Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 12, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Coke cans focus sound waves beyond the diffraction limit- New exploration shows parts of North Atlantic seabed were once above sea level
- Overturning 250 years of scientific theory: Age, repeated injury do not affect newt regeneration
- Scientists model physics of a key dark-energy probe
- Computer learns language by playing games
- Mice with human livers make pharmaceutical testing more accurate
- Wireless power could cut cord for patients with implanted heart pumps
- Supramolecules get time to shine
- Philips shows of glowing wallpaper
- Study points to new means of overcoming antiviral resistance in influenza
- Study shows how an often illegal sales tactic contributed to housing crash
- Cat litter to become an edible product?
- Deeper insight in the activity of cortical cells
- Rumor: Xbox 360 games to be playable on Windows 8 PC's
- US girls sweep Google kids science fair
Space & Earth news
New studies suggest lack of meaningful land rights threaten Indonesian forests
New research released today at a high-level forestry conference in Indonesia—opened by Vice President Boediono—suggests that Asia’s largest forest nation is paying a high price for failing to give local communities enforceable rights to contested forests, causing significant economic losses owing to its highly undervalued forestland, and leading it to lose out to regional competitors.
Happy anniversary, Neptune
Today, July 11, 2011 marks the first full orbit of the planet Neptune since its discovery on the night of September 23-24, 1846. But there’s a lot more to learn about this anniversary than just the date. Step inside and let’s find out...
Japan quake makes 2011 costliest disaster year
Japan's earthquake in March is set to make 2011 the costliest year to date for natural disasters, reinsurer Munich Re said on Tuesday, although the number of deaths globally is relatively low so far.
Taking preventative measures before potential earthquakes
Grand Teton National Park is a spectacular site along the Wyoming-Idaho border. The park brings in nearly 4 million visitors a year and creates a scenic background for those who live there.
Montana questions Exxon's estimate of oil spilled
(AP) -- Montana environmental regulators have asked Exxon Mobil to justify its estimate for how much oil spilled into the Yellowstone River, citing the company's changing timeline on how long it took to stop a leaking pipeline.
Seeing the effects of rock heterogeneity on CO2 movement
All three DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory X-ray CT scanners were recently used to characterize flow patterns during CO2 flooding of a sandstone sample from China. This work was part of a U.S.-China Energy Partnership that involves the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), NETL, and PNNL. A delegation of scientists from the CAS brought a core sample from a sandstone formation in the Ordos Basin, China, that is of interest for potential CO2 storage.
Plants in cities are an underestimated carbon store
Vegetation in towns and cities can make a significant contribution to carbon storage and, ecologists say, could lock away even more carbon if local authorities and gardeners planted and maintained more trees. The study, published this week in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, is the first to quantify how much carbon is stored in vegetation within an urban area of Europe.
Shuttle delivers ton of groceries to space station
(AP) -- The International Space Station got a year's worth of groceries in a giant shopping cart Monday, courtesy of the astronauts on NASA's final shuttle flight.
Radioactive ash found in waste plants near Tokyo
Japanese waste incineration plants near Tokyo have found high levels of radiation in ash, and officials said Tuesday it may be from garden waste contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
+4C scenarios for Australia's future climate
(PhysOrg.com) -- The impacts on Australia of a 4 C increase in average annual temperatures – including major reductions in annual rainfall in southern Australia, marked increases in evaporation nationwide and reduced snow cover in alpine regions – were presented today by CSIRO's Dr Penny Whetton at the Four Degrees climate change conference in Melbourne.
Lie of the land beneath glaciers influences impact on sea levels
Fresh research into glaciers could help scientists better predict the impact of changing climates on global sea levels.
Punching holes in the sky
Scientists, photographers and amateur cloud watchers have been looking up with wonderment and puzzlement at "hole punch" clouds for decades. Giant, open spaces appear in otherwise continuous cloud cover, presenting beautiful shapes but also an opportunity for scientific investigation. A new paper published last week in Science inquires into how the holes get punched – airplanes are the culprit – and into the potential for the phenomenon's link to increased precipitation around major airports.
Scientists on a mission: Detailed study of U.S. southeast tornadoes
It was one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. Now scientists are organizing a research program to better understand the tornadoes that blew through Alabama and other southeastern states on April 27, 2011.
Ethiopian lake sediments reveal history of African droughts
A new survey of Lake Tana in Ethiopia – the source of the Blue Nile – suggests that drought may have contributed to the demise of the Egyptian Old Kingdom, around 4200 years ago.
Researchers study pesticide pathways into the atmosphere
When soil moisture levels increase, pesticide losses to the atmosphere through volatilization also rise. In one long-term field study, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists found that herbicide volatilization consistently resulted in herbicide losses that exceed losses from field runoff.
US astronauts make last spacewalk of shuttle era (Update)
Two US astronauts stepped out on the last spacewalk of the shuttle era Tuesday at the International Space Station, where Atlantis is docked on the final mission of the 30-year US program.
Ancient rock under Haiti came from 1,000+ miles away, 1 billion years older than previously thought
(PhysOrg.com) -- Earthquakes and volcanoes are known for their ability to transform Earth's surface, but new research in the Caribbean has found they can also move ancient Earth rock foundations more than 1,000 miles.
Switch from corn to grass would raise ethanol output, cut emissions
Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report in a new study. The switch would also slash emissions of two potent greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
Dark fireworks on the sun
On June 7, 2011, Earth-orbiting satellites detected a flash of X-rays coming from the western edge of the solar disk. Registering only "M" (for medium) on the Richter scale of solar flares, the blast at first appeared to be a run-of-the-mill eruption--that is, until researchers looked at the movies.
Onstott's discovery of worms in Earth's depths raises questions about life in space
After digging holes in the Earth's crust for nearly two decades, Princeton University geoscientist Tullis Onstott is now making headlines for unearthing "worms from hell."
Hubble's Neptune anniversary pictures
(PhysOrg.com) -- Today, Neptune has arrived at the same location in space where it was discovered nearly 165 years ago. To commemorate the event, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken these "anniversary pictures" of the blue-green giant planet.
New exploration shows parts of North Atlantic seabed were once above sea level
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using data obtained from oil searching contractors, researchers have discovered that parts of what is now the ocean floor off the northern coast of Scotland, were at one time raised up enough by thermal expansion beneath to have jutted at least 1 kilometer above the sea. Nicky White, senior researcher from the University of Cambridge and his team explain what they’ve found in their paper published in Nature Geoscience.
Technology news
UK police face parliament on tabloid phone hacking
(AP) -- A legislative committee is questioning senior London police officers about why they didn't pursue a phone hacking investigation at the tabloid News of the World two years ago.
Implant-free quantum-well SiGe pFETs for future high-performance CMOS architectures
Imec announces that it has successfully fabricated implant-free quantum-well (IF-QW) pFETs with an embedded silicon-germanium (SiGe) source/drain. These devices show an excellent short channel control and a record logic performance. A benchmark against various competing technologies showed competitive results. Finally, the device performance was also demonstrated at low operating voltages. These results prove that this device architecture is a viable option for the 16nm technology node and beyond.
Motorists driving less, but gas prices keep rising
(AP) -- Gasoline prices are rising again even though drivers in the U.S. have bought less gas for four months in a row.
Amazon wants voters to decide on tax collection
(AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. wants California voters to decide whether to overturn a new law that forces online retailers to collect sales taxes there, setting the stage for a potentially high-dollar ballot fight next year that would pit business against business.
India's Infosys posts profit rise but shares fall
India's second-biggest outsourcer Infosys said Tuesday that quarterly net profit rose nearly 16 percent, but its shares fell after the company gave a muted outlook.
Company networks confront rising video tide
Companies are struggling to manage a rising tide of video use in workplaces, with employees expecting business networks to adapt to whatever mobile gadgets they prefer to use.
Desalinating seawater with minimal energy use
At a pilot facility in Singapore, Siemens has cut the energy needed to desalinate seawater by more than 50 percent. The plant processes 50 cubic meters of water per day, consuming only 1.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity per cubic meter. The most efficient desalination technique currently in use is reverse osmosis, which consumes more than twice as much energy. The magazine "Pictures of the Future" reports that the new technique uses an electric field to remove the salt from the water. Plans call for demonstration units to be set up in Singapore, the U.S., and the Caribbean by mid-2012.
Facebook teams with Time Warner to fight bullies
(AP) -- Facebook and Time Warner are ganging up on bullies to address a problem that torments millions of children and young adults.
Netflix rates rise up to 60 pct for DVD, streaming
(AP) -- Netflix is raising its prices by as much as 60 percent for millions of subscribers who want to rent DVDs by mail and watch video on the Internet.
Dynamic Eye partners with UB to develop 'smart' sunglasses that block blinding glare
The days of being blinded by glare from the sun, despite the $300 sunglasses straddling your face, may soon be over.
Nordic countries grill Facebook on privacy
Data protection agencies in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland have quizzed social network giant Facebook on its management of users' private information, they said Tuesday.
Imec achieves breakthroughs in enabling future DRAM and RRAM
In the frame of its research on future memory architectures, imec has made breakthroughs for both DRAM and RRAM memories. For DRAM, MIMcap (metal-insulator-metal capacitor) was established as a clear candidate for 1X DRAM scaling. Imec demonstrated a record low leakage current and was able to explain the mechanism for leakage reduction, showing the path for further potential improvement. For Resistive RAM (RRAM), imec built a model to understand the properties of the filaments that result in a stable RRAM operation. Such fundamental understanding of the filament properties is key to bridge the gap in the development of RRAM as a successor memory technology.
Google expands deals to New York, San Francisco
Google expanded its local bargains program to San Francisco and New York on Tuesday, a month after launching a test of the service in Portland, Oregon.
Pandora to be in more cars, hits 100 million users
Internet radio Pandora announced expanded partnerships with automobile manufacturers on Tuesday and said it now has 100 million registered users.
Imec demonstrates 3D integrated DRAM-on-logic for low-power mobile applications
Imec and its 3D integration partners have proven the potential of 3D integration of a commercial DRAM chip on top of a logic IC for next-generation low-power mobile applications. Imec’s applied 3D EDA (electronic design automation) tools including thermal models have proven to be valuable means to design next-generation 3D stacked ICs.
FCC seeks to crack down on phone bill mystery fees
(AP) -- Federal regulators are proposing new rules to make it easier for consumers to detect and challenge mystery fees on their phone bills.
EA buying PopCap Games for $750 million
Electronic Arts said Tuesday it is buying PopCap Games, maker of popular titles such as Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled, and Zuma, for $750 million in cash and stock.
Smartphone use to soar in Asia: Nielsen
Smartphone use is poised to soar in Asia bringing with it a dramatic change in how people there access information on the Internet, according to industry tracker Nielsen Company.
Gemasolar solar thermal power plant supplies power for 24 hours straight
(PhysOrg.com) -- Last week, the Gemasolar power plant near Seville, Spain, became the first commercial solar thermal power plant to supply uninterrupted power for a full 24 hours, according to builders Torresol Energy. In contrast to photovoltaic solar cells, which use the sun’s light to generate electricity, solar thermal plants use the sun’s heat to run steam turbines and generate electricity. One of the biggest advantages of using heat is that it can be stored more easily than light, allowing for electricity production to continue even after the sun sets.
Hacker group claims hit on US defense contractor
Hacker group Anonymous released a trove of military email addresses and passwords it claimed to have plundered from the network of US defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.
EA Scrabble lets iPhone play with Android
US videogame titan Electronic Arts (EA) on Monday released a version of word game Scrabble that people can play together whether they are using Apple devices, Android gadgets, or Facebook.
Taiwan's HTC rejects fresh Apple patent claim
Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC on Tuesday dismissed fresh patent infringement claims by US giant Apple as the legal battle between the rivals escalated.
Philips shows of glowing wallpaper
(PhysOrg.com) -- Recently, Philips has announced that it will partner with Kvadrat Soft Cells in order to create a luminous type of textile to the consumer market. The panels will work by integrating Philips' addressable LEDs into the Soft Cells acoustic panels, designed to work with sound waves, in order to create a fabric that can glow and play with the idea of ambient light in designs as well as adding a textural element to the lighting in a room.
US girls sweep Google kids science fair
Three US girls won the top prizes in a global science fair launched by Google for their projects on ovarian cancer, grilled chicken and indoor air quality, the Internet giant announced Tuesday.
Computer learns language by playing games
Computers are great at treating words as data: Word-processing programs let you rearrange and format text however you like, and search engines can quickly find a word anywhere on the Web. But what would it mean for a computer to actually understand the meaning of a sentence written in ordinary English -- or French, or Urdu, or Mandarin?
Wireless power could cut cord for patients with implanted heart pumps
Mechanical pumps to give failing hearts a boost were originally developed as temporary measures for patients awaiting a heart transplant. But as the technology has improved, these ventricular assist devices commonly operate in patients for years, including in former vice-president Dick Cheney, whose implant this month celebrates its one-year anniversary.
Medicine & Health news
Feeding hormone ghrelin modulates ability of rewarding food to evoke dopamine release
New research findings to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that ghrelin, a natural gut hormone that stimulates feeding, also modulates the ability of tasty food and food-related cues to alter dopamine levels within the striatum, a critical component of the brain's reward system.
Pew finds serious gaps in oversight of US drug safety
Americans' medicines are increasingly manufactured in developing countries, where oversight is lower than in the U.S., according to a new white paper by the Pew Health Group. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates 40 percent of finished drugs and 80 percent of active ingredients and bulk chemicals used in U.S. drugs come from overseas.
Molasses extract decreases obesity caused by a high-fat diet
Experimental results to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, suggests that dietary supplementation with molasses extract may provide a novel approach for weight management in humans.
Effects of exercise on meal-related gut hormone signals
Research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that alterations of meal-related gut hormone signals may contribute to the overall effects of exercise to help manage body weight.
Caffeine promotes drink flavor preference in adolescents
Research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, indicates that caffeine added to sugar-sweetened, carbonated beverages teaches adolescents to prefer those beverages. Researchers found that the amount of caffeine added to an unfamiliar beverage was correlated with how much teenagers liked that beverage.
The metabolic effects of antipsychotic drugs
Research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, may explain why some antipsychotic drugs can promote overeating, weight gain, and insulin resistance.
Study to examine impact of diabetes on life quality
(Medical Xpress) -- People living with Type 2 Diabetes are being recruited for a national online survey to understand how it affects their quality of life.
'Dogma on mental illness is a threat to progress'
It is commonplace for people to hold very firm views about the nature and causes of mental illness, based on hunch, ideological perspective and anecdote. For example, some believe all mental illness is explained by adverse social circumstances; others think that it simply reflects a lack of ability to cope with life’s stresses.
Early results link PTSD, compromised immune systems
(Medical Xpress) -- Preliminary results of a study show a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and compromised immune system in war veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
More AIDS patients may get cheaper drugs
(AP) -- Gilead Sciences Inc. will allow some of its AIDS drugs to be made by generic manufacturers, potentially increasing their availability in poor countries, particularly in Africa, officials said Tuesday.
Horse virus hits Australia's tourist north
The biggest ever outbreak of Australia's deadly Hendra virus has spread to near the tourist city of Cairns, claiming the life of an eighth horse, officials said Tuesday.
African-American women stress compounded
Using incense or lighting a candle may seem like good ways to let go of racial stress, but a recent study found that might not be the case in terms of racial tension among women. In fact, some coping strategies employed by African-American women may actually increase their stress instead of alleviate it, according to a recent study from Psychology of Women Quarterly.
Professional edition of leading nurse manual launched after rave reviews on new format
Qualified nurses can now have the very latest advanced practice procedures at their fingertips, thanks to the new professional edition of The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures.
Overall health effects of alcohol consumption
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its global status report on alcohol and health for 2011. Forum members largely agree with the discussion in the report of the serious health and societal problems associated with the misuse of alcohol, which contributes to accidents, many diseases, and premature deaths. On the other hand, Forum members were disturbed that the report was limited almost exclusively to abusive drinking, was based primarily on out-dated information, and suggested bias against alcohol. The report ignored a massive amount of scientific data indicating that in all developed countries, moderate consumers of alcohol are at much lower risk of essentially all of the diseases of ageing: coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis. And conspicuously absent from the WHO report is a description of the decrease in total mortality among middle-aged and elderly people associated with moderate alcohol consumption, a findin! g that has been found consistently throughout the world.
Risk factors predictive of psychiatric symptoms after traumatic brain injury
A history of psychiatric illness such as depression or anxiety before a traumatic brain injury (TBI), together with other risk factors, are strongly predictive of post-TBI psychiatric disorders, according to an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma.
HPV infection highly prevalent among organ transplant recipients
A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals an association between the human papillomavirus (betaPV) infection and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in organ transplant recipients.
UCI cardiologists offer patients safer, more comfortable angioplasty option
If you were among the 1 million people annually who need an angioplasty to open a blocked artery, would you choose a procedure that required you to lie still for up to four hours and limit your activities for at least a week and that carried a risk of internal bleeding from one of your body’s largest arteries? Or would you prefer one that allowed you to quickly resume activities, with little discomfort or risk of major bleeding?
Hendra virus facts
University of Queensland researchers have produced batches of a monoclonal antibody, which may offer hope as a potential therapeutic for Hendra virus infection in humans.
Low dose naltrexone (LDN): Harnessing the body's own chemistry to treat human ovarian cancer
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have discovered that a low dose of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (LDN) has an extraordinarily potent antitumor effect on human ovarian cancer in tissue culture and xenografts established in nude mice. When LDN is combined with chemotherapy, there is an additive inhibitory action on tumorigenesis. This discovery, reported in the July 2011 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of ovarian neoplasia, the 4th leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in the United States.
Heart ultrasound helps determine risk of heart attack, death in HIV patients
An ultrasound test can tell if people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and heart disease are at risk of heart attack or death, according to new research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association journal.
Updating family history of cancer associated with need for earlier or more intense cancer screening
In an analysis to examine how often throughout adulthood clinically significant changes occur in a patient's family history of cancer, researchers found substantial changes in family history of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer between the ages of 30 and 50 years, which would result in recommendations for earlier or more intense cancer screening, according to a study in the July 13 issue of JAMA. The authors suggest that a patient's family history of cancer be updated at least every 5 to 10 years.
Higher Medicaid payments to dentists associated with increased rate of dental care among children
Children and adolescents from states that had higher Medicaid payment levels to dentists between 2000 and 2008 were more likely to receive dental care, although children covered by Medicaid received dental care less often than children with private insurance, according to a study in the July 13 issue of JAMA.
Invasive diagnostic procedure for children with cystic fibrosis does not improve outcomes
Compared to a standard diagnostic procedure, infants with cystic fibrosis who received treatment based on a diagnostic procedure involving obtaining and culturing fluid samples from the lungs did not have a lower prevalence of lung-damaging infection or structural lung injury at 5 years of age, according to a study in the July 13 issue of JAMA.
Prevalence of pressure ulcers among black high-risk nursing home residents related to site of care
Among nursing home residents at high risk for pressure ulcers, black residents had higher prevalence rates than white residents from 2003 through 2008, with the disparity largely related to the higher rates among nursing homes that disproportionately serve black residents, according to a study in the July 13 issue of JAMA.
Deformed limbs linked to smoking in pregnancy
Missing or deformed limbs, clubfoot, facial disorders and gastrointestinal problems are some of the most common birth defects found to be associated with smoking during pregnancy, according to a major new report led by scientists at UCL.
Too much sitting is bad for your health
Lack of physical exercise is often implicated in many disease processes. However, sedentary behavior, or too much sitting, as distinct from too little exercise, potentially could be a new risk factor for disease. The August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine features a collection of articles that addresses many aspects of the problem of sedentary behavior, including the relevant behavioral science that will be needed to evaluate whether initiatives to reduce sitting time can be effective and beneficial.
Evidence for 'food addiction' in humans
Research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, suggests that people can become dependent on highly palatable foods and engage in a compulsive pattern of consumption, similar to the behaviors we observe in drug addicts and those with alcoholism.
Contact allergies may trigger immune system defences to ward off cancer
Contact allergies (reactions caused by direct contact with substances like common metals and chemicals) may help prime the immune system to ward off certain types of cancer, suggests research published today in the online only title BMJ Open.
16-pound Texas baby breaks hospital weight record
A newborn who tipped the scales at more than 16 pounds (7.3 kilograms) broke the local hospital's weight records in Longview, Texas, press reported Monday.
Climbing the social ladder seems to lessen high blood pressure risk
Social mobility - upwards - seems to curb the risk of developing high blood pressure among those born on the lower rungs of the ladder, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Ghrelin increases willingness to pay for food
Research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, suggests that ghrelin, a naturally occurring gut hormone, increases our willingness to pay for food, while simultaneously decreasing our willingness to pay for non-food items.
Last orders for warning-free booze in Australia
Australia's major alcohol brands on Tuesday launched voluntary health warnings on their labels targeting children, pregnant women and excessive boozing in a country famed for its binge-drinking culture.
Low income, less education tied to high blood pressure in young adults
(Medical Xpress) -- Alarming new data regarding high rates of high blood pressure in young adults suggests those with less education and lower income are at greatest risk, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
Popular TV shows teach children fame is most important value, psychologists report
"Don't you know who I am? Remember my name. Fame! I'm gonna live forever." -- Irene Cara, "Fame"
Smokers not very receptive to shocking images
(Medical Xpress) -- A team of researchers led by the University of Bonn found clear changes in how emotions are processed in smokers. After an abstinence period of 12 hours, the brain’s fear center was mostly out of commission in addicts. The researchers assume that a campaign using images of smokers’ lungs as deterrents on cigarette packs – as both the US and EU are currently planning – will hardly have an effect on this group.
Sexually transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis twice as prevalent in women over 40
A Johns Hopkins infectious disease expert is calling for all sexually active American women age 40 and older to get tested for the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis after new study evidence found that the sexually transmitted disease (STD) is more than twice as common in this age group than previously thought. Screening is especially important because in many cases there are no symptoms.
7 in 1 blow: Scientists discover DNA regions influencing prostate cancer risk
Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) are taking part in an international research consortium studying the genetic risks for prostate cancer. The consortium, a collaboration of 48 institutes worldwide, has now published its latest results. The researchers have discovered seven DNA regions for which an association with an increased prostate cancer risk has now been established for the first time.
Bodyguard for the brain: Researchers discover mechanism that can protect from aging processes
Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Mainz have discovered a mechanism that seems to protect the brain from aging. In experiments with mice, they switched off the cannabinoid-1 receptor. As a consequence, the animals showed signs of degeneration -- as seen in people with dementia - much faster. The research results are presented in a current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A 'nutty' solution to type 2 diabetes management
Eating nuts every day could help control Type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications, according to new research from St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto.
New breast cancer model of mutant PI3K recapitulates features of human breast cancer
Scientists from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have shown that a mutation in the lipid kinase PI3K, which occurs in about 30% of human breast cancers, itself evokes different forms of breast cancer. While this kinase has long been associated with cancer, and is a target for anti-tumor therapy, it is now shown to be causal for multiple types of breast cancer.
Study: People at risk for panic buffered from stressor by high levels of physical activity
Regular exercise may be a useful strategy for helping prevent the development of panic and related disorders, a new study suggests.
Scleroderma study identifies roadblocks to employment
Systemic scleroderma has slowed Tracy Zinn but it has not stopped her from working. Thanks in part to determination and an accommodating employer, Zinn is now in her 13th year as an account executive for a firm that produces educational software. But, many with the incapacitating disease are not as fortunate.
Severity of spinal cord injury has no impact on how adults rate their health, research finds
Severity of spinal cord injury in adults is not related to how they rate their health, Wayne State University researchers have found.
Indirubin -- Component Of Chinese herbal remedy might block brain tumor's spread
The active ingredient in a traditional Chinese herbal remedy might help treat deadly brain tumors, according to a new study by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
Cancer mortality rates are higher in men than women
Overall cancer mortality rates are higher for men than women in the United States, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Goalies tend to dive right in World Cup penalty shoot-outs when their team is behind ... why?
In the quarterfinal of the 2006 Soccer World Cup, England and Portugal played for 90 tense minutes and 30 minutes extra time without a single goal being scored. This led them to a penalty shoot-out; as one by one, players went against the opposing team's goalie. After four shots by each team, Portugal was ahead 2-1. Portugal's star Cristiano Ronaldo shot to English goalkeeper Paul Robinson's left, but Robinson dove right. Portugal scored, won the game, and went on to the semifinal.
Your mother was right: Study shows good posture makes you tougher
Mothers have been telling their children to stop slouching for ages. It turns out that mom was onto something and that poor posture not only makes a bad impression, but can actually make you physically weaker. According to a study by Scott Wiltermuth, assistant professor of management organization at the USC Marshall School of Business, and Vanessa K. Bohns, postdoctoral fellow at the J.L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, adopting dominant versus submissive postures actually decreases your sensitivity to pain.
Spanish doctor says leg transplant patient elated
A young man who underwent the world's first double leg transplant might be able to walk with the aid of crutches in six or seven months if his rehabilitation goes well, the surgeon who oversaw the operation said Tuesday.
Large waistlines can double the risk of death in kidney disease patients
For kidney disease patients, a large belt size can double the risk of dying.
Teen weight began to rise in 1990s, new study finds
A new study that looks at weight change over decades finds that the obesity epidemic in teens and young adults has its roots in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when body weights began to rise. But not everyone was affected equally.
Researchers urge awareness of dietary iodine intake in postpartum Korean-American women
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have brought attention to the potential health impacts for Korean and Korean-American women and their infants from consuming brown seaweed soup. Seaweed is a known source of dietary iodine, particularly in Korea; however, there is no scientific data on the iodine content in Korean seaweed soup.
Family meals remain important through teen years, expert says
As children become teenagers, it may be more challenging to regularly include them in family meals, but doing so is key to heading off such problems as eating disorders, obesity, and inadequate nutrition in adolescence, said Barbara Fiese, a University of Illinois professor of human development and family studies and director of the U of I's Family Resiliency Center.
An app for your brain: new educational tool developed by U-M doctor
With a new application developed by a U-M neurologist, better understanding of the anatomy of the peripheral nervous system can be found right on your iPhone.
Should parents lose custody of super obese kids?
(AP) -- Should parents of extremely obese children lose custody for not controlling their kids' weight? A provocative commentary in one of the nation's most distinguished medical journals argues yes, and its authors are joining a quiet chorus of advocates who say the government should be allowed to intervene in extreme cases.
Receptor limits the rewarding effects of food and cocaine
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers have long known that dopamine, a brain chemical that plays important roles in the control of normal movement, and in pleasure, reward and motivation, also plays a central role in substance abuse and addiction. In a new study conducted in animals, scientists found that a specific dopamine receptor, called D2, on dopamine-containing neurons controls an organism's activity level and contributes to motivation for reward-seeking as well as the rewarding effects of cocaine.
Study shows H1N1 microneedle vaccine protects better than injection
(Medical Xpress) -- A vaccine delivered to the skin using a microneedle patch gives better protection against the H1N1 influenza virus than a vaccine delivered through subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have found. Their research is published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Researchers connect neurons to computers to decipher the enigmatic code of neuronal circuits
Machine logic is based on human logic. But although a computer processor can be dissembled and dissected in logical steps, the same is not true for the way our brains process information, says Mark Shein of Tel Aviv University's School of Electrical Engineering.
Biomarker for autism discovered
Siblings of people with autism show a similar pattern of brain activity to that seen in people with autism when looking at emotional facial expressions. The University of Cambridge researchers identified the reduced activity in a part of the brain associated with empathy and argue it may be a 'biomarker' for a familial risk of autism.
New genetic risk factor for sudden cardiac death identified
In a large and comprehensive investigation into the underlying causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) – a surreptitious killer of hundreds of thousands annually in the United States – researchers have discovered a variation in the genome's DNA sequence that is linked to a significant increase in a person's risk of SCD.
Study points to new means of overcoming antiviral resistance in influenza
UC Irvine researchers have found a new approach to the creation of customized therapies for virulent flu strains that resist current antiviral drugs.
Deeper insight in the activity of cortical cells
Visual and tactile objects in our surroundings are translated into a perception by complex interactions of neurons in the cortex. The principles underlying spatial and temporal organization of neuronal activity during decision-making and object perception are not all understood yet. Jason Kerr from Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, in collaboration with Winfried Denk from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, now investigated how different sensations are represented by measuring activity in neuronal populations deep in the cortex. The scientists developed a method, with which they can study the neuronal activity in some of the deepest layers of the cortex in rodents, something that has not been possible up until now.
Mice with human livers make pharmaceutical testing more accurate
(Medical Xpress) -- In a new report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers reveal a new miniature artificial human liver that can be implanted into mice to better enable testing of new drugs and how humans will metabolize them.
Biology news
Popular fungicides failing, may cause hard choices for apple growers
Orchard growers have started finding that some of the most commonly used fungicides are no longer effective at controlling apple scab, according to a Purdue University study.
Border fences pose threats to wildlife on US-Mexico border, study shows
Current and proposed border fences pose significant threats to wildlife populations, with those animals living in border regions along the Texas Gulf and California coasts showing some of the greatest vulnerability, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin shows.
Freefall -- aphids' survival strategy
As soon as aphids feeding on a plant sense the heat and humidity in a mammal's breath, they drop to safety before they are inadvertently ingested together with the plant the animal is feeding on. These findings by Moshe Gish and colleagues, from the University of Haifa in Israel, show both how accurate aphids are at detecting this threat and how effective their escape behavior is. The work was just published online in Springer's journal Naturwissenschaften – The Science of Nature.
Researchers discover a new switch in resistance to plant diseases
Powdery mildew is a tricky pathogen: The fungus can manipulate barley in a way that it is not only granted entry into the plant, but also gets the plant's cells to supply it with nutrients. A team of researchers at Technische Universitaet Muenchen in Germany has just identified, on a molecular level, how the fungus manages this feat -- and how barley can fight back. The results have now been published in the Plant Cell.
More marine protected areas needed to protect Mediterranean biodiversity
The setting up of a network of Marine Protected Areas, developed since the 1960s in the Mediterranean, has proved to be an effective way of protecting some species such as fish. However, despite the efforts made, more attention should be paid to certain areas of high biodiversity of turtles and marine mammals, especially those located off North Africa and at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. This is the main conclusion of an international study carried out in particular by researchers from the Ecology of Coastal Marine Systems Research Unit, the Institute of Evolutionary Sciences and the Exploited Marine Ecosystems Research Unit at the Marine Research Center. The results are published on the websites of the journals Current Biology and Global Ecology & Biogeography.
Tiny snails survive in bird's digestive system
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent study published in the Journal of Biogeography, researchers from the Tohoku University in Japan show how 15 percent of the Tornatellides boeningi, or tiny land snail, are able to survive a bird’s digestive system and emerge alive in the bird’s droppings.
Orchids and fungi: An unexpected case of symbiosis
The majority of orchids are found in habitats where light may be a limiting factor. In such habitats it is not surprising that many achlorophyllous (lacking chlorophyll), as well as green, orchids depend on specific mycorrhizal fungal symbionts to supply them with carbohydrates in order to grow. However, orchids are found in a wide range of habitats and range in their photosynthetic capabilities. For those orchids that are fully photosynthetic, and presumably capable of acquiring their own organic carbon, are they less reliant on a specific suite of mycorrhizal fungi? A new study that examines fungal diversity in orchids in open sunny habitats, questions this assumption.
Biologists identify new strategy used by bacteria during infection
Purdue University biologists identified a new way in which bacteria hijack healthy cells during infection, which could provide a target for new antibiotics.
Overturning 250 years of scientific theory: Age, repeated injury do not affect newt regeneration
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have been wrong for 250 years about a fundamental aspect of tissue regeneration, according to a University of Dayton biologist who says his recent discovery is good news for humans.
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