.
Technology news
House member urges approval of Comcast, NBC deal
(AP) -- The head of the House subcommittee that deals with communications issues is calling on federal regulators to approve Comcast's plan to buy a controlling interest in NBC Universal with a handful of conditions attached to protect consumers and competition.
Elite US cyber team courts hackers to fight terror
An elite US cyber team that has stealthily tracked Internet villains for more than a decade pulled back its cloak of secrecy to recruit hackers at a DefCon gathering.
Japan's NTT DoCoMo to buy US video software firm
Japanese mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo said Monday it was spending 111.6 million dollars to take over a US video software firm and beef up its multimedia services.
Advocates press Congress on renewable energy standard
Renewable energy advocates are pushing Congress to include a renewable electricity standard in a climate bill that was proposed Tuesday in the Senate, and the idea got a boost this week when 27 Democrats and a Republican pressed for its inclusion.
Karaoke kings
Karaoke Revolution, a hugely popular video game for Playstation, X-Box and Wii, used new tools recently developed by European research to create phenomenal animations that would otherwise have been nearly impossible. Fans do not care how they did it, but are very impressed with what they did.
Spain to cut subsidies to photovoltaic energy sector
The government of Spain, a world leader in renewable energy, said it plans to cut subsidies for photovoltaic solar plants by up to 45 percent as it seeks to slash spending amid the economic crisis.
CBS and Comcast reach long-term deal on fees
(AP) -- CBS Corp. and Comcast Corp. have reached a deal that will allow Comcast to continue carrying CBS programming for another decade.
Games defeat e-mail as online time eaters
(AP) -- For the first time, games have overtaken e-mail as Americans' No. 2 online time killer, according to new research from the Nielsen Co.
Team Releases Tools for Secure Cloud Computing
(PhysOrg.com) -- UT Dallas researchers have released software tools intended to help make cloud computing the standard way much computing is done.
Conn. AG: Apple, Amazon block lower e-book prices
(AP) -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are trying to stop competitors from offering lower e-book prices.
UAE: BlackBerry crackdown will affect visitors too
(AP) -- The United Arab Emirates' looming crackdown on BlackBerry services will extend to foreign visitors using roaming, putting the government's concerns over the smart phones in direct conflict with the country's ambitions to be a business and tourism haven.
New ID theft targets kids' SS numbers
(AP) -- The latest form of identity theft doesn't depend on stealing your Social Security number. Now thieves are targeting your kid's number long before the little one even has a bank account.
New solar energy conversion process could revamp solar power production
Stanford engineers have figured out how to simultaneously use the light and heat of the sun to generate electricity in a way that could make solar power production more than twice as efficient as existing methods and potentially cheap enough to compete with oil.
Medicine & Health news
Researchers develop advanced search tool to help physician's sort and retrieve vital EMR data
Researchers at one of the top five hospitals in the United States have developed an advanced search tool called the Queriable Patient Inference Dossier (QPID) that helps radiologists and other physicians extract useful data from a patient's electronic medical record (EMR) in a timely and efficient manner, according to an article in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Dose optimization workshop helps reduce radiation dose associated with MDCT scans
Numerous radiology practices were able to significantly reduce the radiation dose associated with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans by participating in a one day dose optimization workshop provided by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) and supported by the local state health department, according to a study in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Socioeconomic status predicts survival of Canadian cancer patients
A new analysis from Canada has found that cancer patients from poorer communities have a greater chance of dying prematurely than individuals from more affluent backgrounds even though cancer stage at time of diagnosis is similar across socioeconomic groups. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that efforts are needed to understand and reduce disparities in the survival of cancer patients from different socioeconomic groups.
Lead pollution health impacts on kids still being ignored at Mount Isa
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research to be published in the editorial section of the Medical Journal of Australia on August 2 confirms that the source of elevated environmental lead levels and blood lead levels in children who live in the Queensland mining town of Mount Isa are being ignored.
Proton pump inhibitors are a risk factor for C. difficile reinfection
Clostridium-difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is the most common cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea. Although initial response rates to specific antibiotic therapy exceed 90 percent, 10-30 percent of patients experience disease recurrence. Risk factors influence CDAD recurrence are not yet fully understood. A research group in Korea investigated the risk factors for CDAD recurrence. Advanced age, serum albumin levels less than 2.5g/dL and use of PPIs were found to be significant risk factors for CDAD recurrence.
A new role of glypican-3 in hepatocellular carcinoma
A study group from Japan analyzed the association of glypican-3 (GPC3) expression with Wnt and other growth signaling molecules in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They found altered expressions of various matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and growth signaling molecules, some of which were correlated with GPC3 expression, were observed in HCCs. The results suggest that GPC3, in conjunction with MMPs and growth signaling molecules, might play an important role in the progression of HCC.
Rights group slams Philippine abortion ban
(AP) -- A U.S.-based rights group urged the Philippines on Monday to reform a tough anti-abortion law that it says has spawned widespread underground procedures that kill about 1,000 women each year in the predominantly Roman Catholic country.
Risk of disease rises amid deadly Pakistan floods
(AP) -- Pakistan dispatched medical teams Monday to the deluged northwest amid fears that cholera could spread after the worst floods in the country's history that have already killed up to 1,200 people, an official said.
Body weight and glaucoma risk; new 'map' for severe myopia
This month's Ophthalmology journal includes surprising research from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary on the relation of body weight to the risk for glaucoma. Also, from researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, comes the first specific map of how the development of myopic maculopathy, an illness that afflicts many severely nearsighted people, predicts which patients will be most susceptible to vision loss.
Lung cancer survivors experience long-term effects of breathlessness
With the growing number of long-term lung cancer survivors, research is needed to identify and address cancer survivorship issues. One of the most common and debilitating symptoms among lung cancer patients is dyspnea, or shortness of breath. As most studies of dyspnea have reviewed patients with active lung cancer or immediately after treatment, the prevalence of dyspnea over the long-term once treatment has been completed is not well characterized.
Mayo Clinic finds withdrawing ventricular assist device support ethical
Patients have the right to refuse or request the withdrawal of any unwanted treatment. In an article published in the online issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, investigators explore the legal and ethical permissibility of carrying out such a request specific to a ventricular assist device (VAD).
Research defines timeframes, factors to deem early stage lung cancer cured
In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), five-year disease-free survival is currently the benchmark of cure. However, there are two issues that remain with the follow-up standards: (1) When can cure be declared with confidence and (2) for how long should follow-up examination be continued?
Bacteriolytic therapy may be a promising treatment strategy for advanced pancreatic cancer patients
Pancreatic carcinoma is only rarely curable. A German research group investigated an alternative treatment using spores of the bacterium Clostridium novyi in an animal model. Tumors of a defined medium size were successfully treated. Small tumors remained unaffected and the treatment was toxic for animals with very large tumors. Successful treatment was due to the induction of an immune response predominantly the innate arm of the immune system.
Placement of removable metal biliary stent in post-OLT anastomotic stricture
Benign biliary strictures after liver transplantation are usually treated by repeated endoscopic interventions or surgery. A group of researchers in Australia reported the outcome of two patients with refractory anastomotic biliary strictures, who had successful temporary placement of a prototype removable covered self-expandable metal stent.
Fractures significantly reduce quality of life in women with osteoporosis
Researchers seeking to understand the impact of osteoporosis and fractures on various aspects of health have found that women who had previous fractures experienced a significant reduction in health-related quality of life similar to or worse than that experienced by patients with diabetes, arthritis, lung disease and other chronic illnesses. This latest study from the Global Longitudinal Study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW), which is based at the Center for Outcomes Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, was published online, July 15, in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
New hope for cerebral palsy prevention
University of Adelaide researchers are a step closer to finding a link between genetic susceptibility to cerebral palsy and a range of environmental risk factors during pregnancy, including infections and pre-term delivery.
Study finds mentorship program successfully fights childhood obesity
A program pairing healthy young adults with urban middle school students helped the adolescents adopt healthy habits, active lifestyles and a healthy weight, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The study, published August 2 in the journal Pediatrics, found that linking African American, inner city adolescents in Baltimore with one-on-one mentorship from college students prevented the schoolchildren from becoming overweight for at least two years after the mentorship experience. Researchers found the adolescents ate fewer snacks and desserts, and engaged in active play more often. The rate of overweight/obesity in the group declined five percent.
LED glasses step into the light
(PhysOrg.com) -- Light therapy glasses -- spectacles that use inbuilt light emitting diodes (LEDs) to assist in resetting the body's natural clock -- are a step closer to commercial availability with the award of a grant from the Federal Government's Commercialisation Australia fund.
Mentoring, skills development associated with improved mental health in foster care children
Incorporating mentoring and group skill-building intervention programs for children in foster care may help improve mental health outcomes in this population, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Hungry children and youth have more health problems
Children and youth who experience hunger appear more likely to have health problems, and repeated episodes of hunger may be particularly toxic, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Ketamine may relieve depression quickly for those with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder
A single intravenous dose of the anesthetic agent ketamine appears to reduce symptoms of depression within 40 minutes among those with bipolar disorder who have not responded to other treatments, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Healthiest pregnant women feel a strong sense of community
(PhysOrg.com) -- It takes a village to keep a pregnant woman at her healthiest, a new University of Michigan study shows.
Certain meat components may increase bladder cancer risk
A new study suggests that consuming specific compounds in meat related to processing methods may be associated with an increased risk of developing bladder cancer. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may be relevant for understanding the role of dietary exposures in cancer risk.
Caution: Here's advice on legit stem cell clinics
(AP) -- Scientists are making progress in testing stem cells to treat a variety of diseases, but they're warning about clinics that push unproven treatments.
Dutch clinic helps alcoholics by 'binding them with beer'
Alcoholic Janetta van Bruggen settles comfortably into a clinic chair, lights a cigarette and takes a supervised swig from a tall, frosted mug -- her sixth beer since breakfast.
New methods, new math speed detection of drug-resistant malaria
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed techniques to quickly identify evolution of drug resistance in strains of malaria. Their goal is to enable the medical community to react quickly to inevitable resistance and thereby save lives while increasing the lifespan of drugs used against the disease.
Mind over matter? The psychology of healing
People suffering from diabetes-related foot ulcers show different rates of healing according to the way they cope and their psychological state of mind, according to new research by a health psychologist at The University of Nottingham.
New technique in robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy
Stress urinary incontinence is one of the most feared complications of radical prostatectomy. The weighted mean continence rate immediately after catheter removal following robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) is 25.7%. Evidently, early recovery of urinary continence remains a challenge to be overcome. The Surgery in Motion section of the September issue of European Urology describes the surgical steps of pubovesical complex (PVC)-sparing RALP and presents the preliminary results of the technique.
How blocking the 'Programmed Death 1' protein may treat or prevent sepsis and severe infection
Scientists have made an important discovery that could lead to new drugs that reduce the severity of blood infections leading to sepsis. Research presented in the August 2010 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows how interfering with the function of the cell membrane protein called "Programmed Death 1" (PD-1) improves survival in a clinically relevant model of severe infection.
Nutritional labeling and point-of-purchase signs influence healthy food choices
Poor diet and physical inactivity leading to obesity are poised to overtake tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. With over 30% of U.S. adults obese, the significant adverse health effects of obesity (including heart disease and diabetes) are widespread throughout the country. Two studies published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shed light on behaviors regarding food choices and good nutrition and report on how nutritional labeling and point-of-purchase signs are influencing healthy food choices.
Sisters protect siblings from depression, study shows
Something about having a sister - even a little sister - makes 10- to 14-year-olds a bit less likely to feel down in the dumps.
People reject popular opinions if they already hold opposing views, study finds
What would happen if you developed a strong opinion on an issue, and later found that the majority of people disagreed with you?
Alphavirus-based vaccine may slow some cancers
An experimental vaccine based on a virus that causes encephalitis in the wild appears to block tumor growth in some cases of advanced cancer, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Scientists say the vaccine is able to stimulate an immune response, even in the face of profound immune system suppression, a condition most patients with advanced cancer experience.
Disparities in cardiovascular risk based more on socioeconomic status than race, ethnicity
A new UCLA study suggests that disparities in cardiovascular disease risk in the United States are due less to race or ethnicity than to socioeconomic status.
Scientists target possible cause of one form of bowel disease
A possible cause of irritable bowel syndrome has been traced to a small piece of RNA that blocks a substance protecting the colon membrane, leading to hostile conditions that can produce diarrhea, bloating and chronic abdominal pain.
New studies question vascular multiple sclerosis hypothesis and treatment
Two important new studies challenge the controversial hypothesis that venous congestion -- chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) -- contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). This theory has resulted in many MS patients receiving experimental endovascular angioplasty, a treatment for MS unproven by clinical trials. The studies refuting the CCSVI theory with the first negative medical evidence on the subject, are available today in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association.
Adolescents with Type 2 diabetes have diminished cognitive performance and brain abnormalities
A study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have found that obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes have diminished cognitive performance and subtle abnormalities in the brain as detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Identification of cognitive impairments as a complication of type 2 diabetes emphasizes the importance of addressing issues of inactivity and obesity, two important risk factors for the development of the disease among the young. The study appeared online in the journal Diabetologia, July 30, 2010.
Study suggests intervention for overcoming reading-comprehension difficulties in children
Effective reading requires recognizing words and also understanding what they mean. Between 7-10 percent of children have specific reading-comprehension difficulties. These children can read text aloud accurately but do not understand what they have just read. A new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, identifies a training program which may help children overcome reading-comprehension difficulties.
Doctors not strongly encouraging HPV vaccine to girls of certain age
The vast majority of pediatricians and family physicians nationally are offering the human papillomavirus (also called HPV) vaccine, though fewer physicians are strongly encouraging it for 11- to 12-year-old girls as recommended by national guidelines, according to a survey in the September issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Tongue piercing may cause gapped teeth, according to new study
Mark this one down as a parental nightmare.
Study finds high heels may lead to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis
While women have been making a fashion statement in high heels for years -- wearing trendy stilettos, wedges, pumps and kitten heels -- there's reason for concern about what those heels may be doing to their knees and joints over time. A new study by an Iowa State University kinesiology master's student has found that prolonged wearing of and walking in heels can contribute to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis.
Scientists discover how neuroglobin protects against Alzheimer's
A team of scientists at the University of California, Davis and the University of Auckland has discovered that neuroglobin may protect against Alzheimer's disease by preventing brain neurons from dying in response to natural stress. The team published the results of their study in the April, 2010 issue of Apoptosis.
Personality test to explore rules of attraction
A major new investigation which aims to solve two of the biggest unanswered questions in psychology is being launched by researchers at the University of Cambridge in partnership with the BBC.
Paradigm shift in memory development
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study from UC Davis challenges conventional wisdom on the development of memory in children.
Teen Internet addicts more likely to get the blues: study
Teenagers who are "addicted" to the Internet are more than twice as likely to become depressed than those who surf the Web in a more controlled manner, a study published Monday found.
Researchers uncover potential prostate cancer marker
Studies by a Purdue University-led team have revealed a potential marker for prostate cancer that could be the starting point for less invasive testing and improved diagnosis of the disease.
Viral infection predicts heart transplant loss in children
Scientists report that viral infection of the heart is a predictor of heart transplant failure in young children and adolescents, although it can be detected by screening for viral genes and treated to improve organ survival.
Iron oxide nanoparticles becoming tools for brain tumor imaging and treatment
Tiny particles of iron oxide could become tools for simultaneous tumor imaging and treatment, because of their magnetic properties and toxic effects against brain cancer cells. In mice, researchers from Emory University School of Medicine have demonstrated how these particles can deliver antibodies to implanted brain tumors, while enhancing tumor visibility via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Relatives of individuals with autism tend to display abnormal eye movements
Abnormal eye movements and other sensorimotor and neurobehavioral impairments appear common in unaffected family members of individuals with autism, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Scientists discover new fat cell
As if fat weren't troublesome enough, a research team at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has discovered a new type of fat cell with potentially harmful characteristics.
What the doctor prescribes: Customized medical-image databases
Digital archives of biomedical images could someday put critical information at doctors' fingertips within seconds, illustrating how computers can improve the way medicine is practiced. The current reality, however, isn't quite up to speed, with databases virtually overwhelmed by the explosion of medical imaging.
Brain may age faster in people whose hearts pump less blood
Keep your heart healthy and you may slow down the aging of your brain, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Expectations may affect placebo response in patients with Parkinson's disease
Individuals with Parkinson's disease were more likely to have a neurochemical response to a placebo medication if they were told they had higher odds of receiving an active drug, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Gene variant may increase severity of MS
A new study shows a gene variant may increase the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. The research will be published in the August 3, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Colitis patients diagnosed later in life tend to have better disease outcomes
Adults diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after age 50 are more likely to achieve remission from their symptoms than patients diagnosed at younger ages, even when those patients receive similar treatments, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Pilot safety protocol could help dentists reduce errors
Pilots and dentists have more in common than one might think: Both jobs are highly technical and require teamwork. Both are subject to human error where small, individual mistakes may lead to catastrophe if not addressed early.
Breast Cancer and Body Rhythms
Could working the night shift alter a woman's body clock enough to cause breast cancer?
Low-carb diet trumps low-fat on 'good' cholesterol
(AP) -- Over the long term, a low-carb diet works just as well as a low-fat diet at taking off the pounds - and it might be better for your heart, new research suggests.
Cholesterol levels in young adults predict risk of future heart disease
(PhysOrg.com) -- Young people with even modestly elevated cholesterol levels are more likely to develop coronary artery calcium and atherosclerosis later in life, according to a study by UCSF researchers.
Cancer-causing bacterium targets tumor-suppressor protein
Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori, the only known cancer-causing bacterium, disables a tumor suppressor protein in host cells.
Adult stem cell research far ahead of embryonic
(AP) -- A few months ago, Dr. Thomas Einhorn was treating a patient with a broken ankle that wouldn't heal, even with multiple surgeries. So he sought help from the man's own body.
Stem-cell experiment on pigs seen as step forward in repairing heart damage
A medical research team led by University of Miami doctors injected stem cells into the hearts of pigs that had been damaged by heart attacks. Within two months, the doctors said, the stem cells made the pigs' hearts good as new.
Scientists make link between brain acid and cognition
Almost anyone who has faced a test or a deadline probably wished there was a smart pill to pop. New research suggests that this may eventually be possible.
Women attracted to men in red, research shows
What could be as alluring as a lady in red? A gentleman in red, finds a multicultural study published Aug. 2 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
Non-human primate study generates information relevant to HIV-1 vaccine strategies
Monkeys repeatedly immunized with a particular form the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein generated antibodies capable of neutralizing diverse strains of HIV-1, according to a paper published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on August 2.
Synthetic bone graft recruits stem cells for faster bone healing
Scientists have developed a material for bone grafts that could one day replace the 'gold standard' natural bone implants.
The taste of quinine: It's in your bitter genes
Some people find quinine to be bitter while others can drink it like water. Now, scientists from the Monell Center and collaborators report that individual differences in how people experience quinine's bitterness are related to underlying differences in their genes.
Our brain can be taught to control cravings, researchers find
Standard therapeutic techniques decrease cravings of cigarette smokers by regulating activity in two separate but related areas of the brain, a new study led by a Yale University researcher shows.
One high-fat diet, two different outcomes: The path to obesity becomes clearer
Why is it that two people can consume the same high fat, high-calorie Western diet and one becomes obese and prone to diabetes while the other maintains a slim frame? This question has long baffled scientists, but a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers provides a simple explanation: weight is set before birth in the developing brain.
Purified blood stem cells improve success of bone marrow transplants in mice, study shows
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have challenged decades of accepted wisdom about bone marrow transplantation with a new study showing that mice receiving purified blood stem cells are less prone to complications than mice receiving stem cells plus purified T cells.
Research shows what you say about others says a lot about you
How positively you see others is linked to how happy, kind-hearted and emotionally stable you are, according to new research by a Wake Forest University psychology professor.
When memory-related region of brain is damaged, other areas compensate, study finds
Many neuroscientists believe the loss of the brain region known as the amygdala would result in the brain's inability to form new memories with emotional content. New UCLA research indicates this is not so and suggests that when one brain region is damaged, other regions can compensate.
Exercise and caloric restriction rejuvenate synapses in lab mice
(PhysOrg.com) -- Harvard University researchers have uncovered a mechanism through which caloric restriction and exercise delay some of the debilitating effects of aging by rejuvenating connections between nerves and the muscles that they control.
Biology news
Rebuilding flood plains, agriculture, economy
When the Missouri River flooded in 1993 and 1995, it left a deep layer of sandy silt that covered thousands of acres of rich farmland. Now, MU forestry researchers may have found a crop that can survive a flood and act as a sustainable source of biomass.
Pest-resistant soybeans grow out of MSU research lab
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two lines of pest-resistant soybean painstakingly developed by a Michigan State University scientist promise healthier harvests for growers and a little green for the university too.
The evolutionary origins of coral sex
University of Guam Marine Lab associate professor, Alexander Kerr, is senior author of a paper on the evolutionary origins of coral sex published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The paper, "Correlated evolution of sex and reproductive mode in corals" finds that ancient corals consisted of mostly separate sexes and needed to pass through an evolutionarily period in which they brooded their young before they could become spawning hermaphrodites.
Food agency probes cloned cow milk claim
Food safety officials in Britain are to investigate a claim that milk from the offspring of a cloned cow was on sale for public consumption, they said Monday.
Team finds new building block in cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- Zemer Gitai, an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, members of his laboratory, and scientists from the California Institute of Technology have published results in Nature Cell Biology of new research into how a metabolic enzyme in bacteria forms cytoplasmic filaments that affect bacterial cell shape.
Mediterranean most threatened sea on Earth
The Mediterranean Sea's exquisitely rich mix of flora and fauna is more threatened than marine life anywhere else on Earth, according to a landmark scientific survey released Monday.
'Ribbit Radio' shows frog population estimates are likely flawed
Scientists track amphibian populations because these animals are sensitive to changes in their environment and can serve as "canaries in the coal mine" to give researchers early warnings about pollution or other ecological problems. But new research from North Carolina State University shows that data from the largest amphibian monitoring program in the country may have flaws that, if uncorrected, could result in overestimates of frog populations.
A cellular housekeeper, and potential target of obesity drugs, caught in action
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have obtained the closest look yet of how a gargantuan molecular machine breaks down unwanted proteins in cells, a critical housekeeping chore that helps prevent diseases such as cancer.
Blue whales align the pitch of their songs with extreme accuracy, study finds
Blue whales are able to synchronize the pitch of their calls with an extremely high level of accuracy, and a very slim margin of error from call to call, according to a new study of the blue whale population in the eastern North Pacific. Results were published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. The authors suggest that the uniform pitch used by blue whale populations could allow individual whales to locate potential mates by swimming toward them or away from them.
Stress hormones help lizards escape from fire ants
New research shows that when some fence lizards are attacked by fire ants they "stress out"-- a response that actually helps the species to survive by heightening the animal's awareness of imminent danger. Tracy Langkilde, assistant professor of biology at Penn State University, found that lizards living in areas of the southeastern United States, where large numbers of fire ants also live, have elevated levels of stress hormones, called glucocorticoids.
Marine life census shines light on biodiversity of the seas
Crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans represent the most common species in the world's seas, and the waters of Australia and Japan are the most diverse, according to a vast inventory of marine life published Monday.
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