Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 16, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- 3-D printing method advances electrically small antenna design- Dine or dash? Genes help decide when to look for new food
- Physicists control light scattering in graphene
- 'Pruned' microchips are faster, smaller, more energy-efficient
- Russian craft brings astronauts back to Earth
- Universal law of basketball: Duke professor's theory unites physics, engineering, and March Madness
- Pig model of cystic fibrosis improves understanding of disease
- Ancient 'hyperthermals' a guide to anticipated climate changes
- Fossils record ancient migrations and trilobite orgies
- Rare Andean cat no longer exclusive to the Andes
- First dinosaur fossil discovered in Angola
- How female wisdom in old age helps elephants survive
- Extending resonant diffraction to very high energies for structural studies of complex materials
- Physicists move closer to efficient single-photon sources
- Review: GPS running watches offer improvements
Space & Earth news
Cocaine is found at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
A packet of white powder that was found at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where the space shuttle launches, has tested positive for cocaine, NASA's Inspector General's office said Tuesday.
Alternatives eyed for methyl bromide
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists trying to help Florida growers find a replacement for methyl bromide are studying an alternative soil treatment that uses molasses as one of its ingredients.
Seismic imaging provides bigger picture for earthquake researchers
Caltech scientists and students are among a group of government and university researchers collecting seismic images of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys this week. The pictures—part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Salton Seismic Imaging Project (SSIP)—will help investigate the geometry of the San Andreas Fault, identify hidden faults, and provide more information about the composition of sediments in the area.
New findings on the developments of the earthquake disaster
The earthquake disaster on 11 March 2011 was an event of the century not only for Japan. With a magnitude of Mw = 8.9, it was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded worldwide. Particularly interesting is that here, two days before, a strong foreshock with a magnitude Mw = 7.2 took place almost exactly at the breaking point of the tsunami-earthquake. The geophysicist Joachim Saul from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (Helmholtz Association) created an animation which shows the sequence of quakes since March 9.
NIST releases final report on Charleston sofa store fire
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released its final report on its study of the June 18, 2007, fire at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, S.C., that trapped and killed nine firefighters, the highest number of firefighter deaths in a single event since 9/11. The final report is strengthened by clarifications and supplemental text based on comments provided by organizations and individuals in response to the draft report of the study, released for public comment on Oct. 28, 2010.
Could the Arctic be coming out of hibernation?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Reduced ice cover in the Arctic Ocean could be the reason why the UK has experienced colder winters recently.
CO2 emissions from biomass combustion
An article in the current issue of Global Change Biology Bioenergy proposes a new method to account for CO2 emissions from biomass combustion in bioenergy systems.
NASA satellite sees area affected by Japan tsunami
A new before-and-after image pair from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft shows a region of Japan's northeastern coast, northeast of the city of Sendai, which was affected by the March 11, 2011 tsunami.
Feds deploy more radiation monitors in western US
(AP) -- Federal environmental regulators say they are adding more radiation monitors in the western United States and Pacific territories as concerns rise over exposure from damaged nuclear plants in Japan.
Canada's unique wetlands under threat: report
Canada, which has the world's largest intact forest, must do more to protect the one-of-a kind natural treasure, which increasingly is under threat from large-scale industrial activity, a new report said Wednesday.
NASA satellites show towering thunderstorms in rare sub-tropical storm Arani
NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites are providing data to scientists about the Southern Atlantic Ocean Sub-tropical Storm Arani, a rare occurrence in the southern ocean. Rainfall data and cloud top temperatures revealed some heavy rain and strong thunderstorms exist in Arani as it continues to pull away from Brazil.
Aqua Satellite spies a '3-leaf Clover' view of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day
Typical clovers have three leaves, unless you happen to be lucky, and NASA's Aqua satellite has provided three different views of Ireland to mark Saint Patrick's Day on March 17, 2011. With the luck o' the Irish, NASA's Aqua satellite was fortunate to capturemostly clear views of the Emerald Isle in these near-infrared/visible, infrared and microwave light views acquired by Aqua's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on March 3, 2011, at 13:11 UTC.
Fortuitous timing for NASA's new space weather app
NASA's new iPhone application couldn't have come at a better time.
Russian craft brings astronauts back to Earth
A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying a US and two Russians astronauts Wednesday parachuted amid hailing winds into a snow-swept Kazakh steppe after a five-month mission to the International Space Station.
Unique Japan tsunami footage boon to scientists
Vision of the disastrous tsunami rolling onto Japan after last week's massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake will provide valuable data to scientists for years to come, Australian experts said Wednesday.
Tokyo at risk from massive aftershock, expert says (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tokyo may be at serious risk from a massive aftershock and associated tsunami as a result of the devastating March 11 earthquake near Sendai, Japan, according to UC Davis seismologist John Rundle.
The drama of starbirth (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new image from ESO's Very Large Telescope gives a close-up view of the dramatic effects newborn stars have on the gas and dust from which they formed. Although the stars themselves are not visible, material they have ejected is colliding with the surrounding gas and dust clouds and creating a surreal landscape of glowing arcs, blobs and streaks.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter delivers treasure trove of data
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) team released Tuesday the final set of data from the mission's exploration phase along with the first measurements from its new life as a science satellite.
Exoplant may have metal-rich atmosphere
At first glance, GJ 1214b is just another of the growing number of the super-Earth class of exoplanets. Discovered by the MEarth Project in 2009, it orbits an M dwarf in Ophiuchus in a tight orbit, swinging the planet around every 1.6 days. Late last year, GJ 1214b became the first super-Earth to have a component of its atmosphere detected when astronomers compared its spectra to models finding broad agreement with water vapor present. New work, done by the same team, further refines the atmosphere’s potential characteristics.
Research overturns oldest evidence of life on Earth
(PhysOrg.com) -- It appears that the supposed oldest examples of life on our planet -- 3.5 billion-year-old bacteria fossils found in Australian rock called Apex Chert -- are nothing more than tiny gaps in the rock that are packed with minerals.
NASA's humanoid robot unveiled on space station
The first humanoid robot ever launched into space is finally free. Astronauts at the International Space Station unpacked Robonaut on Tuesday, 2 1/2 weeks after its arrival via shuttle Discovery. NASA broadcast the humorous unveiling ceremony Wednesday.
Ancient 'hyperthermals' a guide to anticipated climate changes
Bursts of intense global warming that have lasted tens of thousands of years have taken place more frequently throughout history than previously believe, according to evidence gathered by a team led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego researchers.
Technology news
Newspaper ads sag to a 25-year low in 2010
(AP) -- Newspaper advertising in the U.S. has sunk to a 25-year low as marketing budgets followed readers to the Internet, where advertising is far cheaper than what publishers have been able to command in print.
YouTube buys Green Parrot Pictures
Google-owned YouTube said Tuesday that it has bought an Irish digital video company whose technology can help improve the quality of amateur footage submitted to the video-sharing site.
Chinese writers accuse Baidu of stealing
Dozens of popular Chinese writers have accused search engine giant Baidu of infringing their copyright and branded it a "thief" in the latest claims of piracy against the company.
Univ. of Delaware wrongly lauds 61 for admission
(AP) -- The University of Delaware is apologizing to dozens of applicants who were mistakenly congratulated for winning admission to the university.
Two new SCAP documents help improve automating computer security management
It's increasingly difficult to keep up with all the vulnerabilities present in today's highly complex operating systems and applications. Attackers constantly search for and exploit these vulnerabilities to commit identity fraud, intellectual property theft and other attacks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released two updated publications that help organizations to find and manage vulnerabilities more effectively, by standardizing the way vulnerabilities are identified, prioritized and reported.
US regulator warns of Facebook pre-IPO scams
A US financial regulator warned investors on Tuesday to be wary of con artists peddling non-existent shares in social media companies such as Facebook ahead of their going public.
Internet is world's 'greatest spying machine': Assange
Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblower website WikiLeaks, has warned that the Internet was the "greatest spying machine the world has ever seen" and an obstacle to free speech.
Startup turns locals into virtual tour guides
Young Australian entrepreneur Andrew Dever has gone from being mortified to being inspired by his dad's penchant for taking him and school friends on colorful tours of their home city.
New tool debuts for measuring indoor air pollutants
A promising new approach for checking the accuracy of measurements of hazardous indoor air pollutants may soon be ready for prime time, report researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Virginia Tech. The measurement tool, a reference sample for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), would be a boon to testers of indoor air quality and to manufacturers of paints, rugs, cleaners and other building products.
NIST testing device may help to 'seal the deal' for building owners
Just as a chain is as strong as its weakest link, a building is as secure against the environment as its most degraded joint sealants, about 50 percent of which fail in less than 10 years after installation.
High-tech concrete technology has a famous past
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the business of concrete making, what's old -- even ancient -- is new again.
Apple moves to stop kids racking up iTunes bills
(AP) -- After customers complained that their kids were racking up hundreds of dollars worth of purchases inside iPhone and iPad games, Apple has changed how these purchases are authorized.
Netflix vying for first rights to new TV series (Update)
(AP) -- Netflix Inc. is trying to buy the Internet streaming rights to a 26-episode drama starring Kevin Spacey before the series is shown on a television network.
Japanese tsunami's effects will change how, where future nuclear power plants are built
The design of next-generation nuclear power plants and other critical energy facilities will undoubtedly be influenced by the Japanese tsunami and its devastating effects on Japan's nuclear reactors, says Michael C. Constantinou, PhD, professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering at the University at Buffalo.
Google Chrome scores at SXSW Interactive awards
A music and imagery website that shows off capabilities of Google's Chrome Web browser won top honors at a South By Southwest Interactive (SXSW) festival known for its technology trendsetters.
Zediva taps loophole, offers new movies online
A California startup is making new hit movies such as "The Fighter" available for instant viewing online through a loophole: It lets customers rent a DVD and a player that are actually located in the Silicon Valley.
This years Nissan Leaf has battery issues
(PhysOrg.com) -- Only an extremely small amount of new cars go from the lot to the road without owners having some kind of problems. It seems that one part or another will invariably cause problems. As it turns out electric cars are no exception to this rule, and the Nissan Leaf is here to prove it.
Google's new search formula results in some unhappy websites
Google Inc. can give websites a lot of traffic. It can also take it away. That's what Valerie Whitmore found out recently.
White House backs online 'privacy bill of rights' (Update)
The White House urged Congress on Wednesday to approve a "consumer privacy bill of rights" to govern the collection and use of personal data on the Internet.
Google to set up a mobile payment system this year?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Mobile payment is an arrangement that has a lot of potential to make your life easier, but it also has a lot of potential to create issues with identity theft. That is why when a new company jumps into that arena they have to be fairly well trusted, in order to get a decent adoption rate.
The big picture on energy loss
Getting an energy audit of a home or a commercial building can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. But new techniques and technology developed by a team of MIT researchers have streamlined the process, allowing for scans of large groups of buildings — or even entire cities.
3-D printing method advances electrically small antenna design
Omnidirectional printing of metallic nanoparticle inks offers an attractive alternative for meeting the demanding form factors of 3-D electrically small antennas. This is the first demonstration of 3-D printed antennas on curvilinear surfaces.
'Pruned' microchips are faster, smaller, more energy-efficient
An international team of computing experts from the United States, Switzerland and Singapore has created a breakthrough technique for doubling the efficiency of computer chips simply by trimming away the portions that are rarely used.
Medicine & Health news
Guatemalans sue US over 1940s STD study
Seven Guatemalans filed a class action lawsuit in Washington over a 1940s US study in which hundreds of people in the Central American nation were deliberately infected with syphilis and gonorrhea without their consent.
Poorly presented risk statistics could misinform health decisions
Choosing the appropriate way to present risk statistics is key to helping people make well-informed decisions. A new Cochrane Systematic Review found that health professionals and consumers may change their perceptions when the same risks and risk reductions are presented using alternative statistical formats.
New health insurance survey: 9 million adults joined ranks of uninsured due to job loss in 2010
An estimated nine million working-age adults—57 percent of people who had health insurance through a job that was lost—became uninsured in the last two years, according to the Commonwealth Fund 2010 Biennial Health Insurance Survey, released today. The survey paints a bleak picture for the 43 million adults under age 65 who reported that they or their spouse lost a job in the past two years, finding that job losses are often compounded by the loss of health insurance, leaving families vulnerable to catastrophic financial losses and bankruptcy in the event of a serious illness or accident.
Social class makes no difference to water contamination risk
Wealthy, well educated people who choose to drink bottled water rather than water from public supplies may be no less exposed to potentially cancer-causing water contaminants, according to new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health.
Tests on century-old equipment show how far X-rays have come
Researchers recently tested first-generation x-ray equipment from 1896 and found that it produced radiation doses and exposure times that were vastly higher than those of today's systems, according a study published online and in the May print edition of Radiology.
The Medical Minute: Family tree one factor in colorectal cancer risk
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In 2010, according to the American Cancer Society, there were more than 142,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States and over 51,000 people died from the disease. Overall, the lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is approximately one in 20, or 5 percent, of men and women in the general population.
Recommendations to the review of the legislation governing the use of human embryos in research
The Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC) has submitted its recommendations to the independent committee reviewing the Australian legislation governing the use of human embryos in research. The ASCC's submission makes a series of recommendations in support of the current regulatory framework and the ongoing requirement for Australian scientists to be able to apply for a licence to derive new human embryonic stem cells for use in research.
Research highlights new parameters for study of HIV
A research article co-authored by Brenna Anderson, MD, director of Reproductive Infectious Diseases Consultation in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, was included in the recently published special issue of the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology.
Youth with IBD are less fit than their peers: study
Children and adolescents growing up with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are less fit than their peers, says a study by researchers at McMaster University and the McMaster Children's Hospital.
Depression can worsen knee arthritis symptoms in older adults
Clinical depression can exacerbate the symptoms of knee arthritis beyond what is evident on X-rays, according to a new study from the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). Patients with mild to moderate knee arthritis are especially affected by depression, the study notes.
3 in 4 domestic violence victims go unidentified in emergency rooms, study shows
More than three quarters of domestic violence victims who report the incidents to police seek health care in emergency rooms, but most of them are never identified as being victims of abuse during their hospital visit. These findings, from a new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study, point to a missed opportunity to intervene and offer help to women who suffer violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
Clinical trial for dry mouth
A clinical trial using an all-natural lozenge to treat dry mouth, a condition that impacts 40 percent of American adults, is under way at Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental Medicine.
Current projections greatly underestimate impact of Haitian cholera epidemic: study
Current projections regarding the eventual size and extent of the cholera epidemic in Haiti may greatly underestimate the potential number of cases, according to a report that will appear in The Lancet and has been released online. A mathematical model based on current knowledge about the transmission and course of the diarrheal disease arrives at estimates of new cases through November 2011 that almost double those currently projected by the United Nations. The model also reflects the probable impact of public health measures designed to combat the epidemic.
New articles examine safety of airport security scanners
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun to use whole-body imaging scanners as a primary screening measure on travelers passing through airport security checkpoints. One type of scanner employs millimeter wave technology, which delivers no ionizing radiation. However, the second type of scanner currently deployed at airports uses backscatter X-rays that expose the individual being screened to very low levels of ionizing radiation. In the April issue of Radiology, two articles address the question of what potential long-term public health threats, if any, these backscatter X-ray systems pose.
Newer antimalarials more effective than quinine against severe malaria
Quinine should no longer be the drug of choice for treating severe malaria, according to an updated systematic review by Cochrane researchers. It is now evident that the antimalarial drug artesunate, which is derived from herbs used in Chinese medicine, is more effective at preventing death in patients with severe malaria.
Treatment breakthrough for rare disease linked to diabetes
University of Manchester scientists have led an international team to discover new treatments for a rare and potentially lethal childhood disease that is the clinical opposite of diabetes mellitus.
Prozac reorganizes brain plasticity
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) such as Prozac are regularly used to treat severe anxiety and depression. They work by immediately increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain and by causing long term changes in brain function. However it can take weeks of treatment before a patient feels any effect and both beneficial effects and side effects can persist after treatment is stopped. New research published by BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Brain investigates physiological changes within the brain that may be caused by SSRI treatment.
Study: Multi-tasking on the street not a good idea for older people
Older adults may put themselves at risk by talking on cell phones while crossing the street, researchers report in a new study. The researchers found that adults aged 59 to 81 took significantly longer than college students to cross a simulated street while talking on a mobile phone, and their heightened cautiousness in initiating crossing did nothing to improve their safety. Older adults on cell phones also were more likely to fail to cross in the time allotted for the task.
AIDS tests come to South Africa's schools
A tiny prick made a drop of blood on Nkosi Minenhle's finger, as the 15-year-old underwent an HIV test in a mobile clinic set up on her high school grounds.
Insight into parasite family planning could help target malaria
Fresh insight into the way the parasite that causes malaria reproduces could lead to new treatments to help curb the spread of the disease.
Children's psychiatric symptoms improve after depression remission in mother
Children of mothers with major depressive disorder showed improvement in their own psychiatric symptoms in the year after their mothers’ depression responded to treatment, according to a study appearing in the online edition of The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Seniors in public housing suffer worse health than others in community
Location really does matter to older adults’ health, according to a new study that found those living in public housing fare poorly and suffer more from fatigue and chronic, related conditions than those in other community dwellings.
Oral vaccine could prevent half of cholera cases, but less effective in kids
Oral vaccines could prevent up to 60 percent of cholera cases in the first two years after vaccination, according to a new review of vaccine studies.
Study finds pacifiers don't interfere with established breastfeeding
Although mothers often use pacifiers to comfort cranky babies, many experts fear that they can interfere with successful breastfeeding. However, a new review finds no association between the devices and early cessation of nursing.
Assumptions can steer physical behavior
(PhysOrg.com) -- Higher expectations can be the prescription for more physical activity.
College students often miss mark when reporting hearing
(PhysOrg.com) -- Some college students who think they have normal hearing may actually be overestimating their abilities. In a University of Florida study of college students who believed they had normal hearing, one-quarter did not have normal hearing sensitivity.
High blood pressure linked to steeper decline in walking speeds in seniors
Researchers have found a link between high blood pressure and a greater drop in average walking speeds in older adults, according to results from a new National Institutes of Health-funded study. The drop seems to occur even in study participants whose high blood pressure is successfully treated. Drastic changes in walking speed can impact a senior’s ability to remain independent and indicate possible health problems.
Scientist helps revisit 'Hallmarks of Cancer'
Renowned cancer researchers Robert Weinberg, a Founding Member of Whitehead Institute, and Douglas Hanahan, Director of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC) have updated their seminal review, "Hallmarks of Cancer," which has influenced the study of cancer and the development of therapeutics for more than a decade.
Less weight gain found among African-American women in dense urban areas
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Slone Epidemiology Center have found that African-American women who live in more densely populated urban areas gain less weight than those in more sprawling auto-oriented areas. The results, which appear in the current issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, were based on data collected in the Black Women's Health Study, an ongoing study of the health of 59,000 African American women conducted by the researchers since 1995.
New 'dissolvable tobacco' products may increase risk of mouth disease
The first study to analyze the complex ingredients in the new genre of dissolvable tobacco products has concluded that these pop-into-the-mouth replacements for cigarettes in places where smoking is banned have the potential to cause mouth diseases and other problems. The report appears in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
US life expectancy surpasses 78, a new record
(AP) -- U.S. life expectancy has hit another all-time high, rising above 78 years.
Managing anxiety on the run
The next time you’re nervously prepping for an exam or a crucial job interview, consider this: Taking a break to exercise may help you stay calm and focused as you complete your big task.
Bacterial wipes research study
If you have time to quickly swipe your pager or cell phone three times, that would be your best bet to get rid of most of the bacteria. And a simple tissue moistened with saline would do the trick. But if you only have time for a single swipe of a 'dirty' phone – you'd be better off reaching for a disinfectant wipe.
Rochester technology to enhance eyesight approved by FDA
A technology created by University of Rochester physicians and scientists that has helped boost the eyesight of patients to unprecedented levels is now more widely available, thanks to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Online messaging delivers follow-up care for depression
Online messaging can deliver organized follow-up care for depression effectively and efficiently, according to a randomized controlled trial of 208 Group Health patients that the Journal of General Internal Medicine e-published in advance of print.
Methodist neurosurgeon first in world to implant next generation device for deep brain stimulation therapy
A 65-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease became the first patient in the United States to receive a new device for deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy.
'Enormous' run on iodine pills in US: drug firm
The main US manufacturer of potassium iodide tablets has run out of stock after a massive demand generated by the Japanese nuclear crisis, the company's head said Wednesday.
New therapy found for rare lung disorder
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found that the FDA-approved drug sirolimus, used primarily to prevent rejection in organ transplant patients, stabilized lung function in women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).
Innovative technique gives vision researchers insight into how people recognize faces
It is no surprise to scientists that the largest social network on the web is called Facebook. Identifying people by their face is fundamental to our social interactions, one of the primary reasons vision researchers are trying to find out how our brain processes facial identity.
Hippocampus smaller in veterans not recovered from PTSD
(PhysOrg.com) -- The hippocampus, a brain area associated with memory and stress, was about six percent smaller on average in veterans with current chronic PTSD than in veterans who had recovered from PTSD, in a study conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.
Neuropsychologist proves that some blind people 'see' with their ears
Dr. Olivier Collignon of the University of Montreal's Saint-Justine Hospital Research Centre compared the brain activity of people who can see and people who were born blind, and discovered that the part of the brain that normally works with our eyes to process vision and space perception can actually rewire itself to process sound information instead.
Molecule that spurs cell's recycling center may help Alzheimer's patients
Cells, which employ a process called autophagy to clean up and reuse protein debris leftover from biological processes, were the original recyclers. A team of scientists from Paul Greengard's Rockefeller University laboratory have linked a molecule that stimulates autophagy with the reduction of one of Alzheimer's disease's major hallmarks, amyloid peptide. Their finding suggests a mechanism that could be used to eliminate built-up proteins in diseases such as Alzheimer's, Down syndrome, Huntingdon's and Parkinson's.
Tai chi beats back depression in the elderly, study shows
The numbers are, well, depressing: More than 2 million people age 65 and older suffer from depression, including 50 percent of those living in nursing homes. The suicide rate among white men over 85 is the highest in the country — six times the national rate.
Gene causing birth defects in mice discovered
Cornell researchers report that they have identified a gene that causes neural tube defects (NTDs) in laboratory mice. NTDs, also known as spina bifida and anencephaly, are one of the most common birth defects in the United States, occurring every 1 in 1,000 births.
Pig model of cystic fibrosis improves understanding of disease
It's been more than 20 years since scientists first discovered the gene that causes cystic fibrosis (CF), yet questions about how the mutated gene causes disease remain unanswered.
Does your name dictate your life choices?
What's in a name? Letters. And psychologists have posited that the letters -- particularly the first letter of our names -- can influence decisions, including whom we marry and where we move. The effect is called "implicit egotism."
Study finds omalizumab relieves seasonal asthma attacks in youth
A drug that targets the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), a key player in asthma, nearly eliminated seasonal increases in asthma attacks and decreased asthma symptoms among young people living in inner city environments, a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health has found.
Biology news
Wide variety in nutritional content found in 'senior' dog foods
The nutritional content of dog foods marketed for old dogs varies as widely as owner's perceptions about them, according to a study published this month by veterinary nutritionists at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
Tsunami killed thousands of seabirds at Midway
(AP) -- Thousands of seabirds were killed when the tsunami generated by last week's massive earthquake off Japan flooded Midway, a remote atoll northwest of the main Hawaiian islands, a federal wildlife official said Tuesday.
Plasticity of plants helps them adapt to climate change
The study, which has been published in Trends in Plant Science, provides an overview of plants' molecular and genetic mechanisms, which is important for ecologists, physiologists and molecular biologists, since it covers the prime requirements for anticipating plants' response to global change.
The unexpected action of bisphenol A on the inner ear of certain vertebrates
Bisphenol A, whose impact on reproduction and development is the subject of numerous studies, induces anomalies in the inner ear of embryos of certain vertebrates. This new, completely unsuspected effect has been demonstrated on zebrafish and Xenopus, a type of frog, by a French team headed by Vincent Laudet of the Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle in collaboration with researchers from Inserm, the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle and INRA. Published in the journal BMC Developmental Biology, these results illustrate, for the first time, the sensitivity of the inner ear in vertebrates to bisphenol A. The study demonstrates that the effects of this chemical compound on the embryonic development of animals, including mammals, now needs to be explored in greater depth.
Novel factor behind ES cells' neural default
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are highly regarded for their ability to give rise to the full range of cellular lineages found in the adult body, but left to their own devices ESCs tend to differentiate into neural lineages. Researchers from RIKEN have revealed how the nuclear protein Zfp521 is key to the default neural fate.
Stem cell researchers awarded $500K prize in NY
(AP) -- Three stem cell researchers have been awarded the annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research for their pioneering work in human stem cells.
Sperm whales have individual personalities
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent study published in Animal Behaviour by Dalhousie University biologists Hal Whitehead and Shane Gero, the concept that sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are individuals is being learned.
Researchers uncover new role for mitochondria during RNA processing
Michael Frohman, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and colleagues, have discovered a new role for mitochondria during ribonucleic acid (RNA) processing. This latest finding, reported in Developmental Cell, may hold clues to some causes of male infertility.
Rare Andean cat no longer exclusive to the Andes
Once thought to exclusively inhabit its namesake mountain range, the threatened Andean cat—a house cat-sized feline that resembles a small snow leopard in both appearance and habitat—also frequents the Patagonian steppe at much lower elevations, according to a new study published by the Wildlife Conservation Society and partners.
How female wisdom in old age helps elephants survive
(PhysOrg.com) -- The value of mature female experience may be something that human society needs to be reminded of from time to time but elephants, it seems, have good reason never to forget.
New study pinpoints why some microbial genes are more promiscuous than others
A new study of more than three dozen bacteria species — including the microbes responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, stomach ulcers and plague — settles a longstanding debate about why bacteria are more likely to steal some genes than others.
Dine or dash? Genes help decide when to look for new food
For worms, choosing when to search for a new dinner spot depends on many factors, both internal and external: how hungry they are, for example, how much oxygen is in the air, and how many other worms are around. A new study demonstrates this all-important decision is also influenced by the worm's genetic make-up.
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