Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for August 19, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Computer chip that computes probabilities and not logic- Astronomers use galactic magnifying lens to probe elusive dark energy
- Scientists map and confirm origin of large, underwater hydrocarbon plume in Gulf
- Researchers describe secrets of 'magic' antidepressant
- Incredible shrinking moon is revealed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
- AIDS virus changes in semen make it different than in blood
- Maslow's pyramid gets a much needed renovation
- Frozen flies may yield secrets for human organ transplants
- Different energy mixes will fuel plug-in hybrid cars
- Scientist IDs genes that promise to make biofuel production more efficient, economical
- Finland aims to build first ever green highway
- Brain network links cognition, motivation
- High speed beams, heaps of excitement and hunting the Higgs boson
- Virtual reality you can touch (w/ Video)
- Drought drives decade-long decline in plant growth
Space & Earth news
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment takes off for Kennedy Space Center
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), an experiment that will search for antimatter and dark matter in space, leaves CERN next Tuesday on the next leg of its journey to the International Space Station. The AMS detector is being transported from CERN to Geneva International Airport in preparation for its planned departure from Switzerland on 26 August, when it will be flown to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board a US Air Force Galaxy transport aircraft.
Study reveals UK upland waters are recovering from acid rain
(PhysOrg.com) -- Upland waters damaged by acid rain are beginning to recover according to UCL research published today.
In search of haze: Researching the effects aerosol particles have on the earth's climate
A team of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) scientists led an intensive month-long field study to research the effects of carbonaceous aerosols, often seen as haze, on climate. The Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study-or CARES-field campaign examined the evolution and radiative effects of aerosol particles emitted from various sources such as exhaust fumes, wildfires and agricultural burning sources.
Stanford researchers tapped to help make rules for commercial space travel
(PhysOrg.com) -- Before business skyrockets to space, the FAA has to make sure it's safe to get there.
Toy Makes Gathering Wind Data A Breeze
Meteorologists have developed a portable new tool for measuring atmospheric wind speeds by tethering kites to ground-based metering systems.
ISS orbit corrected
The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) was successfully corrected on Thursday, an official of the Russian space flights control centre announced.
Slowing urban sprawl, adding forests curb floods and help rivers
Controlling urban growth and increasing forested land are the most effective ways to decrease future water runoff and flooding, according to a Purdue University study.
New ways to chart our maritime past
Archaeology has a long-standing tradition in protecting areas on land. But there is little attention to cultural monuments at the sea-shore and under water. To help locating these artifacts, meteorologist Marianne Nitter has introduced the concept of "climate-space." Inspired by the term "landscape room," this concept enables archaeologist to convey and incorporate abstract meteorological phenomena into the field of archaeology.
Feds: BP's Gulf well to be killed after Labor Day
(AP) -- The U.S. government said Thursday the final plugging of BP's blown-out Gulf well will begin sometime after Labor Day.
Where in the World is Europa?
Before they can be sent out to explore planets or moons, rovers first need to be tested in the field. While there is no perfect analog for Jupiter's icy moon Europa, there are various spots on Earth and elsewhere that are similar enough to conduct trial runs.
Deep plumes of oil could cause dead zones in the Gulf
A new simulation of oil and methane leaked into the Gulf of Mexico suggests that deep hypoxic zones or "dead zones" could form near the source of the pollution. The research investigates five scenarios of oil and methane plumes at different depths and incorporates an estimated rate of flow from the Deepwater Horizon spill, which released oil and methane gas into the Gulf from April to mid July of this year.
NASA's Aqua Satellite sees TD5's remnants stretched out in US south
NASA's Aqua satellite noticed that the showers and thunderstorms from the remnants of Tropical Depression 5 (TD5) extended from Louisiana northeast into southwest Alabama. Infrared imagery indicated some strong thunderstorms over south central Louisiana and northwest Alabama.
Listening to Earth breathe through 500 towers
It takes a global village to monitor and analyze trends in Earth's "breathing" -- or the exchange of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy between vegetation on the ground and the planet's atmosphere.
Mud Volcanoes on Mars
Spewing out material from deep underground, geological structures on Mars thought to be mud volcanoes could give scientists the clues they need to determine if life exists, or ever existed, on the Red Planet.
Image: Galactic super-volcano in action
(PhysOrg.com) -- This image shows the eruption of a galactic "super-volcano" in the massive galaxy M87.
SEA researchers find widespread floating plastic debris in the western North Atlantic Ocean
Despite growing awareness of the problem of plastic pollution in the world's oceans, little solid scientific information existed to illustrate the nature and scope of the issue. This week, a team of researchers from Sea Education Association (SEA), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the University of Hawaii (UH) published a study of plastic marine debris based on data collected over 22 years by undergraduate students in the latest issue of the journal Science.
Drought drives decade-long decline in plant growth
Earth has done an ecological about-face: Global plant productivity that once flourished under warming temperatures and a lengthened growing season is now on the decline, struck by the stress of drought.
Geologists revisit the Great Oxygenation Event
In "The Sign of the Four" Sherlock Holmes tells Watson he has written a monograph on 140 forms of cigar-, cigarette-, and pipe-tobacco, "with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash." He finds the ash invaluable for the identification of miscreants who happen to smoke during the commission of a crime.
Incredible shrinking moon is revealed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is revealing previously undetected landforms that indicate the moon is shrinking. The findings are reported in a paper, "Evidence of Recent Thrust Faulting on the Moon Revealed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera" scheduled for publication in the Aug. 20 issue of the journal Science.
Scientists map and confirm origin of large, underwater hydrocarbon plume in Gulf
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have detected a plume of hydrocarbons that is at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Astronomers use galactic magnifying lens to probe elusive dark energy
A team of astronomers has used a massive galaxy cluster as a cosmic magnifying lens to study the nature of dark energy for the first time. When combined with existing techniques, their results significantly improve current measurements of the mass and energy content of the universe. The findings appear in the August 20 issue of the journal Science.
Technology news
Broadband network could switch Australian voters
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her challenger Tony Abbott may not be "tech heads", but their starkly opposed views on a national broadband network are a key battleground in this week's election.
Cameron Diaz tops list of riskiest celeb searches
(AP) -- If you're looking for Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts or Jessica Biel online, look out!
Wright State researchers developing skeletal scans to recognize terrorists
The Wright State Research Institute is developing a ground-breaking system that would scan the skeletal structures of people at airports, sports stadiums, theme parks and other public places that could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, child abductions or other crimes. The images would then quickly be matched with potential suspects using a database of previously scanned skeletons.
PC maker Lenovo turns to profit on China sales
(AP) -- Lenovo Group, the fourth-largest personal computer maker, said Thursday it rebounded to a quarterly profit from a loss a year earlier, driven by strong sales in China and other emerging markets.
SKorea blocks access to NKorea's Twitter account
(AP) -- South Korea has blocked North Korea's new Twitter account from being accessed in the South, saying the tweets contain "illegal information" under the country's security laws, officials said Thursday.
Google bends to German privacy concerns
(AP) -- Google Inc. says it has doubled the time Germans have to opt out of participation in its "Street View" feature, which has sparked a fierce public debate on privacy concerns.
LG Electronics to base first European R and D centre in Poland
South Korean giant LG Electronics has decided to set up its first-ever European research and development centre in Poland, its Polish arm said Thursday.
Software for efficient computing in the age of nanoscale devices
As semiconductor manufacturers build ever smaller components, circuits and chips at the nano scale become less reliable and more expensive to produce. The variability in their behavior from device to device and over their lifetimes - due to manufacturing, aging-related wear-out, and varying operating environments - is largely ignored by today's mainstream computer systems.
Survey shows many are clueless on how to save energy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Many Americans believe they can save energy with small behavior changes that actually achieve very little, and severely underestimate the major effects of switching to efficient, currently available technologies, says a new survey of Americans in 34 states. The study, which quizzed people on what they perceived as the most effective ways to save energy, appears in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dell 2Q net income rises 16 percent
(AP) -- PC maker Dell Inc. said Thursday that its net income improved 16 percent in the most recent quarter, though a key measure called gross profit margin fell.
HP's 3Q numbers solid but could fuel doubts
(AP) -- Now that Mark Hurd is out as CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's biggest technology company is trying to prove to Wall Street that it can thrive under the sweeping changes he set in motion.
Different energy mixes will fuel plug-in hybrid cars
Few drivers know exactly which well in which country their gasoline comes from, and from an environmental standpoint, it may not matter. Burning petroleum from the United States, Canada, Russia or Iran would each release large amounts of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Facebook checks in, adding location-based feature
Facebook users carrying their smart phones will soon be able to "check in" to real-world locations such as bars, parks and live concerts as the social network makes its first foray into the location services craze.
Intel buys McAfee for $7.7B in push beyond PCs (Update 3)
(AP) -- Talk about a new meaning for "Intel Inside." Intel Corp. wants to be inside your television. And your cell phone. And your car. And pretty much any other device that could one day connect to the Internet and require a computer chip.
Finland aims to build first ever green highway
Finland wants to build the world's first "green highway," with service stations offering charging points for electric cars and pumps filled with local biofuels, the project manager said Thursday.
Virtual reality you can touch (w/ Video)
Researchers at the Computer Vision Lab at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, have developed a method with which they can produce virtual copies of real objects. The copies can be touched and even sent via the Internet. By incorporating the sense of touch, the user can delve deeper into virtual reality.
Most influential Twitter users revealed
With over 5.6 million followers each, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga are the most popular people followed on the social networking site Twitter. But they're not necessarily the most influential.
Computer chip that computes probabilities and not logic
(PhysOrg.com) -- Lyric Semiconductor has unveiled a new type of chip that uses probability inputs and outputs instead of the conventional 1's and 0's used in logic chips today. Crunching probabilities is much more applicable to many computing task performed today rather than binary logic.
Medicine & Health news
Video: Learning to fly: Fruit flies, ageing and dementia
Alzheimer's disease is a relentless illness, closely linked to old age. Given that human life expectancy is rising each year, the potential impact of this condition is set to increase too.
Egg recall tied to salmonella grows to 380 million
(AP) -- Hundreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in four states and possibly more, health officials said Wednesday as a company dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs.
Health disparities exist among black and Hispanic kidney donors
Black and Hispanic kidney donors are significantly more likely than white donors to develop hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, according to new Saint Louis University research published in the August 19, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Black women with SLE develop cardiovascular disease at early age
A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found significant racial disparities in the age of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and CVD-related death. Black women were youngest to both be admitted with CVD and to have an in-hospital death due to CVD. Results of the study appear in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.
Novel autoantibodies identified in patients with necrotizing myopathy
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified a subgroup of patients with necrotizing myopathy who have a novel autoantibody specificity that makes them potential candidates for immunosuppressive therapy. The complete study is published in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Hispanics and Asians less likely to receive liver transplants
Researchers at the University of Michigan and Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, both in Ann Arbor, have identified geographic variation as a key factor accounting for disparities in access to liver transplantation among racial and ethnic groups. Full details appear in the September issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Natural lung material is promising scaffold for engineering lung tissue using embryonic stem cells
The first successful report of using cell-depleted lung as a natural growth matrix for generating new rat lung from embryonic stem cells is presented in a breakthrough article in Tissue Engineering, Part A, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Low-cost program encourages latina moms to seek postpartum care
Latinas participating in an educational intervention program were two-and-a-half times more likely to seek postpartum care than were those who did not have access to a similar program, a new study finds.
Women with osteoporosis suffer more if they have previously broken a bone, say scientists
Osteoporosis is more common in women who have fractured bones when they were younger - and they experience a similar loss in health-related quality of life as those with arthritis, lung disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Researchers find genetic marker for repeat lung cancer
Current lung cancer survival statistics present a grim prognosis, but new findings could greatly impact survival rates. Researchers led by Lan Guo, Ph.D. at the West Virginia University Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center have identified a gene pattern associated with lung cancer patients who are at high risk for recurrence of the disease.
Addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy for stomach cancer extends survival by nearly 3 months
An Article published Online First by The Lancet says that for patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, addition of tastuzumab to standard cisplatinum/fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy results in a median survival of 13.8 months, compared with 11.1 months with chemotherapy alone. This corresponds to a 26% reduction in the death rate for patients in the trastuzumab group. Thus trastuzumab combined with standard chemotherapy could be considered a new standard option for patients with this condition. However, an accompanying Comment questions the cost effectiveness of the treatment. The Article is by Professor Yung-Jue Bang, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, and Dr Eric van Custem, University Hospital Gathuisberg, Leuven, Belgium, and colleagues.
Tai chi eases fibromyalgia symptoms, study finds
(AP) -- Tai chi eased painful joints and other symptoms of fibromyalgia in a small but well-done study of this ancient Chinese form of exercise.
Dengue fever returns to Florida
The return of dengue fever to Florida for the first time since 1934 is "unusual but not unexpected," state health officials said Tuesday. They acknowledged they can only speculate why it's happening.
Common hypertension drugs can raise blood pressure in certain patients
(PhysOrg.com) -- Commonly prescribed drugs used to lower blood pressure can actually have the opposite effect -- raising blood pressure in a statistically significant percentage of patients. A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that doctors could avoid this problem -- and select drugs most suitable for their patients -- by measuring blood levels of the enzyme renin through a blood test that is becoming more widely available. The study appears in the August online edition of the American Journal of Hypertension.
New tool measures strengths of bonds that keep blood clots from washing away
(PhysOrg.com) -- New work from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children's Hospital Boston shows that the bonds that hold wound-healing platelets in place have a special kind of stickiness that keeps them from being swept away in a rush of pulsing blood.
Brothers of prostate cancer patients undergo more diagnostic activities
The brothers of men with prostate cancer are at an increased risk of prostate cancer diagnosis because of increased diagnostic activity and not necessarily because they carry a genetic mutation that increases risk of the disease, according to a study published online August 19 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Binge drinking increases death risk in men with high blood pressure
If you have high blood pressure, binge drinking may dramatically raise your risk of stroke or heart-related death, according to a South Korean study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Old drug holds promise against opportunistic lung bug
A drug to treat inflammation plays a surprising role reducing the level of infection caused by an opportunistic bug that is deadly for AIDS and cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems.
Researchers find empirical link between multisensory integration and autism
A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has provided concrete evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) process sensory information such as sound, touch and vision differently than typically developing children.
Study shows Italian youths who drink with meals are less often adult problem-drinkers
Italian youths whose parents allowed them to have alcohol with meals while they were growing up are less likely to develop harmful drinking patterns in the future, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher.
New study finds new connection between yoga and mood
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that yoga may be superior to other forms of exercise in its positive effect on mood and anxiety. The findings, which currently appear on-line at Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, is the first to demonstrate an association between yoga postures, increased GABA levels and decreased anxiety.
Wii-like technologies may help stroke survivors improve communication skills
Motion sensing technologies, such as the Nintendo Wii Remote, could be used in the rehabilitation of people with aphasia - a language impairment, commonly caused by a stroke, that affects around 250,000 people in the UK.
Breast cancer survivors don't need to be afraid of air travel: study
University of Alberta researcher Margie McNeely says results from an international study she was part of indicates certain precautions about the risk of lymphedema for breast cancer survivors are outdated.
Discovery could impact the treatment of autoimmune diseases
The internationally-renowned scientific journal Immunity, from the Cell Press group, publishes online today, and will publish in its August 27 print issue, the results of a study conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. André Veillette, Director of the Molecular Oncology research unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM). Their scientific breakthrough could have an impact on the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, which affect tens of thousands of Canadians.
Study: Smoking scenes on the decline in top movies
(AP) -- A new study shows that there's less smoking depicted in movies in recent years.
Proof that a gut-wrenching complaint -- irritable bowel syndrome -- is not in your head
Irritable bowel syndrome makes life miserable for those affected -- an estimated ten percent or more of the population. And what irritates many of them even more is that they often are labeled as hypochondriacs, since physical causes for irritable bowel syndrome have never been identified. Now, biologists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have shed new light on the matter: They have discovered mini-inflammations in the mucosa of the gut, which upset the sensitive balance of the bowel and are accompanied by sensitization of the enteric nervous system.
Chemical C8 not associated with birth defects or pregnancy complications
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues, and published in Reproductive Toxicology, found that maternal exposure to C8, a chemical used in the manufacture of non-stick surfaces, was not associated with an increased risk of birth defects and pregnancy complications. These findings are based on an examination of the vital records of babies and mothers residing in Little Hocking, Ohio, who were exposed to significant amounts of C8 through residential drinking water.
UA Researcher Awarded Patent for Breast Cancer Drug Breakthrough
(PhysOrg.com) -- The treatment is designed to block the interaction of two proteins in cells that cause breast cancer to grow and spread. It targets cancer-specific interactions and has shown no toxicity to normal cells in preclinical tests.
Snacking revisited: Done properly, it's not a bad thing
(PhysOrg.com) -- Turns out, for most people, eating between meals may not be such a bad thing after all.
Relaxing bedtime routine helps children to sleep soundly
(PhysOrg.com) -- Unplug the TV, turn off the computer and force the kids to quit stalling and go to bed. Doing so can help parents and caregivers recover up to 200 hours of sleep a year lost to children's nighttime awakenings, according to a Penn State Cooperative Extension expert.
Human neural stem cells restore motor function in mice with chronic spinal cord injury
A UC Irvine study is the first to demonstrate that human neural stem cells can restore mobility in cases of chronic spinal cord injury, suggesting the prospect of treating a much broader population of patients.
Team approach to foot care lowers risk of amputation in diabetes
People with diabetic foot problems can lower their risk of leg amputation by relying on coordinated care that includes a podiatrist, according to a recent study. For instance, those with diabetes-related foot ulcers can reduce their risk of amputation by 31 percent.
New research links cannabis use and psychotic experiences
Cannabis use among students can lead to psychotic experiences, according to new research led by the University of Bath.
Study underscores link between walking, cycling and health
Want a slimmer, healthier community? Try building more sidewalks, crosswalks and bike paths.
Mental problems in an old person do not always mean Alzheimer's disease
The case of an elderly woman who had mental problems associated with Alzheimer's disease, but turned out to have treatable limbic encephalitis, is detailed in a Case Report in this week's edition of The Lancet. The case is important because, with rapidly increasing numbers of elderly people worldwide, it is important that when they present with such symptoms they are correctly diagnosed and not just assumed to have Alzheimer's disease (or typical dementia). The Case Report is written by Dr Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France, and colleagues.
Scientists pinpoint earliest steps of common form of muscular dystrophy
Nearly two decades after they identified the specific genetic flaw that causes a common type of muscular dystrophy, scientists believe they have figured out how that flaw brings about the disease. The finding by an international team of researchers, including scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center, settles a longstanding question about the roots of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy or FSHD. The work is published in the August 20 issue of Science.
AIDS virus changes in semen make it different than in blood
The virus that causes AIDS may undergo changes in the genital tract that make HIV-1 in semen different than what it is in the blood, according to a study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Maslow's pyramid gets a much needed renovation
If you have ever felt that your children are your life's work, then you may in fact be recognizing a high-level psychological need. Caring for your children, feeding them, nurturing them, educating them and making sure they get off on the right foot in life - all of the things that make parenting successful - may actually be deep rooted psychological urges that we fulfill as part of being human.
Brain network links cognition, motivation
Whether it's sports, poker or the high-stakes world of business, there are those who always find a way to win when there's money on the table.
Genetics underlie formation of body's back-up bypass vessels
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have uncovered the genetic architecture controlling the growth of the collateral circulation - the "back-up" blood vessels that can provide oxygen to starved tissues in the event of a heart attack or stroke.
Researchers describe secrets of 'magic' antidepressant
Yale researchers have discovered how a novel anti-depressant can take effect in hours, rather than the weeks or months usually required for most drugs currently on the market. The findings, described in the August 20 issue of the journal Science, should speed development of a safe and easy-to-administer form of the anti-depressant ketamine, which has already proven remarkably effective in treating severely depressed patients.
Biology news
U of M licenses unique plant protection product
Adapting a chemical used to deliver medicines through the skin, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) scientist Tom Levar has developed a way to protect plants from browsing by deer and mice by delivering a natural hot pepper concentrate through the roots of young plants, making them inedible.
Spain hails birth of first European bison
Spain recently welcomed the birth of its first bison after a group of seven endangered European bisons were introduced in the country's north, local authorities said on Wednesday.
With muscle-building treatment, mice live longer even as tumors grow
In the vast majority of patients with advanced cancer, their muscles will gradually waste away for reasons that have never been well understood. Now, researchers reporting in the August 20 issue of Cell, have found some new clues and a way to reverse that process in mice. What's more, animals with cancer that received the experimental treatment lived significantly longer, even as their tumors continued to grow.
New genetic tool helps improve rice
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed a new tool for improving the expression of desirable genes in rice in parts of the plant where the results will do the most good.
Biologists study rainforest host-plant associations
The widening of the Panama Canal currently underway has created a rare opportunity to study the insects that inhabit the plants of environmentally sensitive Central American rain forest habitats. Dr. Amy Berkov, Professor of Biology at The City College of New York (CCNY), is leading a research effort that could shed new light on biodiversity by documenting the area's host-plant relationships.
Researchers discover how the storehouses of plant cells are formed
Bite into a sour apple and you destroy them - plant cell vacuoles. Even though these vacuoles make up the largest volume of plant cells, only little was known about how these cellular storehouses form and how the substances stored in them find their way there. Scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now discovered a new protein essential to the formation of vacuoles. In the process they uncovered new clues that may help demystify the vacuole formation mechanism. They now hope to unravel the process completely.
Stomach bacteria need vitamin to establish infection
Scientists have determined that Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and some forms of stomach cancer, requires the vitamin B6 to establish and maintain chronic infection, according to research published this week in the online journal mBio. This finding, along with the identification of the enzyme the microbe requires to utilize the vitamin, could lead to the development of an entirely new class of antibiotics.
Exploring the role of gut bacteria in digestion
They congregate in the environments that suit them best; some prefer the dry, desert-like conditions of our forearms while others thrive in the Amazon-style humidity of our feet.
Is engineered 'Frankenfish' coming to the nation's table?
With a global population pressing against food supplies and vast areas of the ocean swept clean of fish, tiny AquaBounty Technologies Inc. of Waltham, Mass., says it can help feed the world.
Faithful females key to evolution of bird societies
(PhysOrg.com) -- Females with fewer sexual partners can explain where bird species have evolved to cooperate in the rearing of their young, according to Oxford University research.
Aphid immune system aided by friendly bacteria
(PhysOrg.com) -- Conventional thinking says that animal immune systems have evolved to defend against harmful microorganisms, but a new Cornell study examines the role of friendly bacteria in shaping animal immunity.
Like stealth fighter plane, barbastelle bat uses sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey
Like a stealth fighter plane, the barbastelle bat uses a sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey. A team of researchers from the University of Bristol combined three cutting-edge techniques to uncover the secret of this rare bat's success.
Paper wasps punish peers for misrepresenting their might
Falsely advertising one's fighting ability might seem like a good strategy for a wimp who wants to come off as a toughie, but in paper wasp societies, such deception is discouraged through punishment, experiments at the University of Michigan suggest.
How flies set their cruising altitude
Insects in flight must somehow calculate and control their height above the ground, and researchers reporting online on August 19 in Current Biology, have new insight into how fruit flies do it. The answer is simpler than expected.
Scientists pry new information from disease-causing, shellfish-borne bacterium
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered a key weapon in the molecular arsenal the infectious bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. para) uses to kill cells and cause food poisoning in its human host.
Frozen flies may yield secrets for human organ transplants
When kitchens become infiltrated with fruit flies, especially during the dog days of summer, homeowners might wish that the flying pests would just turn to ice.
Scientist IDs genes that promise to make biofuel production more efficient, economical
A University of Illinois metabolic engineer has taken the first step toward the more efficient and economical production of biofuels by developing a strain of yeast with increased alcohol tolerance.
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