Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 17, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Experimental philosophy opens new avenues into old questions- How does a nuclear meltdown work? (w/ Video)
- Upgrading the vanadium redox battery
- Stanford psychologists design 60-minute exercise that raises GPAs of minority students
- MSU researchers create a new engine prototype (w/ video)
- Cassini sees seasonal methane rains transform Titan's surface (w/ video)
- Traders who 'sync up' make more money: study
- Scientists identify neuron types that mediate different behavioral states
- New plant species gives insights into evolution
- New blood analysis chip could lead to disease diagnosis in minutes
- Scientists ID possible biomarker to gauge Alzheimer's prognosis, effect of therapies
- The Adept Quattro robot beats iPhone game 1to50 in 6.67 seconds (w/ video)
- Scientists take a look at systems biology and cellular networking
- What drugs do to the brain
- NASA spacecraft trying to get into Mercury's orbit
Space & Earth news
Giffords wristband worn by husband's twin in space
(AP) -- Astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth wearing a wristband for his sister-in-law, the wounded Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Recycling perlite: New, improved method saves resources
Perlite, a processed volcanic mineral, is widely used as a component of soilless growing mixes. Lightweight, sterile, and easy to use, perlite is popular with greenhouse growers. But because salt and pathogen buildup can occur when perlite is reused, it must be replaced every year or two to minimize the risk of crop failure. The cost of disposing of old material and replacing it with new perlite can be significant and often prohibitive for smaller greenhouse operations. Hanna Y. Hanna, a researcher at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center's Red River Research Station, has developed a new method for recycling perlite that can save tomato growers a significant amount of money without reducing crop yield.
Solar greenhouses: China's winning solution to global energy crisis
Solar greenhouses have played a vital role in China's agricultural scene for years. New innovations in greenhouse design are allowing growers to produce more varieties of vegetables, even during long winter months. In a recently published report Chinese scientists called solar greenhouses "the most important type of infrastructures for growing horticultural crops in China." The team of researchers from the College of Agronomy and Biotechnology at China Agricultural University presented an extensive report on single-slope solar greenhouses in a recent issue of HortTechnology. Based on 20 years of systematic studies, the report noted: "Increased proliferation of efficient solar greenhouses in China may contribute to solving worldwide problems such as the energy crisis and global climate change."
US boosts radiation monitoring in western states
The United States is deploying extra radiation monitors to western US outposts Alaska, Hawaii and Guam to detect any fallout from Japan's crippled nuclear plant, an official said Thursday.
Iran sends rocket, capsule into space: IRNA
Iran on Thursday signalled a broadening of its space ambitions by announcing the launch of a new rocket and a test capsule designed to house a monkey, amid Western concerns over its scientific advances.
Quake shifted Japan away from Korea: scientists
The massive earthquake that devastated northeastern Japan has shifted the country more than two metres away from the neighbouring Korean peninsula, scientists said on Thursday.
A supermoon and solar flares: What on Earth is going on in space?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Assistant Professor Sarah Symons explains some of the out-of-this-world activity happening in space.
Study provides new tool to monitor coral reef 'vital signs'
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science scientist Chris Langdon and colleagues developed a new tool to monitor coral reef vital signs. By accurately measuring their biological pulse, scientists can better assess how climate change and other ecological threats impact coral reef health worldwide.
Green sludge can protect groundwater from radioactive contamination
Radioactive waste decaying down at the dump needs millions of years to stabilize. The element Neptunium, a waste product from uranium reactors, could pose an especially serious health risk should it ever seep its way into groundwater – even 5 million years after its deposition. Now, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have shown the hazardous waste can be captured and contained. The means? A particular kind of green goop that occurs naturally in oxygen-poor water.
Two tropical cyclone names retired from list of Atlantic storms
Two tropical cyclone names in the Atlantic were retired from the official name rotation by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee because of the deaths and damage they caused in 2010. The committee issues the list of potential names for tropical cyclones to be used every six years for both the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins.
Google Lunar X-Prize's 'college team' gaining steam, attention and support
The Google Lunar X-PRIZE (GLXP) recently announced the 29 official teams that will be vying for the $30 million grand prize. One group in particular stands out amongst the list however – Omega Envoy. This team is comprised primarily by college students from the University of Central Florida, working on engineering and other degrees. However, while they may be relatively young, they have drawn the attention of the media, numerous sponsors, NASA and the space industry.
Mapping Japan's changed landscape from space
Following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on 11 March, satellite imagery has been vital in providing a clear picture of the extent of devastation to aid the relief effort now underway.
NASA's Spaceward Bound goes to the deserts of the United Arab Emirates
Whether or not you remember the winter of 2011 as unusually cold or snowy, an adventurous team of experts will remember its intense heat, as they searched for microbial life between sand dunes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were searching for simple life forms that also may exist on other planets.
Tracking the causes of space-sased weather disruptions
Space weather-based disturbances in the Earth's upper atmosphere cause disruptions that affect space-based communication and navigation signals, such as GPS and radio signals.
Back to the future with mummified trees
When in Quttinirpaaq National Park in the Canadian Arctic, Ohio State University Earth scientist Joel Barker initially spotted some pieces of dead trees scattered on the barren ground near a glacier. Immediately, he knew he had found something akin to a looking glass peering into the Arctic's ecological past.
Earthquakes happen because the Earth is alive
It is well known that the surface of our planet is made up of a number of tectonic plates that are much like a massive global jigsaw puzzle. These plates move constantly and are always in contact with each other. When that motion is sudden, the result can be what happened in Japan on March 11 – a devastating earthquake.
Japan worst-case scenario unlikely to cause catastrophic radiation release: expert
While exposed spent fuel rods at the failing nuclear reactors in Japan pose new threats, the worst-case scenario would still be unlikely to expose the public to catastrophic amounts of radiation, says a University of Michigan nuclear engineering professor who is an expert on this particular kind of reactor.
On the sizeable wings of albatrosses
(PhysOrg.com) -- An oceanographer may be offering the best explanation yet of one of the great mysteries of flight--how albatrosses fly such vast distances, even around the world, almost without flapping their wings. The answer, says Philip L. Richardson of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), lies in a concept called dynamic soaring, in which the large bird utilizes the power of above-ocean wind shear while tacking like an airborne sailboat.
Super full moon
Mark your calendar. On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.
NASA spacecraft trying to get into Mercury's orbit
A desk-sized NASA spacecraft is riding the brakes all the way to Mercury, about to pull a tricky maneuver Thursday night to become the first man-made object to orbit the tiny planet.
Cassini sees seasonal methane rains transform Titan's surface (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- As spring continues to unfold at Saturn, April showers on the planet's largest moon, Titan, have brought methane rain to its equatorial deserts, as revealed in images captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. This is the first time scientists have obtained current evidence of rain soaking Titan's surface at low latitudes.
Technology news
US military computer networks vulnerable: general
The US military has made huge strides in hardening its computer networks against cyberattack but more remains to be done, the Pentagon's top cyberwarrior said Wednesday.
Green LED is bright enough for large projector
Osram Opto Semiconductors has developed an extremely bright, green light-emitting diode (LED) that makes LED projectors in office environments possible. Projectors in conference rooms have to be very bright for viewers to easily see the large images even in daylight. So far, LED light sources have therefore been used primarily in pocket projectors, cell phones, or home cinema systems. The new diode, which is based on the Ostar product platform, shines twice as brightly as before and its luminous area is very uniform. Beginning in mid-2011 it will be used to open up the office projector market. The first components are now being delivered to customers.
Washington Post suspends reporter for plagiarism
The Washington Post has suspended a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for three months for lifting material from another US newspaper.
Canadian nuclear plant 'leaked radioactive water'
Thousands of liters of radioactive water have been released into Lake Ontario as a result of an accident at a Canadian nuclear power plant, according to authorities.
IAEA warned Japan over nuclear quake risk: WikiLeaks
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned Japan two years ago that a strong earthquake could pose a "serious problem" for its nuclear power stations, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
Social network fans look to calm the update storm
Social networking fanatics deluged by updates and posts are turning to services that promise more intimate communities increasingly tied to real world activities.
Clear up confusion on computing cloud
If your head hasn't been lost up in the cirrus or cumulus, you've probably heard of cloud computing over the last few years.
Ex-Googlers penetrating startup hierarchy
It may be too soon to equate the Xooglers, as members of the ever-expanding network of ex-Google employees call themselves, with the "PayPal Mafia" - the founders and early employees of the online payment company who went on to start Yelp, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Germany's Merkel vows 'measured' nuclear exit
Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Thursday that Germany would speed up the transition to renewable energy as Europe's top economy mulled a "measured exit" from nuclear power after the events in Japan.
New technique enables much faster production of inexpensive solar cells
Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has demonstrated that the speed at which inexpensive solar cells are produced can be increased by a factor of ten – and that this can be achieved without any detriment to the energy yield of the cells. This will almost certainly result in a further reduction in the price of the cells, which are made of amorphous silicon.
What we know, and don't know, about Japan's reactors
In response to the confusion, speculation and apprehension surrounding the rapidly unfolding events at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the aftermath of last week’s earthquake and tsunami, a panel of MIT nuclear engineering, public health and risk assessment specialists convened on Tuesday to explain how the reactors work, what we know about what has taken place there so far, and how to put the risks to the population in proper perspective.
NY Times unveils digital subscription plan (Update)
The New York Times on Thursday unveiled plans to begin charging for full access to its website in a move that will be closely watched by other newspapers looking for ways to make more money online.
Japan nuclear plant firm opens Twitter account
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), which operates the quake-hit Japanese nuclear reactors, opened an official Twitter account late Thursday, immediately drawing more than 117,000 followers.
Wind and solar can reliably supply 25 percent of Oahu's electricity need, new study shows
When combined with on-Oahu wind farms and solar energy, the Interisland Wind project planned to bring 400 megawatts (MW) of wind power from Molokai and Lanai to Oahu could reliably supply more than 25% of Oahu's projected electricity demand, according to the Oahu Wind Integration Study (OWIS).
Charitable benefits help new daily-deal sites stand out
They're like Groupon for bargain-hunting do-gooders. Two daily-deal websites based in the Nashville area have a charitable twist to their local online coupons: Part of the money goes to a local nonprofit.
Solving the bandwidth bottleneck: Researchers engineer ways to send high-quality videos in fewer bits
Cardan Samples has two favorite prime-time T.V. shows: "The Office" and the science fiction series "Fringe."
How does a nuclear meltdown work? (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- When working properly, nuclear reactors produce large amounts of heat via nuclear fission reactions. The heat converts the surrounding water into steam, which turns turbines and generates electricity. But if you remove the water, you also remove the most important cooling element in a nuclear reactor and open up the possibility for nuclear meltdown.
Upgrading the vanadium redox battery
Though considered a promising large-scale energy storage device, the vanadium redox battery's use has been limited by its inability to work well in a wide range of temperatures and its high cost. But new research indicates that modifying the battery's electrolyte solution significantly improves its performance. So much so that the upgraded battery could improve the electric grid's reliability and help connect more wind turbines and solar panels to the grid.
MSU researchers create a new engine prototype (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Michigan State University have built a prototype, based on the research first released in 2009, of the Wave Disk Generator -- an engine that does not have pistons, crankshafts or valves.
Medicine & Health news
S.Korea warns against panic-buying of iodide pills
South Korean pharmacists issued an appeal Thursday cautioning against panic over Japan's crisis-hit nuclear plants, as callers flooded drug stores with requests for iodide pills.
Researchers suspect bacterial changes in mouth promote oral disease in people with HIV
Oral disease occurs commonly and progresses rapidly among people who have HIV, but the process is poorly understood. Researchers suspect that the culprit is a change in the makeup of bacterial communities that live in the mouth.
US healthcare system can't keep up with number of baby boomers' bone fractures
Many Baby Boomers will experience a bone fracture as they age, and the current US healthcare system is not prepared to provide the necessary care required, according to a special monograph released in the January 2011 issue of Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation (GOS), published by SAGE.
New targeted drug helps smokers stub it out
Researchers working in a research project within the Academy of Finland's Research Programme on Substance Use and Addictions have been developing a targeted drug that could aid in smoking reduction therapy. The new drug slows down the metabolism of nicotine, which would help smokers to cut down their smoking.
Studies on heart disease and stroke prevention overlook ethnic groups
Major clinical studies that evaluate prevention strategies for heart disease and stroke fail to consider a participant's ethnicity, a factor that can more than double the rate of death in some groups, according to research led by St. Michael's Dr. Joel Ray.
Small remote control for hearing aids with bluetooth
A tiny remote control now enables people who wear Siemens hearing aids to transmit audio signals from a television, phone, or MP3 player directly to their hearing devices. They hear the sound much more clearly because the volume is adjusted by means of the remote control and background noises remain unamplified. Siemens introduced he first device of this kind, "TEK," in 2009, and now a smaller version, the "miniTEK," will soon be available. It’s about the size of a matchbox, weighs only 55 grams, and features an attractive design, so it can be worn openly.
Anatomy app for medical students on the move
Gone are the days when medical students had to share dusty, well-thumbed anatomy text books to swot up on diagrams and photographs of odd-looking pieces of lung or muscle tissue. Now, would-be doctors can be part of a virtual classroom thanks to a newly launched iPhone app developed by the University of Warwick.
New clinical trial to treat skin disorder begins
A Phase II trial to treat skin erosions in patients suffering from the severe genetic skin disorder, Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB), begins today, led by a team of scientists and clinicians at King’s Health Partners.
Self-administered light therapy may improve cognitive function after traumatic brain injury
At-home, daily application of light therapy via light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the forehead and scalp led to improvements in cognitive function and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a groundbreaking study published in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.
Study indicates vitamin A plays key role in the human body
In a recently-published study mapping the structure and function of the so-called "orphan" nuclear receptor TR4, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators suggest that Vitamin A may play a more direct role than was previously known in certain physiological functions including sperm cell formation and the development of the central nervous system.
Sealing manifest occlusal caries in permanent teeth -- 2.5-year results
Today, during the 89th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 35th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, lead researcher V. Qvist will hold an oral presentation on a research study titled "Sealing Manifest Occlusal Caries in Permanent Teeth - 2 1/2-year Results."
Stem cells may be key to understanding the origins of colon cancer and detecting relapse
Colorectal cancer cells trigger a set of genes similar to those found in intestinal stem cells, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have found. The team of researchers, led by ICREA researcher Eduard Batlle, propose that patients with colorectal cancer undergo genetic tests of their intestinal epithelium in order to predict a higher risk of relapse. The results of the study, published online this week in Cell Stem Cell, offer new possibilities for diagnosing and treating the disease.
ATS issues joint statement on the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
The American Thoracic Society has released new official clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The statement replaces ATS guidelines published in 2000, and reviews current knowledge in the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and management of IPF, as well as available treatment options, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies and palliative care.
Cytokinetics announces fundamental research in cardiac myosin activation
Cytokinetics, Inc. announced today the publication of preclinical research in the March 18, 2011 issue of the journal Science regarding the activation of cardiac myosin by an investigational drug candidate, omecamtiv mecarbil, and the potential therapeutic role that this novel mechanism may play for patients with systolic heart failure. This publication reveals, for the first time in a peer reviewed journal, the mechanism of action for omecamtiv mecarbil and the scientific rationale for directly modulating cardiac contractility as an innovative therapeutic strategy for improving cardiac performance in patients with heart failure.
Want more zest for life? Consider gardening
Does gardening contribute to quality of life and increased wellness for older adults? Researchers from the Texas A&M and Texas State Universities asked these questions in a survey of people aged 50 and older. The survey revealed some compelling reasons for older adults to get themselves out in the garden.
Survival matching should be used to allocate donated kidneys to transplant recipients
Providing kidney transplants to patients with the best probability of longer survival would reduce repeat transplant operations and improve life span after kidney transplant, says a U-M researcher in a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine March 16.
Breast cancer study says it's different for younger women
The stress, anxiety and psychosocial burdens of young women with breast cancer differ from those of older women. Young women are starting careers, relationships and families, and while their peer group is healthy, they have frequent medical appointments and sometimes debilitating cancer treatments.
Wash your hands and you may approach the patient bed
Each year patients in the U.S. get more than a million infections while in the hospital being treated for something else. The best way to prevent infection is to practice proper hand hygiene, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Residency match results encouraging for adults needing primary care
The increase in the number of U.S. medical students choosing internal medicine residencies in 2011 is a positive sign toward easing the primary care workforce shortage, according to the American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation's second-largest doctors group.
Daily home dialysis makes 'restless legs' better
For dialysis patients, performing daily dialysis at home can help alleviate sleep problems related to restless legs syndrome (RLS), according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). RLS, a common and troublesome problem for dialysis patients, affects hemodialysis patients about four times as often as people in the general population.
First successful double-blind trial of gene therapy for advanced Parkinson's disease
A multi-center gene therapy trial for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease demonstrated reduced symptoms of the progressive movement disorder, according to a new study published in Lancet Neurology. The study was designed to deliver the gene for glumatic acid decarboxylase (GAD) packaged in inert viral vectors into an area of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus. GAD makes an important inhibitory chemical called GABA. The subthalamic nucleus is abnormally activated in Parkinson’s disease and this activity leads to the debilitating movement problems. The idea of the gene therapy is that the billions of AAV-2 GAD viral vectors delivered into the subthalamic nucleus will increase GABA, thereby quieting this brain region.
Today's children do engage in active play
New research suggests that promoting active play in children's leisure time could increase the physical activity of today's children, but that such strategies might need to be tailored according to gender.
Weight gain and obesity linked with endometrial cancer risk
(PhysOrg.com) -- Women who put on substantial weight in early adulthood were diagnosed with endometrial cancer at much younger ages than their peers who gained weight later in life, new research by the Yale School of Public Health has found. The findings are published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Home videoconferencing can transform therapy for anxiety disorders
(PhysOrg.com) -- Many professionals don’t know how to deliver highly effective, non-medication treatment and patients often don’t have access to high-quality treatment. Two Drexel professors now have a solution to this urgent medical need.
Risk of hospital patient mortality increases with nurse staffing shortfalls, study finds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Nurses are the front-line caregivers to hospital patients, coordinating and providing direct care and delivering it safely and reliably. The goal for any hospital is to ensure that each of its patient-care units has an adequate number of nurses during every shift.
Risks from radiation low in Japan but panic high
(AP) -- Risks from possible radiation exposure remain greatest for the workers scrambling to cool reactors at a Japanese nuclear power plant. Those who have been evacuated from the site are considered safe, as are the 39 million people who live in the greater Tokyo region.
Psychological impact of Japan disaster will be felt 'for some time to come'
The psychological impact of natural disasters such as the Japan earthquake can be revealed in the way people inherently respond to unpredictable situations, according to a psychology expert at Queen Mary, University of London.
New treatment for thrombosis discovered
Scientists from the University of Reading have announced a major breakthrough in understanding how to control blood clotting which could lead to the development of new treatments and save the lives of thousands of people each year.
Personlized dendritic cell vaccine increases survival in patients with deadly brain cancer
A dendritic cell vaccine personalized for each individual based on the patient's own tumor may increase median survival time in those with a deadly form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, an early phase study at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found.
Liquid biomaterials take stem cell therapy to new level
At present, cartilage implants created using stem cells can only be constructed as a solid shape, acting as an interim measure before the almost inevitable need for total joint replacement.
In pilot study, screening detects potentially serious heart conditions in healthy children
A pilot study in healthy children and adolescents shows that it is feasible to screen for undiagnosed heart conditions that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Adding a 10-minute electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) to a history and physical examination identified unsuspected cases of potentially serious heart conditions.
Researchers discover possible biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, have identified a potential new biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma. The novel cell screening method used in the study also clarifies the process behind tumor metastasis and may allow the identification of biomarkers for other aggressive cancers. The findings now appear online in Cancer Research.
Versatile vitamin A plays multiple roles in the immune system
Although it has been known for some time that vitamin A deficiency is linked with an impaired ability to resist infections, exactly how vitamin A and its metabolites contribute to the immune response is not well understood. Somewhat paradoxically, research has indicated that vitamin A can also act as an immunosuppressive agent. Now, a study published by Cell Press in the March issue of the journal Immunity sheds light on how this critical vitamin integrates into both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses in the gastrointestinal tract.
Cranky? On a diet? How self-control leads to anger
People who make an effort to exert self-control are attracted to aggressive art and public policy appeals, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. They also don't appreciate messages that nag them to control their behavior.
Transplant patient got AIDS from new kidney
(AP) -- A transplant patient contracted AIDS from the kidney of a living donor, in the first documented case of its kind in the U.S. since screening for HIV began in the mid-1980s.
Gardening linked to increased vegetable consumption in older adults
New research from Texas A&M University and Texas State University found that older adults who participate in gardening may be more likely to eat their veggies. The report, published in HortTechnology, presents the results of an online survey of adults aged 50+ and includes recommendations for promoting gardening "intervention" programs to older adults.
No drop in Chernobyl cancer risk: US study
The risk of thyroid cancer among people who were exposed as children to the nuclear fallout at Chernobyl has not declined nearly 25 years after the disaster, said a study released Thursday in the United States.
Transmissible treatment proposed for HIV could target superspreaders to curb epidemic
Biochemist Leor Weinberger and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego and UCLA have proposed a fundamentally new intervention for the HIV/AIDS epidemic based on engineered, virus-like particles that could subdue HIV infection within individual patients and spread to high-risk populations that are difficult for public health workers to reach.
Heart damage improves, reverses after stem cell injections in a preliminary human trial
Researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas, according to a small trial published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Gene therapy reverses symptoms of Parkinson's disease
A gene therapy called NLX-P101 dramatically reduces movement impairment in Parkinson's patients, according to results of a Phase 2 study published today in the journal Lancet Neurology. The approach introduces a gene into the brain to normalize chemical signaling.
Researchers connect a specific protein to head and neck cancers
(PhysOrg.com) -- The discovery that a certain protein is over-expressed in patients with oral cancer may give new treatment hope to people suffering from the particularly aggressive, localized forms of head and neck cancer.
Non-hormonal contraceptive a future possibility
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and the Center of Advanced European Study and Research in Bonn, Germany published simultaneous papers this week in Nature which could pave the way to creating a non-hormonal method of birth control.
What drugs do to the brain
Drug abuse is probably linked to an in-built tendency to act without thinking, as shown by studies of siblings of chronic stimulant users, a leading neuroscientist will claim this week.
Scientists identify neuron types that mediate different behavioral states
In a recent study, scientists from the Max Planck Florida Institute have provided one of the most comprehensive analyses to date of the detailed architecture of individual functionally characterized neurons in the cerebral cortex, the largest and most complex area of the brain, whose functions include sensory perception, motor control, and cognition.
Scientists ID possible biomarker to gauge Alzheimer's prognosis, effect of therapies
UCLA researchers have identified a new biomarker that could help them track how effectively the immune system is able to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques considered one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.
Stanford psychologists design 60-minute exercise that raises GPAs of minority students
Along with the excitement and anticipation that come with heading off to college, freshmen often find questions of belonging lurking in the background: Am I going to make friends? Are people going to respect me? Will I fit in?
Biology news
Chemical-free pest management cuts rice waste
In 2006, Maria Otilia Carvalho, a researcher from the Tropical Research Institute of Portugal had an ambitious goal: to cut the huge losses of rice – a staple food crop for half of humanity – due to pests, without using toxic pesticides that are increasingly shunned by consumers worldwide. She realised she could not do it alone and turned to EUREKA to support an international collaboration to address a looming threat to world's rice supplies. Harvested rice is constantly under menace from pest insects and fungi - to avoid the pests, farmers and producers treat the rice with chemical pesticides, which leave residue on rice, potentially harming rice workers and consumers. Even the bigger problem is that insects are developing resistance to chemicals, slowly rendering it useless.
Optimizing yield and fruit size of figs
The common fig is a subtropical, deciduous fruit tree grown in most Mediterranean-type climates. Although some believe that figs may be the oldest cultivated fruit species on earth, global expansion of fig crops has been hindered by the narrow research base pertaining to production practices and the limited number of fig cultivars currently available. Recently, three black figs were established in the Mediterranean-type climate of Western Cape Province of South Africa to provide fruit for fresh markets throughout South Africa and Europe.
New software calculates heating costs in greenhouse operations
In parts of the United States where ornamental and vegetable plants are produced in greenhouses during cold seasons, heating costs are second only to labor costs for greenhouse operators. Greenhouse growers are faced with important management decisions that rely on understanding how temperature settings, heating systems, fuel types, and construction decisions influence their heating costs. To address the lack of user-friendly computer programs currently available for calculating heating costs in greenhouse operations, scientists have created a state-of-the-art system they call "Virtual Grower".
Corn gluten meal tested on squash survival, yields
Corn gluten meal, a powdery byproduct of the wet-milling process of corn, has shown important potential for use as an organic, non-selective preemergence or preplant-incorporated herbicide. A team of researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Oklahoma State University recently reported on the impact of corn gluten meal (CGM) applications on direct-seeded squash (Cucurbita pepo), and determined that CGM can be effective and safe if used in banded applications.
New research tool targets microRNA expression in zebrafish
A new research tool for studying microRNA expression in zebrafish will help researchers study the effects of miRNA on the early development of this model organism and better understand developmental and disease mechanisms in humans, as described in Zebrafish, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Not so eagle eyed: New study reveals why birds collide with man-made objects
From office block windows to power lines and wind turbines, many species of bird are prone to colliding with large man-made objects, many of which appear difficult not to notice to human eyes. A new study published today in IBIS outlines a new approach to understanding how birds see the world and why they find pylons and turbines so hard to avoid.
Petenaeaceae - a new family of flowering plants
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new family of flowering plants has been described to accommodate Petenaea cordata, a species of uncertain affinities.
30 whales stranded on Australian coast
A pod of around 30 pilot whales became stranded on Bruny Island, south of the Tasmanian state capital Hobart, on Thursday, wildlife authorities said.
Intervention offers 'best chance' to save species endangered by climate change
A University of York scientist is proposing a radical programme of 'assisted colonisation' to save species endangered by climate change.
Researchers urge more prominent role for zoos
Of around seven land vertebrate species whose survival in the wild is threatened one is also kept in captivity. These and other data on the protection of species in zoos and aquaria have now been revealed by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock. Writing in the journal Science, the team of researchers and the International Species Information System (ISIS) advocate the establishment of targeted captive breeding programmes to supplement the protection of animals in the wild. To do this, zoos should team up in networks and shelter these animals, as a form of life insurance, until they can be released back into the wild.
Sexual plant reproduction: Male and female talk in the same way as do cells in your brain
A team of researchers at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC), Portugal, discovered that pollen, the organ that contains the plant male gametes, communicate with the pistil, their female counterpart, using a mechanism commonly observed in the nervous system of animals. This study not only reveals a new mechanism which underlies reproduction in plants, but also opens an exciting new avenue in the study of how cell-cell communication is conserved between animals and plants. The research is to be published this week in Science Express.
Offspring of clones in food chain leaves EU in bind
A new law regulating access for the first time for offspring of cloned animals to meat markets in Europe is heading for the dustbin, the European Union's current chair said Thursday.
A new evolutionary history of primates
A robust new phylogenetic tree resolves many long-standing issues in primate taxonomy. The genomes of living primates harbor remarkable differences in diversity and provide an intriguing context for interpreting human evolution. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted by international researchers to determine the origin, evolution, patterns of speciation, and unique features in genome divergence among primate lineages. This evolutionary history will be published on March 17 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
A mutation causing wrinkled skin of Shar-Pei dogs is linked to periodic fever disorder
An international investigation has uncovered the genetics of the Shar-Pei dog's characteristic wrinkled skin. The researchers, led by scientists at Uppsala University and the Broad Institute, have connected this mutation to a periodic fever disorder and they propose that the findings could have important human health implications. Details appear on March 17 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Researchers engineer E. coli to produce record-setting amounts of alternative fuel
Researchers at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a way to produce normal butanol — often proposed as a "greener" fuel alternative to diesel and gasoline -- from bacteria at rates significantly higher than those achieved using current production methods.
Production of mustard oils: On the origin of an enzyme
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the evolutionary arms race, small changes can be sufficient to gain a crucial advantage over the enemy. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology found out recently that the ancestor of a gene involved in making chemical defenses in plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), such as rapeseed and cabbage, originally had a completely different function, playing a part in the formation of leucine, an essential amino acid for humans. Only small changes in the structure of the enzyme enabled it to take over completely new tasks that could, as shown in this study, increase the survival advantage of the plants.
Researchers create stem cells from schizophrenia patients
Using skin cells from adult siblings with schizophrenia and a genetic mutation linked to major mental illnesses, Johns Hopkins researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using a new and improved "clean" technique.
New plant species gives insights into evolution
A new University of Florida study shows when two flowering plants are crossed to produce a new hybrid, the new species' genes are reset, allowing for greater genetic variation.
Scientists take a look at systems biology and cellular networking
Systems biology is a holistic approach to the study of how a living organism emerges from the interactions of the individual elements that make up its constituent cells. Embracing a broad range of disciplines, this field of science that is just beginning to come into public prominence holds promise for advances in a number of important areas, including safer, more effective pharmaceuticals, improved environmental remediation, and clean, green, sustainable energy. However, the most profound impact of systems biology, according to one of its foremost practitioners, is that it might one day provide an answer to the central question: What is life?
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