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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for June 20, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Lasers could produce much sought-after band gaps in graphene- Quantum eavesdropper steals quantum keys
- Genius of Einstein, Fourier key to new humanlike computer vision
- Boosting research into new drugs: 'Smart materials' make proteins form crystals
- Nanoparticles disguised as red blood cells deliver cancer-fighting drugs
- Why context matters in the long and short of words: Researchers improve 75-year-old language theory
- Bacteria develop restraint for survival in a rock-paper-scissors community
- Picower: 1 skull + 2 brains = 4 objects in mind
- Scientists find simple way to produce graphene
- Early evidence of HPV vaccine impact
- 'My dishwasher is trying to kill me': New research finds harmful fungal pathogens living in dishwasher seals
- Coevolution not healthy for the female sea monkey
- Need a nap? Find yourself a hammock
- Device could improve harvest of stem cells from umbilical cord blood
- Fastest sea-level rise in two millennia linked to increasing temperatures
Space & Earth news
Africa's tree belt takes root in Senegal
An ambitious plan to build a vast forest belt straight across Africa to contain desertification has taken root in Senegal, greening huge tracts of land with drought-tolerant tree species.
Space Image: Flight test
In this image from November 2010, the U.S. Air Force's ACAT F-16D flew through Sierra Nevada canyons and past peaks during ground collision avoidance test flights.
Discovering Chile's hidden water treasures -- rock glaciers
A joint research project of the University of Waterloo in Canada and the Universidad Mayor in Chile has been investigating ways to accurately identify rock glaciers.
New website to monitor greenhouse gases
An Australian research institute on Monday launched a website that allows the public to monitor greenhouse gas emissions in the southern hemisphere.
Digging for past clues on climate change
Scientists are hoping samples of soil formed up to 20,000 years ago that they dug from the Meadowlands will provide clues to dramatic shifts in climate, geology and plant life that may have hit the region in the past.
Kepler update to focus on flight segment performances
(PhysOrg.com) -- At the May 23 press event, held at the 218th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Boston, the Kepler team provided a progress report on the mission. How is Kepler performing while trailing Earth around the sun?
ATV preparing for fiery destruction
ATV Johannes Kepler has been an important part of the International Space Station since February. Next week, it will complete its mission by undocking and burning up harmlessly in the atmosphere high over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean.
Causes of melting tropical glaciers identified
The causes of melting of tropical glaciers over the past 10 000 years have at last been unveiled by a team of French researchers from CNRS, CEA, IRD and Universite Joseph Fourrier, together with a US researcher from the University at Albany (State University of New York). They have shown that the retreat of the Telata glacier in Bolivia over that period is mainly linked to a 3 C rise in air temperature and to the warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean in response to an increase in insolation. Their work was published on 09 June 2011 on the website of the journal Nature.
Exomoons could be excellent incubators
With the arrival of the Cassini–Huygens mission in 2004 to Saturn’s satellite Titan, we terrestrials became acutely aware that similar moons could be orbiting similarly large planets in other solar systems besides our own. These extrasolar moons, or exomoons, might be a little bit difficult to distinguish with our current equipment, but our technological grasp has greatly improved in recent years. Now current studies suggest that not only can these naturally occurring satellites exist – but they also might be habitable.
Astronomy without a telescope -- star seeds
Molecular clouds are called so because they have sufficient density to support the formation of molecules, most commonly H2 molecules. Their density also makes them ideal sites for new star formation – and if star formation is prevalent in a molecular cloud, we tend to give it the less formal title of stellar nursery.
Water lilies cause massive Philippines flooding
More than half a million people in the southern Philippines have been affected by flooding after water lilies clogged the country's second longest river, officials said Monday.
ESA chief hits at 'anarchy' over space station planning
Europe's space chief on Monday said the International Space Station faced lean times as a result of the US shuttle phase-out and said project planning for transport to the ISS had been "anarchy".
Chile court blocks Patagonia dam project
A Chilean court on Monday ordered the suspension of a project to build a complex of giant hydroelectric dams in the Patagonian wilderness, bowing to appeals by lawmakers and environmental groups.
Thunderstorms in Beatriz show strengthening toward hurricane status
Tropical Storm Beatriz developed from a low pressure area that NASA was watching last week. Beatriz is now expected to reach hurricane force and hit western coastal Mexico today and tomorrow. NASA satellite imagery today revealed powerful thunderstorms bubbling within, indicating further strengthening is occurring.
Panel: Problems with oceans multiplying, worsening
(AP) -- The health of the world's oceans is declining much faster than originally thought - under siege from pollution, overfishing and other man-made problems all at once - scientists say in a new report.
Most elliptical galaxies are 'like spirals'
(PhysOrg.com) -- The majority of 'elliptical' galaxies are not spherical but disc-shaped, resembling spiral galaxies such as our own Milky Way with the gas and dust removed, new observations suggest.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup unlikely to spark abrupt climate change
There have been instances in Earth history when average temperatures have changed rapidly, as much as 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) over a few decades, and some have speculated the same could happen again as the atmosphere becomes overloaded with carbon dioxide.
Did climate change cause Greenland's ancient Viking community to collapse?
Our changing climate usually appears to be a very modern problem, yet new research from Greenland published in Boreas, suggests that the AD 1350 collapse of a centuries old colony established by Viking settlers may have been caused by declining temperatures and a rise in sea-ice. The authors suggest the collapse of the Greenland Norse presents a historical example of a society which failed to adapt to climate change.
Recycling water in space
During the last space shuttle flight, astronauts will test a new method for recycling 'used' water. Water is essential for life, and having access to water beyond Earth will be a major obstacle for future space explorers.
Rocky, low-mass planet discovered by microlensing
In planet hunting today, there seems to be one burning question that nearly every new article published touches on: Where did these planets come from?
Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction
Pollution and global warming are pushing the world's oceans to the brink of a mass extinction of marine life unseen for tens of millions of years, a consortium of scientists warned Monday.
Salt marsh sediments help gauge climate-change-induced sea level rise
A newly constructed, 2,000-year history of sea level elevations will help scientists refine the models used to predict climate-change-induced sea level rise, according to an international team of climate researchers. The record also shows that the past century had the fastest recorded rate of sea level rise.
Fastest sea-level rise in two millennia linked to increasing temperatures
An international research team including University of Pennsylvania scientists has shown that the rate of sea-level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years and that there is a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level.
Technology news
In search of a safer, more profitable and more efficient railway system
In spite of the fact that the railway industry has two centuries of experience behind it, in order to continue improving the research being done on the safety, profitability and efficiency of railroads, it will be necessary to develop and strengthen the relationship between universities and companies in the sector. This is one of the main conclusions that have come out of an international forum on the subject that was recently held at Carlos III University of Madrid.
Paris Air Show spotlights fuel cost fears
(AP) -- Airlines will be seeking a cleaner, cheaper way to fly and planemakers will be angling for billions in new contracts Monday at the Paris Air Show, which stars a solar plane, biofuel jet engines and the Boeing-Airbus rivalry.
OECD chief says nuclear energy still important
Nuclear power is still a viable source of global energy despite the crisis in Japan, the OECD chief said Monday.
Nokia headlines Asia telecoms expo in Singapore
One of Asia's biggest telecommunications fairs opens in Singapore on Tuesday with tablets and smartphones taking centre stage and Nokia making a fresh bid to attract a new generation of consumers.
Japan's brash Livedoor tycoon heads to jail
Sporting a mohican haircut and a protest T-shirt, Japan's maverick Internet tycoon Takafumi Horie on Monday started a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for accounting fraud.
Softbank eyes top ten ranking in 30 years
The head of Japan's Softbank Corp said Monday that he was aiming to make the information technology giant one of the world's top ten companies by market capitalisation within 30 years.
Paranoid Android? Get connected to a new study...
More than 1,000 people around the world have signed up to take part in the biggest ever public study of Android phone usage.
Augmented reality in an iPhone app
Imagine you’re in a museum, and you can point your iPhone camera to a painting or an object in an exhibit and instantly get additional information about what you’re looking at. This is what PixLive, an iPhone app developed by the start-up company Vidinoti, lets you do – enrich an image with text, video, and other multimedia content.
Europe looks into helicopter commuting
A European research program is studying the feasibility of a new kind of individual transport that avoids traffic jams by taking to the skies. Two laboratories at EPFL participate in this project.
Samsung to build mobile base stations for Japan
South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Monday it has been chosen to provide next-generation communications equipment to KDDI, Japan's number two mobile phone operator.
Hackers claim attack on FBI partner in Conn.
(AP) -- Internet hackers say they have compromised the security of more than 1,000 accounts at a Connecticut-based FBI partner organization.
Facebook to pass Yahoo! in display ad revenue
Facebook is on track to pass Yahoo! in US display advertising revenue this year while Google will also gain market share, according to a forecast published on Monday by digital marketing firm eMarketer.
NY Post blocks website access for iPad users
The New York Post has blocked access to its website from the iPad's Safari Web browser in a bid to drive users of Apple's tablet computer to the newspaper's paid application.
Coming soon to the Internet: The .whatever address
A quarter-century after the creation of ".com," the agency that assigns Internet addresses is loosening its rules and allowing suffixes named after brands, hobbies, political causes and just about anything else.
Asian tech fair spotlights tablets, smartphones
Tablet computers and smartphones take centre stage at a major Asian telecoms fair that opens Tuesday, with struggling phone maker Nokia making a new push to reverse its eroding fortunes.
Internet minders OK vast expansion of domain names
Internet minders voted Monday to allow virtually unlimited new domain names based on themes as varied as company brands, entertainment and political causes, in the system's biggest shake-up since it started 26 years ago.
Japan gadget charges cellphone over campfire
A Japanese company has come up with a new way to charge your mobile phone after a natural disaster or in the great outdoors -- by heating a pot of water over a campfire.
Airbus racks up orders, glitches at Paris Air Show
(AP) -- Airbus stumbled at the launch of the aviation industry's premier event Monday as its star superjumbo clipped a wing and a gearbox glitch derailed a demonstration flight.
British Library, Google in deal to digitize books
A treatise on a stuffed hippopotamus, an 18th-century English primer for Danish sailors and a description of the first engine-driven submarine are among 250,000 books to be made available online in a deal between Google and the British Library.
Researchers create a smaller, flexible LED
University of Miami professor at the College of Engineering, Jizhou Song, has helped design an light-emitting diode (LED) light that uses an array of LEDs 100 times smaller than conventional LEDs. The new device has flexibility, maintains lower temperature and has an increased life-span over existing LEDs. The findings are published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Wireless network outlines plans to protect GPS
LightSquared, a Virginia-based company that plans to build a nationwide wireless broadband network, is proposing to adapt its network so as not to interfere with GPS systems.
Genius of Einstein, Fourier key to new humanlike computer vision
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two new techniques for computer-vision technology mimic how humans perceive three-dimensional shapes by instantly recognizing objects no matter how they are twisted or bent, an advance that could help machines see more like people.
Medicine & Health news
Heart disease beats breast cancer as the biggest killer
Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of all cancer cases reported in women. However advances in the treatment for breast cancer, and early detection, have improved the chances of survival from the disease. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research has found that two thirds of women with breast cancer died from other causes and that over the length of the study cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death.
No injury spike in Bantam bodychecking
A new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology researcher Dr. Carolyn Emery and colleagues has shown that when bodychecking is introduced into Bantam ice hockey there is no difference between overall injury rates or concussion, regardless of whether players have prior bodychecking experience in Pee Wee.
Paternal exposures can adversely affect sperm
Acording to the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, more studies are needed to evaluate men and the potential effect of illnesses, medications and lifestyle habits on fertility and pregnancy. For couples suffering fertility problems, the issue is linked to the potential father approximately 50 percent of the time. In close to a quarter of these cases, a specific cause is unknown.
World's first trial of new anorexia treatment
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from the University of Western Sydney are trialling a new method of treatment for anorexia nervosa, which addresses the role of extreme exercise in perpetuating the dangerous and debilitating cycle of the disorder.
New device could revolutionize major knee surgery
(Medical Xpress) -- Damage to the cruciate knee ligaments has cut short the careers of many sports stars but treatment for the injury could be revolutionised by a new device which has just secured a top innovation award.
Exposing the potential of sugar chains for the diagnosis and treatment of disease
Protruding from the surface of cells in the body like whiskers are sugar chains, a biological structure often bound to lipids and proteins embedded in the cell membrane. Recent studies have shown that sugar chains exhibit a broad range of functions, including signal transduction between cells and across the cell membrane, as well as functional regulation of immunity and hormones. “From among the diverse functions of sugar chains, we focus on their association with disease,” says Naoyuki Taniguchi, group director of the Systems Glycobiology Research Group at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute and a world-renowned researcher in sugar chains. “The ultimate goal of our research is to clarify the mechanisms of the onset of disease in terms of sugar chains, and to diagnose and treat disease using those mechanisms.” Taniguchi’s research is probing the frontiers of sugar chain science for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Adulterated cocaine causing serious skin reactions
Doctors warned of a potential public health epidemic in a recent report on patients in Los Angeles and New York who developed serious skin reactions after smoking or snorting cocaine believed to be contaminated with a veterinary medication drug dealers are using to dilute, or "cut," up to 70% of the cocaine in the U.S.
UC research provides prescription for healthier hospital supply chains
University of Cincinnati analysis of hospital supply chains – how hospitals stock nursing stations with the hundreds of medicines, materials and even office supplies needed – holds promise in helping to make supply and re-supply efforts leaner and more cost effective.
Black heart attack patients wait longer for advanced treatment, study shows
Black patients having a heart attack wait longer at hospitals than white patients to get advanced procedures that will restore blood flow to their hearts, according to a University of Michigan Health System study.
GPs missing early dementia -- new study
New research from the University of Leicester demonstrates that general practitioners (GPs) are struggling to correctly identify people in the early stages of dementia resulting in both missed cases (false negatives) and misidentifications (false positives).
FDA plan aims to increase import safety
(AP) -- U.S. food and drug regulators would share more information with their foreign counterparts as part of a multifaceted strategy to police the safety of millions of imported goods.
Inducing labor is not associated with higher rates of cesarean sections
A new study published in the international Nordic journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) reveals that inducing labor in the weeks around term, or from week 39 to week 41, is not connected with higher rates of cesarean section compared with waiting for a later spontaneous or induced labor. There has been much debate about this in recent years with a concern that induction as opposed to expectant management might lead to a higher risk for the woman to end up with emergency cesarean section, rather than to deliver normally.
Reducing lifelong disability from sports injuries in children
To protect children from lifelong injuries in sports, we need a public health approach similar to that mounted against smoking and drunk driving, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Next stop: Using buses to promote HIV-testing awareness
A University of Pennsylvania study will determine if public transit can convey more than people going from point A to point B. Video displays on public buses in Los Angeles will be used to help determine the efficacy of an innovative soap opera-like video program designed to increase HIV testing among low-income African Americans 14 to 24 years of age.
Shorter pause in CPR before defibrillator use improves cardiac arrest survival
A shorter pause in CPR just before a defibrillator delivered an electric shock to a cardiac arrest victim's heart significantly increased survival, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Exercise training program improves outcomes in 'Grinch Syndrome' patients
An exercise training program worked better than a commonly used beta blocker, significantly improving — even curing — patients with a debilitating heart syndrome, according to research published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.
In colorectal surgery, risk for blood clots appears higher with open method versus laparoscopy
The risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be nearly twice as high for patients undergoing open surgery for colorectal problems, versus those undergoing laparoscopic colorectal (LC) resections, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Surgery.
In general, hospitals deliver appropriate surgical care to cancer patients with Medicare
Most hospitals follow established practice guidelines for surgery involving Medicare beneficiaries with cancer, but in some cases their practice patterns diverge from the guidelines, according to a report published Online First today by Archives of Surgery.
Analysis of studies evaluates tonsillectomy techniques
A review of tonsillectomy-technique studies found that some new methods have advantages over traditional methods, but others are equivalent, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.
Study compares two types of botulinum toxin for cosmetic use
Not all varieties of botulinum toxin seem to be equally effective in reducing crow's feet wrinkles, according to a report published Online First today by Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Anti-HIV gel being evaluated in pregnant and breastfeeding women
Determining whether a promising HIV prevention gel is safe for women to use while they are pregnant or breastfeeding is the aim of a new clinical trial being conducted by the National Institutes of Health-funded Microbicide Trials Network (MTN). Researchers are hopeful that the study -- the first clinical trial of the vaginal microbicide tenofovir gel in breastfeeding women and only the second in pregnant women -- will bring them a step closer to developing a safe and effective HIV prevention product women can use throughout their lives.
News source may steer perceived solution to childhood obesity
Where you get your news could play a significant role in determining what you perceive as the best strategy for addressing childhood obesity. According to a study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, whether you believe the keys to combating childhood obesity are personal factors such as individual behavior changes or system-level factors such as marketing and the environment may depend on your primary news source. Researchers examined the news media's framing of childhood obesity and found that television news was more likely than other news sources to focus on individual behavior change as a solution, while newspapers were more likely to identify system-level solutions. The results are featured in the June 20, 2011, issue of Pediatrics.
Is coming out always a good thing?
Coming out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual increases emotional well-being even more than earlier research has indicated. But the psychological benefits of revealing one's sexual identity -- less anger, less depression, and higher self-esteem – are limited to supportive settings, shows a study published June 20 in Social Psychology and Personality Science.
New study uncovers the dangers of portable pools
As the weather gets warmer, many parents will turn to pools to keep their family cool. Due to their low cost and ease of use, portable pools - which include wading pools, inflatable pools and soft-sided, self-rising pools - have become an increasingly popular alternative to expensive in-ground pools or water park visits. While portable pools can be a great way for children to cool off during hot summer days, a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital has found that these pools may be more dangerous than many parents realize.
Sexually transmitted co-infections increase HIV risk: study
(Medical Xpress) -- Bacterial and viral sexually transmitted infections can exacerbate HIV replication in co- infected individuals, a team of Canadian researchers led by Charu Kaushic, associate professor of pathology and molecular medicine, has found.
Unexpected function of dyslexia gene
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that a gene linked to dyslexia has a surprising biological function: it controls cilia, the antenna-like projections that cells use to communicate.
Latest cancer research unveiled
Two leading experts from the Division of Cancer Studies at King’s presented their latest research into cancer survival this week at the National Cancer Intelligence Network conference in London.
Teens maintain their religion
High school is a turbulent time for adolescents. Every parent knows these are the years when teens begin to spread their wings, develop their own self-awareness and confirm their identification with specific social groups and cultures. In short, they find their niche. But a new finding out of UCLA shows there is one aspect of their lives that basically stays the course — religion.
Researchers pave the way for new treatment for heart failure
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at the University of Glasgow, working with international colleagues, have discovered a new method of potentially reversing the effects of congestive heart failure.
Deadly E. coli outbreak in Germany should be a warning, expert says
(Medical Xpress) -- There are important lessons to be learned in the United States from the recent eruption of foodborne illness in Germany -- which has turned out to be the deadliest E. coli outbreak ever -- according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Regular checkups help ensure good health for men
(Medical Xpress) -- Men, listen up: This is for you. What will it take to get you interested in your health? If you reply, “but I am interested,” then you probably are already getting a regular checkup. But the rest of you should pay attention. There are lots of people who need you to be healthy: your wife or life partner, your children, your friends, perhaps even your employer.
10% of middle-aged Europeans are on antidepressants, research shows
New research from the University of Warwick and the IZA Institute in Bonn shows that 10% of middle-aged Europeans took antidepressants in 2010. The researchers looked in detail at the lives of a randomly selected sample of nearly 30,000 Europeans. The study covered 27 countries.
Nerve cells grown from stem cells give new insight into Parkinson's
Oxford University researchers have succeeded in using stem cell technology to grow nerve cells in the laboratory from initial skin samples taken from Parkinson’s patients. It’s the first large-scale effort of its kind in the UK.
World-first virtual reality study to trial new Parkinson's treatment
In a world-first study, researchers at the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) at the University of Sydney may have found a new way to help the Parkinson's disease patients who experience walking problems.
A genetic factor is linked to long-term success of leg bypass surgery
Outcomes of bypass surgery to repair blocked arteries in the legs tend to be better in the roughly one-in-five people who have inherited a specific genetic variation from both parents, according to a study presented at the late-breaking clinical trials session of the Vascular Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 18, 2011.
Three postulates to help identify the cause of Alzheimer's disease
After more than 100 years following its pathologic description, the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown. To test the validity of present and future proposals related to the probable cause of AD, three postulates, or necessary conditions, are recommended by Jack de la Torre, MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, in an article published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Buzz kills: No amount of alcohol safe to drive
In the United States, the blood-alcohol limit may be 0.08 percent, but no amount of alcohol seems to be safe for driving, according to a University of California, San Diego sociologist. A study led by David Phillips and published in the journal Addiction finds that blood-alcohol levels well below the U.S. legal limit are associated with incapacitating injury and death.
Popular warm-weather attire leaves delicate skin exposed to the sun
Cheap, convenient and casual, baseball caps and flip-flops have a trendy charm. Those qualities make them must-wear accessories for teens, outdoor enthusiasts, gardeners or anyone trying to keep cool during the sweltering days of summer.
Bulling: Living under the shadow of constant threats, abuse can inflict damage that lasts a lifetime
Though it’s often mistakenly considered a normal part of growing up, bullying is a serious problem that affects millions of children and adolescents.
Natural Alzheimer's weapon suggests better treatment
Scientists have shown a molecular chaperone is working like a waste management company to collect and detoxify high levels of toxic amyloid beta peptide found in Alzheimer's disease.
Urinary incontinence doubles risk of postpartum depression
Women with urinary incontinence after giving birth are almost twice as likely to develop postpartum depression as those without incontinence, according to a new study led by Wendy Sword, a professor in McMaster University's School of Nursing.
Researchers find CDT biomarker ineffective for identifying unhealthy alcohol use
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that among HIV-infected adults with alcohol problems, measuring their carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) biomarker was a poor and inaccurate method for detecting unhealthy drinking. These findings currently appear on-line in AIDS Care.
Diagnosed autism is more common in an IT-rich region
A new study from Cambridge University has for the first time found that autism diagnoses are more common in an IT-rich region.
Poorly coordinated care doubled risk of drug and medical errors in seven countries
Patients who received poorly co-ordinated care or were unable to afford basic medical costs were much more likely to report medication, treatment or care errors, according to an international study published in the July issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
Scientists develop first ever drug to treat 'Celtic gene' in cystic fibrosis sufferers
An international research team led by Queen's University have developed a ground breaking treatment for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers. The new drug will benefit sufferers who have the 'Celtic Gene', a genetic mutation which is particularly common in Ireland.
Study says 1 in 13 US children have food allergy
(AP) -- Food allergies affect about one in 13 U.S. children, double the latest government estimate, a new study suggests.
Millions with peripheral artery disease not getting vital medications
Millions of adults with peripheral artery disease are not receiving the medications needed to reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and death, according to research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Intranasal corticosteroid treatment appears beneficial for children with obstructive sleep apnea
Using a fluticasone furoate nasal spray for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children appears to reduce production of certain inflammatory cell proteins that may play a role in development of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.
Panic symptoms increase steadily, not acutely, after stressful event
Just like everyone else, people with panic disorder have real stress in their lives. They get laid off and they fight with their spouses. How such stresses affect their panic symptoms hasn't been well understood, but a new study by researchers at Brown University presents the counterintuitive finding that certain kinds of stressful life events cause panic symptoms to increase gradually over succeeding months, rather than to spike immediately.
The myth of the 'queen bee': Work and sexism
Female bosses sometimes have a reputation for not being very nice. Some display what's called "queen bee" behavior, distancing themselves from other women and refusing to help other women as they rise through the ranks. Now, a new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, concludes that it's wrong to blame the woman for this behavior; instead, blame the sexist environment.
Fat substitutes linked to weight gain
Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.
Study: Docs overtesting for cervical cancer virus
(AP) -- Too many doctors are testing the wrong women, or using the wrong test, for a virus that causes cervical cancer.
Proteins used to map the aging process
Loss of muscle mass is not only associated with disease, such as HIV and cancer, but also with the normal aging process. Anabolic steroids are sometimes used to reverse loss of lean muscle tissue but they can have unwanted side effects. New research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Immunity and Aging, shows that nine proteins, isolated from blood, alter with age and that the profile of some of these proteins can be reversed by testosterone treatment.
Discoveries in mitochondria open new field of cancer research
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have revealed novel mechanisms in mitochondria that have implications for cancer as well as many other age-related diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, heart disease and hypertension. This discovery has pioneered the formation of a whole new field within epigenetics research ripe with possibilities of developing future gene therapies to treat cancer and age-associated diseases.
Changes in one heart molecule lead to arrhythmia
(Medical Xpress) -- A University at Albany biologist and his research team have discovered that a tiny cardiac molecule may have major implications for understanding irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia. Haijun Chen, a UAlbany assistant professor of biological sciences, published his and his team's findings in the June 7 issue of Science Signaling.
Shock and recall: Negative emotion may enhance memory, study finds
(Medical Xpress) -- Picture a menacing drill sergeant, a gory slaughterhouse, a devastating scene of a natural disaster. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found that viewing such emotion-laden images immediately after taking a test actually enhances people’s retention of the tested material.
Device could improve harvest of stem cells from umbilical cord blood
Johns Hopkins graduate students have invented a system to significantly boost the number of stem cells collected from a newborn's umbilical cord and placenta, so that many more patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders can be treated with these valuable cells.
Need a nap? Find yourself a hammock
For grownups, drifting off for an afternoon snooze is often easier said than done. But many of us have probably experienced just how simple it can be to catch those zzz's in a gently rocking hammock. By examining brain waves in sleeping adults, researchers reporting in the June 21 issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, now have evidence to explain why that is.
Early evidence of HPV vaccine impact
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a new study published in Lancet, researchers from Australia report evidence that the vaccine designed to target the human papillomavirus, or HPV, has dramatically dropped the incidence of lesions in Australian girls that lead to cervical cancer.
Study finds how the immune system responds to hepatitis A virus
A surprising finding in a study comparing hepatitis C virus (HCV) with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in chimpanzees by a team that includes scientists from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute sheds new light on the nature of the body's immune response to these viruses.
Discovery of parathyroid glow promises to reduce endocrine surgery risk
The parathyroid glands – four small organs the size of grains of rice located at the back of the throat – glow with a natural fluorescence in the near infrared region of the spectrum.
Why context matters in the long and short of words: Researchers improve 75-year-old language theory
(Medical Xpress) -- Do you ever wonder about the stuff that makes up words? Why is a word a word, what goes into forming it, what's its history or why is it long or short? Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology do.
Picower: 1 skull + 2 brains = 4 objects in mind
(Medical Xpress) -- In the 1983 movie "A Man with Two Brains," Steve Martin kept his second brain in a jar. In reality, he had two brains inside his own skull — as we all do, one on the left and one on the right hemisphere. When it comes to seeing the world around us, each of our two brains works independently and each has its own bottleneck for working memory.
Biology news
Scientists wrong to criticize alternative rice growing method
Bigger harvests using an alternative cultivation method without high-tech. A method developed by a priest in Madagascar. Scientists turn their backs on it, but the African method is reliable and sound.
Scientists find genes to beat MRSA defence system
Efforts to develop better and stronger treatments against diseases continue in Europe, with particular emphasis being placed on fighting human pathogens and strains resistant to existing treatments. Scientists in the United Kingdom have identified genes in the bacterium Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that could help the superbug survive despite being hit by antibacterial agents. Their discovery, presented in the journal BMC Systems Biology, could lead to new drugs capable of defeating the MRSA's defence systems.
Biologists shed light on a puzzling parasite
Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that infects about one-third of the world’s population, comes in several strains. Some can have severe consequences such as encephalitis, while others produce no noticeable symptoms.
E. coli offers insight to evolution
(PhysOrg.com) -- Evolutionary biologist Richard Lenski occasionally thinks of his 12 original flasks of E. coli as the experiment that keeps on giving.
Tiny water boatman is a champion singer
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers studying the lesser water boatman have discovered that adjusting for size, M. scholtzi, a tiny freshwater bug, is the apparent world champion at producing the loudest noise. At only 2.3mm (about the width of a dry grain of rice) the tiny water boatman is able to "sing" underwater in a river and still be heard quite easily on shore. In their paper published in PLoS ONE, the team describes how in their lab, the tiny bugs managed to produce songs that averaged 79 decibels, but at their noisiest produced sounds as loud as 105 decibels, or something on the order of a snowmobile driving by.
Seven new species of mammals discovered on Luzon
A group of American and Filipino biologists have discovered seven previously unknown species of mammals in the Philippines, increasing the number of native mammals known from Luzon Island (excluding bats) from 42 to 49 (17 percent).
Coevolution not healthy for the female sea monkey
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a new study titled Male-Female Coevolution in the Wild: Evidence from a Time Series in Artemia Franciscana and published in Evolution, evolutionary ecologist Nicolas Rode from the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology looked at the sexual behavior of the sea monkey and what happened when females were bred with past and future generations.
'My dishwasher is trying to kill me': New research finds harmful fungal pathogens living in dishwasher seals
A potentially pathogenic fungus has found a home living in extreme conditions in some of the most common household appliances, researchers have found. A new paper published in the British Mycological Society journal, Fungal Biology, published by Elsevier, shows that these sites make perfect habitats for extremotolerant fungi (which includes black yeasts). Some of these are potentially dangerous to human health.
Bacteria develop restraint for survival in a rock-paper-scissors community
It is a common perception that bigger, stronger, faster organisms have a distinct advantage for long-term survival when competing with other organisms in a given community.
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