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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for June 29, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Physicists seek to quantify macroscopic quantum states- How do electrons become entangled?
- Astronomers find universe's most distant quasar (w/ video)
- New fossils demonstrate that powerful eyes evolved in a twinkling (w/ video)
- Northwestern research team turns theory of static electricity on its head
- 'Odd couple' binary makes dual gamma-ray flares
- 'Optogenetics' used to control reward-seeking behavior
- The math of the Rubik's cube
- At small scales, tug-of-war between electrons can lead to magnetism under surprising circumstances
- Fungus farming ant genome reveals insight into adaptation of social behavior
- Acer's Iconia tablet rivals iPad in price, but not much else
- Sequence of ovarian genome identifies predominant gene mutations, points to possible treatment
- Researchers identify HIV-inhibiting mechanism
- Just rewards: Study of children challenges economists' notions of rational behavior
- Cutting fishing could buy time for coral reefs
Space & Earth news
Towns near NM fire, nuclear lab wary of smoke
(AP) -- Residents downwind of a wildfire that is threatening the nation's premier nuclear-weapons laboratory are worried about the potential of a radioactive smoke plume if the flames reach thousands of barrels of waste stored in above-ground tents.
NASA aircraft to study air pollution
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two NASA research aircraft will fly over the Baltimore-Washington area of northeastern Maryland through July as part of a mission to enhance the measurement of ground-level air quality from space.
European research effort improves understanding of impacts of aerosols on climate
Atmospheric aerosol particles (otherwise known as Particulate Matter) have been masking the true rate of greenhouse gas induced global warming during the industrial period. New investigations show that the aerosol cooling effect will be strongly reduced by 2030, as air pollution abatements are implemented worldwide and the presently available advanced control technologies are utilized. These actions would increase the global mean temperature by ca. 1 degree Celsius. This is one of the main research outcomes of the recently concluded EU EUCAARI (European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interaction) project.
Airplane deployed to monitor air over NM fire
(AP) -- The government sent a plane equipped with radiation monitors over the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory Wednesday as a 110-square-mile wildfire burned at its doorstep, putting thousands of scientific experiments on hold for days.
Experts warn epic weather ravaging US could worsen
Epic floods, massive wildfires, drought and the deadliest tornado season in 60 years are ravaging the United States, with scientists warning that climate change will bring even more extreme weather.
First ARTEMIS spacecraft successfully enters lunar orbit
(PhysOrg.com) -- The first of two ARTEMIS ("Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun") spacecraft is now in its lunar orbit.
GOES-13 satellite movie shows how Tropical Storm Arlene formed
Have you ever seen a low pressure area develop into a full-fledged tropical storm? The GOES-13 satellite has and now you can see it in a new animation released today from NASA and NOAA.
Recycling: A new source of indispensible 'rare earth' materials mined mainly in China
That axiom of sustainability -- "recycle and reuse" -- could help ease concerns about a reliable supply of substances, indispensible for a modern technological society, that are produced almost exclusively in the Peoples' Republic of China. That's the conclusion of a study on these so-called "rare earth" elements in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Hawaiian hotspot variability attributed to small-scale convection
Small scale convection at the base of the Pacific plate has been simulated in a model of mantle plume dynamics, enabling reasearchers to explain the complex set of observations at the Hawaiian hotspot, according to a new study posted online in the June 26th edition of Nature Geoscience.
Urban rail reduces carbon monoxide air pollution
The opening of a major urban rail system in Taiwan caused a meaningful reduction in air pollution, according to a forthcoming study by two professors at the University of California, Merced.
3D galaxies -- coming straight on for you
As we've recently learned, the ATLAS3D project was able to study 260 individual galaxies and do some very amazing things. By imaging in both red and blue shift, astronomers were able to take stellar measurements and give us a clear picture of galaxy rotation. But looking at a computer generated image gives a picture just like you reading the text in this article – no dimension. By superimposing the velocity of the stars over the plane of the image, a new breakthrough in simulation can be made. And it’s coming straight on for you…
Honing in on landing site for new Mars Rover
NASA's new Mars probe, a $2.5 billion, nuclear-powered rover the size of a small car, is at the Florida launch site being prepared for its nine-month journey to the red planet, with one key issue still unresolved -- where to land.
GOES satellites see ash still spewing from Chilean volcano
The Puyehue-Cordón volcano in Chile continues to spew ash that is still disrupting travel as far as Australia and New Zealand this week. A new animation of satellite imagery just released from the NASA/NOAA GOES Project shows the ash spewing from the volcano.
Scientists study earthquake triggers in Pacific ocean
(PhysOrg.com) -- New samples of rock and sediment from the depths of the eastern Pacific Ocean may help explain the cause of large, destructive earthquakes similar to the Tohoku Earthquake that struck Japan in mid-March.
Cutting fishing could buy time for coral reefs
Stopping people fishing around Caribbean coral reefs by designating them legally protected marine reserves could help some of them survive the effects of a changing climate by more than 50 years.
A glitch in pulsar J1718-3718
Pulsars are noted as being some of the universe’s best clocks. Their highly magnetized nature gives rise to beams of high energy radiation that sweep out across the universe. If these beams pass Earth, they can rival atomic clocks in their precision. So precise are these timings, that the first extrasolar planet was discovered through the effects it had on this heartbeat. But in September of 2007, pulsar J1718-3719 appears to have had a seizure.
Astronomers find universe's most distant quasar (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of European astronomers has used ESO’s Very Large Telescope and a host of other telescopes to discover and study the most distant quasar found to date. This brilliant beacon, powered by a black hole with a mass two billion times that of the Sun, is by far the brightest object yet discovered in the early Universe. The results will appear in the 30 June 2011 issue of the journal Nature.
'Odd couple' binary makes dual gamma-ray flares
(PhysOrg.com) -- In December 2010, a pair of mismatched stars in the southern constellation Crux whisked past each other at a distance closer than Venus orbits the sun. The system possesses a so-far unique blend of a hot and massive star with a compact fast-spinning pulsar. The pair's closest encounters occur every 3.4 years and each is marked by a sharp increase in gamma rays, the most extreme form of light.
Technology news
Co-founder Biz Stone leaving Twitter
(AP) -- Isaac "Biz" Stone is moving on from Twitter, just five years after co-founding the microblogging site that has become integral to the social media scene around the globe.
Israeli innovators build new 'Silicon Valley'
With a concentration of start-ups just behind that of Silicon Valley and an impressive pool of engineers, Israel is becoming the new standard for high-tech, with a unique business model.
Game maker Zynga to file for IPO: reports
Online game creator Zynga plans to file for an initial public offering shortly, in a new test of US investors' appetites for Internet companies, media reports said on Tuesday.
Groupon reveals security breach in India
The Indian subsidiary of online deals giant Groupon has accidentally published email addresses and passwords from its subscriber database, the company and reports said Wednesday.
South Korea to open cyber warfare school
South Korea's military will create a cyber warfare school to help combat growing Internet attacks from North Korea, an official said Wednesday.
Hewlett Packard announces China expansion plans
US computer maker Hewlett Packard on Wednesday announced wide-ranging plans to expand in China, with a string of research centres and manufacturing facilities in several Chinese cities.
Mobile pay start-up Square valued at $1 bln: report
A group of investors plan to buy a stake in Square that would value the mobile payment start-up at $1 billion even as it competes with much larger rivals, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Red-letter day for ailing photo pioneer?
(AP) -- Innovation turned Eastman Kodak Co. into one of the world's most recognizable brands. Imitation by its rivals might help keep the picture-taking pioneer from fading into history.
Sony names Andrew House as head of games unit
(AP) -- Still reeling from a series of high-profile hacker attacks, Sony has named Andrew House as the president and group CEO of its video game unit, Sony Computer Entertainment.
OECD forum stands by 'light touch' on Internet regulation
Key players in the Internet world stressed that the "light touch" approach to regulation, along with a free flow of information remained vital to life on the web, the OECD said on Wednesday after a two-day meeting.
IBM study identifies new generation of connected health devices
Consumers have a growing appetite for health and wellness devices, and this represents a burgeoning market opportunity for device manufacturers that has barely been tapped, according to a study from IBM. The company also unveiled a list of possible wellness device innovations of the future, which have the potential to change how people live, exercise and interact with their healthcare provider over the next five years.
Student pursues breakthrough in supercomputing
A Northeastern University undergraduate is leading the development of a new process that will make it possible for certain supercomputers to save their data midway through a computation, preventing the loss of progress due to a computer crash or bug that would otherwise require the machine to be restarted from the beginning.
Major online poker room ordered to halt operations
One of the largest online poker rooms, Full Tilt Poker, was ordered Wednesday to immediately halt operations by authorities on the Channel Island of Alderney, where it is registered, the regulator said.
Sony backs US cybersecurity legislation
Japan's Sony Corp., victim of one of the largest data breaches in history, voiced support on Wednesday for cybersecurity legislation being considered by the US Congress.
News Corp sells MySpace for $35M mostly in stock (Update)
(AP) -- News Corp. has sold struggling social networking site MySpace for $35 million, mostly in stock, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal values MySpace at a fraction of what News Corp. paid for the site six years ago, and paves the way for large scale layoffs and an uncertain future.
NY man who claims Facebook stake gets new lawyer
(AP) -- A New York man suing Mark Zuckerberg for a stake in Facebook has changed attorneys as the multibillion-dollar social media company pushes for access to a contract and emails that form the basis of his case - documents that Zuckerberg's attorneys call fakes.
China's army develops 'online war game'
After setting up its own cyber-warfare team, China's military has now developed its first online war game aimed at improving combat skills and battle awareness, state press said Wednesday.
'Sensing skin' could monitor the health of concrete infrastructure continually and inexpensively
In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) assigned the grade "D" to the overall quality of infrastructure in the U.S. and said that ongoing evaluation and maintenance of structures was one of five key areas necessary for improving that grade. Since that time, federal stimulus funds have made it possible for communities to repair some infrastructure, but the field of high-tech, affordable methods for the continual monitoring of structures remains in its infancy. Instead, most evaluation of bridges, dams, schools and other structures is still done by visual inspection, which is slow, expensive, cumbersome and in some cases, dangerous.
Blue Jeans Network makes video calls a casual fit
Well-funded start-up Blue Jeans Network (BJN) came out of stealth mode on Wednesday with a service intended to make video conferences as common as telephone calls.
New network solution from On-Ramp allows for limited long distance WiFi
(PhysOrg.com) -- Recognizing the need for long distance WiFi, even at the expense of bandwidth, On-Ramp Wireless has unveiled a product capable of delivering WiFi up to 45 miles in an un-obscured environment. Though only capable of sending less than 5 bits of data per second, On-Ramp chief technology officer, Ted Myers says that’s not the point; he says the company's new technology, called Ultra-Link Processing, is intended for applications that don’t need much bandwidth but could benefit from long distance wireless communications.
New smartphone app automatically tags photos
So much for tagging photographs with names, locations and activities yourself – a new cell phone application can take care of that for you.
iOnRoad: An augmented reality app that makes driving safer
(PhysOrg.com) -- Picitup, an Israeli technology company founded in 2007, has announced the launch of a new product, the iOnRoad that is designed to help end users to become aware of future dangers in the road, increasing possible response times and hopefully helping drivers to make better decisions.
iOS still safer than Android, according to Symantec report
(PhysOrg.com) -- Since the Android OS came out people have been comparing it to the iOS. One of the most important debates has been about the relative security of the two operating systems. The iOS is rather closed, with each of its apps needs to be vetted before it is released and the OS only coming from one vendor. Comparatively, the Android-based devices are a lot more open. Anyone can submit at app and have it included in the directory without vetting and many device makers use the Android OS.
Facebook hires iPhone, PS3 hacker 'Geohot'
Facebook confirmed on Wednesday that it has hired George Hotz, a celebrated hacker known as "GeoHot" who was sued by Sony for hacking the Japanese company's PlayStation 3 game console.
Battle brewing over control of personal data online
Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Facebook Inc. and other Internet companies have made billions of dollars tracking people's online movements and using that data to target advertising based on their prediction of what a person might want to buy.
Medicine & Health news
Alcohol blamed for high suicide rates in Northern Ireland
Alcohol and drugs are fuelling homicide and suicide rates in Northern Ireland, a new independent report by University of Manchester researchers has found, with alcohol appearing to be a key factor for the country's higher suicide rates, including among mental health patients, compared to England and Wales.
Parental behavior regarding alcohol is a heavy influence on American Indian teenagers, study says
Urban American Indian teenagers with alcoholic parents perceive their parents to be less restrictive about drinking and tend to face more alcohol-related problems at age 18, according to a new study by Colorado State University’s Tri-Ethnic Center. The study recently was published in the The American Journal on Addictions, a peer-reviewed journal.
Georgia residents: Investment in global health research is vital to state's economy
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Georgia residents think spending money on research to improve health globally is important for economic development in Georgia, according to a new statewide poll commissioned by Research!America.
Osteoarthritis incidence significantly higher among US military personnel
New research shows significantly higher osteoarthritis (OA) incidence rates in military populations than among comparable age groups in the general population. The magnitude of the difference in OA rates between military service members and the general population also increased with advancing age category. Black service members had higher OA rates than white military personnel or those in other race categories according to the study findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Rutgers study: Third of N.J. immigrant children, many adult newcomers lack health insurance
One-third of immigrant children and more than 70 percent of foreign-born, nonelderly adults living in New Jersey five years or less lack health coverage, a Rutgers statewide survey finds.
Men play post-op catch-up
Although women generally have worse knee function and more severe symptoms before undergoing surgery for knee replacement than men, they recover faster after the operation. Men take longer to recover but, after a year, they catch up with women and there are no differences in surgery outcomes at that time. These findings by Thoralf Liebs, from Hassenpflug University of the Schleswig-Holstein Medical Center in Germany, and colleagues, are published online in Springer's journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Diabetes drug may prevent or delay development of polycystic ovary syndrome
A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that early, prolonged treatment with the diabetes drug metformin may prevent or delay the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescence.
IOM report calls for cultural transformation of attitudes toward pain and its prevention and management
Every year, at least 116 million adult Americans experience chronic pain, a condition that costs the nation between $560 billion and $635 billion annually, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Much of this pain is preventable or could be better managed, added the committee that wrote the report.
Majority of Americans think they pay more toward social security and medicare than they do
According to a newly released Stony Brook Poll conducted in association with Left Right Research, a Long Island based Marketing Research supplier, more than 81 percent of approximately 7,000 people surveyed believe that they had contributed enough to Social Security to support themselves in retirement, or more than they will receive during their lifetime. The numbers were similar for Medicare; nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed believed that their total contribution to Medicare would carry them through their retirement years.
Latest guide on child and adolescent psychiatry
Chicago --- The 4th edition of the Concise Guide to Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, written by Children's Memorial Hospital's psychiatrists, Mina Dulcan, MD, and Mary Beth Lake, MD., was published in July by American Psychiatric Publishing. Dulcan is department head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children's Memorial and professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Lake is a child psychiatrist at Children's Memorial and associate professor at Feinberg School of Medicine.
Girl's Puberty Book Project provides an international model for promoting female health in Africa
The onset of puberty is a critical moment for reaching girls with health messages and information, and the stakes are particularly high in countries where the HIV/AIDS epidemic rages and where threats to female reproductive health abound. Yet to date, the healthcare community in low-resource countries has tended to neglect this opportunity and instead concentrate efforts on young women who are older and of reproductive age.
Study raises concern over 'unintended consequences' of GP reward scheme
Improvements in quality of care associated with the GP pay for performance scheme in the UK appear to have been achieved at the expense of small detrimental effects on non-incentivised aspects of care, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Obesity is a killer in nonsmoking women
Obesity is an important contributor to premature death in women who have never smoked, especially among women in low income groups, finds research published in the British Medical Journal today.
Who's happy? How long we look at happy faces is in our genes
Though we all depend on reading people's faces, each of us sees others' faces a bit differently. Some of us may gaze deeply into another's eyes, while others seem more reserved. At one end of this spectrum people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) look less at other people's faces, and have trouble understanding others people's feelings. New research published in BioMed Central's open-access journal Molecular Autism has found variations of the cannabinoid receptor (CNR1) gene that alter the amount of time people spend looking at happy faces.
Public prefers limited informed consent process for biobanks
Biobanks are repositories for tissue samples, usually in the form of blood or saliva or leftover tissue from surgical procedures. These samples are collected and used for future research, including genetic research. They may be linked to personal health information regarding the sample donor. People who are eligible to donate these samples and researchers who want to use them face important questions with respect to whether and how informed consent should be obtained for sample and health information collection and use.
What's the psychological effect of violent video games on children?
(Medical Xpress) -- This week, the United States Supreme Court overturned a California law banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. But can a child’s behavior be directly influenced by playing a violent video game? On balance, psychological scientists think so.
New research reveals extent of family and sibling bullying
Children who are slapped and shouted at by their parents are more likely to bully their brothers and sisters. Findings from 'Understanding Society', a study of 40,000 UK households funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, reveals a significant link between parental behaviour and the prevalence of bullying in the home, regardless of the parents’ wealth or how educated they are.
Culture influences people's response to climate change
(Medical Xpress) -- How people choose to consume resources and use contraception influences their responses to climate change, according to a team of psychologists.
Dyslexia linked to difficulties in perceiving rhythmic patterns in music
Children with dyslexia often find it difficult to count the number of syllables in spoken words or to determine whether words rhyme. These subtle difficulties are seen across languages with different writing systems and they indicate that the dyslexic brain has trouble processing the way that sounds in spoken language are structured. In a new study published in the June issue of Cortex, researchers at Cambridge have shown, using a music task, that this is linked to a broader difficulty in perceiving rhythmic patterns, or metrical structure.
Natural gases a therapy for heart disease?
Research carried out by scientists from the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter and the National University of Singapore has analysed the complex 'cross talk' between hydrogen sulphide (H2S ) and nitric oxide (NO), both gasses that occur naturally in the body, and found that the interaction may offer potential strategies in the management of heart failure.
Workplace mental health disability leave recurs sooner than physical health leave, study shows
The recurrence of an employee's medical leave of absence from work tends to happen much sooner with a mental health leave than a physical one, a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) study shows.
A war inside: Saving veterans from suicide
(Medical Xpress) -- An estimated 18 American military veterans take their own lives every day -- thousands each year -- and those numbers are steadily increasing. Even after weathering the stresses of military life and the terrors of combat, these soldiers find themselves overwhelmed by the transition back into civilian life. Many have already survived one suicide attempt, but never received the extra help and support they needed, with tragic results. A team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues found that veterans who are repeat suicide attempters suffer significantly greater mortality rates due to suicide compared to both military and civilian peers. The research was published this month in BMC Public Health.
Researchers look for ingredients of happiness around the world
In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that all humans seek to fulfill a hierarchy of needs, which he represented with a pyramid. The pyramid's base, which he believed must come first, signified basic needs (for food, sleep and sex, for example). Safety and security came next, in Maslow's view, then love and belonging, then esteem and, finally, at the pyramid's peak, a quality he called "self-actualization." Maslow wrote that people who have these needs fulfilled should be happier than those who don't.
Getting an accurate read on Parkinson's
Parkinson's Disease, brought to public awareness by figures such as Michael J. Fox, is not just difficult to diagnose. It's also difficult to accurately estimate how many people actually suffer from the disease. Current statistics come from small-scale studies, usually based on information from hospital clinics, and no registries or formal databases exist to track how many people have the disease.
New salmonella-based 'clean vaccines' aid the fight against infectious disease
A powerful new class of therapeutics, known as recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASV), holds great potential in the fight against fatal diseases including hepatitis B, tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid fever, AIDS and pneumonia.
Report: More than 100 million suffer lasting pain
(AP) -- At least 116 million U.S. adults experience long-lasting pain - the kind that lingers for weeks to months - and too often feel stigma rather than relief from a health care system poorly prepared to treat them, the Institute of Medicine said Wednesday.
Not senseless -- watching the brain relearning the sense of smell
Neural and biochemical processes that are affected by the loss of olfactory sensory perception are now being explored. These studies provide insight into the effects of the loss of smell on corresponding relevant brain areas. One such project, conducted with support from the Austrian Science Fund FWF, is studying the reasons behind this illness that, surprisingly, affects many people. In particular, the processes in individuals who learn to smell again after having lost this ability are being examined.
Understanding the link between HIV and dementia
(Medical Xpress) -- HIV can hide out in the brain, protected from the immune system and antiviral drugs, Dr. Lachlan Gray and his colleagues at Monash University and the Burnet Institute have found.
Survey finds 'staggeringly high rate of spanking' in North Carolina
A new survey finds that 30 percent of North Carolina mothers of children less than two years old say they have spanked their children in the last year.
Common spinal fusion product shown to be harmful
(Medical Xpress) -- The risk of complications associated with a bone growth factor commonly used in spinal fusion surgeries is estimated to be at least 10 to 50 times greater than previously reported in industry-sponsored studies, according to a comprehensive review published in The Spine Journal.
Size of baby in womb as an indicator of childhood asthma and allergies
(Medical Xpress) -- In a paper published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the University of Aberdeen team also found links between the rate an unborn baby grows and its chances of developing eczema and hayfever.
US appeals court upholds Obama's health care law
A US federal appeals court in Ohio upheld the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's controversial health care law Wednesday in the first rejection of several challenges at the appeals court level.
Blocking molecular target could make more cancers treatable with PARP inhibitors
BOSTON--Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have demonstrated a molecular strategy they say could make a much larger variety of tumors treatable with PARP inhibitors, a promising new class of cancer drugs.
Research finding suggests way to make bladder cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy
Researchers at the UC Davis Cancer Center have discovered a way of sensitizing muscle-invasive bladder cancer cells so that they succumb to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. The finding adds to mounting evidence that tiny strands of RNA — called microRNA — play key roles in some of the deadliest types of cancer.
US panel rejects Avastin for breast cancer use
An expert panel on Wednesday urged the US Food and Drug Administration to strip the Roche-made drug Avastin of its label for use against breast cancer because it is neither safe nor effective.
New therapy for childhood neuroblastoma proves feasible and safe
A new treatment option may soon be available for children with neuroblastoma according to research published in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The study tested the principle that combined positron emission tomography and X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) may be used to select children with primary refractory or relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma for treatment with a molecular radiotherapy known as 177Lu-DOTATATE. This therapeutic option was found to be viable option for children with neuroblastomas.
Screening with low-dose spiral CT scanning reduces lung cancer deaths by 20 percent
Current or heavy smokers who were screened with low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) scanning had a 20 percent reduction in deaths from lung cancer than did those who were screened by chest X-ray, according to results from a decade-long, large clinical trial that involved more than 53,000 people.
Lung cancer scans: False alarms amid lives saved
(AP) -- Full results of a big study that showed some smokers' lives could be saved by screening with lung scans now reveal more clearly what the risks are: There's a good chance of a false alarm.
Canada okays 'liberation therapy' trials
Canada will fund clinical trials for a controversial multiple sclerosis treatment that targets blocked neck veins, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced Wednesday.
Betting on good luck and 4-leaf clovers: Connection between impulsivity, superstitions
Research led by the University of Cambridge has found a link between impulsivity and flawed reasoning (such as believing in superstitious rituals and luck) in problem gamblers.
Delayed brain development responsible for juvenile offender behavior
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals researchers findings into the delayed development in the brains of juvenile offenders and the fact that this delayed development puts the teens at risk for increased impulse behavior.
Why do we share stories, news, and information with others?
(Medical Xpress) -- People often share stories, news, and information with the people around them. We forward online articles to our friends, share stories with our co-workers at the water cooler, and pass along rumors to our neighbors. Such social transmission has been going on for thousands of years, and the advent of social technologies like texting, Facebook, and other social media sites has only made it faster and easier to share content with others. But why is certain content shared more than others and what drives people to share?
Scientists uncover mechanism by which chronic stress causes brain disease
Chronic stress has long been linked with neurodegeneration. Scientists at USC now think they may know why.
Genetic 'conductor' involved with new brain cell production in adults
A team of North Carolina State University researchers has discovered more about how a gene connected to the production of new brain cells in adults does its job. Their findings could pave the way to new therapies for brain injury or disease.
Team decodes evolution of skin and ovarian cancer cells
A team of researchers led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco has developed a way to uncover the evolution of human cancer cells, determining the order in which mutations emerge in them as they wend their way from a normal, healthy state into invasive, malignant masses.
Sequence of ovarian genome identifies predominant gene mutations, points to possible treatment
The genome of the most common form of ovarian cancer is characterized by a few common gene mutations but also surprisingly frequent structural changes in the genome itself, said members of The Cancer Genome Atlas, including the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center, that sequenced and analyzed more than 300 such tumors. The study was the first to achieve an overview of this type of ovarian cancer.
Researchers identify HIV-inhibiting mechanism
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered a long-sought cellular factor that works to inhibit HIV infection of myeloid cells, a subset of white blood cells that display antigens and hence are important for the body's immune response against viruses and other pathogens.
Just rewards: Study of children challenges economists' notions of rational behavior
(Medical Xpress) -- A Harvard University study built around an innovative economic game indicates that, at least for our younger selves, the desire for equity often trumps the urge to maximize rewards.
A role for glia in the progression of Rett syndrome
A paper published online today in Nature reveals that glia play a key role in preventing the progression of the most prominent Rett Syndrome symptoms displayed by mouse models of the disease: lethality, irregular breathing and apneas, hypoactivity and decreased dendritic complexity. The discovery, funded in part by the Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT) was led by Gail Mandel, Ph.D., an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Oregon Health and Science University.
Researchers can predict future actions from human brain activity
(PhysOrg.com) -- Bringing the real world into the brain scanner, researchers at The University of Western Ontario from The Centre for Brain and Mind can now determine the action a person was planning, mere moments before that action is actually executed.
'Optogenetics' used to control reward-seeking behavior
Using a combination of genetic engineering and laser technology, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have manipulated brain wiring responsible for reward-seeking behaviors, such as drug addiction. The work, conducted in rodent models, is the first to directly demonstrate the role of these specific connections in controlling behavior.
Biology news
U of M researchers contribute to global plant database, expanding ecosystems research
A new database of plants' traits will help scientists around the world learn more about how climate change is affecting ecosystems.
New Zealand's wayward penguin faces long swim home
(AP) -- A young emperor penguin that turned up on a New Zealand beach won't be getting a free ride all the way back to its Antarctic home - but the bird's human friends will at least help it get a little closer.
Malaysia scientists tag Borneo saltwater crocodile
Wildlife researchers in Malaysia are to track a saltwater crocodile by satellite, they said Wednesday, in a bid to find out why nearly 40 people have been attacked on Borneo island over a decade.
Many Americans approve of stem cell research for curing serious diseases
While research using human embryonic stem cells has roused political controversy for almost two decades, little has been done to scientifically assess American attitudes on the subject. New research from the University of Nevada, Reno provides decision-makers with a much clearer picture of how their constituents truly feel about the subject.
Farm animal disease to increase with climate change
Researchers looked at changes in the behaviour of bluetongue – a viral disease of cattle and sheep - from the 1960s to the present day, as well as what could happen to the transmission of the virus 40 years into the future. They found, for the first time, that an outbreak of a disease could be explained by changes to the climate.
Canada seeks to breed a better honey bee
Following a massive bee die-off in parts of the world, two Canadian universities on Wednesday launched an effort to breed honey bees resistant to pests and diseases.
Tracking top marine predators in a dynamic ocean
Like the vast African plains, two huge expanses of the North Pacific Ocean are major corridors of life, attracting an array of marine predators in predictable seasonal patterns, according to final results from the Census of Marine Life Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project published in the June 23 edition of the journal Nature.
Honey helps heal horses' wounds, researchers find
(PhysOrg.com) -- A simple application of honey to horses' leg wounds results in smaller wound sizes and faster healing time, University of Sydney researchers have found.
A happy life is a long one for orangutans
New research has shown that happier orang-utans live longer which may shed light on the evolution of happiness in humans.
How bumblebees tackle the traveling salesman problem
It is a mathematical puzzle which has vexed academics and travelling salesmen alike, but new research from Queen Mary, University of London's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, reveals how bumblebees effectively plan their route between the most rewarding flowers while travelling the shortest distances.
Not so bird-brained: Clever crows recognise faces
Humans who dismiss birds as featherweights may revise their opinion when learning of crows which not only can identify the face of someone who is a danger but also teach others about the threat.
Fungus farming ant genome reveals insight into adaptation of social behavior
The development of agriculture was a significant event in human cultural evolution, but we are not the only organisms to have adopted an agricultural way of life. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers have sequenced the genome of a fungus farming leaf-cutting ant, revealing new insights into the genetics and molecular biology behind this unusual lifestyle.
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