Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for June 9, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Why smokers are thinner? Nicotine triggered appetite suppression site identified in brain- Physicists hit on mathematical description of superfluid dynamics
- Meteorite holds clues to organic chemistry of the early Earth: study
- Two-dimensional graphene metamaterials, one-atom-thick optical devices envisioned
- Chemists devise better way to prepare workhorse molecules
- A big surprise from the edge of the solar system: magnetic bubbles (w/ video)
- New driving force for chemical reactions discovered
- The pirouette effect in the chaos of turbulence
- New parallelization technique boosts our ability to model biological systems
- The downside -- and surprising upside - of microcredit
- Adjustable valves gave ancient plants the edge
- Video recording spy glasses coming to a face near you
- Genome sequence could reveal 'Achilles' heels' of important wheat disease
- Snowpack declines in Rockies unusual compared to past
- Nintendo's task: The Wii, again, more, better
Space & Earth news
Integrating agriculture and forestry in the landscape is key to REDD
Evidence from benchmark sites across the tropics is proving that an integrated, multifunctional approach that allows for land-use sharing in agriculture, forests and other functions can achieve good results in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and raising food production levels. It provides more realistic solutions than the popular view on sparing land for forests through agricultural intensification.
Popular beach sees water pollution reduced
A legendary La Jolla surfing beach adjacent to Scripps Institution of Oceanography has significantly less water-borne pollution, due to the completion this year of an innovative project by UC San Diego.
Stretched-out low soaking the Caribbean in GOES-13 satellite imagery
GOES-13 satellite imagery on June 9 shows that the pesky low pressure area in the north Caribbean Sea is stretching out and bringing soaking rains to Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
Scientists study ocean impacts of radioactive contamination from Fukushima nuclear plant
Scientists from Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) are joining colleagues from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, several other U.S. academic institutions and laboratories in Japan and Spain on the first international, multidisciplinary assessment of the levels and dispersion of radioactive substances in the Pacific Ocean off the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. The research effort is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
'Kill a camel' to cut pollution concept in Australia
Australia is considering awarding carbon credits for killing feral camels as a way to tackle climate change.
Study backs Australia pollution tax plans
A government-backed study of pollution reduction policies among Australia's major trade partners Thursday backed "price-based schemes" as most effective, boosting Canberra's carbon tax plan.
In Kabul, air pollution a bigger killer than war
War may kill thousands of civilians a year in Afghanistan, but choking air pollution in the capital Kabul is more deadly, experts say.
Findings indicate the edge of the solar system is filled with a turbulent sea of magnetic bubbles
Boston University astronomer Merav Opher will feature prominently in a NASA teleconference this week to discuss the latest findings about the nature of the solar system.
Aquarius/SAC-D launch rescheduled
(PhysOrg.com) -- The launch of the international Aquarius/SAC-D mission is postponed 24 hours until Friday, June 10, from NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The 5-minute launch window opens at 7:20 a.m. PDT (10:20 a.m. EDT).
New lunar eclipse video released
(PhysOrg.com) -- In anticipation of the upcoming lunar eclipse later this month, NASA has released a new video that shows how lunar eclipses work.
NASA catches system 92W become fifth NW Pacific tropical depression
The low pressure system that has been bringing rainfall to the northwestern Philippines has strengthened into the fifth tropical depression of the Northwest Pacific Ocean's hurricane season.
NASA's infrared image of major Hurricane Adrian reveals its stormy life's blood
Strong thunderstorms are the life's blood of tropical cyclones, and infrared and radar satellite data from NASA today confirms that the eastern Pacific Ocean's first hurricane has plenty of them and they're over 9 miles high. Adrian exploded in growth overnight from a tropical storm on June 8 to a major hurricane today.
Mississippi diverted to revive Delta wetlands
Wetlands around the city of New Orleans are disappearing at such an alarming rate that a University of South Carolina coastal marine scientist predicts there will be little of the marshland left by the end of the century.
New Google ocean maps dive down deep
(PhysOrg.com) -- Starting today, armchair explorers will be able to view parts of the deep ocean floors in far greater detail than ever before, thanks to a new synthesis of seafloor topography released through Google Earth. Developed by oceanographers at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory from scientific data collected on research cruises, the new feature tightens resolution in covered areas from the former 1-kilometer grids to just 100 meters.
NASA provides a two-satellite view and video of the Chilean volcano eruption
NASA's Aqua satellite and the GOES-13 satellite both captured their own unique views of the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano in Chile this week. One satellite provided a high-resolution image of the ash plume while the other provided a video showing the plumes movement over several days.
Centuries-old math formula helps map galaxy clusters
(PhysOrg.com) -- Across the universe, galaxies band together in clusters so huge it can take 10 million years for light to travel from one end of a galaxy cluster to the other. Probing these metropolises is no easy task. But Assistant Professor of Astronomy Andisheh Mahdavi has found a centuries-old math formula that could help scientists map the shape and size of galaxy clusters.
Opportunity heads toward 'Spirit Point'
(PhysOrg.com) -- When NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity reaches the rim of a large crater it is approaching, its arrival will come with an inspiring reminder.
Snowpack declines in Rockies unusual compared to past
(PhysOrg.com) -- The researchers evaluated the recent declines using snowpack reconstructions from 66 tree-ring chronologies, looking back 500 to more than 1,000 years.
Meteorite holds clues to organic chemistry of the early Earth: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- Carbonaceous chondrites are a type of organic-rich meteorite that contain samples of the materials that took part in the creation of our planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago, including materials that were likely formed before our solar system was created and may have been crucial to the formation of life on Earth. The complex suite of organic materials found in carbonaceous chondrites can vary substantially from meteorite to meteorite. New research from Carnegie's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and Geophysical Laboratory, published June 10 in Science, shows that most of these variations are the result of hydrothermal activity that took place within a few million years of the formation of the solar system, when the meteorites were still part of larger parent bodies, likely asteroids.
A big surprise from the edge of the solar system: magnetic bubbles (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Voyager probes are truly going where no one has gone before. Gliding silently toward the stars, 9 billion miles from Earth, they are beaming back news from the most distant, unexplored reaches of the solar system.
Technology news
Police: Computer tech installed peeping software
(AP) -- A Southern California computer repairman suspected of installing spyware on laptops that enabled him to snap and download photographs of women showering and undressing in their homes was arrested Wednesday at his home, police said.
Google doodle pays tribute to guitarist Les Paul
Google paid tribute to US guitar legend Les Paul on Thursday by transforming the celebrated logo on its homepage into a guitar which plays when strummed with a computer mouse.
SEC cans Web campaign to buy beer company
(AP) -- It seemed like an innovative way to buy a beer company: Start an online campaign to purchase the iconic Pabst Brewing Co. and sell shares on Facebook and Twitter to cover the $300 million cost.
NXP introduces eXtremely Rugged XR LDMOS RF power transistors
Designed for the toughest engineering environments, NXP Semiconductors N.V. today unveiled its new XR family of “eXtremely Rugged” LDMOS RF power transistors. The XR family is designed tough-as-nails to withstand the harsh fault conditions often found in applications such as industrial lasers, metal etching and concrete drilling. Based on NXP’s industry-leading LDMOS technology, the XR family extends LDMOS into the few remaining domains that are serviced by VDMOS and bipolar transistors today. NXP will showcase its first XR RF power transistor, the BLF578XR, this week at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium 2011 (IMS2011) in Baltimore, Maryland.
New 3-D display gives researchers an unusual imaging tool
No, the group of people wearing 3-D glasses who are captivated by a moving image on the big screen are not watching a special showing of “Avatar.”
Streamlined asset management takes flight
A single aeroplane contains roughly four million individual parts, and successfully keeping entire fleets in the air requires easy and efficient access to spare components. This demanding process is managed by companies specializing in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). Managing these resources without guesswork is now possible using a software system called D-SIMSPAIR, which was developed by the company D-SIMLAB Technologies—a spin-off from the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech).
Smart wheelchair soars in top innovations list
Aviator, the smart wheelchair technology developed in the UTS Centre for Health Technologies, has been awarded third place in the Anthill SMART 100 Index.
US spy to face charges in media leak case Monday
A former senior official in the top-secret US National Security Agency will face a slew of charges Monday over the leaking of classified information to a newspaper reporter.
New sensor network protecting art in NY museum
(AP) -- It will take a good eye to spot them, but dozens of tiny, very modern works of art have been installed near the 15th-century unicorn tapestries and other medieval masterpieces at a New York City museum.
Coupons.com gets $200M investment
(AP) -- Digital coupon provider Coupons.com Inc. has received $200 million from undisclosed institutional investors, making it the latest Internet company to attract significant attention from the investor community.
EA to bring 'Sims' game to Facebook
(AP) -- Major video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. is bringing its popular "The Sims" role-playing game to Facebook.
Ubisoft jumps on Nintendo's 'Wii U'
French videogame titan Ubisoft is throwing its weight behind Nintendo's second-generation Wii U videogame console.
Gartner cuts 2011 global PC growth forecast
Technology research company Gartner lowered its forecast Wednesday for worldwide personal computer growth amid a sharp drop in sales of mini-notebooks and rising interest in tablets such as Apple's iPad.
Sony to restore Qriocity Thursday, except in Japan
Sony said it would restore all Qriocity online music and video distribution services Thursday everywhere except Japan, after shutting it and its PlayStation Network down in April due to hacker attacks.
Nokia's technology chief 'quits over strategy'
Nokia's head of technology has taken a leave of absence and is not coming back over disagreement over a new group strategy, Finland's leading daily Helsingin Sanomat reported on Thursday.
Tech-savvy Iceland online for new constitution
(AP) -- How do you write a new constitution in the 21st century? You go where the people are - online.
Fusion-io shares jump in market debut
(AP) -- Shares of Fusion-io, a maker of fast, chip-based "hard drives" for servers, are climbing in their market debut after the initial public offering priced above expectations.
EU regulators on Facebook's case over tagging rollout
Privacy regulators are pushing European counterparts to block aspects of a controversial Facebook feature that suggests names for people in newly-uploaded photographs.
Apple eases rules on iPad, iPhone subscriptions
(AP) -- Apple has made a change that could help newspaper and magazine publishers make more money when they sell subscriptions for the iPad and iPhone.
Apple aims to build new spaceship-like campus
Apple is hoping to break ground next year on a new campus designed to house 12,000 workers in a building that resembles a huge spaceship.
Nissan 350Z most deadly to driver, SUVs safer: study
Drivers of Nissan 350Z sports car and Titan pickup, as well as the humble Chevrolet Aveo run the most risk of dying in a crash, while Audi's luxury A6 cruised in relative safety, according to an insurance report Thursday.
Apple to nix apps that tip off drunk drivers
(AP) -- After pressure from four U.S. senators, Apple Inc. has said it will start rejecting iPhone applications that tip drivers off about police checkpoints for drunken driving.
Google buys AdMeld for $400 million: TechCrunch
Google has acquired Admeld, a New York-based company that provides an advertising platform for publishers, for around $400 million, technology blog TechCrunch said Thursday.
A power grid on a chip
Presented during the EPFL Middle East research days, a device only 4mm thick can manage an urban power grid a thousand times faster than currently possible.
In latest attack, hackers steal Citibank card data (Update)
About 200,000 Citibank credit card customers in North America have had their names, account numbers and email addresses stolen by hackers who broke into Citi's online account site.
GE's new triple-threat hybrid power plant technology selected to go up in Turkey
(PhysOrg.com) -- After recently announcing the development of new natural gas power plant technology, in addition to a partnership with eSolar, GE has now landed a contract with Turkish Developer MetCap Energy to supply the technology for a new power plant to be built in Karaman, Turkey, which will utilize wind, solar and natural gas power to produce a total of 530 mega-watts of power; enough to run 600,000 homes.
New parallelization technique boosts our ability to model biological systems
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for using multi-core chips more efficiently, significantly enhancing a computer's ability to build computer models of biological systems. The technique improved the efficiency of algorithms used to build models of biological systems more than seven-fold, creating more realistic models that can account for uncertainty and biological variation. This could impact research areas ranging from drug development to the engineering of biofuels.
Court says Microsoft must pay in patent case
(AP) -- The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Microsoft Corp. must pay a $290 million judgment awarded to a small Toronto software company for infringing on one of its patents inside its popular Microsoft Word program.
Google Maps Navigation soon to be available offline
(PhysOrg.com) -- All About Phones, a Dutch-based tech site has released information that implies that Google Maps Navigation will have an offline version before the end of the summer. The information, which is only a rumor at this point, may well be true, when you consider some of the technological advances that make this possible.
Nintendo's task: The Wii, again, more, better
(AP) -- The upcoming Wii U - part tablet computer, part game machine - could help Nintendo surpass its rivals once again.
Medicine & Health news
Dramatic fall in cases of meningitis A in 3 west African nations after new vaccine introduction
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger report the lowest number of confirmed meningitis A cases ever recorded during an epidemic season this year following the successful introduction of a new vaccine that could eliminate the primary cause of the deadly disease from Africa's meningitis belt, announced the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) today, which spearheaded development of the vaccine. Also today, a new analysis published in the journal Health Affairs shows that introducing this vaccine in seven highly endemic African countries could save as much as US$300 million over a decade and prevent a million cases of disease.
New hospital mortality rate index to be used across UK
A team from the University of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) has developed a new index to measure hospital mortality rates that has been accepted for use by the Department of Health.
FDA announces new limits on high-dose simvastatin (Zocor)
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced new limitations to the use of high-dose simvastatin, due to the increased risk of muscle pain and weakness (myopathy) and in rare cases, kidney damage and failure.
Sport doctors say non-alcoholic wheat beer boosts athletes' health
Many amateur athletes have long suspected what research scientists for the Department of Preventative and Rehabilitative Sports Medicine of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen at Klinikum rechts der Isar have now made official: Documented proof, gathered during the world's largest study of marathons, "Be-MaGIC" (beer, marathons, genetics, inflammation and the cardiovascular system), that the consumption of non-alcoholic weissbier, or wheat beer, has a positive effect on athletes' health. Under the direction of Dr. Johannes Scherr, physicians examined 277 test subjects three weeks before and two weeks after the 2009 Munich Marathon.
Researchers work to turn back the clock on bone-producing stem cells
Researchers want to turn back the clock on aging stem cells so they'll make better bone.
New animal study shows promise for development of Parkinson's disease drug
Few treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) restore function for extended periods. In a new study published today in the inaugural issue issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, an international group of researchers report that platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) restored function in rodents and shows promise as a clinical candidate drug for treatment of PD.
New method for measuring Parkinson's disease prevalence reveals sharp increase in Israel
In a new study published today in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, Israeli researchers report that by tracking pharmacy purchases of anti-Parkinson drugs they could estimate the number of Parkinson's disease (PD) cases in a large population. The study identified a sharp rise in PD prevalence from 170/100,000 in 2000 to 256/100,000 in 2007 in Israel, which warrants further investigation.
Landmark study analyzes scientific productivity and impact of the top 100 PD investigators
IOS Press is pleased to announce the publication of a landmark study in which both traditional and innovative scientometric approaches have been employed to identify the top 100 Parkinson's disease (PD) investigators since 1985 and measure their scientific productivity as well as the impact of their contributions to the field. The article appears today in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.
Physician participation in lethal injection executions should not be banned, ethicists argue
Should physicians be banned from assisting in a lethal injection execution, or lose professional certification for doing so? A recent ruling by the American Board of Anesthesiology will revoke certification of anesthesiologists who participate in capital punishment, and other medical boards may act similarly. An article in the Hastings Center Report concludes that decertification of physicians participating in lethal injections by a professional certifying organization goes too far—though individual physicians and private medical groups like the AMA are entitled to oppose the practice and may censure or dismiss members who violate it.
Why do men hate going to the doctor?
A national survey found that women were three times more likely to see a doctor on a regular basis than men. Even though men on average die younger than women and have higher mortality rates for heart disease, cancer, stroke and AIDS, trying to get a man to a doctor can be harder than pulling teeth. So, why do men hate it so?
Cancer-stricken British girl's 'Bucket List' is Internet hit
A cancer-stricken British teenage girl said Thursday she had been overwhelmed by messages of support from around the world after writing an online "Bucket List" of things she wanted to do before dying.
How to stay safe in extreme summer heat
Blazing temperatures can bring on serious illness if you're not careful. Dr. Abhi Mehrotra, an emergency physician at UNC Hospitals, offers tips on protecting yourself and your family against extreme heat.
UN chief calls for global action to end AIDS
(AP) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for global action Wednesday to put an end to AIDS by 2020 and relegate the killer disease to the history books.
Variety of EHEC bacteria found in Dutch sugar-beets
Dutch health authorities said Thursday they found EHEC bacteria in sugar-beets exported to Germany and Belgium, but it was a different variety to the deadly strain that has killed 25 people.
New research provides breakthrough in understanding common cancer
Researchers from the University of Sheffield have discovered valuable insight into how people develop B-cell lymphoma, one of the most common cancers in the UK.
Pioneering hospital pay-for-performance program falls short of its goals
Massachusetts' innovative use of "pay-for-performance" bonuses to try to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the case of Medicaid patients has turned up no evidence of the problem at any of the state's 66 acute-care hospitals, according to a new study that raises questions about the effectiveness of the state's novel approach.
New research uncovers genetic link between emphysema, lung cancer
A gene linked to emphysema also can be a factor for developing lung cancer unrelated to cigarette smoking, UT Southwestern Medical Center research indicates. Smoking was the only known risk factor previously associated with both diseases.
Study finds a decline in heart attacks over 20 years, but rising BMIs may reverse this in the future
Better control of cholesterol levels and blood pressure and a decline in smoking have contributed to a 74% drop in the risk of heart attack among nearly 10,000 civil servants working in London over a 20-year period, according to new research. However, the reduction would have been even greater were it not for the fact that more people became fatter during this time, and this rise in body mass index (BMI) accounted for an estimated 11% increased risk of heart attack over the same period.
Lyme disease -- why do some fare better than others?
(Medical Xpress) -- Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is a spirochete, a coiled bacterium that looks like a kinetic spring. Just a few microns long, smaller than the width of a human hair, it is invisible to the naked eye. But it packs a big punch. Bb is the bug that causes Lyme disease.
Study addresses concerns about high folate levels
Taking folic acid supplements or eating fortified grain products is unlikely to worsen problems related to low levels of vitamin B12, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and five other institutions in the United States, Ireland and Norway.
Lyme disease bacteria take cover in lymph nodes, study finds
(Medical Xpress) -- The bacteria that cause Lyme disease, one of the most important emerging diseases in the United States, appear to hide out in the lymph nodes, triggering a significant immune response, but one that is not strong enough to rout the infection, report researchers at the University of California, Davis.
Purdue takes prostate cancer treatment from concept to clinical trial
(Medical Xpress) -- A clinical trial for a new technology to diagnose and treat prostate cancer marks the first time Purdue University has directed the entire pathway of a therapeutic product from early research to patient treatment.
Postpartum depression study shows gene behavior differs by environment
A recently released paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), "The Role of Mother's Genes and Environment in Postpartum Depression," explores the interplay between genes and environment when determining whether a mother is at high or low risk for post-partum depression. Daniel Notterman, vice dean for research at Penn State College of Medicine, was part of a multi-university team including Princeton, Columbia and University of York (UK) that conducted the study.
S.Africa nearly wipes out infant AIDS infections: study
South Africa's programme to prevent HIV in babies has achieved a 96.5 percent success rate in wiping out transmission from infected pregnant mothers, the Medical Research Council said Thursday.
Simple test could hold key to early diagnosis of cancers
Cancers of the gut, stomach and pancreas could be detected much sooner with a simple urine test, research suggests.
Study of preschoolers with ADHD detects brain differences linked to symptoms
In a study published today in the Clinical Neuropsychologist (e-publication ahead of print), researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute found differences in the brain development of preschool children with symptoms of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Results showed the region of the brain important for cognitive and motor control was smaller in these children than in typically developing children. Novel for its use of neuroimaging in very young, preschool age children with early symptoms of ADHD, this study's examination of brain differences may offer new insights into potential early interventions for the disorder.
Study confirms safety, cancer-targeting ability of nutrient in broccoli, other vegetables
Sulforaphane, one of the primary phytochemicals in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that helps them prevent cancer, has been shown for the first time to selectively target and kill cancer cells while leaving normal prostate cells healthy and unaffected.
Children eschew the fat if dads aren't lenient
This Father's Day, dad's choice of where to eat could literally tip the scales on his children's health.
Signaling pathways point to vulnerability in breast cancer stem cells
Whitehead Institute researchers have identified signals from breast epithelial cells that can induce those cells to transition to and maintain a mesenchymal and stem cell-like cell state that imbues both normal and cancer cells with a greater ability to migrate and self-renew. Interrupting these signals strips the cells of the migratory, invasive and self-renewal abilities used by cancer stem cells to seed new tumors.
Researchers show new evidence of genetic 'arms race' against malaria
For tens of thousands of years, the genomes of malaria parasites and humans have been at war with one another. Now, University of Pennsylvania geneticists, in collaboration with an international team of scientists, have developed a new picture of one way that the human genome has fought back.
How killer immune cells avoid killing themselves
After eight years of work, researchers have unearthed what has been a well-kept secret of our immune system's success. The findings published online on June 9th in Immunity offer an explanation for how specialized immune cells are able to kill infected or cancerous cells without killing themselves in the process.
Hormone test helps predict success in IVF
Given how much patients invest in in vitro fertilization (IVF), both financially and emotionally, tools to inform couples about what they might expect during their treatment can be welcome. A study by researchers at Brown University and Women & Infants Hospital shows that as the IVF cycle is beginning, a blood test for levels of a hormone called AMH, or antimullerian hormone, can help predict the number of eggs that will be harvested.
Researchers uncover details of joint injuries in children
Scientists working in part at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) have learned new information about how the knee joints of children are damaged as the result of a compression injury, which could happen during sports or play. Their work could help researchers understand how this type of joint injury can progress to secondary osteoarthritis, a condition that occurs due to cartilage loss and causes pain and stiffness.
Deaths and major morbidity from asbestos-related diseases in Asia likely to surge in next 20 years
An alarming new article in Respirology issues a serious warning of massive rises in deaths from asbestos-related lung diseases in Asia. Dr Ken Takahashi, Acting Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational Health, and his team put together important data on asbestos use in 47 Asian countries in this landmark article. Cyprus, Israel and Japan had the highest age-adjusted mortality rates in Asia. This study published in Respirology, a journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, will serve as an important reference document for health authorities in Asian-Pacific.
FDA links some prostate drugs to cancer risk
(AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration expanded the warning label on a group of prostate drugs Thursday, saying they may increase the risk of a more serious form of prostate cancer.
Research team tests alternative approach to treating diabetes
In a mouse study, scientists at Mayo Clinic Florida have demonstrated the feasibility of a promising new strategy for treating human type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 200 million people worldwide.
Heart has built-in repair mechanism
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers have for the first time succeeded in transforming a new type of stem-like cell in the adult heart, into heart muscle in mice.
Study suggests police officer wrongfully convicted for missing the 'obvious'
In a new study, researchers tested the claims of a Boston police officer who said he ran past a brutal police beating without seeing it. After re-creating some of the conditions of the original incident and testing the perceptions of college students who ran past a staged fight, the researchers found the officer's story plausible.
Scientists find gene vital to nerve cell development
(Medical Xpress) -- The body’s ability to perform simple tasks like flex muscles or feel heat, cold and pain depends, in large part, on myelin, an insulating layer of fats and proteins that speeds the propagation of nerve cell signals.
Over consumption of sugary drinks dulls taste buds
(Medical Xpress) -- A study into taste preference suggests children who are thirsty should be encouraged to drink water.
B vitamins in mother's diet reduce colorectal cancer risk in offspring
Mice born to mothers who are fed a diet supplemented with B vitamins are less likely to develop intestinal tumors, report scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.
Cancer protein discovery may aid radiation therapy
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have uncovered a new role for a key cancer protein, a finding that could pave the way for more-effective radiation treatment of a variety of tumors.
Mutations in essential genes often cause rare diseases
Mutations in genes essential to survival are behind so-called orphan diseases, explaining in part why these diseases are rare and often deadly, according to a study appearing in The American Journal of Human Genetics.
Why animals don't have infrared vision
On rare occasion, the light-sensing photoreceptor cells in the eye misfire and signal to the brain as if they have captured photons, when in reality they haven't. For years this phenomenon remained a mystery. Reporting in the June 10 issue of Science, neuroscientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that a light-capturing pigment molecule in photoreceptors can be triggered by heat, as well, giving rise to these false alarms.
Fragile X protein acts as toggle switch in brain cells
New research shows how the protein missing in fragile X syndrome – the most common inherited form of intellectual disability – acts as a molecular toggle switch in brain cells.
Why smokers are thinner? Nicotine triggered appetite suppression site identified in brain
It is widely known that smoking inhibits appetite, but what is not known, is what triggers this process in the brain. Now researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, participating in a Yale University School of Medicine-led study, have identified the nicotine receptors that influence the anorexigenic signaling pathway, or appetite suppression pathway.
Biology news
Controlling starch in sugar factories
Factory trials conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have led to recommendations for controlling or preventing starch buildup in processed raw sugars and products made with those sugars. The study was led by chemist Gillian Eggleston with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Commodity Utilization Research Unit in New Orleans, La. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency.
Canine telepathy? Study explores how dogs think and learn about human behavior
Can dogs read our minds? How do they learn to beg for food or behave badly primarily when we're not looking? According to Monique Udell and her team, from the University of Florida in the US, the way that dogs come to respond to the level of people's attentiveness tells us something about the ways dogs think and learn about human behavior. Their research1, published online in Springer's journal Learning & Behavior, suggests it is down to a combination of specific cues, context and previous experience.
Banning federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research would derail related work
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Banning federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research would have "disastrous consequences" on the study of a promising and increasingly popular new stem cell type that is not derived from human embryos, according to a University of Michigan researcher and his colleagues.
Biologists uncover regulatory mechanism for gene expression in the visual system
Biologists have uncovered a key regulatory mechanism used for gene expression in the visual system. Their findings, which appear in the latest issue of the journal Cell, offer new insights into the complexity behind the genetic make-up of biological systems.
Wetter springs make Mauritius kestrel breed later
Wetter springs in Mauritius are making the island's kestrels breed later in the season than they did 30 years ago, researchers have discovered.
What sawfish really do with their saw
Scientists thought that sawfish used their saw to probe the sea bottom for food. But a Cairns researcher has found that these large (5 meters or more) and endangered fish actually use the saw to locate and dismember free-swimming fish – using a sixth sense that detects electric fields. She’s in Melbourne this week as a winner of Fresh Science.
Are humans extinction-proof?
Does climate change seriously threaten to wipe out the human species if left unchecked? Examining our evolutionary past suggests it might once have been the perfect catalyst for our extinction. But now?
Early agricultural piracy informs the domestication of rice
The origins of rice have been cast in a new light by research publishing in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics on June 9, 2011. By reconciling two theories, the authors show that the domestication of rice occurred at least twice independently but with extensive "borrowing" between the two subspecies.
The diving bell and the water spider: How spiders breathe under water
Water spiders spend their entire lives under water, only venturing to the surface to replenish their diving bell air supply. Yet no one knew how long the spiders could remain submerged until Roger Seymour and Stefan Hetz measured the bubble's oxygen level. They found that the diving bell behaves like a gill sucking oxygen from the water and the spiders only need to dash to the surface once a day to supplement their air supply.
Scientists gain insight on how plants bend toward light
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Purdue University-led study may change how scientists think about how some plants bend toward light.
New genetic technique converts skin cells into brain cells
A research breakthrough has proven that it is possible to reprogram mature cells from human skin directly into brain cells, without passing through the stem cell stage. The unexpectedly simple technique involves activating three genes in the skin cells; genes which are already known to be active in the formation of brain cells at the foetal stage.
New study of crows and parrots highlights different types of intelligence
(PhysOrg.com) -- In an experiment designed to illustrate the different ways that animals use their own unique type of intelligence to accomplish certain goals, a team of zoologists and biologists from the University of Vienna and Oxford University, led by biologist Dr. Alice Auersperg have shown that New Caledonian crows and a type of green parrot called the kea, are both able to accomplish similar difficult tasks, but go about doing so in very different ways. In a paper published in PLoS ONE, the team describe how when confronted with a box with food inside, both species of birds showed high levels of intelligence in getting at that food, but went about doing so in ways uniquely suited to their physical and behavioral attributes.
New research describes key function of enzyme involved in RNA processing
Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified a cellular mechanism that is critical in maintaining normal cell function.
Adjustable valves gave ancient plants the edge
Controlling water loss is an important ability for modern land plants as it helps them thrive in changing environments. New research from the University of Bristol, published today in the journal Current Biology, shows that water conserving innovations occurred very early in plants' evolutionary history.
To flirt or not to flirt, that is the question
(PhysOrg.com) -- After studying male desert goby fish, a team of Monash researchers has suggested that male sexual behaviour is primed to produce the greatest number of offspring.
Genome sequence could reveal 'Achilles' heels' of important wheat disease
Research published in PLoS Genetics today provides insights into how an important fungal disease is able to evade wheat's defences. The researchers hope that the study, which reveals the fungus' complete genome sequence, will enable them to breed resistant crop plants or improve the use of pesticides.
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