Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 13, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries get a boost from graphene- Stem cells grow fully functional new teeth
- What activates a supermassive black hole?
- Atomic structure discovered for a sodium channel that generates electrical signals in living cells
- Research update: New way to store sun's heat
- New algorithm provides new insights into evolutionary exodus out of Africa
- Controlling Chemistry Improves Potential of Carbon Nanotubes
- It takes three to tango: Nuclear analysis needs the three-body force
- Biologists discover an 'evening' protein complex that regulates plant growth
- Scientists find link between immune system suppression, blood vessel formation in tumors
- Efficient process using microRNA converts human skin cells into neurons
- Breathing restored after spinal cord injury
- Soil microbes accelerate global warming
- When well-known flu strains 'hook up' dangerous progeny can result
- 25 Tesla, world-record 'split magnet' makes its debut
Space & Earth news
Extended Coulomb failure criteria for the Zipingpu reservoir and Longmenshan slip
The extended Coulomb failure stress (ECFS) criteria and anisotropic porosity and permeability tensor at micro/meso/macro scale under ultra‑high temperature and pressure (UTP) conditions were developed employing the flow driven pore‑network crack (FDPNC) model under multiple temporal–spatial scales and the hybrid hypersingular integral equation‑lattice Boltzmann method (HHIE‑LBM). The correlation of the Zipingpu reservoir and Longmenshan slip was then analyzed and the fluid–solid coupled three‑dimensional facture mechanism of the reservoir and earthquake fault was explored.
One-third of central Catalan coast is very vulnerable to storm impact
Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) have developed a method for evaluating the vulnerability of coastal regions to the impact of storms. The method, which has been applied on the Catalan coastline, shows that one-third of the region's coasts have a high rate of vulnerability to flooding, while 20% are at risk of erosion.
Nike, Adidas suppliers 'polluting China rivers'
Environmental campaigners on Wednesday accused suppliers to major clothing brands including Adidas and Nike of poisoning China's major rivers with hazardous chemicals linked to hormonal problems.
Astronauts turn into 'moving men' at space station
(AP) -- The 10 astronauts on the orbiting shuttle-station complex can turn all their attention to hauling things back and forth now that their single spacewalk is over.
Private space race heats up as shuttle retires
Private companies, aided by NASA's cash and expertise in human space flight, are rushing to be the first to build a space capsule to replace the retiring US shuttle in the next few years.
Russia launches US satellites in third attempt
A Russian Soyuz rocket successfully carried six US Globalstar satellites into orbit on Wednesday after postponing the launch twice earlier this week, Russia's space agency said.
SpaceX to break ground on California launch pad
SpaceX is renovating an old launch pad at the Vandenberg Air Force Base for the world's most powerful rocket.
China orders US oil giant to halt rigs after spill
China said Wednesday it had ordered US oil giant ConocoPhillips to immediately stop operations at several rigs in an area off the nation's eastern coast polluted by a huge slick.
Celebrating 10 years of Artemis
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA’s pioneering Artemis satellite today marks a decade in space. The Advanced Relay and Technology Mission was a breakthrough in telecommunications satellites for Europe, packed with new technologies such as laser links and ion thrusters for proving in space.
Zubrin claims VASIMR is a hoax
A next-generation plasma rocket being developed by former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz called the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) has been touted as a way to get astronauts to Mars in weeks rather than months, as well as an innovative, cheap way to re-boost the International Space Station. But in a biting commentary posted on Space News and the Mars Society website, “Mars Direct” advocate Robert Zubrin calls VASIMR a “hoax” saying the engine “is neither revolutionary nor particularly promising. Rather, it is just another addition to the family of electric thrusters, which convert electric power to jet thrust, but are markedly inferior to the ones we already have,” adding, “There is thus no basis whatsoever for believing in the feasibility of Chang Diaz’s fantasy power system.”
XCOR Lynx slated to fly new suborbital telescope
Commercial space company XCOR Aerospace has signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Planetary Science Institute, laying the groundwork for flying a human-operated telescope on board XCOR’s Lynx spacecraft. The Atsa Suborbital Observatory is a specially designed telescope for use in suborbital space vehicles, and when used with commercial suborbital vehicles, PSI says it will provide low-cost space-based observations above the contaminating atmosphere of Earth, while avoiding some operational constraints of satellite telescope systems.
Much warmer than the worst-case scenario?
According to a new study, it could become much warmer towards the end of the century than originally anticipated. The study has found that the average temperatures calculated are much higher than the IPCC’s worst-case scenario to date.
Astronauts go from Elton John salute to trash duty
(AP) -- The astronauts making NASA's last shuttle flight turned into moving men and garbage haulers Wednesday with no time to dwell on their place in space history, after enjoying a special salute from the original "Rocket Man," Elton John.
Web abuzz with claims that Hubble sought to censor Lemaitre's paper
(PhysOrg.com) -- In one of those odd scientific debates where people who ought to know better, speak up, and in this case, print articles on arXiv, making claims about personal issues rather than science, buzz has been created that might lead to little more than rhetoric. In this case, it’s first Sidney van den Bergh, a Canadian astronomer, who has published a paper on arXiv citing evidence that Belgian astronomer Georges Lemaitre's paper on cosmological observations appeared to have been intentionally censored when translated into English, and then David Block, a South African mathematician and amateur historian adding fuel to the fire by publishing to the same site an article where he asserts he has proof that American, Edwin Hubble (of whom the Hubble telescope is named) was involved in a conspiracy of sorts, to censor the paper previously mentioned by van den Bergh.
Evolved stars locked in fatalistic dance
White dwarfs are the burned-out cores of stars like our Sun. Astronomers have discovered a pair of white dwarfs spiraling into one another at breakneck speeds. Today, these white dwarfs are so near they make a complete orbit in just 13 minutes, but they are gradually slipping closer together. About 900,000 years from now - a blink of an eye in astronomical time - they will merge and possibly explode as a supernova. By watching the stars converge, scientists will test both Einstein's theory of general relativity and the origin of some peculiar supernovae.
Soil microbes accelerate global warming
More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes soil to release the potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, new research published in this week's edition of Nature reveals. "This feedback to our changing atmosphere means that nature is not as efficient in slowing global warming as we previously thought," said Dr Kees Jan van Groenigen, Research Fellow at the Botany department at the School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, and lead author of the study.
Twin ARTEMIS probes to study moon in 3-D
(PhysOrg.com) -- On Sunday, July 17, the moon will acquire its second new companion in less than a month. That's when the second of two probes built by the University of California, Berkeley, and part of NASA's five-satellite THEMIS mission will drop into a permanent lunar orbit after a meandering, two-year journey from its original orbit around Earth.
What activates a supermassive black hole?
A new study combining data from ESO's Very Large Telescope and ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory has turned up a surprise. Most of the huge black holes in the centres of galaxies in the past 11 billion years were not turned on by mergers between galaxies, as had been previously thought.
Technology news
Research brings cloud costs back to earth
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology are looking for ways to reduce the high cost of internet data storage and retrieval in cloud computing.
Designing software to protect against mosquito-borne diseases
A team of undergraduate computer scientists and their professor at South Dakota State University are building software to protect people in Africa and North America from mosquito-borne illnesses.
MUTE electric car prototype displays excellent driving dynamics
Following months of preliminary work on computer simulations, the first completed prototype of the new electric concept car from Technische Universitaet Muenchen showed in its first driving tests that it possesses excellent driving properties -- not only in theory, but also in practice. Technische Universitaet Muenchen will be presenting its new electric vehicle concept "MUTE" at the international motor show in Frankfurt from Sept. 15-25, 2011.
Light bulb phase-out offers new role for unsung heroes of electronics revolution
With the United States' phase-out of conventional incandescent light bulbs set to start in a few months, an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) describes how the ban on 100-watt bulbs portends a huge new wave of growth for the once lowly light-emitting diode (LED).
Murdoch drops bid for British Sky Broadcasting
(AP) -- In a stunning retreat, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. media empire dropped its bid Wednesday to take over full control of British Sky Broadcasting amid a political and legal firestorm over phone hacking at one of its British newspapers.
R&D collaboration focuses on new system for measuring and improving human vision
With research and development assistance from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), an Atlanta-based company is developing what it hopes will be the next-generation instrument for optimizing eyesight for the hundreds of millions of people who wear glasses or contacts – or who are candidates for corrective surgery.
WikiLeaks Julian Assange fights extradition
(AP) -- Lawyers for Julian Assange on Wednesday focused their fight against the WikiLeaks chief's extradition to Sweden on technicalities - trying to punch holes through the warrant seeking his arrest.
Hynix, Toshiba to develop new STT-MRAM memory device
South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor and Japanese electronics giant Toshiba said Wednesday they have agreed to jointly develop a next-generation memory device.
Ubisoft buys free online game startup Owlient
Videogame publishing titan Ubisoft announced Tuesday that it is buying a French developer specializing in games played free on the Internet.
BlackBerry maker sees challenges in phone launch
(AP) -- BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.'s co-CEO told shareholders Tuesday that the company is facing challenges as it moves toward what it calls its biggest product launch yet.
EU court sees responsibilities of online retailers
(AP) -- Online retailers like eBay Inc. can be held responsible for the infringement of trademarks by goods they sell, Europe's top court said Tuesday.
US 'hacker next door' gets 18-year sentence: report
A US man who hacked into his neighbors' Wi-Fi network and tried to frame them with child pornography and threatening emails to the US vice president has been sentenced to 18 years in jail.
Google mines Internet for 'what you love'
Google rolled out a tool that mines the Internet for blogs, pictures, videos, and more based on the answer to the question "What do you love?"
China websites fall victim to new controls: study
The number of Chinese websites fell dramatically last year after the government tightened controls on the Internet, according to a new study by a leading state-run research institute.
How advanced behaviour modelling is helping to identify online fraud
A company that emerged from pioneering research in the Cambridge University Engineering Department is leading the field in the development of software based on predictive behavioural modelling for use in the gaming and financial services sectors. The smart research and technology that underpins Featurespace is earning it comparisons with Autonomy, another big success story that stemmed from research in the same Cambridge department.
Solar car Quantum to tour Michigan in the ultimate road test
The national champion solar car team will soon put its 2011 car and crew to the toughest test before the October World Solar Challenge. On Saturday, the University of Michigan team will embark on a 1,000-mile, four-day "mock race" that will ring the state's Lower Peninsula.
Research hopes to improve suits for fighting wildfires
You can hardly get through an evening news program without hearing about an out-of-control wildfire spreading across various parts of the country. But how safe – and comfortable – is the clothing being worn by the men and women fighting these fires? Researchers at North Carolina State University are working to develop and demonstrate new testing technologies for evaluating gear worn by wildland firefighters to protect against dangerous radiant, or non-direct, heat, while affording comfort and flexibility.
Pinger bringing free text messaging to Europe
Silicon Valley startup Pinger on Wednesday said it will expand into Europe with a German service for free text messaging using Apple or Android-powered gadgets.
Sony backs unique games for PlayStation Network
Sony Computer Entertainment America on Wednesday revealed a plan to invest $20 million in unique games tailored exclusively for PlayStation Network (PSN).
McCain calls for special cybersecurity panel
Veteran US Senator John McCain on Wednesday urged the creation of a special Senate committee on cybersecurity and electronic intelligence leaks to cut through legislative delays to crafting a US response.
A News Corp. without newspapers?
Rupert Murdoch built his vast fortune selling newspapers, expanding a single daily in his native Australia into a media and entertainment empire that spans the globe.
Researchers examine new approaches for aircraft operations aboard carriers
An Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored effort to examine how aircraft carrier flight deck crews will manage manned and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) completed a successful live demonstration, ONR announced July 13.
Phone apps let users mock the law, but authorities aren't laughing
Want to fool merchants with a fake ID? Hack someone's text messages? Or how about tracking where your co-workers are, without their knowing it? There's an app for that.
There is a solution to energy-gulping always-on TV boxes
So your TV show's over. You pick up the remote and press the button. Everything's off, right?
Wind-turbine placement produces tenfold power increase, researchers say
(PhysOrg.com) -- The power output of wind farms can be increased by an order of magnitude -- at least tenfold -- simply by optimizing the placement of turbines on a given plot of land, say researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) who have been conducting a unique field study at an experimental two-acre wind farm in northern Los Angeles County.
Google social net is about preserving leadership
Google didn't build its new Plus service simply to have an online hangout like Facebook. Rather, Google's new social-networking endeavor is about trying to gain valuable insights into people's lives and relationships. This could help the company do a better job of targeting ads so that advertisers would pay more and have less reason to spend their money on Facebook.
NHTSA looking to implement new noise enhancement rules for electric vehicles
(PhysOrg.com) -- The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on July 7, that it plans to implement new regulations requiring electric vehicles to emit some as yet undesignated "noise" to warn pedestrians of its approach. This move comes on the heels of passage, by Congress, of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, which requires the NHTSA to take action to protect pedestrians from the nearly noiseless electric (and hybrid) vehicles that lawmakers believe pose a hazard to unsuspecting people crossing roads, especially those with hearing impairments.
Moving data at the speed of science: Berkeley Lab lays foundation for 100 Gbps prototype network
The DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) today announced a major step toward creating one of the world's fastest scientific networks to accelerate research in fields ranging from advanced energy solutions to particle physics. Known as the Advanced Networking Initiative (ANI), the effort represents a $62 million multi-year investment by the DOE Office of Science in next-generation networking technology.
Intel predicts the death of mobile computing as we know it
(PhysOrg.com) -- The folks over at Intel have come up with an interesting prediction, one that may make all of you feel a little bit foolish for buying a laptop, and a netbook or a tablet. They are predicting that as time goes on the form factors in the mobile device market will break down and the distinctions between the devices will be largely a moot point. Companies will instead make multi-purpose smart computing devices.
PayPal letting Google phones swap cash
Online financial transactions giant PayPal on Wednesday showed off a mini-program that lets people exchange money by touching together a pair of Google smartphones.
Medicine & Health news
Stanford researchers suggest ways for physicians to individualize cost-effectiveness of treatments
In an era of skyrocketing health-care costs and finite financial resources, health economists are increasingly called upon to determine which medical treatments are the most cost-effective. To do so, they compare the price of an intervention with the improvement it is expected to deliver. For example, a highly advanced cold medicine that costs $5,000 to deliver just one additional symptom-free day to the average patient would appear to be a less-wise investment than a new chemotherapy that costs $10,000 but delivers a year or more of life to most patients.
Smelly socks could be a key to preventing malaria deaths in the developing world
Grand Challenges Canada announces a grant today to support further development of a new innovative device to attract and kill mosquitoes that can transmit malaria.
Expert questions Lansley's claim that NHS spending will become unaffordable
England's health secretary Andrew Lansley has said that if England keeps on spending on health at the current rate, the NHS will be unaffordable in 20 years' time. But in an article published in the British Medical Journal today, John Appleby, Chief Economist at the King's Fund argues that spending on health will be a matter of choice, not affordability.
Long-term NSAID use by hypertensive patients with CAD increases risk of adverse events
A study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Medicine, reports that among hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease, chronic self-reported use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an increased risk of adverse events during long-term follow-up. Long-term NSAIDs use is common for treatment of chronic pain.
Pivotal study in Africa finds that HIV medications prevent HIV infection
In a result that will fundamentally change approaches to HIV prevention in Africa, an international study has demonstrated that individuals at high risk for HIV infection who took a daily tablet containing an HIV medication – either the antiretroviral medication tenofovir or tenofovir in combination with emtricitabine – experienced significantly fewer HIV infections than those who received a placebo pill. These findings are clear evidence that this new HIV prevention strategy, called pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP), substantially reduces HIV infection risk.
VOICE study will continue as it considers what action to take after results of two trials
Today, researchers from two major HIV prevention trials announced favorable results of an approach called oral pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. One of these trials, the Partners PrEP Study, has provided the strongest evidence yet of PrEP's effectiveness.
Study begins of minimally invasive treatment for blocked heart valves
(Medical Xpress) -- Heart experts at Johns Hopkins have begun testing a new device designed to replace blocked aortic valves in patients for whom traditional open-heart surgery is considered too risky, such as elderly patients and those with other serious medical conditions. The testing is part of a nationwide study to evaluate the device, which is deployed in a minimally invasive way. The first two Maryland patients to receive the device had it put in place by Johns Hopkins doctors on July 8, 2011.
Health-care model improves diabetes outcomes, health
(Medical Xpress) -- A health-care delivery model called patient-centered medical home (PCMH) increased the percentage of diabetes patients who achieved goals that reduced their sickness and death rates, according to health researchers.
Researchers evaluate impact of July effect in teaching hospitals
(Medical Xpress) -- UCSF researchers have conducted the first major review of research on the “July effect,” a theory that the quality of health care at teaching hospitals declines during the month of July when experienced residents graduate and newly minted doctors begin their training.
Does the sea pose a risk to our health?
A new study has discovered viruses in almost 40 % of more than 1,400 bathing water samples collected from coastal and inland areas in 9 European countries. The findings, presented in the journal Water Research, suggest that the presence of infectious adenoviruses and noroviruses in water samples 'could pose a risk to health.'
Study highlights respiratory disorders prevalent in the Middle East
Lung diseases in the Middle East range from the centuries-old pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) to modern manifestations caused by chemical warfare. A new paper now available in Respirology, a journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, provides pulmonologists and patients with the first comprehensive review of respiratory illnesses specific to the Persian Gulf region, and the challenges in treating them. This unique review is the first of its kind in this topic and will serve as an important landmark reference article.
Talking about faith increases hospital patients' overall satisfaction
Hospitalized patients who had conversations about religion and spirituality with the healthcare team were the most satisfied with their overall care. However, 20 percent of patients who would have valued these discussions say their desires went unmet, according to a new study by Joshua Williams from the University of Chicago, USA, and his colleagues. Their work appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Structural factors integral to understanding girls' vulnerability to HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that community members correlate an increase in HIV vulnerability among adolescent girls with weak structural support systems. While adolescent girls are three to four times more likely than adolescent boys to be living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, few studies have examined the reasons community members believe girls are so vulnerable to HIV. The findings are published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
Clemson and DriveSafety create new driving simulator for rehabilitation
Clemson University researchers, working with simulation technology company DriveSafety, have developed a new driving simulator designed for patient rehabilitation that now is being used at 11 Army, Navy and Veterans Affairs facilities. The program recently expanded to Europe with the addition of a driving simulator at Charite Hospital in Berlin, Germany.
UT faculty improving surgical outcomes for children, cancer patients
Faculty and students at the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin are developing ways for cancer patients and children born with facial deformities to make more informed decisions about which reconstructive surgeries would be most aesthetically pleasing and practical based on their individual body types and personal preferences.
Gov't agency vote to lower lead in toys
(AP) -- The amount of lead allowed in toys and other children's products sold in the U.S. will soon be reduced to one of the lowest limits in the world. The move was praised by consumer advocates, but denounced by critics worried about job losses and shuttered businesses.
Heart failure: Doing what your doctor says works
Doctors have been dispensing advice to heart failure patients and for the first time researchers have found that it works. While self-care is believed to improve heart failure outcomes, a highlight of the recent American Heart Association scientific statement on promoting heart failure self-care was the need to establish the mechanisms by which self-care may influence neurohormonal, inflammatory, and hemodynamic function.
Cancer data not readily available for future research
A new study finds that -- even in a field with clear standards and online databases -- the rate of public data archiving in cancer research is increasing only slowly. Furthermore, research studies in cancer and human subjects are less likely than other research studies to make their datasets available for reuse.
Short-term hormone therapy plus radiation therapy increases survival for men with early-stage prostate cancer
Short-term hormone therapy (androgen deprivation therapy: ADT) given in combination with radiation therapy for men with early-stage prostate cancer increases their chance of living longer and not dying from the disease, compared with that of those who receive the same radiation therapy alone, according to a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study published in the July 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This largest randomized trial of its kind enrolled nearly 2,000 men at low and intermediate risk of prostate cancer progression and followed their health status for more than nine years (October 1994 to April 2001) at 212 centers in the United States and Canada.
Alternative methods of smear collection are effective at diagnosing TB
Two studies by a team of researchers led by Luis E. Cuevas and Mohammed Yassin from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and jointly coordinated with Andrew Ramsay at WHO-TDR Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases are published in this week's PLoS Medicine. The studies have important implications for the ways in which diagnosis for the endemic infectious disease, tuberculosis (TB), can be done in poor countries. One study suggests that less sputum tests collected the same day of consultation are needed and the other suggests that a faster laboratory test can be used while maintaining the same level of accuracy for diagnosis. Both studies show that alternative, less labour-intensive tests that are more convenient for patients could be effectively used in poorer countries.
Family planning in conflict
Many areas of the world are at war and both the conflict and aftermath have dire consequences for the health of people affected. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Conflict and Health reports that while women in war-torn areas want access to family planning, these services are often not available at local hospitals or health centers. This can lead to further deprivation and unintended pregnancy.
Advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day 'nonsense,' argues doctor
The recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration "is not only nonsense, but is thoroughly debunked nonsense," argues GP, Margaret McCartney in this week's BMJ.
No substantial link between swine flu vaccine and Guillain-Barre syndrome, confirm experts
Adjuvanted vaccines used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic did not increase the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome substantially, if at all, finds a large Europe-wide study published in the British Medical Journal today. An adjuvant is a substance added to a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to respond to the vaccine.
Accentuating the positive may eliminate the negative in teenagers with anxiety
Training teenagers to look at social situations positively could help those with anxiety and may help prevent problems persisting into adult life, new research from Oxford University is beginning to suggest.
Federal government says marijuana has no accepted medical use
Marijuana has been approved by many states and the nation's capital to treat a range of illnesses, but the federal government has ruled that it has no accepted medical use and should remain classified as a dangerous drug like heroin.
Drug stops HIV among hetero couples, not just gays
An AIDS drug already shown to help prevent spread of the virus in gay men also works for heterosexual men and women, two studies in Africa found. Experts called it a breakthrough for the continent that has suffered most from AIDS.
Computerized system to prevent SIDS developed by students
A new system using video and computer software to monitor a baby that could be used to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), as well as for telemedicine applications, has been developed by two students at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).
Latino teens key for campaigns reaching out to immigrant families, study finds
Latino adolescents who share knowledge from the classroom, new media and information technology among immigrant families function as "civic information leaders," a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder shows.
Modified fat diet key to lowering heart disease risk
The debate between good fat versus bad fat continues, as a new evidence review finds that a modified fat diet — and not a low fat diet — might be the real key to reducing one’s risk of heart disease.
Strength training curbs hip, spinal bone loss in women with osteoporosis
Women with osteoporosis – a skeletal disease that erodes bone density, weakens bone strength and increases the risk of fractures – might think taking it easy is the best way to prevent bone breaks. Yet an updated review of studies confirms that compared to staying sedentary, strength exercises boost bone density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Stem cell treatment may restore cognitive function in patients with brain cancer
Stem cell therapy may restore cognition in patients with brain cancer who experience functional learning and memory loss often associated with radiation treatment, according to a laboratory study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Faking it on the soccer field
As the U.S. women prepare for a showdown with France in Wednesday's semifinal of the World Cup of soccer, a research group has reported two tantalizing tendencies in the game. Top female soccer players aren't beyond faking injury to deceive referees and gain an advantage over their opponents. But they don't do it as much as their male counterparts.
Higher cigarette taxes don't deter all smokers
Raising taxes on cigarettes, a public health measure used by governments to encourage people to quit, doesn't motivate all smokers to stop the deadly habit.
Progesterone inhibits growth of neuroblastoma cancer cells
High doses of the hormone progesterone can kill neuroblastoma cells while leaving healthy cells unscathed, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found in laboratory research.
Modulation of inhibitory output is key function of antiobesity hormone
Scientists have known for some time that the hormone leptin acts in the brain to prevent obesity, but the specific underlying neurocircuitry has remained a mystery. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the July 14 issue of the journal Neuron reveals neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie the antiobesity effects of leptin.
FDA: pelvic mesh for women riskier than thought
A product commonly used in surgery to treat incontinence and other women's health problems causes far more complications than previously thought and is likely exposing patients to unnecessary risks, according to U.S. health officials.
Sea diet and siesta point to Greek island longevity: study
Siestas, a health diet -- and genetics -- could explain why people on the tiny Aegean island of Ikaria live so long, said a study by Greek cardiologists released Wednesday.
AIDS: HIV drugs boost prevention hopes
Heterosexuals who take daily AIDS drugs reduce the risk of being infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by nearly two-thirds, ground-breaking studies said on Wednesday.
Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away
Improving and maintaining health factors not traditionally associated with dementia, such as denture fit, vision and hearing, may lower a person's risk for developing dementia, according to a new study published in the July 13, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Stem cells restore cognitive abilities impaired by brain cancer treatment
Human neural stem cells are capable of helping people regain learning and memory abilities lost due to radiation treatment for brain tumors, a UC Irvine study suggests.
Team finds why stored transfusion blood may become less safe with age
Transfused blood may need to be stored in a different way to prevent the breakdown of red blood cells that can lead to complications including infection, organ failure and death, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Wake Forest University. This week in the early online version of Circulation, the team reports the latest findings from its ongoing exploration of the interaction between red blood cell breakdown products and nitric oxide (NO), revealing new biological mechanisms that can reduce blood flow and possibly damage vital tissues after administration of blood that has been stored for longer than 39 days.
Study explores best motivating factors for pursuing a shared goal such as giving
People who see the "glass as half empty" may be more willing to contribute to a common goal if they already identify with it, according to researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, University of Chicago and Sungkyunkwan University.
Research provides insight into new drug resistance in hospital microbes
Hospitals struggle to prevent the infections that complicate treatment for cancer, joint replacement, heart surgery and other conditions. Hospital-acquired infections are often resistant to multiple antibiotics, leading to approximately 100,000 deaths and more than $30 billion in additional health care costs yearly. New drugs are being developed to combat these infections, but resistance invariably emerges to these last-line drugs.
State should take obese kids from parents: US doctors
The government should have the right to remove severely obese children from their parents' home and place them in foster care, two US doctors argued in a controversial editorial published Wednesday.
New research reveals brain network connections
Research conducted by Maria Ercsey-Ravasz and Zoltan Toroczkai of the University of Notre Dame's Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications (iCeNSA), along with the Department of Physics and a group of neuroanatomists in France, has revealed previously unknown information about the primate brain.
New stem-cell treatment: 'Hype is ahead of the science'
Before New York Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon pulled his hamstring while running from the mound to first base on June 11, fans would have been forgiven for thinking he had chugged from the Fountain of Youth.
New study confirms the existence of 'trial effect' in HIV clinical trials
A new study by investigators from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has confirmed the existence of a "trial effect" in clinical trials for treatment of HIV.
A closer look at the placebo effect
Placebos are "dummy pills" often used in research trials to test new drug therapies and the "placebo effect" is the benefit patients receive from a treatment that has no active ingredients. Many claim that the placebo effect is a critical component of clinical practice.
Mozart may have lived longer if he had spent more time in the sun: study
(Medical Xpress) -- According to a new report published in Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may have lived longer had he spent more time in the sun and allowed his body to produce more vitamin D.
Study explains why men are at higher risk for stomach cancer
Several types of cancer, including stomach, liver and colon, are far more common in men than in women. Some scientists have theorized that differences in lifestyle, such as diet and smoking, may account for the discrepancy, but growing evidence suggests that the differences are rooted in basic biological differences between men and women.
Researchers hone in on a protein's precise role in disease prevention
Building upon work initiated by University of Alabama scientists, Harvard Medical School researchers, collaborating with UA and others, took another step in cracking the code behind a protein’s precise role in the disease dystonia and, along the way, discovered a new lead for cystic fibrosis research, according to a journal article publishing today.
Protein switch controls how stem cells turn into new heart tissue
(Medical Xpress) -- Oxford University researchers have identified a protein that can direct stem cells to become either new heart muscle or blood vessels.
Single drug and soft environment can increase platelet production: research
Humans produce billions of clot-forming platelets every day, but there are times when there aren't enough of them, such as with certain diseases or during invasive surgery. Now, University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a single drug can induce bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes to quadruple the number of platelets they produce.
Omega-3 reduces anxiety and inflammation in healthy students
A new study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people.
Neuroscientists uncover neural mechanisms of object recognition
Certain brain injuries can cause people to lose the ability to visually recognize objects — for example, confusing a harmonica for a cash register.
Researchers demystify a fountain of youth in the adult brain
Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that a "fountain of youth" that sustains the production of new neurons in the brains of rodents is also believed to be present in the human brain. The existence of a vital support system of cells around stem cells in the brain explains why stem cells by themselves can't generate neurons in a lab dish, a major roadblock in using these stem cells for injury repair.
When well-known flu strains 'hook up' dangerous progeny can result
A new University of Maryland-led study finds that 'sex' between the virus responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic (H1N1) and a common type of avian flu virus (H9N2) can produce offspring -- new combined flu viruses -- with the potential for creating a new influenza pandemic.
Scientists find link between immune system suppression, blood vessel formation in tumors
Targeted therapies that are designed to suppress the formation of new blood vessels in tumors, such as Avastin (bevacizumab), have slowed cancer growth in some patients. However, they have not produced the dramatic responses researchers initially thought they might. Now, research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania might help to explain the modest responses. The discovery, published in the July 14 issue of Nature, suggests novel treatment combinations that could boost the power of therapies based on slowing blood vessel growth (angiogenesis).
Efficient process using microRNA converts human skin cells into neurons
The addition of two particular gene snippets to a skin cell's usual genetic material is enough to turn that cell into a fully functional neuron, report researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding, to be published online July 13 in Nature, is one of just a few recent reports of ways to create human neurons in a lab dish.
Breathing restored after spinal cord injury
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine bridged a spinal cord injury and biologically regenerated lost nerve connections to the diaphragm, restoring breathing in an adult rodent model of spinal cord injury. The work, which restored 80 to more than 100 percent of breathing function, will be published in the online issue of the journal Nature July 14. The scientists say that more testing is necessary, but are hopeful their technique will quickly be used in clinical trials.
New method defibrillates heart with less electricity, pain (w/ video)
(Medical Xpress) -- Cornell scientists, in collaboration with physicists and physician-scientists in Germany, France and Rochester, N.Y., have developed a new -- and much less painful and potentially damaging -- method to end life-threatening heart fibrillations.
Stem cells grow fully functional new teeth
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from Japan recently published a paper in PLoS One describing their successful growth and transplantation of new teeth created from the stem cells of mice.
Atomic structure discovered for a sodium channel that generates electrical signals in living cells
Scientists at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle have determined the atomic architecture of a sodium channel. The achievement opens new possibilities for molecular medicine researchers around the world in designing better drugs for pain, epilepsy, and heart rhythm disturbances.
Biology news
Localized reactive badger culling raises bovine tuberculosis risk, new analysis confirms
The study, by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College London, is published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
Fewer aphids in organic crop fields
Farmers who spray insecticides against aphids as a preventative measure only achieve a short-term effect with this method. In the long term, their fields will end up with even more aphids than untreated fields. This has been reported by researchers at the Biocenter of the University of Würzburg in the scientific journal PLoS One.
Chile is more dangerous for Argentina than vice versa
Invasive plant species in Chile pose a higher threat to its neighbour, Argentina, than vice versa. This was concluded by scientists from the University of Concepción in Chile and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) after analysing the flora of both countries. In particular, 22 non-native species which occur in Chile on connecting roads leading to Argentina present a high risk according to the researchers, writing in the journal Biological Invasions.
The future of cover crops
Winter cover crops are an important component of nutrient cycling, soil cover and organic matter content. Although its benefits are well documented, cover crop use in farming systems is relatively low. Research has shown that time and money are the two primary reasons why farmers are hesitant to adopt the technique. Developing innovative and cost-effective crop cover systems could increase the use of winter cover crops.
Hanoi's renowned turtle free again
An ageing giant turtle revered as a symbol of Vietnam's independence struggle has won back her freedom back three months after being captured for medical treatment, an official said on Wednesday.
Climate adaptation of rice
Rice – which provides nearly half the daily calories for the world's population – could become adapted to climate change and some catastrophic events by colonizing its seeds or plants with the spores of tiny naturally occurring fungi, just-published U.S. Geological Survey-led research shows.
Separated for 20 million years: Blind beetle from Bulgarian caves clarifies questions
One of the smallest ever cave-dwelling ground beetles (Carabidae), has recently been discovered in two caves in the Rhodopi Mountains, Bulgaria, and described under the name Paralovricia beroni. The beetle is completely blind and is only 1.8-2.2 mm long. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Dual-sex butterfly hatches at Natural History Museum
A rare half-male and half-female butterfly has emerged at the Natural History Museum's Sensational Butterflies exhibition.
Position of telomeres in nucleus influences length
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study the latest issue of Nature Cell Biology sheds light on the mechanism controlling telomere length in budding yeast. In this publication, scientists from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research could show that telomere localization is influenced by post-translational modifications of telomeric proteins. In the absence of these modifications the telomeres moved away from the periphery of the nucleus and in turn became longer.
Critically endangered Amur leopards captured on video
Recent video footage from a survey on a group of critically endangered Amur leopards in the Russian Far East has yielded unexpectedly positive results, giving evidence that some wild groups of the big cat are showing clear signs of a tendency towards population growth, says WWF Russia.
Spread of fungus-farming beetles is bad news for trees
(PhysOrg.com) -- North Carolina State University researchers have found that a subset of fungus-farming ambrosia beetles may be in the early stages of a global epidemic threatening a number of economically important trees, including avocados, poplars and oaks.
Sea urchins cannot control invasive seaweeds
Exotic marine species, including giant seaweeds, are spreading fast, with harmful effects on native species, and are increasingly affecting the biodiversity of the Mediterranean seabed. Some native species, such as sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus), can fight off this invasion, but only during its early stages, or when seaweed densities are very low.
First study into GM Atlantic salmon mating reveals danger of escape to wild gene pool
If genetically modified Atlantic salmon were to escape from captivity they could succeed in breeding and passing their genes into the wild, Canadian researchers have found. Their research, published in Evolutionary Applications, explores the potential reproductive implications of GM salmon as they are considered for commercial farming.
Snow leopard population discovered in Afghanistan
The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of northeastern Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, according to a new study.
Sri Lanka to count its elephants for first time
(AP) -- Sri Lanka is preparing for its first census of elephants in the island's forests to help protect the endangered species against the loss of its habitat.
Experts urge protected areas to save Canada caribou
Canada needs to create large protected areas of woodlands to help save caribou from the threat of extinction, scientists and environmentalists said Wednesday.
New research demonstrates damaging influence of media on public perceptions of chimpanzees
How influential are mass media portrayals of chimpanzees in television, movies, advertisements and greeting cards on public perceptions of this endangered species? That is what researchers based at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo sought to uncover in a new nationwide study published today in PLoS ONE, an open-access scientific journal. Their findings reveal the potential role that media plays in creating widespread misunderstandings about the conservation status and nature of this great ape.
Brainy lizards pass test for birds
Tropical lizards may be slow. But they aren't dumb. They can do problem-solving tasks just as well as birds and mammals, a new study shows.
Newly discovered molecule essential to resetting 'body clocks'
Research has shown that light is the key to getting our 'body clocks' back in sync and now a new study exploring the resynchronisation mechanism in insects has discovered a molecule essential to the process.
One bite can destroy a reputation, even if you are a fish
(PhysOrg.com) -- Misbehaving in front of others can ruin your reputation even if you are a fish, according to an international study that has shown for the first time an audience can influence levels of cooperation in non-human animals.
Colourful boundary trespassers: burrowing parrots crossed the Andes 120,000 years ago
The Andes of southern South America form a hostile mountain range with glaciers, salty deserts and meagre high elevation steppes. Birds from more moderate climate zones cross this mountain range only rarely. Nevertheless, many species live on both sides of the Andes, as in the case of the Burrowing Parrot Cyanoliseus patagonus. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, together with colleagues from the University of Freiburg and the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Viena, found that the ancestral population of the Burrowing Parrot occupied what is today Chile, and from there only a single crossing of the Andes was successful.
Stem cell 'memory' can boost insulin levels
Stem cells from early embryos can be coaxed into becoming a diverse array of specialized cells to revive and repair different areas of the body. Therapies based on these stem cells have long been contemplated for the treatment of diabetes, but have been held back by medical and ethical drawbacks.
Biologists discover an 'evening' protein complex that regulates plant growth
Farmers and other astute observers of nature have long known that crops like corn and sorghum grow taller at night. But the biochemical mechanisms that control this nightly stem elongation, common to most plants, have been something of a mystery to biologists—until now.
New algorithm provides new insights into evolutionary exodus out of Africa
Researchers have probed deeper into human evolution by developing an elegant new technique to analyse whole genomes from different populations. One key finding from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's study is that African and non-African populations continued to exchange genetic material well after migration out-of-Africa 60,000 years ago. This shows that interbreeding between these groups continued long after the original exodus.
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