Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for June 28, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Metal particle generates new hope for H2 energy- Inkjet printing could change the face of solar energy industry
- Researchers create rollerball-pen ink to draw circuits
- Splitsville for boron nitride nanotubes
- Researchers image graphene electron clouds, revealing how folds can harm conductivity
- World record: The strongest magnetic fields created
- Debris narrowly misses International Space Station (Update 2)
- Tiny ring laser accurately detects and counts nanoparticles
- Layer upon layer: Method holds promise for making two- or three-tier graphene films
- Finches use their own form of grammar in their tweets
- Princeton researchers solve problem filling space -- without cubes
- VoltAir shows off electricity powered plane concept at Paris Air Show that is slated for 2035
- Hammacher Schlemmer releases $8000 Elliptical Machine Office Desk set
- Jackson Pollock, artist and physicist?
- Google goes social with Facebook rival (Update)
Space & Earth news
Wildfire shuts Los Alamos lab, forces evacuations
(AP) -- Thousands of residents calmly fled Monday from the mesa-top town that's home to the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory, ahead of an approaching wildfire that sent up towering plumes of smoke, rained down ash and sparked a spot fire on lab property where scientists 50 years ago conducted underground tests of radioactive explosives.
Australia academics blast UK lord over Hitler jibe
Dozens of Australian academics signed a letter Tuesday demanding a lecture by British climate sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton be axed after he compared the country's climate adviser to Hitler.
Borehole hits the jackpot
Hot water from Newcastle’s geothermal borehole finally gushed to the surface this morning.
Land use change influences continental water cycle
Forests, and tropical forests in particular, play an important role in the global water cycle. Delft University of Technology PhD researcher Ruud van der Ent (TU Delft, The Netherlands) has recently shown that evaporation from the Amazon forest is for more than 50% responsible for the rainfall in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil, where it feeds crops and rivers. Similarly in Africa, the Congo forest exports tons of water through the atmosphere to the West-African countries. Van der Ent also shows that land use changes such as irrigation, dams, and deforestation can alter evaporation patterns in a region, potentially affecting water resources in distant regions. With his research, Van der Ent has won the 2011 WMO (World Meteorological Organization) Research Award for Young Scientists.
Final shuttle voyagers conduct countdown practice at Florida launch pad
The “Final Four” shuttle astronauts who will ever voyage to Earth orbit aboard a NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter jetted into the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) this week for their final simulated countdown training at the seaside Florida Launch Pad.
Mid-Atlantic states' unique plan to replace region's dirtiest trucks
Four Mid-Atlantic States are teaming up to offer one of the nation's most generous programs aimed at replacing old, highly polluting trucks.
3 Questions: Richard Binzel on near-Earth asteroids
On Monday at approximately 1:14 p.m. EDT, an asteroid named 2011 MD will pass only 7,500 miles above Earth’s surface — a close call in astronomical terms. The asteroid was discovered only last week by researchers at MIT Lincoln Lab’s Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project. Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at MIT, spoke with MIT News about such near-Earth objects and their potential to impact the planet.
Researchers find a keystone nutrient recycler in streams
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology have found that certain neotropical stream ecosystems rely almost entirely on a single fish species known as the banded tetra for the critical nutrient phosphorus. In a paper recently published in the journal Ecology, the researchers, led by Gaston E. “Chip” Small, explain why this particular species plays such a crucial role—and why these stream systems are vulnerable as a result.
Analyzing agroforestry management
The evaluation of both nutrient and non-nutrient resource interactions provides information needed to sustainably manage agroforestry systems. Improved diagnosis of appropriate nutrient usage will help increase yields and also reduce financial and environmental costs. To achieve this, a management support system that allows for site-specific evaluation of nutrient-production imbalances is needed.
Satellite looks down the eye of erupting Nabro Volcano
Wow! What an amazing and detailed top-down view of an active volcano! This is the Nabro Volcano, which has been erupting since June 12, 2011. It sits in an isolated region on the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia and satellite remote sensing is currently the only reliable way to monitor the ongoing eruption, according to the NASA Earth Observatory website. The bright red portions of the false-color image (above) indicate hot surfaces. See below for a zoomed-in look. Both images were taken by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) aboard the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite.
Improving slumber on the space station with sleep-long
(PhysOrg.com) -- It is difficult to sleep in a strange place, especially when you are far from home. Just imagine if you were approximately 210 miles from home and free floating in a spacecraft orbiting the Earth, like the crew members aboard the International Space Station. Whether on Earth or in orbit, sleep is essential to human well-being. In space, getting enough rest is also vital for the safe completion of critical operations, as the crew may be one alarm bell away from a life-and-death situation.
Backgrounds
You’ve probably heard of the cosmic microwave background, but it doesn’t stop there. The as-yet-undetectable cosmic neutrino background is out there waiting to give us a view into the first seconds after the Big Bang. Then, looking further forward, there are other backgrounds across the electromagnetic spectrum – all of which contribute to what’s called the extragalactic background light, or EBL.
Space debris a growing problem
A scare triggered by orbital debris that on Tuesday came within a couple of hundred metres (yards) of the International Space Station (ISS) sheds light on an acutely worsening problem.
Study shows climate change makes some chemicals more toxic to aquatic life
Some areas of the southern United States are suffering from the longest dry spell since 1887 and a new Baylor University study shows that could prove problematic for aquatic organisms.
NASA confirms July 8 for last shuttle launch
(AP) -- The last space shuttle launch ever is set for July 8.
Global warming continues as greenhouse gas grows
(AP) -- A study released Tuesday says the world's climate is not only continuing to warm, it's adding greenhouse gases even faster than in the past.
US nuclear material safe despite wildfire: officials
Radioactive material stored at the top US nuclear laboratory is safe despite a threatening wildfire which has closed the Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) until Wednesday and forced thousands to evacuate, officials said.
Greenland ice melts most in half-century: US
Greenland's ice sheet melted the most it has in over a half century last year, US government scientists said Tuesday in one of a series of "unmistakable" signs of climate change.
Neutron star bites off more than it can chew
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's XMM-Newton space observatory has watched a faint star flare up at X-ray wavelengths to almost 10 000 times its normal brightness. Astronomers believe the outburst was caused by the star trying to eat a giant clump of matter.
What's to blame for wild weather? 'La Nada'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Record snowfall, killer tornadoes, devastating floods: There’s no doubt about it. Since Dec. 2010, the weather in the USA has been positively wild. But why?
Astronomers observe Pluto and its moons
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Williams College team of astronomers, headed by Bryce Babcock and Jay Pasachoff, have been in Hawaii, near Honolulu, to observe a rare double-double event about Pluto. On June 23rd, they observed an occultation, a hiding, when Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, only 755 miles across, went in front of (occulted) a star, revealing its size accurately as well as the absence of any atmosphere. About 11 minutes later, Pluto went in front of the same star, though the astronomers and their students have to analyze their observations to see if they detected that second event.
Debris narrowly misses International Space Station (Update 2)
A piece of space debris narrowly missed the International Space Station on Tuesday in a rare incident that forced the six-member crew to scramble to their rescue craft, space agency officials said.
Technology news
Elpida begins sample shipments of DDR3 SDRAM (x32) based on TSV stacking technology
Elpida Memory today announced that it has begun sample shipments of the industry's first DDR3 SDRAM (x32-bit I/O configuration) made using TSV (Through Silicon Via) stacking technology. The sample is a low-power 8-gigabit (1-gigabyte) DDR3 SDRAM assembled in a single package that consists of four 2-gigabit DDR3 SDRAMs fitted to a single interface chip using TSV.
NICTA microchip accelerates Australian bionic eye project
NICTA has developed a new microchip which is accelerating progress towards an Australian bionic eye.
Sony's Stringer 'sorry' over data breach
Sony chairman and president Howard Stringer on Tuesday apologised to shareholders and customers over a massive data leak, which helped push its its share price to a two-year low this month.
French Internet company seeks $419 mln from Google
(AP) -- Google faces a new, multimillion-dollar challenge in Europe after a French Internet company filed a lawsuit Tuesday saying the search engine giant unfairly squeezed out competitors in France.
500,000 Android devices activated each day: Google
More than 500,000 devices running Google's Android software are being activated every day, a senior Google executive said on Tuesday.
South Korea tops digital literacy rankings
Young South Koreans, and girls, learn the best from computers and the Internet according to a survey of 15 year-olds in 19 countries, the OECD said on Tuesday.
News Corp. to sell MySpace this week
(AP) -- News Corp. is aiming to sell struggling social network site MySpace this week after three years of massive losses, according to a person familiar with the matter. The move will likely result in the layoff of more than half of the site's remaining 500 workers.
Facebook sells $6.6 million in shares to fund
Facebook has sold about $6.6 million worth of its shares to the investment fund GSV Capital Corp. as the company is believed to be preparing for an initial public offering next year.
Select tech workers are in high demand
Thousands of people in Silicon Valley are unemployed and looking for work. But for tech workers with the right skills, work is looking for them.
Obama 2012 campaign to go beyond email, text
(AP) -- Call him the Digital Candidate: President Barack Obama is asking supporters to use Facebook to declare "I'm In!" for his re-election campaign and is using Twitter to personally blast out messages to his nearly 9 million followers.
Multimedia stories show how engineers shape the future
The National Science Foundation (NSF) today released a special report featuring the work of a creative group of researchers--engineers who are investigating new phenomena, devising new capabilities, and designing new technologies. Through a series of multimedia stories, "Engineers of the New Millennium" explores how engineers shape the future of robotics, water usage and energy development.
Hollywood fights online piracy in UK court case
Hollywood film studios launched legal action Tuesday against Britain's biggest Internet service provider in a fight against online piracy, thought to be the first case of its kind in the country.
Model finds optimal fiber optic network connections 10,000 times more quickly
Designing fiber optic networks involves finding the most efficient way to connect phones and computers that are in different places – a costly and time-consuming process. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a model that can find optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, using less computing power to solve the problem.
LiquidText software supports active reading through fingertip manipulation of text
Many reading tasks require individuals to not only read a document, but also to understand, learn from and retain the information in it. For this type of reading, experts recommend a process called active reading, which involves highlighting, outlining and taking notes on the text.
High court to rule on TV indecency, GPS tracking
(AP) -- The Supreme Court has added a couple of high-profile constitutional challenges to its lineup of cases for next term: One looking at governmental regulation of television content and the other dealing with the authority of police to use a GPS device to track a suspect's movements without a warrant.
Microsoft takes Office into the 'cloud' (Update)
Microsoft took its Office software into the Internet "cloud" on Tuesday, moving the suite of popular business tools online amid budding competition from Google's Web-based products.
VoltAir shows off electricity powered plane concept at Paris Air Show that is slated for 2035
(PhysOrg.com) -- EADS is looking to release an entirely electricity powered plane by the year 2035. The plane, which has been dubbed the VoltAir, was shown off at the Paris Air Show, which took place last week. The Paris Air Show is one of the largest aviation shows in the world.
Google goes social with Facebook rival (Update)
Google, the king of Internet search but a bust on the social front, launched its rival to Facebook on Tuesday, a social networking service called Google+.
Medicine & Health news
Study finds mammography screening reduces breast cancer mortality
Breast cancer screening with mammography results in a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality, according to long-term follow-up results of a large-scale Swedish trial. The results are published online in the journal Radiology.
CT angiography improves detection of heart disease in African-Americans
Researchers may have discovered one reason that African Americans are at increased risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.
Russia to resume buying Dutch, Belgian vegetables
(AP) -- Russia is ending a blanket ban on vegetable imports from the European Union put in place over fears of E. coli infection, starting with the Netherlands and Belgium, the nation's top consumer rights watchdog said Tuesday.
First joint ESC/EAS guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), driven by the global pandemics of obesity and diabetes, poses a daunting challenge to clinicians in the 21st century. Despite progress, there is still much to be done to improve the control of dyslipidaemia, a key risk factor. In Europe, as many as one-half of patients are inadequately treated.1,2 The first European guidelines specifically focused on managing dyslipidaemias offer new hope.3,4 Experts from the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) worked together to develop these guidelines. The aim was to keep pace with emerging data and provide up to date treatment advice for a wide range of dyslipidaemias, including diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Children's hay fever relieved by cellulose power without adverse effects
A cellulose powder has been used increasingly for many years against allergic rhinitis. Still, there has been a shortage of scientific evidence for its efficacy in seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever), particularly in children. Now, however, scientists from the Sahlgrenska Academy and the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg have proven that the cellulose powder reduces symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in children, without any adverse effects.
New measurement important complement to GI
Many people are careful to follow a low glycemic index (GI) diet. However, the glycemic index concept has some shortcomings, in the view of one young researcher, who has developed a complementary method, "glycemic profile," or GP. The findings were recently published in Nutrition Journal.
Exercise produces positive effects on the intervertebral discs
Physical exercise has a positive effect on the formation of cells in the intervertebral discs. This is shown by a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS), which is currently taking place in Gothenburg.
The good, the bad and the ugly: The many roles of c-JUN in cancer
The process of cell division is tightly regulated, as mistakes may lead to cancer. The so-called c-JUN protein has been fingered as causing tumors in both skin and liver. The group of Veronika Sexl at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, has now uncovered a surprising detail with the discovery an additional function of c-JUN's also prevents silencing of an important anti-tumor factor. The results have recently been published in the open-access journal Oncotarget.
Lack of empathy following traumatic brain injury linked to reduced responsiveness to anger
Egocentric, self-centred, and insensitive to the needs of others: these social problems often arise in people with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have been attributed in part to a loss of emotional empathy, the capacity to recognise and understand the emotions of other people. Given that traumatic brain injuries are becoming more common, and resulting empathy deficits can have negative repercussions on social functioning and quality of life, it is increasingly important to understand the processes that shape emotional empathy. A new study has recently revealed evidence of a relationship between physiological responses to anger and a reduction of emotional empathy post-injury, as reported in the May 2011 issue of Cortex.
Team approach reduces urinary tract infections in rehab patients
Nurses, occupational and physical therapists, case managers and education staff, all working together at a 300-bed Nebraska rehabilitation hospital, have successfully implemented a team approach to dramatically reduce infections from urinary catheters, the most prevalent type of infection acquired in healthcare settings.
Intensive, hands-on effort reduces bloodstream infections in critically ill patients
Nurses on a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) at a large academic medical center cut bloodstream infections to zero and saved more than $200,000 during a six-month period.
Effects of Asperger's syndrome noticeable in babies
People with Asperger syndrome have problems with social interaction and attentiveness, and are also sensitive to noise and light. Several of these characteristics were evident to parents during their child's first two years, reveals Petra Dewrang's thesis in psychology at the University of Gothenburg.
P7 protein resistance mutations identified; represent drug targets for hepatitis C virus
British researchers have identified specific resistance mutations for two classes of p7 inhibitor, which may explain their lack of effectiveness in clinical trials combined with current standard of care. Study results support the role of p7 inhibitor combinations as potential components of future HCV-specific therapies and are available in the July issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Intensive care nurses have doubts about method for establishing brain death
More than half of Sweden's intensive care nurses doubt that a clinical neurological examination can establish that a patient is brain dead. Intensive care nurses also perceive that this uncertainty can affect relatives when the question of organ donation is raised, is reveiled in a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Serum-free cultures help transplanted MSCs improve efficacy
Mensenchymal stem cells (MSCs), multipotent cells identified in bone marrow and other tissues, have been shown to be therapeutically effective in the immunosuppression of T-cells, the regeneration of blood vessels, assisting in skin wound healing, and suppressing chronic airway inflammation in some asthma cases. Typically, when MSCs are being prepared for therapeutic applications, they are cultured in fetal bovine serum.
Breast cancer treatment shows benefit for women with small, localized disease
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center physician-scientists report that women with small, node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer may obtain a significant benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin), a drug previously shown to improve outcomes in advanced cancer and prevent the return of cancer in women diagnosed with higher-risk, early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer. This study appears online in the journal Cancer, and will be published in a future print edition.
Study of interaction between mouth movements and perceptions
Anyone who takes a mouthful of food notices straightaway how solid or liquid it is. If the teeth and tongue then go to work on this mouthful, you will notice attributes such as whether the food is fatty or creamy or how quickly it melts. There are also food properties that you only really notice after the food has been swallowed; that is when the aromas find their way to the nose. In other words, you perceive different sensations in various stages of the chewing process.
AIDS drug supplies dwindling in Swaziland
(AP) -- Cash-strapped Swaziland's state hospitals have only two months' supplies of AIDS drugs, the country's health minister has told parliament in an assessment that AIDS patients and activists took as a death sentence.
Improved stepladder design may decrease injuries
Stepladders, a household product used by thousands of people every day, are a surprisingly common cause of injury. In 2009, more than 187,000 Americans visited the hospital after sustaining stepladder injuries, many of which resulted from a fall. A recent human factors/ergonomics study explores how improved design and user behavior can decrease the likelihood of future accidents.
Coordinated system helps heart attack patients get treatment faster
Coordinating care among emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital systems significantly reduced the time to transfer heart attack patients to hospitals providing emergency coronary angioplasty, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.
ASU bioengineers will expand work to solve cardiovascular health challenges
Biomedical research at Arizona State University will be boosted with support from the American Heart Association for the work of three bioengineers.
Landmark editorial denounces 'poor publication practices' in spine research
Loyola University Hospital spine surgeon Dr. Alexander Ghanayem is co-author of a landmark editorial challenging the integrity of published industry-sponsored research involving a bone-growth product.
Religion benefits traumatic brain injury victims, research finds
Brigid Waldron-Perrine, Ph.D., a recent graduate from Wayne State University, and her mentor, Lisa J. Rapport, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, found that if traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims feel close to a higher power, it can help them rehabilitate. The study was recently published in Rehabilitation Psychology.
Stepped-up vaccine series for hepatitis B is effective during pregnancy
UT Southwestern Medical Center maternal-fetal specialists have confirmed a potential new protocol to protect pregnant women who are at risk for hepatitis B, a health problem that affects 2 billion people worldwide.
Safety issue revealed as 1 in 20 Australian workers admits to drinking at work
A national survey has found that more than one in twenty Australian workers report using alcohol while at work or just before work, and more than one in fifty report taking drugs during or just before work. These findings, published online today in the journal Addiction, have implications for workplace safety.
Botox to iron out Australian asthma wrinkles
It is more celebrity than respiratory, but botox could prove a breath of fresh air for asthmatics if an Australian trial of the toxin launched Tuesday is successful.
'Do Life' urges Americans to turn things around
Can a blog by an overweight, depressed American introvert who reinvented himself as an Ironman and public speaker start a grassroots campaign that leads to lasting lifestyle changes in a country known for excess?
Dietary advice improves blood sugar control for recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients
(Medical Xpress) -- New research from academics at the University of Bristol shows that, in patients with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes, 6.5 hours of additional dietary advice sessions leads to improvement in blood sugar control compared with patients who receive usual care. However, increased activity conferred no additional benefit when combined with the diet intervention.
Health risk from solvent use by lab technicians
(Medical Xpress) -- Exposure to solvents by medical laboratory workers may be a health risk according to a new study from the University of Otago, Wellington just published in The Journal of Rheumatology.
Can soda tax curb obesity?
(Medical Xpress) -- To many, a tax on soda is a no-brainer in advancing the nation’s war on obesity. Advocates point to a number of studies in recent years that conclude that sugary drinks have a lot to do with why Americans are getting fatter.
Case of mistaken identity: Study questions role of A-beta molecules in Alzheimer's disease pathology
Increasingly, researchers are suggesting that amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles may be relatively late manifestations in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Identifying earlier events in the development of AD remains a challenge. The laboratory of Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD, director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was the first, in 1993, to demonstrate unequivocally the presence of A-beta peptides -- a hallmark of AD -- inside neurons. But their role in Alzheimer's disease remained unclear.
Money and mimicry
(Medical Xpress) -- We rely on money in our day-to-day life and it is constantly in our minds. After all, money makes the world go round, doesn’t it? Now, a new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, tries to better understand the psychological effect of money and how it affects our behavior, feelings and emotions.
Why does a baby strike out in anger? A study looks at the family risks
(Medical Xpress) -- A baby is set on the floor to play with other babies and she yanks a toy away from a playmate or shoves him in frustration or anger.
Mood and experience: Life comes at you
(Medical Xpress) -- Living through weddings or divorces, job losses and children’s triumphs, we sometimes feel better and sometimes feel worse. But, psychologists observe, we tend to drift back to a “set point”—a stable resting point, or baseline, in the mind’s level of contentment or unease.
Giving patients a choice of health interventions improves outcomes for those at risk of developing diabetes
(Medical Xpress) -- Allowing those at the highest risk of developing diabetes to select the lifestyle intervention that will benefit them offers the best results in well-being and functionality when compared to other methods.
Recipe for safe food: Clean, cook, chill, separate
(AP) -- Clean. Cook. Chill. Separate. That's the message of a new U.S. government campaign to raise awareness of safe food handling in the wake of a European E. coli outbreak that has killed almost 50 people.
Roche appeals FDA move against cancer drug Avastin
The Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday begins a two-day appeal asking the US Food and Drug Administration to allow the top-selling drug Avastin to be used for breast cancer.
Vitamin D supplements found to be safe for healthy pregnant women
Use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy has long been a matter of concern but now researchers writing in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research report that even a high supplementation amount in healthy pregnant women was safe and effective in raising circulating vitamin D to a level thought by some to be optimal. The study also found no adverse effects of vitamin D supplementation, even at the highest amount, in women or their newborns.
Will new drugs block hepatitis C virus in its tracks?
Targeted multi-drug treatments for hepatitis C patients that could stop the virus in its tracks have come a step closer, thanks to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK.
Cedars-Sinai surgeon shows simple cotton swab slashes
A simple item found in almost every medicine cabinet – a cotton swab -- may be a key tool in the fight against post-surgical wound infections.
New study shows children and adolescents who eat candy are less overweight or obese
Children and adolescents who eat candy tend to weigh less than their non-consuming counterparts, according to a new study published in Food & Nutrition Research, a peer-reviewed journal.
To walk or not to walk? That is the question
Canadians aren't the only people concerned with weather, eh? A new study from McGill and Concordia universities observed pedestrians in nine cities around the world and found people are less likely to walk when temperatures dip below zero, when there's too much rain or too much snow. Published in the journal Environment and Behavior, the study was conducted over 170 days from late fall to early summer.
Gene variant increases fatty liver risk and fibrosis progression
New research confirms that a variant on the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene increases risk of steatosis and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The PNPLA3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs 738409 may represent an important genetic predictor and potential therapeutic target in chronic HCV liver damage. Study details are published in the July issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Student team invents device to cut dialysis risk
Johns Hopkins University graduate students have invented a device to reduce the risk of infection, clotting and narrowing of the blood vessels in patients who need blood-cleansing dialysis because of kidney failure.
Fertility rates affected by global economic crisis
The global economic recession of 2008-09 has been followed by a decline in fertility rates in Europe and the United States, bringing to an end the first concerted rise in fertility rates in the developed world since the 1960s, according to research published today.
Fidgeting your way to fitness
Walking to the photocopier and fidgeting at your desk are contributing more to your cardiorespiratory fitness than you might think.
New procedure treats atrial fibrillation
Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are performing a new procedure to treat atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat.
Premature babies risk mental health problems, say experts
(Medical Xpress) -- Premature or low birthweight babies are more than three times more likely to suffer from anxiety and mood disorders in adolescence than full-term infants, according to psychologists at the University of Birmingham.
New option for patients with untreatable, non-perative heart condition
(Medical Xpress) -- An innovative approach for implanting a new aortic heart valve without open-heart surgery is being offered at Rush University Medical Center to patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high-risk or not suitable candidates for open heart valve replacement surgery.
Genome editing improves blood clotting in mice with hemophilia B
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists have used a gene therapy tool that acts like intelligent molecular scissors to correct the key gene defect in mice with hemophilia B, a disease that can lead to uncontrolled bleeding. The intervention improved the animals’ blood clotting enough that their severe disease was reduced to a mild form.
Patients treated with sunitinib and sorafenib respond to flu vaccine
Patients treated with sunitinib and sorafenib responded to the flu vaccine, which suggests the agents do not damage the immune system as much as previously feared, according to a study in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Blame game doesn't help obese patients, researchers find
Doctors should be more understanding when it comes to obese patients and their lack of success, according to a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center obesity researchers.
Sweden detects E. coli case not linked to Germany
Swedish health authorities said Tuesday they had detected a case of infection with the E. coli strain that caused a deadly outbreak in Germany, in a man who had not been to that country.
Salmonella-tainted sprouts sicken 21 in US
An outbreak of salmonella poisoning in salad sprouts has sickened 21 people in the United States but is not connected to the German E. coli outbreak, health authorities said Tuesday.
Finding could lead to reduced side effects in anti-cancer antibiotics
Most of us have had a doctor prescribe an antibiotic for a stubborn bacterial infection, or for a cut that gets infected. However, prescribing an antibiotic to fight cancer? In fact, anti-cancer antibiotics have been used since the 1950s to successfully treat several forms of cancer, but often the side effects limit the duration they can be given to a patient.
International team explores the stigma surrounding abortion
An international team of researchers says abortion stigma is under-researched, under theorized and over emphasized in one category: women who've had abortions. As a result, they're launching a new direction into research that explores the social stigma surrounding abortion.
MS-like disease discovered in monkeys
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a naturally occurring disease in monkeys that is very much like multiple sclerosis in humans -- a discovery that could have a major impact on efforts to understand the cause of multiple sclerosis.
Researchers develop new gene therapy for heart failure
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found in a Phase II trial that a gene therapy developed at Mount Sinai stabilized or improved cardiac function in people with severe heart failure. Patients receiving a high dose of the therapy, called SERCA2a, experienced substantial clinical benefit and significantly reduced cardiovascular hospitalizations, addressing a critical unmet need in this population. The data are published online in the June 27 issue of the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
Optogenetics researcher develops wireless brain stimulator
(Medical Xpress) -- In a major step forward in optogenetics, MIT researcher Christian Wentz has developed a sort of wireless hat that can be used to transmit light to photo sensitized cells in the brain, thus stimulating them to fire when struck by light, or to cease firing, whichever has been programmed for. Previously such optical therapies were done by connecting a light source to a cable or tether to deliver the power for the light sources (lasers or LEDs); now as described in a paper he and his colleagues have published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, a transmitter can be used to create a magnetic field, which in turn is converted to electricity in a tiny hat placed atop a mouse’s head, that is then used to power the implanted light sources.
Chemical produced in pancreas prevented and reversed diabetes in mice
A chemical produced by the same cells that make insulin in the pancreas prevented and even reversed Type 1 diabetes in mice, researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found.
Scientists describe new protein's role in immune response to pathogens
The human immune system is a double-edged sword. While it is finely adapted to fighting potentially deadly viruses, such as the H1N1 influenza, the mechanisms it uses to fight pathogens can have negative effects such as inflammatory disorders or autoimmune diseases.
Hammacher Schlemmer releases $8000 Elliptical Machine Office Desk set
(Medical Xpress) -- It is no surprise that an exercise regimen of sitting at your desk and typing is not one that will help you to shed those pounds. At least not if you only have a standard office chair to sit on. Sure, you can get to the gym but most days the amount of time you spend sedentary is not a healthy thing.
Sweating the small stuff: Early adversity, prior depression linked to high sensitivity to stress
We all know people who are able to roll with life's punches, while for others, every misfortune is a jab straight to the gut. Research examining this issue has found that although most people require significant adversity to become depressed — the death of a loved one, say, or getting fired — roughly 30 percent of people with first-time depression and 60 percent of people with a history of depression develop the disorder following relatively minor misfortunes. But no one knew why.
Scientists discover new molecular pathway involved in wound-healing and temperature sensation
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have identified a surprising new molecular pathway in skin cells that is involved in wound-healing and sensory communication.
HIV disrupts blood-brain barrier
HIV weakens the blood-brain barrier — a network of blood vessels that keeps potentially harmful chemicals and toxins out of the brain — by overtaking a small group of supporting brain cells, according to a new study in the June 29 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings may help explain why some people living with HIV experience neurological complications, despite the benefits of modern drug regimens that keep them living longer.
Biology news
Producing cold-tolerant oats for autumn sowing in Sweden
Oat is the sixth most important cereal in the world. Traditionally it has been used for feed, but it's importance as a food crop is steadily growing due to it's unique health beneficial properties. Unfortunately, oat cannot be grown as a winter crop in Sweden. To remedy this, researchers at the University of Gothenburg are now in the process to develop new, more cold-tolerant winter oat varieties.
Automated cell tracker software saves weeks of image data analysis
An Australian-developed software tool that dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes cell biologists to analyse the results of their experiments was unveiled today at Bio2011, the largest global event for the biotechnology industry.
New genome assembly tool brings complex DNA research to the desktop
Genome assembly, the construction of DNA sequences from sample sequences, has received a boost with the release of Gossamer, a tool which allows researchers to assemble DNA fragments using cheap commodity computers rather than supercomputers.
Conservation of genetic structure in lake salmonids affected by hydropower regulation, release of fish and hybrids
The negative effects of releasing fish and the possible fragmentation of natural fish stocks in connection with hydropower regulations may be fewer than at first feared.
Butterfly data to help guide restoration work
(PhysOrg.com) -- “Butterflies are Free,” so the old song and movie title says, but thanks to researchers at UALR’s Department of Biology in the College of Science and Mathematics, they also are being tracked.
Asian 'megapest' is chomping up US orchards
A stink bug from Asia is chomping up US vegetable fields, orchards and vineyards, causing experts to scramble through an arsenal of weapons to try and halt this stealthy, smelly predator.
Does grilling kill E. coli O157:H7?
Top sirloin steaks have been getting a grilling in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety studies. USDA microbiologist John B. Luchansky and his colleagues are conducting experiments to help make sure that neither the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 nor any of its pathogenic relatives will ruin the pleasure of eating this popular entree.
New method for imaging molecules inside cells
Using a new sample holder, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have further developed a new method for imaging individual cells. This makes it possible to produce snapshots that not only show the outline of the cell's contours but also the various molecules inside or on the surface of the cell, and exactly where they are located, something which is impossible with a normal microscope.
Insight into plant behavior could aid quest for efficient biofuels
Tiny seawater algae could hold the key to crops as a source of fuel and plants that can adapt to changing climates.
Elephant numbers halved
(PhysOrg.com) -- Half the elephants from West and Central African savannahs have vanished in the past 40 years, scientists report in PLoS One.
Rockin' tortoises: A 150-year-old new species
A team of researchers investigated a desert tortoise from the Southwest USA and northwestern Mexico. What was thought to be a simple problem in species identification turned out to be a very complex matter. Their investigations required forensic genetics and several other methods. In the end, they found it necessary to describe a new species. More than that, the discovery has very important implications for conservation and the development of the deserts of southern California.
Are fish much smarter than we think?
Fish are not renowned for their smarts, but new evidence suggests that they may even be able to use simple tools.
A lack of structure facilitates protein synthesis
Having an easily accessible starting point on messenger RNA increases protein formation, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam have discovered.
The smell of danger: Rodent olfaction and the chemistry of instinct
The mechanics of instinctive behavior are mysterious. Even something as simple as the question of how a mouse can use its powerful sense of smell to detect and evade predators, including species it has never met before, has been almost totally unknown at the molecular level until now.
Gene flow may help plants adapt to climate change
The traffic of genes among populations may help living things better adapt to climate change, especially when genes flow among groups most affected by warming, according to a UC Davis study of the Sierra Nevada cutleaved monkeyflower. The results were published online June 27 by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Finches use their own form of grammar in their tweets
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Kyoto in Japan have discovered that the tweets of Bengalese finches follow a set of grammatical patterns and rules.
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