Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for April 26, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Through a Sensor, Holographically- Tycho's supernova remnant: New evidence on origin of supernovas found
- Bacteria can grow under extreme gravity: study
- New 'nanobead' approach could revolutionize sensor technology
- Cold case: Siberian hot springs reveal ancient ecology
- Most powerful millimeter-scale energy harvester generates electricity from vibrations
- RAD-tagging technology is demystifying genome sequencing
- New drug target for kidney disease discovered
- Diamonds shine in quantum networks: Researchers hitch precious stone's impurities onto nano-resonators
- Sony unveils two Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets in iPad challenge
- In the wake of the wind
- Hair loss robot gains FDA approval
- Men's and women's immune systems respond differently to PTSD
- Embedding spy secrets in the hard drive fragments
- Climate change may not dramatically affect California's precipitation or runoff
Space & Earth news
Image: Inspecting Raffaello
In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-135 crew inspects the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module with the carrier's technician.
Novel ash analysis validates volcano no-fly zones
Planes were grounded all over Europe when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in Iceland last year. But no one knew if the no fly zone was really necessary. And the only way to find out would have been to fly a plane through the ash cloud - a potentially fatal experiment. Now a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Iceland have developed a protocol for rapidly providing air traffic authorities with the data they need for deciding whether or not to ground planes next time ash threatens airspace safety.
Singapore's first satellite in the pink of health
Scientists, researchers and students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have established contact with X-SAT, Singapore's first micro-satellite in space, and obtained a healthy communication link which ascertains that all its core systems are working normally.
Global forestry institutions call for more community-based forest management
The leading international organizations working to protect and manage the world's forests are calling for governments across the globe to increase communities' role in forest management. Doing so could contribute to lifting close to a billion people out of poverty, as well as improve the health and vitality of forests.
Myanmar's main city bans plastic bags: state media
Authorities in Yangon have banned plastic bags, state media said Tuesday, in an attempt to stop non-degradable waste polluting Myanmar's main city.
University of Oklahoma researchers working to advance predictability research initiatives
Faculty from the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology are leading the school's predictability research initiatives with multiple projects that could one day lead to more accurate forecasts of weather-related events, including landslides and tornadoes.
Study finds flame retardants at high levels in pet dogs
Indiana University scientists have found chemical flame retardants in the blood of pet dogs at concentrations five to 10 times higher than in humans, but lower than levels found in a previous study of cats.
Human terrarium, Biosphere 2, looking good at 20
(AP) -- Jane Poynter and seven compatriots agreed to spend two years sealed inside a 3-acre terrarium in the Sonoran Desert. Their mission back in the 1990s: To see whether humans might someday be able to create self-sustaining colonies in outer space.
Alert after BP oil refinery in US loses power
Residents of a US Gulf town have been told to stay indoors and turn off their air conditioners after power failures at a nearby BP refinery and Dow Chemical plant, officials have said.
Majority of European firms fail on carbon reporting: study
Less than half of Europe's top 300 firms are publishing full and verified carbon emission data, with French and Swiss companies ranking worst at greenhouse gas reporting, a study showed Tuesday.
Russia has concerns for SpaceX safety for docking to ISS
While a test of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft docking capabilities with the International Space Station is tentatively scheduled for December, 2011, Russia has said it will not allow a SpaceX vehicle to dock with the ISS unless its safety is fully tested. “We will not issue docking permission unless the necessary level of reliability and safety is proven,” said Alexei Krasov, head of the human spaceflight department of Roscosmos. “So far we have no proof that those spacecraft duly comply with the accepted norms of spaceflight safety.”
Giant black holes revealed in the nuclei of merging galaxies
Subaru Telescope research team led by Dr. Masatoshi Imanishi at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan sampled many infrared bright, merging galaxies and determined the presence of active supermassive black holes (SMBH) deeply buried in their centers.
See you on the International Space Station, said the spider to the fly
(PhysOrg.com) -- Thousands of K-12 students will be paying close attention when NASA's space shuttle Endeavour rumbles off the launch pad April 29 from Florida on its final flight, which will be toting a payload containing spiders, flies and seeds as part of a national educational effort spearheaded by the University of Colorado Boulder.
Astronauts arrive for next-to-last shuttle launch
(AP) -- The astronaut husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords arrived at NASA's launch site Tuesday for this week's flight of space shuttle Endeavour, and said his wife would be following him "pretty soon" - in plenty of time for liftoff.
Turning up the gas
Rapid increases in greenhouse gases have happened more frequently in the Earth’s history than previously realized, according to a Scripps Institution of Oceanography-led study published in the journal Nature.
Is winking near-Earth asteroid GP59 really the missing Apollo 13 panel?
Is the recently discovered “winking” asteroid – GP59 – really the missing panel from the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission? According to the latest internet buzz, it could be as possible as Mars being as large as the full Moon…
Countdown begins for next-to-last shuttle launch
(AP) -- The astronaut husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords arrived at NASA's launch site Tuesday for this week's flight of space shuttle Endeavour, and said his wife would be following him "pretty soon" - in plenty of time for liftoff.
Endeavour's last skipper thrives on speed, risk
(AP) -- Space shuttle Endeavour's commander, Mark Kelly, has spent his entire military career considering the options, weighing the risks, making a decision, then forging ahead.
GOES-13 satellite eyeing system with a high risk of severe storms
A low pressure area currently over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin has created conditions that call for a forecast of severe weather in the eastern third of the U.S. today and one area is even labeled "high risk." The GOES-13 Satellite captured a visible image of the system today as daytime heating was boiling up strong and severe thunderstorms.
Planets party in the morning April 28-May 1
Set your alarm clocks for an early treat about a half an hour before sunrise on Thursday April 28 through Sunday, May 1, 2011, as there will be a planetary delight in store! Go out and with either a pair of binoculars, a small telescope, or just use your naked eyes and find an unobscured view of the Eastern horizon to see a conjunction (objects near each other in the sky) of the planets Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury, below and to the left of the thin crescent moon.
SETI telescope array suspends operations due to financial constraints
(PhysOrg.com) -- SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence group that has been using radio telescopes since the 1960’s to "listen" for signals from deep space that could prove the existence of other life in the universe, has had to temporarily suspend operation of its Allen Telescope Array, (ATA) due to a lack of funding.
Study shows developed nation's reduction in CO2, outpaced by developing country emissions
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a group of researchers and scientists show that the gains that have been made in stabilizing CO2 emissions in developed or "rich" countries since the signing of the Kyoto agreement, have been neutralized by the increase in CO2 emissions from developing nations as they produce goods for trade, primarily to developed countries. Because of this disparity, many groups are calling for a change to the Kyoto agreement practice of only counting CO2 emissions that are produced in-country, rather than the CO2 footprint of those products that are consumed.
T-38s soar as spaceflight trainers
Years before the space shuttle would glide home to a safe touchdown on runways in California and Florida, astronauts pitched the noses of T-38 jet trainers toward the same runways to find out what it would look like to land a spacecraft in such a way.
Climate change may not dramatically affect California's precipitation or runoff
Precipitation and runoff in California's major river basin will not fall dramatically with climate change, according to a new federal study that shows rising temperatures will have an uneven effect on the West's water supplies.
Tycho's supernova remnant: New evidence on origin of supernovas found
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers may now know the cause of an historic supernova explosion that is an important type of object for investigating dark energy in the universe. The discovery, made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, also provides strong evidence that a star can survive the explosive impact generated when a companion star goes supernova.
Cold case: Siberian hot springs reveal ancient ecology
Exotic bacteria that do not rely on oxygen may have played an important role in determining the composition of Earth's early atmosphere, according to a theory that UChicago researcher Albert Colman is testing in the scalding hot springs of a volcanic crater in Siberia.
Technology news
Japan Livedoor tycoon Horie to be jailed
Japan's brash Livedoor Internet tycoon Takafumi Horie will be jailed after losing his final appeal against a conviction for accounting fraud, a judicial official said Tuesday.
Caesars CEO: Poker indictments present opportunity
(AP) -- Federal indictments targeting the three largest online poker companies present an opportunity for the United States to fully legalize and regulate the $6 billion industry, the chief executive of the world's largest casino company said Tuesday.
Facebook launches deals program, rivals Groupon
(AP) -- What happens when you cross the world's largest social network with one of the hottest business models in e-commerce? Facebook wants to find out.
Netflix 1Q earnings soar on gain of 3.6M customers
(AP) -- Netflix Inc. delivered another rousing performance in the first quarter, with its video subscription service attracting 3.6 million more customers to boost its U.S. audience to roughly the same size as the country's largest cable-TV carrier, Comcast Corp.
Facebook adds 'Send' button
Facebook on Monday began letting members of cozy cliques formed at the social networking service share website links or photo albums without all their friends knowing about it.
April 26, 1:23 am: the minute Chernobyl shook the world
It was the early hours of April 26, 1986 and operators at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet republic of Ukraine were to carry out an electrical power test at reactor number four.
World marks Chernobyl under shadow of Japan
The world on Tuesday marked a quarter century since the worst nuclear accident in history at Chernobyl in Ukraine, haunted by fears over the safety of atomic energy after the Japan earthquake.
Canon profit drops, cuts forecasts due to tsunami
(AP) -- Canon said its first quarter profit dropped slightly on costs from an acquisition and Tuesday warned that full year earnings would take a hit from disrupted production due to Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
IBM lifts dividend 15 pct, sets $8B stock buyback
(AP) -- International Business Machines Corp.'s board has approved an $8 billion stock buyback and a 15 percent boost in its quarterly dividend.
Nintendo says 3DS sales weaker than expected
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said Tuesday sales of its new 3DS handheld game player had been weaker than expected in the US and Europe, as well as in Japan where the quake hit consumer sentiment.
Toshiba develops 7.0-inch LTPS TFT LCD panel
Toshiba Mobile Display has developed a 7.0-inch low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) for vehicle-mounted and industrial uses that enables multi-touch input on the display screen without the need for additional installation of a touch panel as a demonstration of its new touch panel technology.
Amazon.com's profit tumbles more than expected
(AP) -- Amazon.com said Tuesday that its net income fell 33 percent in the latest quarter, a steeper drop than Wall Street expected as the online retailer battles stronger competition from Wal-Mart and other rivals.
Power-slurping signs
Every eight seconds, the message changed. Drivers whizzing by on I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia might have seen an ad for American Idol, which then flashed to ones for a Sixers game, a Target sale, 95.7 Ben-FM, and a Lenovo laptop - "so fast it's obscene!"
Google replants its garage roots in tech workshops
Amid all the free food and other goodies that come with a job at Google Inc., there's one benefit a lot of employees don't even know about: a cluster of high-tech workshops that have become a tinkerer's paradise.
In the wake of the wind
On the Front Range within the Rocky Mountains, prevailing winds sweep eastward over the mountains smack into the National Wind Technology Center.
Embedding spy secrets in the hard drive fragments
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new way to hide your secrets has been created, which is good news for both the spies and the generally duplicitous regular people of the world. This new system, instead of relying on traditional methods of hiding data such as encryption to scramble the text, hides information in an entirely different way. The newest thing in covert operations it to manipulate the location of data fragments. Essentially, the data is still being scrambled, but it is in an entirely different way.
Most powerful millimeter-scale energy harvester generates electricity from vibrations
(PhysOrg.com) -- Electrical engineers at the University of Michigan have built a device that can harness energy from vibrations and convert it to electricity with five to ten times greater efficiency and power than other devices in its class. And it's smaller than a penny.
Medicine & Health news
Racial differences in willingness to exhaust personal finances for life-sustaining care
Minority races -- especially Blacks -- are more willing than Whites to expend personal financial resources to prolong life after being diagnosed with lung or colorectal cancer, even if it means using up all of their personal financial resources. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Delivering quality cancer care that is in accordance with patients' wishes requires a better understanding of the reasons for these differences in preference.
Houston doctors say Giffords can attend launch
(AP) -- Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is set to reach an important milestone this week when she ventures from her Houston rehabilitation hospital for the first time to watch her astronaut husband rocket into space history.
Instruction for midwives lowers death rate for newborns in Zambia
(Medical Xpress) -- An inexpensive instructional program to teach routine newborn care skills to midwives in Zambia resulted in a substantial reduction in the death rate of infants in the first week of life, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Sickness certification challenges the physician
Difficulties in assessing the patients work capacity, non-medical problems, and handling situations in which the patients have different opinions about the need for sick leave are some of the challenges that physicians meet in their daily work, according to a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet.
Neonatal intensive care unit offers tips for parents
Imagine babies so tiny a wedding ring can fit around their arms. Often weighing less than a pound, these remarkably small and sick infants hold onto life hooked up to a maze of tubes and beeping monitors. Although no parent ever prepares for the high-tech environment of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the reality is more than 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the United States. This number continues to rise due in part to older women having babies and the increase in multiple births. To prepare parents, UC San Diego Health System provides one-of-a-kind programs to help relieve stress and anxiety during this vulnerable time.
Study examines folic acid absorption rates from softgel capsule and standard tablet
Folic acid, an essential vitamin formulated to be part of a multivitamin + DHA liquid softgel capsule, is absorbed and available within the body in amounts similar to folic acid formulated for solid tablets, according to a study presented in a late breaking session at the Experimental Biology (EB) 2011 annual meeting. Different formulations, fillers and coatings of vitamin products may affect the degree or rate at which the product dissolves and releases its contents, which can alter the vitamin's absorption into the body and its bioavailability, a calculation of how much of a given dose of a compound reaches the blood stream to circulate within the body and have a potential effect.
RxPONDER trial will evaluate whether gene expression test can drive chemotherapy choice
Cancer researchers at hundreds of sites nationwide are about to launch a SWOG-led clinical trial that could keep thousands of breast cancer patients from getting chemotherapy that is unlikely to do them any good.
Innovative program sheds light on benefits of early palliative care
When faced with a long-term illness, patients often retreat or are left feeling hopeless, a response that can negatively impact one's prognosis and impair their quality of life. When coping measures are offered however, the opposite can hold true. Patients can learn to accept their illness, take control of the situation and plan for the future. The Northwestern Asthma-COPD Program is pioneering a new approach to the treatment of patients suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that combines traditional care and palliative medicine. The forward-thinking approach is part of an emerging trend in medicine to bring palliative care into the equation earlier in order to improve disease management and enhance patient care.
RN staffing affects patient success after discharge
Higher non-overtime staffing levels of registered nurses lower the probability of patient readmissions to the hospital, a new study finds. However, higher levels of RN overtime increase the likelihood of unplanned visits to emergency departments after discharge.
FDA says Vertex hepatitis drug is highly effective
(AP) -- Federal health officials say a highly anticipated hepatitis C drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals successfully treats a clear majority of patients in less time than older medicines that have been used for 20 years.
Psychologist studies ability to follow moving objects
For drivers on a busy highway or workers in an airport control tower, paying attention to a number of moving objects can be a matter of life or death, but researchers know that most people can keep track of only four such items at the same time.
Canada faces obesity epidemic, legislative changes are vital
With the increase in numbers of overweight children and young adults, Canada and other developed countries are facing an obesity epidemic and legislative approaches are required to address this issue, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Canadians should demand commitments for pharmacare program, says CMAJ
Canada needs a national pharmacare program and federal leaders must commit adequate funding, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Health-care alliance for tobacco dependence treatment launches training in the Middle East
Global Bridges, a healthcare alliance for tobacco dependence treatment based at Mayo Clinic, and its regional partner, King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Amman, Jordan, announced today that they will start training health care providers in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) on how to successfully treat tobacco users.
Medication nonadherence patterns among children with epilepsy associated with socioeconomic status
An examination of medication adherence among children with newly diagnosed epilepsy found that nearly 60 percent showed persistent nonadherence during the first 6 months of therapy, and that lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher non-adherence, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.
New study sheds light on evolution of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus in Japan
Analysis of mutations of the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC) has revealed major genetic differences between the virus in its early phase of infection in Japan and in its peak phase. While yielding valuable clues on the genetic origins of drug resistance, the findings also pave the way toward the development of new diagnostic kits for detecting and preventing the spread of global pandemic diseases.
Study pinpoints best treatment for fast-growing gestational tumors
A clinical trial has sifted out the most effective single-drug chemotherapy regimen for quick-growing but highly curable cancers that arise from the placentas of pregnant women.
Antibiotic may prove beneficial to preterm infant lung health
A study performed by University of Kentucky researchers shows promise for the use of azithromycin in treating Ureaplasma-colonized or infected premature infants to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Heart surgeons find their way in Senegal
When Mouhamadou Ndiaye began talking about open-heart surgery in Senegal in 1990, authorities told him it wasn't a priority.
Silent infections may play role in preterm birth
(Medical Xpress) -- Every day, 1,500 babies in the United States are born too early, according to the March of Dimes. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health problems and are at risk of lifelong disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, blindness and hearing loss.
CT scans of Egyptian mummy help Vt. solve crimes
A childhood fascination with archaeology and a chance encounter with a 2,700-year-old Egyptian mummy are helping Vermont doctors and law enforcement officials find truth in some of the most challenging of modern-day crimes: the unexplained deaths of young children.
Cholesterol drugs may improve blood flow after stroke
(Medical Xpress) -- Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins may help clot-busting drugs treat strokes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Topical treatment may prevent melanoma
While incidents of melanoma continue to increase despite the use of sunscreen and skin screenings, a topical compound called ISC-4 may prevent melanoma lesion formation, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
Protein inhibitor may bring a topical treatment for HPV
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer, the second most common cause of cancer death for women, and is a common cause of anogenital and some head and neck cancers. Thanks to research being done at Tufts University School of Medicine, patients infected with cancer-causing HPV may someday have an alternative to surgical and harsh chemical treatments. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published online in advance of print in The FASEB Journal, the researchers report on the development of a protein-based inhibitor that could provide a topical treatment for HPV.
Potential diagnostic test for Alzheimer's would use cerebrospinal fluid
Researchers at the University of Kentucky are working on a potential diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease, based on biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid.
Brain imaging demonstrates that former smokers have greater willpower
A study, completed by researchers from Trinity College and the Research Institute for a Tobacco Free Society, Dublin, Ireland, compares former smokers to current smokers, and obtains insight into how to quit smoking might be discovered by studying the brains of those who have successfully managed to do so.
Unique AED pads give hearts a second chance
An invention by Rice University bioengineering students in collaboration with the Texas Heart Institute (THI) is geared toward giving immediate second chances to arrhythmia victims headed toward cardiac arrest.
Boston hospital performs 2nd full-face transplant
(AP) -- Doctors at a Boston hospital have performed the nation's second full-face transplant, less than a month after the first.
Vitamin D may help explain racial differences in blood pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is more common and often more deadly in blacks than in whites, and a new University of Rochester study shows that low vitamin D levels among black people might be a powerful factor that contributes to the racial differences in hypertension.
When doctors own or lease MRI, back scans and surgery more likely
When doctors own or lease MRI equipment, their patients are more likely to receive scans for low back pain. Patients of orthopedists are more apt to undergo back surgery as well, according to a study published online in Health Services Research.
It's all about control
Having power over others and having choices in your own life share a critical foundation: control, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The paper finds that people are willing to trade one source of control for the other. For example, if people lack power, they clamor for choice, and if they have an abundance of choice they don't strive as much for power.
Radiation from Japan not damaging nation's food supply
Radiation spewing from Japan's severely damaged nuclear facilities following the recent earthquake and tsunami is not endangering the United States' food supply, according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural sciences.
Mouth as the gateway to your body
After cleaning your mouth, plaque begins forming before your brush even hits the cup.
Fitness and frailty in adults linked to health outcomes
The prevalence of frailty, which is linked to earlier death, increases throughout adulthood as people age and not just after age 65, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Relatively good fitness levels at all ages were predictive of lower mortality and less reliance on health care services.
Evidence of medical complicity in torture at Guantanamo Bay
Inspection of medical records, case files, and legal affidavits provides compelling evidence that medical personnel who treated detainees at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) failed to inquire and/or document causes of physical injuries and psychological symptoms they observed in the detainees, according to a paper published this week in PLoS Medicine. Vincent Iacopino, Senior Medical Advisor for Physician for Human Rights, and Brigadier General (Ret) Stephen Xenakis, U.S. Army, reviewed GTMO medical records and relevant case files of nine individuals, looking for evidence of torture and ill treatment and its documentation by medical personnel.
What does my child's sneeze mean?
(Medical Xpress) -- Though much of the beauty of spring is its vivid colors, rosy-red eyes and noses aren’t usually considered a welcome part of the landscape. Runny noses, sneezing and coughing often trumpet spring’s return, but many parents wonder does my child have a cold or is it allergies?
Vitamin E or metformin may not be effective for treating liver disease in children and teens
In contrast to previous preliminary data, use of vitamin E or the diabetes drug metformin was not superior to placebo on a measured outcome for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children and adolescents, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.
Will minorities be left out of health care law provision?
Hospitals and physician practices that form care-coordinating networks called "Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)," under provisions of the new health-care law could reap cost-savings and other benefits. However, experts at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania warn that such networks could potentially be designed to exclude minorities and widen disparities in health care.
Transferring doctors to heart attack patients improves outcomes
In a large, traffic-congested city in China, severe heart attack patients received treatment faster and had better long-term results when interventional physicians were taken to them, according to a study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Low health literacy associated with higher rate of death among heart failure patients
An examination of health literacy (such as understanding basic health information) among managed care patients with heart failure, a condition that requires self-management, found that nearly one in five have low health literacy, which was associated with a higher all-cause risk of death, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.
Increase in evidence-based treatments followed by decreased risk of death in heart attack patients
In an analysis of data from a coronary care registry in Sweden, between 1996-2007 there was an increase in the prevalence of use of evidence-based invasive procedures and pharmacological therapies for treatment of a certain type of heart attack, and a decrease in the rate of death at 30 days and one year after a heart attack for these patients, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.
Activation of biomarker linked with improved survival among obese patients with colorectal cancer
Among obese patients, activation of the protein biomarker CTNNB1 was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival and overall survival, whereas post-diagnosis physical activity was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival among patients negative for CTNNB1, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.
What are IQ tests really measuring?
(Medical Xpress) -- When the average person thinks of an IQ test, they think of a measurement of intelligence. A test designed to find those of high intelligence who will go on to succeed in academics and employment. While the question has long been debated by researchers as to what exactly the IQ test measures, a new study shows that intelligence may not be the main focus, but a person’s motivation as well.
Motor protein may offer promise in ovarian cancer treatment
(Medical Xpress) -- A motor regulatory protein can block human ovarian tumor growth, leading to eventual cancer cell death and possible new therapies to treat the disease, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
Penn scientists develop a new way to re-grow cartilage
Every day the world over, runners hit the streets, pounding the pavement. Their knees are taking a pounding, too.
Researchers identify key players in cancer cells' survival kit
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have discovered new details of how cancer cells escape from tumor suppression mechanisms that normally prevent these damaged cells from multiplying. They also demonstrated a potential link between this cell proliferation control mechanism and the cognitive deficits caused by Down syndrome.
New drug target for kidney disease discovered
Two discoveries at UC Santa Barbara point to potential new drug therapies for patients with kidney disease. The findings are published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Hair loss robot gains FDA approval
(Medical Xpress) -- Restoration Robotics Inc., a privately-held medical device company which is based in California, has received FDA approval for their ARTAS System. The ARTAS System, which is designed to harvest the hair follicles from the scalp of men who have been diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia, a condition that is more commonly known as male pattern hair loss, in men who also have black or brown straight hair, has received its 510K clearance from the Food & Drug Administration.
Men's and women's immune systems respond differently to PTSD
Men and women had starkly different immune system responses to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, with men showing no response and women showing a strong response, in two studies by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.
Researchers make strides in understanding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Brandeis researchers have made a significant advance in the effort to understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by successfully reversing the toxicity of the mutated protein in the familial type of the disease.
Biology news
Biofuels without competing claims in Mozambique
It might not seem the most obvious option to generate energy using biomass in Mozambique, where agriculture barely manages to feed the population. But Wageningen UR researchers concluded the contrary: Small bioreactors can deliver energy as well as more food.
Locating patterns in human proteins
A national research team, led by University of Connecticut engineering professor Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, is developing a new generation of exact algorithms that will help biologists locate patterns in human proteins and DNA. The work could eventually lead to new medicines to help fight disease.
Chernobyl's radioactivity reduced the populations of birds of orange plumage
On April 26, 1986, history's greatest nuclear accident took place northwest of the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl. Despite the scale of the disaster, 25 years later, we still do not know its real effects. An international team of investigators has shown for the first time that the colour of birds' plumage may make them more vulnerable to radioactivity.
Developing biocontrols to contain a voracious pest
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are playing a key role in efforts to contain the emerald ash borer's destructive march through the nation's forests.
Scientific communication key to survival of charismatic ocean mammals
(PhysOrg.com) -- The way that California seals are regarded by the public, and environmental law in Mexico, could change based on studies by scientists like Arizona State University’s Leah Gerber and Utah State University’s Susannah French. But there's a hitch: Most people, the public and the decision-makers who could rewrite protections, aren't going to read it.
Prey-tell: Why right whales linger in the Gulf of Maine
As they might with most endangered animals, scientists consider the whereabouts and activities of right whales extremely important. "It is helpful to know where they go, why they go there and what they do when they're there," says Mark F. Baumgartner of the biology department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
Wetter is better: New microscopy methods improve accuracy of microbial biofilm imaging
(PhysOrg.com) -- At a former uranium mill-tailing site in Rifle, Colorado, scientists are studying how microbes interact with minerals and metals to better understand processes that can help remediate the site. Electron microscopy, or EM, provides the resolution needed to study microbial transformation of metals, but there's a catch.
RAD-tagging technology is demystifying genome sequencing
Take millions of puzzle pieces containing partial words and put them back together into full words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters until the book these random parts came from is rebuilt.
Bacteria can grow under extreme gravity: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that bacteria is capable of growing under gravity more than 400,000 times that of Earth and gives evidence that the theory of panspermia could be possible.
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