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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 22, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Study analyzes role of mobile software in the future Internet- Portable solar device creates potable water
- New science suggests we might soon be able to mix computers and neurons
- Habitable planets and white dwarfs
- Physicists observe antihelium-4 nucleus, the heaviest antinucleus yet
- New model of protein folding helps researchers handle flood of genomic data
- Think you'll ace that test? Think again, then start studying
- Only the weak survive? Pitt team adds more give for stronger self-healing materials
- Nanomodified surfaces seal leg implants against infection
- People that think they're more attractive are less likely to offer to pay, according to research
- Honey bee search strategy: Robot swarms to search Mars caves
- Pre-conception and early pregnancy iron deficiency harms brain
- More sensitive blood test better at identifying heart attacks
- Sex can be heart attack trigger for couch potatoes
- Mozilla unleashes sleek new Firefox Web browser
Space & Earth news
Marine methane reservoirs much larger 550 million years ago
Massive methane reservoirs in the ancient ocean could account for an unexplained hiccup in Earth's carbon cycle.
Developing strategies in a desert watershed that sustain regional water supplies
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are helping meet the water demands of a riparian desert region that is home to a national conservation area and a thriving military base.
S. Korea accepts North's volcano research offer
South Korea on Tuesday agreed to Pyongyang's offer to hold joint research into volcanic activity in the peninsula's highest mountain, suggesting officials meet next week in a rare sign of cooperation.
Enriching the intracluster medium
(PhysOrg.com) -- Galaxies are sometimes found in large clusters with many hundreds of members. Typically there is a giant elliptical galaxy near the center; most of these ellipticals are very bright emitters of radio radiation as a result of activity around supermassive black holes at their nuclei.
Focus on adaptation when times are tight
Biologists have been advised not to over-commit time and effort establishing broader climate change links to local ecological impacts.
Distrust of climate science due to lack of media literacy: researcher
(PhysOrg.com) -- Though most climate science studies show evidence that climate change is real, the public persists in distrusting the science.
Conservationists develop coral 'stress test' to identify reefs of hope in climate change era
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have developed a "stress test" for coral reefs as a means of identifying and prioritizing areas that are most likely to survive bleaching events and other climate change factors. The researchers say that these "reefs of hope" are priorities for national and international management and conservation action.
Tsunami's effects in California offer clues about future, more powerful seismic events
Although the effect of the tsunami was minuscule in California compared with Japan, the scattered damage is providing a rare opportunity to study how the waves work and to help officials better prepare for what could be a far more destructive seismic event along the state's coast.
Plant buffers can slow runoff of veterinary antibiotics
Field tests by University of Missouri scientists have backed up laboratory research indicating that buffer strips of grass and other plants can reduce the amount of herbicide and veterinary antibiotics in surface runoff from farm plots.
Dawn opens its eyes, checks its instruments
(PhysOrg.com) -- After a hibernation of about six months, the framing cameras on board NASA's Dawn spacecraft have again ventured a look into the stars. The spacecraft also powered up its visible and infrared mapping spectrometer, which investigates surface mineralogy, and the gamma ray and neutron detector, which detects elemental composition. The reactivation prepares the instruments for the May approach and July arrival at Vesta, Dawn's first port of call in the asteroid belt.
Honey bee search strategy: Robot swarms to search Mars caves
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent paper published in Acta Astronautica, Aron Kisdi, a University of Southampton engineer, proposes an idea of utilizing a swarm of robots to search large areas of Mars and the caves which current robots have been unable to explore.
Habitable planets and white dwarfs
(PhysOrg.com) -- The search for habitable planets similar to Earth has routinely focused around active nuclear burning stars. However, in a recently published paper by Eric Agol from the University of Washington, the idea to expand the search to white dwarfs shows promise.
Technology news
Samsung smart LTE solution promises more intelligent 4G service offering
Samsung Electronics will demonstrate its Smart LTE solution which caters for increasing mobile data traffic needs, at CTIA International 2011 in Orlando, FL USA.
Energy Conference spotlights military's green energy
It’s not surprising that the U.S. Navy should be at the cutting edge of new energy alternatives, said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, speaking at the annual MIT Energy Conference on March 5. Innovation in energy is something the Navy has led on for over 150 years, he said, starting with pioneering the switch from sail to coal for powering its ships in the mid-19th century, then the switch from coal to oil, and later from oil to nuclear power.
Georgia Tech to pursue 'transparent Internet'
What if Internet users could click a button and determine whether their service was being artificially slowed down? Or if the government were censoring their content? In the name of Internet transparency, a team of Georgia Tech researchers will use a $1 million Google Research Focused Award to provide Internet users around the world with just those kinds of tools.
US Senate panel to weigh cybercrime costs
A key US Senate panel announced Tuesday it will hold a March 29 hearing on the economic costs of cyberattacks and cyber crimes like identity theft and hacker strikes on government computers.
Sony suspends some production at more Japan plants
(AP) -- Sony Corp. said Tuesday it is suspending some production at plants in Japan that make popular consumer electronics like digital cameras and televisions due to shortages of components and raw materials following the March 11 earthquake.
Deal to combine AT&T, T-Mobile raises questions
(AP) -- AT&T's surprise announcement that it plans to acquire T-Mobile USA will force federal regulators to confront a difficult antitrust question: Can American consumers get good wireless service at a fair price if they must choose between just two national companies?
Research team develops lightweight, portable power using hydrogen fuel pellets
Purdue University researchers have collaborated with scientists at General Atomics to create safe and efficient pellets to power hydrogen fuel cells that can run an array of portable electronic devices.
Like a lightbulb going off
(PhysOrg.com) -- Imagine being able to see to the penny how much it costs to use your jumbo high definition television or your tiny nightlight – in real time. That’s what a dozen University Hills residents did last summer as part of a "Smart Home" project aimed at reducing energy consumption.
Carbon capture and storage: Carbon dioxide pressure dissipates in underground reservoirs
The debate surrounding carbon capture and storage intensifies as scientists from the Earth Sciences Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) examine the capacity for storing carbon dioxide underground, in a study published today in the new journal Greenhouse Gases: Science & Technology.
Adidas wants generalised 'Better Cotton' use by 2018: report
The German sporting goods group Adidas wants to make all its cotton clothing with material that has earned the "Better Cotton" label by 2018, an executive said Tuesday in a press interview.
'Good-bye, blind spot' -- man and machine always in view
Particular care must be taken in a production hall where robots and men work together, where even minor carelessness could result in serious accidents or stop production. At the Hannover Messe trade fair that is taking place from April 4-8, Fraunhofer researchers are introducing a new prototype for intelligent safety monitoring in industrial workplaces.
LightSquared gets first deal with a phone company
(AP) -- LightSquared, a company building a new wireless broadband network to compete with those of AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless and Clearwire Corp., announced Tuesday its first phone-company customer, Leap Wireless International Inc.
LinkedIn hits 100 million members
LinkedIn, the career-oriented social network, said Tuesday that it has hit 100 million members, more than half of whom live outside the United States.
NY Times expands limits on free search traffic
(AP) -- The New York Times will try to make it more difficult to use Internet search engines to avoid paying for frequent visits to the newspaper's website.
Sprint mobile calls get Google Voice
Google on Tuesday announced an alliance with Sprint to add the Internet giant's online telephone capabilities to mobile phones serviced by the US telecom firm.
US senators urge end to drunk driver 'apps'
US senators on Tuesday pressed Google, Apple, and Blackberry maker Research in Motion to pull the plug on applications that can help drunk drivers use smart phones to elude police checkpoints.
US spent-fuel storage sites are packed
(AP) -- The nuclear crisis in Japan has laid bare an ever-growing problem for the United States - the enormous amounts of still-hot radioactive waste accumulating at commercial nuclear reactors in more than 30 states.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs to be deposed
(AP) -- Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs, who is currently out on medical leave, will be deposed to testify in an antitrust suit related to its iPod music players and iTunes store.
Amazon opens Appstore for Android phones, tablets; Apple files suit (Update)
Amazon began offering applications for mobile devices running Google's Android software on Tuesday as Apple seeks to prevent the online retail giant from calling it an "App Store."
China plugging holes in 'Great Firewall'
China appears to be moving aggressively to plug holes in its "Great Firewall" censorship system, causing frustration for businesses and web users, foreign Internet companies and analysts said.
Willis Tower goes solar
(PhysOrg.com) -- Do you know the Sears Tower? No, no you don't because for some time now it has been going by the much less famous name of the Willis Tower. While that bit of information may not be news to you, especially if you happen to live in the windy city, this next bit will be. The Willis Tower is going solar. Well, at least in a limited capacity.
Mozilla unleashes sleek new Firefox Web browser
A fast, sleek new version of Firefox was released on Wednesday to vie Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) and Google Chrome in the fiercely competitive market for Web browsing software.
US judge rejects deal for Google digital book plan
A US judge dealt a major blow to Google's digital book-scanning project Tuesday, rejecting a settlement with authors and publishers that would have paved the way for the Internet giant to run a vast online library.
New model of protein folding helps researchers handle flood of genomic data
All living tissue is made from proteins, and all proteins are made from a combination of the same 20 chemical building blocks, called amino acids. The difference between the proteins that make up bone, blood, hair and eyeballs is largely one of shape.
Portable solar device creates potable water
(PhysOrg.com) -- By harnessing the power of the sun, a Monash University graduate has designed a simple, sustainable and affordable water-purification device, which has the potential to help eradicate disease and save lives.
Study analyzes role of mobile software in the future Internet
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although it's difficult to predict what the future Internet will look like, it's probably safe to say that certain trends we've seen during the past decade will continue. This means that the Internet will become further integrated into our daily lives, becoming more ubiquitous, available, autonomous, and mobile. The engineers who are guiding the Internet in this direction are doing so by developing mobile agents, which are pieces of software that can autonomously migrate from one computer to another and interact with each other.
Medicine & Health news
Tween Brands to limit toxic cadmium in its jewelry
(AP) -- In the first settlement of its kind, national jewelry seller Tween Brands Inc. will effectively eliminate the toxic metal cadmium from the bracelets, necklaces and other items it sells.
Deciphering developmental disorders
A new UK nationwide project aimed at improving the care and diagnosis of developmental disorders and understanding their relation to the human genome is announced today. The Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) Project aims to improve the diagnosis and care of children in the UK who fail to develop normally due to changes in their genetic makeup. Its goal is to collect comprehensive genomic data and from this develop clinical tools to unlock the genetic reasons for the developmental problems in these children.
Internet promotes and undermines smoking cessation
(PhysOrg.com) -- Analysis of internet search data shows, federal cigarette excise tax hike drove smokers to find ways to quit smoking, but more often shop online for tax-free or cheap cigarettes.
Report indicates that 'new' welfare reforms hark back to Victorians
The UK coalition government's planned NHS and welfare reforms, and their use of 'nudge' theory, hark back to ideas on welfare and recession from the end of the nineteenth century, according to studies by a University of Leicester historian whose research paper has recently been published in the Lancet.
Best time to deal with varicose veins is spring
Like many women, Karen Special, 57, developed varicose veins during her first pregnancy. These unsightly veins became permanent while she was pregnant with her third child.
Russian women have more pollutants in breast milk than Norwegian women
Russian women living in Northwest Russia are more exposed to environmental toxins than Norwegian women. In spite of this, Anuschka Polder in her doctoral research urges Russian women to breastfeed their babies.
World's first breast cancer tissue bank
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new tissue bank that will help to overcome barriers in translating the latest research into new clinical treatments for breast cancer has been launched in Nottingham.
Radical surgery removes half of pelvis, saves leg
During a radical surgery to treat a rare bone cancer, surgeons at UC San Diego Health System and Moores Cancer Center removed 50 percent of a patient's pelvis. Instead of amputating the connected leg, the surgical team, comprised of orthopaedic, vascular and urologic experts, saved the entire limb. The patient was able to walk with assistance five weeks after surgery.
For back, neck pain, artificial disc replacement has cost, outcome advantages over fusion surgery
When physical therapy and drugs fail to relieve back or neck pain, patients often turn to spinal fusion surgery as a last resort, but two new studies show that in certain situations, especially when several discs are involved, artificial disc replacement may give better long-term results at lower cost.
FDA bars Michigan firm from selling heart machines
(AP) -- The federal government is legally barring a Michigan company from selling life-sustaining devices used in heart surgery, following years of quality control problems at company facilities.
UT MD Anderson receives grant for study of acupuncture in cancer
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has been awarded a grant to study whether xerostomia, a debilitating side effect caused by head and neck cancer radiation treatment, can be prevented when acupuncture is part of a patient's treatment regimen.
Court hears claim of forced Roma sterilization
(AP) -- Europe's human rights court opened a hearing Tuesday into a Gypsy woman's allegation that she was wrongly and forcibly sterilized at a state-run hospital in her native Slovakia because of her ethnicity.
Despite uncertain benefit, fibrates commonly used in US, Canada
Although recent evidence suggests that the clinical benefit may be uncertain for fibrates, a class of drugs used for the treatment of high lipid levels, use of these drugs is common in the U.S. and Canada, with usage increasing steadily in the last decade in the U.S., especially for a brand-name fibrate product, according to a study in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.
Hydrocortisone therapy for trauma patients associated with reduced hospital-acquired pneumonia risk
Patients admitted to a hospital with major trauma and treated with the steroid hydrocortisone were less likely to be diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia than patients who received placebo, according to a study in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.
Number of child diarrhea deaths can be halved with current interventions
Deaths from diarrhea—a major killer of young children in poor countries—could be almost halved if already available interventions such as breastfeeding, hand washing with soap, and improved household water treatment were widely implemented.
EU trade deal threatens access to life saving drugs for developing countries
A new trade agreement between India and Europe would block access to life saving drugs for billions of people living in developing countries, warns an expert in the British Medical Journal today.
Restricted working hours have had little effect in US
Reducing doctors' working hours from over 80 a week does not seem to have adversely affected patient safety and has had limited impact on postgraduate training in the United States, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Health bill spells the end of the NHS in England, warn experts
The Health and Social Care Bill amounts to the abolition of the English NHS as a universal, comprehensive, publicly accountable, tax funded service, free at the point of delivery, warn experts today.
Patients and clinicians must share healthcare decisions, say experts
Clinicians have an ethical imperative to share important decisions with patients, and patients have a right to be equal participants in their care, say a group of experts today.
Public satisfaction with the NHS at a record high, says expert
Public satisfaction with the NHS is at a record high, says John Appleby, Chief Economist at the King's Fund, in an article published in the British Medical Journal today.
Research says Australia bowel cancer to jump 50%
Australia faces a huge rise in bowel cancer cases, with new research on Tuesday saying incidence of the disease will jump by 50 percent over the next decade.
The BCG World Atlas: a world first in the fight against tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a major global health threat. Someone in the world is newly infected with TB bacteria every second. Every year, more than 9 million people develop active TB and it claims about 2 million lives. In Canada, the overall incidence of TB has declined, but rates remain high among immigrants from endemic countries and among Aboriginal populations. Currently, Nunavut is facing the largest TB outbreak in the territory's 10- year history.
Watson computer's ability to diagnose illness tested
Watson, IBM’s celebrity supercomputer, has already trounced the two best human Jeopardy! players. But does the computer, which uses natural language processing to interpret complex, nuanced questions and provide accurate answers in English, have a bedside manner?
In matters of body image, one size doesn't fit all
(PhysOrg.com) -- While female perfection is often portrayed in the media as young, white and thin, body-image issues and eating disorders affect all ethnic groups, says a Northeastern psychologist.
Interest in toys predicts effectiveness of autism treatment in toddlers
Toddlers who played with a limited number of toys showed more improvement in their communication skills following parent-guided treatment than those receiving other community-based treatments.
Hippocampal volume and resilience in posttramatic stress disorder
The hippocampus, a brain region implicated in memory and interpreting environmental contexts, has been the focus of a controversy in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Study finds that overweight people really are big-boned
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the blind spots in forensic science, particularly in identifying unknown remains, is the inability of experts to determine how much an individual weighed based on his or her skeleton. New research from North Carolina State University moves us closer to solving this problem by giving forensic experts valuable insight into what the shape of the femur can tell us about the weight of an individual.
Ready-to-eat meat products contain few cancerous compounds: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- If given the choice between eating a hot dog or enjoying some rotisserie chicken, consider the hot dog.
Protein could be used to treat alcohol effects on pancreas
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Medical Research Council (MRC) study has discovered that a protein provides protection against the effects of alcohol in the pancreas. The findings could lead to the development of new treatments to reduce the chances of people developing pancreatic cancer.
Gaps in health care limit options for older adults, expert says
There are 50 million family members providing care to older adults in the United States, according to the MetLife Foundation and national caregiving associations. When older adults are hospitalized and discharged, their families face numerous choices about where they will go and how they will receive care. A University of Missouri nursing expert says the complexity of this process will intensify with increasing demands for health care and workforce shortages.
Study puts over 2,400 food scares under the microscope
(PhysOrg.com) -- As the increasing number food scares causes consumers to question the safety of everyday food items, researchers at Queen's University Belfast have completed the first ever analysis of all the food recalls announced in the USA, UK and Ireland over the last decade.
Experimental radioprotective drug safe for lung cancer patients: study
Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer can safely take an experimental oral drug intended to protect healthy tissue from the effects of radiation, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and published in this month's issue of Human Gene Therapy.
Critical thinking: How do children learn who to trust?
A UT Dallas researcher is examining how children evaluate information to solve problems and learn how to think critically, with the aim of combating misleading advertising aimed at young people.
Protein associated with allergic response causes airway changes in asthma patients
Changes that occur in the airways of asthma patients are in part caused by the naturally occurring protein interleukin-13 (IL-13) which stimulates invasion of airway cells called fibroblasts, according to a study conducted by researchers at Duke University. The study is the latest effort by researchers to better understand the processes that are involved in airway remodeling that can cause breathing difficulties in patients with asthma. The findings were published online ahead of the print edition of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Spinal cord processes information just like areas of the brain
Patrick Stroman's work mapping the function and information processing of the spinal cord could improve treatment for spinal cord injuries.
Clinical trial seeks to determine whether platelet-rich plasma can ease the pain of osteoarthritis
For years, doctors have used platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, to promote healing after surgery. Now, Rush University Medical Center is studying whether PRP can help relieve knee pain in patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis.
Can a cholesterol drug prevent colon cancer?
Thomas Jefferson University has started recruiting patients for a new National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored clinical trial to test whether the cholesterol-reducing drug rosuvastatin is effective in the prevention of recurrent colon cancer.
WSU proves extracellular matrix tugging creates come hither stimulus for cancer migration
Ninety percent of cancer deaths resulted from metastasis, the spread of cancer to different areas in the body, yet scientific exploration of the possible mechanical factors that promote metastasis has been limited. A Wayne State University researcher, however, is expanding the scientific understanding of what makes malignant tumors spread, and the answer lies within the dense, fibrous matrix that surrounds cancer cells.
Smoke-free air law had no effect on off-track betting facility business activity
An Indiana University study found that a smoke-free air law implemented in an Indiana community did not hurt business at the off-track betting facility in that community. The findings, the researchers said, suggest there is "no economic reason for policymakers to exclude OTB facilities from smoke-free legislation."
Elderly victims of abuse often use alcohol or drugs, study says
Victims of severe traumatic elder abuse are more likely to be female, suffer from a neurological or mental disorder, and to abuse drugs or alcohol, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Load up on fiber now, avoid heart disease later
A new study from Northwestern Medicine shows a high-fiber diet could be a critical heart-healthy lifestyle change young and middle-aged adults can make. The study found adults between 20 and 59 years old with the highest fiber intake had a significantly lower estimated lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease compared to those with the lowest fiber intake.
CML patients on imatinib have similar mortality rates to general population
Patients taking imatinib (Gleevec) for CML, or chronic myelogenous leukemia, and in remission after two years of treatment, have a mortality rate similar to that of the general population according to a study published online [date] in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Discovery in liver cancer cells provides new target for drugs
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) have discovered a novel mechanism in gene regulation that contributes to the development of a form of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Currently, there is virtually no effective treatment for HCC, and this breakthrough identifies a promising new target for therapeutic intervention.
Metabolic abnormalities in obese teens may relate to poor diets
Obese teens may feel healthy, but blood tests show they have inflammation, insulin resistance, and high homocysteine levels , researchers report at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2011 Scientific Sessions.
Youth at risk for obesity show greater brain activity in response to food
Do people overeat because they experience less reward from eating or because they experience more reward from eating? In the March 23, 2011 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience Oregon Research Institute (ORI) senior scientist Eric Stice, Ph.D. and colleagues, including Dana Small, Ph.D. from the J.B. Pierce Laboratory in New Haven Connecticut, provide possible answers to the chicken or egg dilemma of overeating.
Digital versus analog control over cortical inhibition
In the cerebral cortex, the balance between excitation (pyramidal neurons) and inhibition (interneurons) is thought to be mediated by the primary mode of neuronal communication: "all-or-none" action potentials, or spikes. However, Dr. Yousheng Shu's research group at the Institute of Neuroscience of Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered a new strategy by which the cortex can maintain this balance, by showing that the amount of inhibition depends on the membrane potentials (Vm) in pyramidal cells, which represents an "analog" strategy. Their results will be published next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology.
People that think they're more attractive are less likely to offer to pay, according to research
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study by the University of St Andrews suggests that good looking women are most likely to sit back and allow their male date to pay.
Sign language users read words and see signs simultaneously
(PhysOrg.com) -- People fluent in sign language may simultaneously keep words and signs in their minds as they read, according to an international team of researchers.
Scientists crack molecular code regulating neuronal excitability
A key question in protein biochemistry is how proteins recognize "correct" interaction partners in a sea of cellular factors. Nowhere is that more critical to know than in the brain, where interactions governing channel protein activity can alter an organism's behavior. A team of biologists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has recently deciphered a molecular code that regulates availability of a brain channel that modulates neuronal excitability, a discovery that might aid efforts to treat drug addiction and mental disorders.
Think you'll ace that test? Think again, then start studying
for instance, if you study more, you learn more. We are also constantly making judgments about particular instances of learning and remembering—I'll never forget this party! That was easy to understand. I'll ace it on the test.
Pre-conception and early pregnancy iron deficiency harms brain
A mother's iron deficiency early in pregnancy may have a profound and long-lasting effect on the brain development of the child, even if the lack of iron is not enough to cause severe anemia, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study published in the scientific journal PLoS One.
More sensitive blood test better at identifying heart attacks
A highly sensitive blood test could help identify heart attacks in thousands of patients who would otherwise have gone undiagnosed, a study suggests.
Research practices must be changed to minimize fraud, deception
In 1998, a study linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism in children appeared in a respected medical journal. For a decade, the study grabbed headlines worldwide. Worried parents rejected the life-saving vaccine for their children and those with autistic children agonized that they allowed an injection that caused the condition.
Sex can be heart attack trigger for couch potatoes
Sex and exercise can trigger heart attacks in older people who don't get much of either, a new analysis finds. The risk is low, but it's a good reminder that slackers should change their exercise habits gradually, especially in middle age.
Genetic errors linked to life-threatening pregnancy disorder
Scientists have identified genetic errors in women with autoimmune diseases that increase the risk of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs in 10 percent of all pregnancies.
Biology news
Beetle explorers name new species for Roosevelt
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new species of a rugged darkling beetle that thrives in an arid region of the Chihuahuan Desert is being named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt on the 100th anniversary of a speech he gave at Tempe Normal School, now Arizona State University. The speech, delivered March 20, 1911, focused on the role of government, the importance of an educated citizenry, and the “far-sighted wisdom” of the Territory of Arizona.
Cow simulator to teach vet students
How do you teach vet students where things are in an animal, when they can’t see what they are touching? In the past vet students were taught using cows. Now thanks to a simple and effective training aid, Breed’n Betsy, practical teaching of the internal anatomy of a cow can be achieved using this rectal simulator.
First partial sequencing of an Iberian pig
Researchers of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and of the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, the National Institute for Agrarian Technology and Research in Madrid and Wageningen Research Center (WUR, the Netherlands) have published the first partial genome sequencing of an Iberian pig. Using next-generation sequencing techniques, researchers have been able to sequence and analyse 1% of the genome. This is the first time an individual pig genome-sequence is published. The project, coordinated by ICREA researcher Miguel Pérez-Enciso, has been published in the online edition of the journal Heredity.
The Pacific oyster is in Sweden to stay
The Pacific oyster was discovered in large numbers along the west coast of Sweden in 2007. The mortality rate in some places during the past two winters has been 100%, but researchers at the University of Gothenburg who have studied the Pacific oyster can now say that the species copes with cold winters and is here to stay.
New technique could help solve mystery of vanishing bees
Ecologists have developed a better way of rearing bee larvae in the laboratory that could help discover why honey bee populations worldwide are declining. The technique, together with details of how statistics adapted from other areas of ecology can aid bee research, is published this week in the British Ecological Society's journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution.
Three of our dragons are missing: Indonesian zoo
Three young Komodo dragons have gone missing from a zoo in Indonesia, a spokesman said Tuesday, warning that the lost lizards were dangerous and fast on their feet.
Court deals major blow to European anti-GM crops lobby
Europe's top court dealt a huge blow to the anti-GM foods lobby Tuesday, saying states broke EU law by halting genetically-modified crop cultivation without first seeking action in Brussels.
European coastal pollution is harmful to seals
The bodies of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), which live in estuaries or along coastlines where industrial activities take place, are highly contaminated. This is the result of a European study, involving Spanish participation, which warns of the danger to these mammals from ports throughout Europe, even in the Mediterranean.
Unknown animals nearly invisible but yet there
Bryozoans (moss animals) are a group of aquatic invertebrates that are found in great variety throughout the world, with well over 100 species in Sweden alone. Yet little is known about them. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now studied Swedish bryozoan species using DNA techniques.
Regulating the infective phase of Legionella bacterial lifecycle
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research by UCD researchers led by Conway Fellow, Brendan Loftus gives an insight into the infective cycle of the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires disease and Pontiac fever.
US bee expert awarded Tyler Environment Prize
A leading US entomologist won the prestigious Tyler Prize for her groundbreaking work on the collapse of bee populations and coevolution of plants and insects, officials said Tuesday.
Scientists hope to protect seals by understanding their sound
Scientists learning the snorty language of Northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant blubbery mammals use vocalizations to prevent costly fights and structure their colonies - and how we can keep the expanding population safe.
Tahoe native fish population declines sharply, invasives on the rise
In a lakewide study, a team of scientists lead by University of Nevada, Reno limnologist Sudeep Chandra has found a considerable decline in native fish species density at Lake Tahoe since 1951. In their final report, they are recommending establishing and implementing a management plan to protect the nearshore zone habitat, which is critical to native fish.
The killer within -- a novel bacterial suicide mechanism
The zeta toxins are a family of proteins that are normally present within various pathogenic bacteria and can mysteriously trigger suicide when the cells undergo stress. A team led by Anton Meinhart at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg has now found the mechanism underlying this programmed bacterial cell death. Their paper, publishing next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology, reports that zeta toxins convert a compound required for bacterial cell wall synthesis into a poison that kills bacteria from within. In the future it may be possible to hijack this mechanism for bacterial defense and to design drugs that mimic these toxins.
Malaria mosquitoes reveal pathogen defense strategies
(PhysOrg.com) -- In analyzing malaria mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa, a Cornell-led team of researchers finds evidence of two very different evolutionary paths in the immune systems of neighboring mosquito groups.
Biofilm reorganization: Back to the theoretical drawing board
In a surprising new study, researchers using image-analysis methods similar to those employed in facial-recognition software have made a startling discovery that rules out the two main theories scientists had created to explain how bacteria self-organize into multicellular aggregate mounds. The study by researchers from Rice University and the University of Georgia appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Surprising results in the first genome sequencing of a crustacean
There are many different kinds of crustaceans, ranging from the shellfish Swedish people eat at traditional crayfish parties every August to tiny relatives found in their millions in both freshwater and saltwater. One of the latter, Daphnia pulex, is the first crustacean to have its genome sequenced. A researcher from the University of Gothenburg has made a surprising discovery.
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