PhysOrg Newsletter Thursday, Sep 2

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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 2, 2010:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Scientists investigate how ice melts below freezing due to nanowire's pressure
- Hubble observations of supernova reveal composition of 'star guts' pouring out
- Why fish oils work swimmingly against diabetes
- Researchers develop simple technique to visualize atomic-scale structures
- Adaptive headlamp system introduced
- Start-up company aims to harness the full potential of producing electricity from waste heat
- Ants take on Goliath role in protecting trees in the savanna from elephants
- Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists
- Scientific breakthrough to pave the way for human stem cell factories
- Promising new one-dose malaria drug discovered
- Acting selfish? Blame your mother
- New method successfully predicted how oil from Deepwater Horizon spill would spread
- Scientists discover the mechanisms and function of a type of mysterious immune cell
- New discovery could pave the way for identification of rogue CFC release
- Protecting the lungs against 'collateral damage' from the immune system

Space & Earth news

UN: Climate funds shouldn't divert poverty aid
(AP) -- The U.N.'s climate chief says poor countries are right to expect that any funding they receive to combat global warming be kept separate from development aid or poverty relief.

Earth observation aids disaster relief in Pakistan
(PhysOrg.com) -- Devastating around a third of the country, it is estimated that the floods in Pakistan have affected up to 20 million people. As part of the effort to support humanitarian relief, satellite data are being used to generate essential maps of the flooded areas.

Researchers map spread of invasive reed in Great Lakes basin
Phragmites australis is an uncommon term for an increasingly common sight in the wetlands and along the beaches of the Great Lakes. It's the scientific name for the common reed, a fast-growing perennial wetland grass. An immigrant from Europe, it's an exotic species that has a reputation for taking over any wetland real estate it visits.

NASA satellite sees Tropical Storm Kompasu transitioning over Korea and China
NASA's Terra satellite captured the changing Tropical Storm Kompasu over Korea and China very early today, as it makes its way east to northern Japan. It is becoming extratropical.

Critical polar data flows briskly to researchers
Operation IceBridge -- a NASA airborne mission to observe changes in Earth's rapidly changing polar land ice and sea ice -- is soon to embark on its fourth field season in October. The mission is now paralleled by a campaign to bring data to researchers as quickly as possible and to accelerate the analysis of those changes and how they may affect people and climate systems.

Global Hawk drone aircraft flies over Frank on the GRIP hurricane mission
NASA's 2010 hurricane experiment is in full swing as the tropics have heated up. NASA's Global Hawk unmanned aircraft was sent out over this past weekend to conduct measurements on then Tropical Storm Frank in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the first ever high-altitude flyover of a tropical cyclone with a UAS (unmanned aircraft system).

Study finds commercial organic farms have better fruit and soil, lower environmental impact
Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier and more genetically diverse.

Thanks to high-tech, storm track easier to predict
(AP) -- Sophisticated computer models that replaced instinct with cold, hard math have helped forecasters predict where a storm like Hurricane Earl is going about twice as accurately as 20 years ago.

Cluster turns the invisible into the visible
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cluster has spent a decade revealing previously hidden interactions between the Sun and Earth. Its studies have uncovered secrets of aurora, solar storms, and given us insight into fundamental processes that occur across the Universe. And there is more work to do.

Idaho farmers growing vegetables with geothermal energy
Most people know about the geothermal system in Boise's Downtown and Warm Springs area. It's one of the oldest in the country.

Businesses see advantage in green buildings
The Subway sandwich shop on Chicago's State Street may look like any other new restaurant, but its tile, crown molding and most wall coverings are made from recycled materials. In the bathroom, sensors control water flow, timers manage lights, and the toilet has a low-flow option. A smart air-conditioning system normalizes temperature between the bread ovens and the eating area.

Canadian to command space station in 2013
Astronaut Chris Hadfield in 2013 will become the first Canadian to command the International Space Station (ISS), the Canadian Space Agency announced Thursday.

Amazon at lowest level in over 40 years in Peru: experts
The Amazon, the world's biggest river, is at its lowest level in over 40 years near its source in northeastern Peru, causing havoc in a region where it is used as the only form of travel, authorities said.

New NASA HD app for iPad with expanded content available free
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA has unveiled NASA App HD, a new mobile application designed for the iPad.

Solar Probe Plus mission to plunge directly into Sun's atmosphere
NASA has begun development of a mission to visit and study the sun closer than ever before. The unprecedented project, named Solar Probe Plus, is slated to launch no later than 2018.

Bermuda in warnings as the GOES-13 Satellite catches Fiona approaching
Bermuda has warnings up as Tropical Storm Fiona approaches, and GOES-13 satellite imagery from today shows that Fiona, although packing a punch, is a much smaller system that her brother, the Category 4 Hurricane Earl.

NASA catches heavy rainfall happening in Category 4 Earl as it approaches the US
Hurricane Earl is still a powerful category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it approaches the North Carolina coast today. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the high rates rain was falling within Earl, in some areas more than 2 inches per hour. Today, the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft is also flying into the eye of Hurricane Earl at altitudes of 60,000 feet to gather information about the storm.

NASA sees Depression Nine become Gaston then back to a depression
Tropical Depression Nine strengthened yesterday into Tropical Storm Gaston, but today it ran into dry and stable air and weakened back into a depression again.

Recipe for water: Just add starlight
ESA's (European Space Agency) Herschel infrared space observatory has discovered that ultraviolet starlight is a key ingredient for making water in the atmosphere of some stars. It is the only explanation for why a dying star is surrounded by a gigantic cloud of hot water vapour. These new results will be published tomorrow in Nature.

Ancient Australian reef raises hopes for coral as seas warm
Australian scientists Thursday said they had discovered a sprawling ancient reef in chilly southern waters which could hold new hope for the future of coral as sea temperatures rise.

New scenery at Earth's core-mantle boundary found
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using a diamond-anvil cell to recreate the high pressures deep within the earth, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have found unusual properties in an iron-rich magnesium- and iron-oxide mineral that may explain the existence of several ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) at the core-mantle boundary. A paper about their findings was published in a recent issue of Geophysical Research Letters (GRL).

Water in Earth's mantle key to survival of oldest continents
Earth today is one of the most active planets in the Solar System, and was probably even more so during the early stages of its life. Thanks to the plate tectonics that continue to shape our planet's surface, remnants of crust from Earth's formative years are rare, but not impossible to find. A paper published in Nature Sept. 2 examines how some ancient rocks have resisted being recycled into Earth's convecting interior.

New method successfully predicted how oil from Deepwater Horizon spill would spread
Prompted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a UC Santa Barbara scientist has come up with a new way of predicting how contaminants like oil will spread. He was able to forecast several days in advance that oil from that spill would wash ashore in particular parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

New discovery could pave the way for identification of rogue CFC release
A new discovery by scientists at the Universities of East Anglia and Frankfurt could make it possible in future to identify the source of banned CFCs that are probably still being released into the atmosphere.

Spitzer Finds a Flavorful Mix of Asteroids
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals that asteroids somewhat near Earth, termed near-Earth objects, are a mixed bunch, with a surprisingly wide array of compositions. Like a piñata filled with everything from chocolates to fruity candies, these asteroids come in assorted colors and compositions. Some are dark and dull; others are shiny and bright. The Spitzer observations of 100 known near-Earth asteroids demonstrate that the objects' diversity is greater than previously thought.

Earl's path along northeast is not well-worn
Pushed by an ill-timed trough of low pressure, Hurricane Earl is heading uncomfortably close to an area relatively few hurricanes tend to go: the Northeast coastline.

Hubble observations of supernova reveal composition of 'star guts' pouring out
Observations made with NASA's newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope of a nearby supernova are allowing astronomers to measure the velocity and composition of "star guts" being ejected into space following the explosion, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Technology news

Ad campaign will show off Xerox's service business
(AP) -- Xerox Corp. has this message for you: For the last time, we're not just about making copies. To hammer that home, the company is launching its biggest media blitz in decades, starting next week.

Judge punishes Michigan juror for Facebook post
(AP) -- A Detroit-area woman who was removed from a jury for declaring the defendant guilty on Facebook before the trial was over has been ordered to pay $250 and write an essay about the constitutional right to a fair trial.

Elpida and Spansion develop 4-Gigabit NAND flash memory
Elpida Memory and Spansion today announced they have created the industry's first charge-trapping 1.8 V, 4-gigabit SLC (Single Level Cell) NAND Flash memory. This NAND memory, based on Spansion's MirrorBit charge-trapping technology, is being produced at Elpida's Hiroshima factory. The advanced technical expertise and strong cooperation of the two companies has made it possible to develop and manufacture the world's first charge-trapping NAND Flash memory.

Chip revenue expected to grow 31.5 percent in 2010: Gartner
Worldwide semiconductor revenue is expected to grow 31.5 percent this year to 300 billion dollars, technology research firm Gartner said Wednesday.

FCC rejects proposal for free wireless service
(AP) -- Federal regulators have shot down a proposal by a startup called M2Z Networks Inc. to build a free, nationwide wireless broadband network using a spare slice of airwaves.

Apple refreshes iTunes software
(AP) -- Users of Apple Inc.'s iTunes software will now be able to see what songs their friends are buying and where their favorite bands are playing next.

Google data gathering was not a crime: NZealand
New Zealand police said Thursday that Google did not commit a criminal offence when it collected data from wireless networks for its "Street View" mapping service.

Video chat expands possibilities for face-to-face services
You once had to leave home to see a psychiatrist for therapy, a music teacher for guitar lessons or a makeup artist for face-to-face consultations. Now they can come to you, virtually, through video chat.

New AOL search deal with Google includes mobile
(AP) -- Google Inc. will continue to provide the search results on AOL Inc.'s websites under a new, five-year deal the companies signed this week.

Google, Skype targeted in India security crackdown
(AP) -- India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications - not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion - to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users' data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype.

Nokia said it will discontinue remote file-sharing service
Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, announced Thursday it would discontinue its popular mobile file-sharing service called Ovi Files as of October 1.

Human unconscious is transferred to virtual characters
Virtual characters can behave according to actions carried out unconsciously by humans. Researchers at the University of Barcelona have created a system which measures human physiological parameters, such as respiration or heart rate, and introduces them into computer designed characters in real time.

Interview: UN telecoms chief urges data sharing
(AP) -- BlackBerry's Canadian manufacturer should give law enforcement agencies around the world access to its customer data, the U.N. technology chief said, adding that governments have legitimate security concerns that should not be ignored.

Online education expands, but is it effective?
Clinton Parker, a senior at Julian High School, worked quietly at his computer in August as the clicks of mice from more than a dozen students punctured the air of an otherwise silent computer lab.

Melding Wi-Fi with digital TV 'white space'
Rice University researchers have won a $1.8 million federal grant for one of the nation's first, real-world tests of wireless communications technology that uses a broad spectral range -- including dormant broadcast television channels -- to deliver free, high-speed broadband Internet service. The five-year project calls for Rice and Houston nonprofit Technology For All (TFA) to add "white space" technology to the wide spectrum Wi-Fi network they jointly operate in Houston's working-class East End neighborhood.

Chrome update marks Web browser's second birthday
Google released an improved version of Chrome on Thursday as the Internet titan's Web browser turned two years old.

Verizon to sell smart phones for prepaid service
(AP) -- Verizon Wireless on Thursday announced it's opening up access to smart phones for customers who prepay for service, such as people with poor credit and those who don't want to be tied down by long-term contracts.

Cisco buying smart grid specialty firm Arch Rock
Computer networking powerhouse Cisco on Thursday announced it intends to buy smart grid specialty firm Arch Rock.

Tire-pressure monitors vulnerable, researchers say
(PhysOrg.com) -- Wireless tire pressure monitoring systems designed to alert drivers to problems with low tire pressure can be intercepted or forged, causing possible security or privacy threats, according to research at the University of South Carolina and Rutgers University.

Facebook's new security feature: remote logouts
(AP) -- Facebook is rolling out a new security feature that lets users log out of their accounts remotely from another computer.

Microrobots: Miniature auto differential helps tiny aerial robots stay aloft
Engineers at Harvard University have created a millionth-scale automobile differential to govern the flight of minuscule aerial robots that could someday be used to probe environmental hazards, forest fires, and other places too perilous for people.

Dell cedes data-storage maker 3Par to HP
(AP) -- Dell Inc. is walking away from a bidding contest with rival Hewlett-Packard Co. for data-storage maker 3Par Inc.

Twitter launches iPad application
Hot microblogging service Twitter launched an application for the Apple iPad on Thursday to rave reviews from technology blogs.

Start-up company aims to harness the full potential of producing electricity from waste heat
(PhysOrg.com) -- Matt Scullin co-founded Alphabet Energy just one year ago, but already the CEO has ambitions of turning the San Francisco-based start-up company into the "Intel of waste heat." By harnessing the waste heat emitted by power plants, industrial furnaces, and cars, Alphabet Energy envisions that it could provide inexpensive electricity to the US grid by recycling waste heat on a much larger scale than currently exists.

Adaptive headlamp system introduced
(PhysOrg.com) -- The independent industrial group Valeo, which is headquartered in France, has introduced a "BeamAtic" adaptive headlight system that enables drivers to keep their lights on high beam without dazzling other drivers.

Medicine & Health news

Neonatal intensive care units critical to infant survival
Very low birthweight and very preterm infants are more likely to die if they are not born at hospitals with neonatal intensive care units specially equipped to care for seriously ill newborns, in contrast to similar babies born at those specialized facilities.

Researchers receive largest single collection of psoriasis DNA samples
Millions of Americans struggling with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are one step closer to a cure with the release of the first National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank DNA samples for use in research at the University of Michigan Health System; research that hopes to uncover the unknowns about the genetics of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Lower blood pressure goal benefits some African-Americans with chronic kidney disease
On average, a lower blood pressure goal was no better than the standard blood pressure goal at slowing progression of kidney disease among African-Americans who had chronic kidney disease resulting from high blood pressure, according to results of the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), the largest and longest study of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in African-Americans. However, the blood pressure goal did benefit people who also had protein in the urine, which is a sign of kidney damage. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, appears in the Sept. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Highlight: New TB diagnostic proves effective, expedient, study finds
A molecular test designed to easily diagnose tuberculosis (TB) and detect a drug-resistant form of the bacterium that causes TB can provide much more specific, sensitive and rapid results than currently available TB diagnostics, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Botox maker to pay $600M to resolve investigation
(AP) -- Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a yearslong federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug.

Detecting flu and other disease outbreaks sooner
New methods for detecting disease outbreaks earlier have been developed in a collaborative effort between CSIRO and NSW Health.

New study investigates use of soy-rich diet for preventing chronic pain after breast cancer surgery
(PhysOrg.com) -- A breakthrough study focusing on the benefits of soy in the prevention of chronic pain after breast cancer surgery has been launched by researchers at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University.

Safety cultures in EMS agencies vary widely, study finds
A survey of emergency medical services (EMS) agencies from across the country found wide variation in perceptions of workplace safety culture—providing a tool that might point to potential patient safety threats, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Biomedical research policy needed for therapies, economic growth, education and security
Bold and coordinated leadership at the federal level is essential to create secure, long-term, sustainable biomedical research funding policies based on strategic priorities, say the authors of a commentary about America's fledgling biomedical research framework published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Psychologist: Stress management with Chilean miners is a tricky, but not impossible
(PhysOrg.com) -- A psychologist and stress expert at the University at Buffalo says research on traumatic experiences pinpoints specific sources of stress that the trapped Chilean miners and their rescuers will need to manage in the weeks and months ahead, and offers ways of dealing with them.

Protein in Huntington's linked to neurogenesis
EU-funded scientists have discovered that a mutated protein inherent in Huntington's disease (HD) performs an unforeseen role in neurogenesis. The finding could lead to a better understanding of HD, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that is characterised by severe psychiatric, cognitive and motor defects, and neuronal death in the brain.

New warning signs may predict kidney transplant failure
Kidney transplants that show a combination of fibrosis (scarring) and inflammation after one year are at higher risk of long-term transplant failure, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

Researchers pave the way for a better understanding of HIV infection and AIDS
Dr. Eric A. Cohen, Director of the Human Retrovirology research unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM), and his team published yesterday, in the online open-access journal PLos Pathogens, the results of their most recent research on the role of the Vpr protein in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).

Kids with sports concussions need time out
Between 1997-2007, the number of emergency room visits for concussions doubled in children ages 8-13 who play organized sports. Part of the reason is greater awareness, according to Mark E. Halstead, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and of pediatrics and director of Washington University in St. Louis' Sports Concussion Program.

A single interaction affects the way a child seeks information, study finds
Seven-year-old children only need to interact with a person once to learn who to trust and seek information from, according to a study by Queen's University researchers.

Biochemical pathway may link addiction, compulsive eating
Ezlopitant, a compound known to suppress craving for alcohol in humans, was shown to decrease consumption of sweetened water by rodents in a study by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, which is affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco.

Journal editors question sale of diet pill Meridia
(AP) -- Editors of a top medical journal are questioning whether the diet pill Meridia should stay on the market even if it's restricted to people without heart disease.

New test seen as big advance in diagnosing TB
Scientists are reporting a major advance in diagnosing tuberculosis: A new test can reveal in less than two hours, with very high accuracy, whether someone has the disease and if it's resistant to the main drug for treating it.

Microsoft Excel-based algorithm predicts cancer prognosis
Using readily available computer programs, researchers have developed a system to identify genes that will be useful in the classification of breast cancer. The algorithm, described in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research will enable researchers to quickly generate valuable gene signatures without specialized software or extensive bioinformatics training.

UK: New guidelines to ease sleepless nights
Insomnia and other sleep disorders are very common, yet are not generally well understood by doctors and other health care professionals. Now the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) has released up-to-the-minute guidelines in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, published by SAGE, to guide psychiatrists and physicians caring for those with sleep problems.

Chronic Lyme disease: How often is it diagnosed and treated?
The existence of chronic Lyme disease is an issue of sharp debate within the medical community. Some health care workers who call themselves "Lyme literate" insist that chronic Lyme disease is frequently diagnosed and treated by primary care physicians. Others, however, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, state that there is no convincing biological evidence that chronic Lyme disease exists.

Risk of marijuana's 'gateway effect' overblown, research shows
New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that the "gateway effect" of marijuana - that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults - is overblown.

Pivotal study finds link between PTSD and dementia
Results of a study reported in the September issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggest that Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater risk for dementia than Veterans without PTSD, even those who suffered traumatic injuries during combat.

Sugar for newborns does not relieve pain: study
Contrary to international guidelines, sugar given to newborn babies does not ease pain, according to a study published on Thursday by The Lancet.

Initial Hepatitis C drug trial complete
The first clinical trials on a new investigational drug being developed to treat infections caused by Hepatitis C virus have been successfully completed.

Association between elevated levels of lead, cadmium and delayed puberty in girls
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions have found that exposure to lead in childhood may delay the onset of puberty in young girls, with higher doses increasing the chance for later maturation.

Head start for migraine sufferers
For severe migraine sufferers, psychological treatments build on the benefits of drug therapy, according to a new study by Elizabeth Seng and Dr. Kenneth Holroyd from Ohio University in the US. Their comparison of the effects of various treatment combinations for severe migraine - drug therapy with or without behavioral management - shows that those patients receiving the behavioral management program alongside drug therapy are significantly more confident in their ability to use behavioral skills to effectively self-manage migraines.

Connection between light at night (LAN) and cancer revealed in additional study
A new study from the Center for Interdisciplinary Chronobiological Research at the University of Haifa has found an additional link between Light At Night (LAN) and cancer. This research joins a series of earlier studies carried out at the University of Haifa that also established the correlation. "High power light bulbs contribute more to 'environmental light pollution', which the study has shown is a carcinogenic pollution," notes Prof. Abraham Haim, who headed the study.

Medicinal cannabis review highlights dilemmas facing health care professionals
Nurses have a responsibility to respect and support patients who use cannabis for medicinal purposes, but must stay within the law and follow professional guidance at all times, according to a research review in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Study points to increased risk for lupus in men
Lupus Research Institute-funded researcher Betty Tsao, PhD, at the University of California Los Angeles has discovered that humans -- males in particular -- with a variant form of the immune receptor gene "Toll Like Receptor 7 (TLR7)" are at increased risk of developing the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). This breakthrough finding offers renewed hope for developing more targeted treatments.

Study reveals capsaicin can act as cocarcinogen
The September cover story of the nation's leading cancer journal, Cancer Research, features a new study from The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, that links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, The Hormel Institute has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies.

New research project offers insight into superstitious behavior
People who believe that fate and chance control their lives are more likely to be superstitious -- but when faced with death they are likely to abandon superstition altogether, according to a recent Kansas State University undergraduate research project.

Functional motor neuron subtypes generated from embryonic stem cells
Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases.

'Basal-like' breast cancer does not originate from basal stem cells
New research uncovers a case of mistaken identity that may have a significant impact on future breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies. The study, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggests that despite their "stem cell-like" characteristics, most aggressive breast tumors are not derived from normal mammary gland stem cells.

Can home cooking be hazardous to your health?
(AP) -- Could your kitchen at home pass a restaurant inspection? New researcher suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of health inspection commonly administered to restaurants.

New antibody-combination therapy boosts human lymphoma cure rate in mouse models
(PhysOrg.com) -- More than half of laboratory mice with human non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are cured by a treatment involving just two monoclonal antibodies, according to a new study.

Researchers uncover secret of pregnancy problems in older women
Scientists are a step closer to understanding why older women are more likely to produce abnormal eggs, increasing the risk of infertility, miscarriage and birth defects such as Down's Syndrome.

Diseases prove elusive in global genetic search
(PhysOrg.com) -- A failure to use large international sample groups when searching for the genetic basis of common diseases is contributing to a lack of knowledge about the true frequency of illnesses across populations, according to an Australian National University researcher.

Soluble amyloid beta-protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common human dementia and as such confers a huge burden on patients, caregivers and society. The molecular pathways leading to AD are not well understood, but substantial data indicate that the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) plays a central role.

Pediatric weight expert provides obesity trinity answers
In a first person paper published in the August 27, 2010 issue of Childhood Obesity, Dr. Melinda Sothern, Director of Health Promotion and Professor of Public Health at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, provides three ways to de-program the 1950s obesity trinity underlying the current obesity epidemic in the United States and protect future generations from its health consequences.

UCSF unveils model for implantable artificial kidney to replace dialysis
UCSF researchers today unveiled a prototype model of the first implantable artificial kidney, in a development that one day could eliminate the need for dialysis.

New model may simplify high-dose radiosurgery planning
There is yet no straightforward way to determine the optimal dose level and treatment schedules for high-dose radiation therapies such as stereotactic radiation therapy, used to treat brain and lung cancer, or for high-dose brachytherapy for prostate and other cancers.

Children who eat vended snack foods face chronic health problems, poor diet
School children who consume foods purchased in vending machines are more likely to develop poor diet quality - and that may be associated with being overweight, obese or at risk for chronic health problems such as diabetes and coronary artery disease, according to research from the University of Michigan Medical School.

Double hand transplant patient shows new hands
(AP) -- The recipient of a rare double hand transplant says he feels "fantastic" and can wiggle fingers on both his new hands.

Brain exercises may slow cognitive decline initially, but speed up dementia later
New research shows that mentally stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may, at first, slow the decline of thinking skills but speed up dementia later in old age. The research is published in the September 1, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Low grades in adolescence linked to dopamine genes
(PhysOrg.com) -- The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects -- English, math, science, history -- if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations, according to a study led by renowned biosocial criminologist Kevin M. Beaver of The Florida State University.

Promising new one-dose malaria drug discovered
Researchers have discovered a promising new malaria drug with the potential to treat resistant strains of the deadly disease in a single dose, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

Protecting the lungs against 'collateral damage' from the immune system
A study published today in the journal Science shows how our bodies try to minimise potential 'collateral damage' caused by our immune system when fighting infection. The research may also provide new clues to why cigarette smoke is a significant risk factor for developing diseases of the lung such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Scientists identify molecules involved in touch and other mechanically activated systems
Scripps Research Institute scientists have identified two proteins with potential to be important targets for research into a wide range of health problems, including pain, deafness, and cardiac and kidney dysfunction.

Serendipity contributes to MRSA susceptibility findings
Duke University Medical Center researchers have found two genes in mice which might help identify why some people are more susceptible than others to potentially deadly staph infections.

Why fish oils work swimmingly against diabetes
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fatty acids so effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.

Biology news

Cornell leads fight against invasive emerald ash borer
Cornell University is leading efforts to manage outbreak populations of the emerald ash borer (EAB), a beetle that has the potential to devastate ash trees in the Northeast. The new invasive species is already in Steuben and Ulster counties. The pest first showed up in western New York last August in the Cattaraugus County town of Randolph.

Hip dysplasia susceptibility in dogs may be underreported, according to comparative study
A study comparing a University of Pennsylvania method for evaluating a dog's susceptibility to hip dysplasia to the traditional American method has shown that 80 percent of dogs judged to be normal by the traditional method are actually at risk for developing osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia, according to the Penn method.

Test-tube calf embryos more likely to survive Texas summers
Think you're uncomfortable in the extreme Texas summer heat? Try being an ovulating 1,200-pound mother cow.

Models suggest treatments for fractures that won't heal
New models, reinforced by in vivo experimentation, show why 5-10% of bone fractures don't heal properly, and how these cases may be treated to restart the healing process. Results of the model, published September 2 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, may benefit the ageing population in which the occurrence of bone fractures is expected to rise substantially in the near future.

Scientists unwrap DNA packaging to gain insight into cells
Scientists have built a clearer picture of how lengthy strands of DNA are concertinaed when our cells grow and divide, in a discovery could help explain how cell renewal can go wrong.

Brainy worms: Evolution of the cerebral cortex
(PhysOrg.com) -- Our cerebral cortex, or pallium, is a big part of what makes us human: art, literature and science would not exist had this most fascinating part of our brain not emerged in some less intelligent ancestor in prehistoric times. But when did this occur and what were these ancestors?

Research: Climate change affecting mussel survival
(PhysOrg.com) -- Warmer air and water temperatures along the U.S. East Coast are shrinking the geographic region where blue mussels can survive, according to findings by University of South Carolina researchers published in the August Journal of Biogeography.

Study finds that cancer-causing gene crucial in stem cell development
Stem cells might be thought of as trunks in the tree of life. All multi-cellular organisms have them, and they can turn into a dazzling variety other cells—kidney, brain, heart or skin, for example. One class, pluripotent stem cells, has the capacity to turn into virtually any cell type in the body, making them a focal point in the development of cell therapies, the conquering of age-old diseases or even regrowing defective body parts.

Acting selfish? Blame your mother
(PhysOrg.com) -- The fact that our female ancestors dispersed more than our male ancestors can lead to conflicts within the brain that influence our social behaviour, new research reveals.

Scientists discover the mechanisms and function of a type of mysterious immune cell
In two closely related studies, two teams of Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma, and malignant tumors.

Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists
Microbes could soon be used to convert metallic wastes into high-value catalysts for generating clean energy, say scientists writing in the September issue of Microbiology.

Ants take on Goliath role in protecting trees in the savanna from elephants
(PhysOrg.com) -- Ants are not out of their weight class when defending trees from the appetite of nature's heavyweight, the African elephant, a new University of Florida study finds.

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