Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for November 30, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- HP slams 'sensational' reports about LaserJet printer hack vulnerability- In a star's final days, astronomers hunt 'signal of impending doom'
- Researchers use a 3D printer to make bone-like material (w/ video)
- Setting the stage for life: Scientists make key discovery about the atmosphere of early Earth
- Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab
- Unlocking the genetic and molecular mystery of soft-tissue sarcoma
- Biocompatible graphene transistor array reads cellular signals
- First analysis of tumor-suppressor interactions with whole genome in normal human cells
- Controlled disorder -- scientists find way to form random molecular patterns
- Researchers find some smartphone models more vulnerable to attack
- Genome-wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets
- Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice
- Researchers demonstrate earthquake friction effect at the nanoscale
- Earthquakes: Water as a lubricant
- Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat
Space & Earth news
Banks 'lent 232 bn euros to coal industry'
Leading banks around the world lent 232 billion euros ($308 billion) to the coal industry, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases, from 2005 to 2010, campaigners said here on Wednesday.
UN scientist: fighting climate change saves costs
(AP) -- The U.N.'s top climate scientist cautioned climate negotiators Wednesday that global warming is leading to human dangers and soaring financial costs, but containing carbon emissions will have a host of benefits.
Image: Young stellar grouping in Cygnus X
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cygnus X hosts many young stellar groupings.
China rules out 2015 climate deal deadline
A European drive to forge a legally-binding deal on climate change by 2015 that would include all major carbon polluters is "too much", a senior Chinese negotiator said at UN talks here.
New exhibition, website guide visitors through the evolving universe
The cosmos constantly changes. Stars are born, live out their lives, and die - sometimes calmly, sometimes explosively. Galaxies form, grow, and collide dramatically. A new exhibition and website, developed jointly by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, reveal the dynamic and evolving universe through breathtaking photographs and informative captions.
Could Curiosity determine if Viking found life on Mars?
One of the most controversial and long-debated aspects of Mars exploration has been the results of the Viking landers’ life-detection experiments back in the 1970s. While the preliminary findings were consistent with the presence of bacteria (or something similar) in the soil samples, the lack of organics found by other instruments forced most scientists to conclude that the life-like responses were most likely the result of unknown chemical reactions, not life. Gilbert V. Levin, however, one of the primary scientists involved with the Viking experiments, has continued to maintain that the Viking landers did indeed find life in the Martian soil. He also now thinks that the just-launched Curiosity rover might be able to confirm this when it lands on Mars next summer.
Star Wars laser offers new insight into Earth's atmosphere
With the need to understand global change one of today’s most pressing scientific challenges, ESA is exploring novel techniques for future space missions. Firing laser pulses between satellites is promising a step up in tracking greenhouse gases.
The human cost of Russia's lost spacecraft
It hasn’t been a great year for Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency. In the last twelve months, it has lost four major missions on top of the aerospace industry’s failure to produce its planned number of spacecraft.
Quake warning system for West Coast nears reality
The devastating 1868 Hayward fault earthquake in Northern California shook loose the first plausible idea for warning people of imminent ground shaking.
Collecting carbon in a concrete jungle
Land unsuitable for tree planting could still be used to reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere thanks to new research.
New planet -- Kepler-21b -- discovered
(PhysOrg.com) -- The NASA Kepler Mission is designed to survey a portion of our region of the Milky Way Galaxy to discover Earth-size planets in or near the “habitable zone,” the region in a planetary system where liquid water can exist, and determine how many of the billions of stars in our galaxy have such planets. It now has another planet to add to its growing list.
Microscopic worms could hold the key to living life on Mars
The astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that if humanity is to survive we will have to pull up sticks and colonise space. But is the human body up to the challenge?
Lava fingerprinting reveals differences between Hawaii's twin volcanoes
Hawaii's main volcano chains -- the Loa and Kea trends -- have distinct sources of magma and unique plumbing systems connecting them to the Earth's deep mantle, according to UBC research published this week in Nature Geoscience, in conjunction with researchers at the universities of Hawaii and Massachusetts.
A beast with four tails
The Milky Way galaxy continues to devour its small neighbouring dwarf galaxies and the evidence is spread out across the sky.
FLEX-ible insight into flame behavior
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whether free-burning or smoldering, uncontrolled fire can threaten life and destroy property. On Earth, a little water, maybe some chemicals, and the fire is smothered.
NASA's Nanosail-D 'sails' home -- mission complete
After spending more than 240 days "sailing" around the Earth, NASA's NanoSail-D -- a nanosatellite that deployed NASA's first-ever solar sail in low-Earth orbit -- has successfully completed its Earth orbiting mission.
Setting the stage for life: Scientists make key discovery about the atmosphere of early Earth
Scientists in the New York Center for Astrobiology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have used the oldest minerals on Earth to reconstruct the atmospheric conditions present on Earth very soon after its birth. The findings, which appear in the Dec. 1 edition of the journal Nature, are the first direct evidence of what the ancient atmosphere of the planet was like soon after its formation and directly challenge years of research on the type of atmosphere out of which life arose on the planet.
Researchers demonstrate earthquake friction effect at the nanoscale
Earthquakes are some of the most daunting natural disasters that scientists try to analyze. Though the earth's major fault lines are well known, there is little scientists can do to predict when an earthquake will occur or how strong it will be. And, though earthquakes involve millions of tons of rock, a team of University of Pennsylvania and Brown University researchers has helped discover an aspect of friction on the nanoscale that may lead to a better understanding of the disasters.
Earthquakes: Water as a lubricant
Geophysicists from Potsdam (Germany) have established a mode of action that can explain the irregular distribution of strong earthquakes at the San Andreas Fault in California. As the science magazine Nature reports in its latest issue, the scientists examined the electrical conductivity of the rocks at great depths, which is closely related to the water content within the rocks. From the pattern of electrical conductivity and seismic activity they were able to deduce that rock water acts as a lubricant.
Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat
As the Arctic warms, greenhouse gases will be released from thawing permafrost faster and at significantly higher levels than previous estimates, according to survey results from 41 international scientists published in the Nov. 30 issue of the journal Nature.
'Christmas Day' cosmic flash may have been dying comet
A burst of gamma-ray radiation from a distant galaxy, detected by an orbiting US telescope last December 25, may have come from a comet crashing into a neutron star, astrophysicists suggest on Wednesday.
Astronomers look to neighboring galaxy for star formation insight
An international team of astronomers has mapped in detail the star-birthing regions of the nearest star-forming galaxy to our own, a step toward understanding the conditions surrounding star creation.
In the Dragonfish's mouth: Next generation of superstars to stir up our galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Three astronomers at the University of Toronto have found the most numerous batch of young, supermassive stars yet observed in our galaxy: hundreds of thousands of stars, including several hundreds of the most massive kind --blue stars dozens of times heavier than our Sun. The light these newborn stars emit is so intense it has pushed out and heated the gas that gave them birth, carving out a glowing hollow shell about a hundred light-years across.
In a star's final days, astronomers hunt 'signal of impending doom'
(PhysOrg.com) -- An otherwise nondescript binary star system in the Whirlpool Galaxy has brought astronomers tantalizingly close to their goal of observing a star just before it goes supernova.
Technology news
Startups let people sidestep corporate greed
While Occupy Wall Street protestors rail against the economic elite a new breed of Internet startups is out to overthrow big businesses as rulers of the marketplace.
Pulitzer Prizes to require electronic entries
Two years after opening up to online-only publications, the Pulitzer Prizes, the most prestigious US journalism awards, are ending the submission of entries on paper.
Brazil proposes South American broadband network
Brazil on Tuesday proposed the creation of a fiber optic broadband connection network linking all South American countries to bring down the cost of Internet and cellular phone access.
What are you eating? Mobile app can tell you
Gatorade drinkers wondering about the calcium pantothenate in their favorite sports drink won't have to guess much longer.
FCC had 'questions of fact' on AT&T-T-Mobile deal
(AP) -- A report by the staff of the Federal Communications Commission says AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA provided flawed information to justify AT&T's planned $39 billion acquisition of its smaller rival.
Hackers post UN staffer user names, passwords
A hackers group calling itself "Team Poison" has posted what it says are the user names and passwords of more than 100 United Nations staffers' email accounts it pulled from a U.N. computer server.
Australian court clears sale of Samsung Galaxy tab
(AP) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is closer to selling its new Galaxy tablet computer in Australia after a court on Wednesday overturned a ruling that sided with Apple's allegations Samsung had copied its iPad and iPhone.
Social network Path announces more ways to share
If Facebook is like hanging out at a banquet with a large buffet to feast on, then social network Path is an intimate dinner with close friends. Path is now getting new silverware and table decorations, so to speak, with the release of updated software.
Whitman says Apple could overtake HP in 2012: report
Apple could overtake Hewlett-Packard next year as the world's top personal computer maker, HP's chief executive Meg Whitman said in an interview with a French daily to appear on Wednesday.
Internet stock slips raise fears of new bubble
Quick cooling of hot stock market debuts by Internet darlings such as Groupon has fed fears of another speculative bubble as social networking star Facebook prepares to go public.
Twitter, mixi form Japan tie-up as Facebook gains
(AP) -- Twitter Inc. and Japan's biggest homegrown social networking site mixi Inc. joined forces Wednesday to strengthen their ground against a rapidly expanding Facebook.
Game giant Zynga on track for December IPO: report
Online games giant Zynga is on track for a stock market debut in mid-December, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
Toshiba to shut three Japan semiconductor plants
Electronics and manufacturing giant Toshiba said Wednesday it is to shut three semiconductor factories in Japan as part of a reorganisation of its business, as it grapples with falling profits.
US bill seeks to improve cyber information-sharing
A bill intended to increase sharing of information about cybersecurity threats between government and the private sector was introduced in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Spanish brickie finds Facebook hacking flaw
A Spanish builder stumbled on an online loophole that enables users to send Facebook messages in other users' names, prompting an alert by authorities, he said Wednesday.
US Cyber Monday spending hits new high
US online shopping hit a record high on Cyber Monday with people racking up $1.25 billion worth of purchases on the Internet, according to comScore.
Expert: Efficiency metrics for energy storage devices need standardization
Solving the mystery of prematurely dead cell phone and laptop batteries may prove to be a vital step toward creating a sustainable energy grid according to Drexel researcher Dr. Yury Gogotsi. In a piece published in the November 18 edition of Science, Gogotsi, who is the head of the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute, calls for a new, standardized gauge of performance measurement for energy storage devices that are as small as those used in cell phones to as large as those used in the national energy grid.
Facebook makes privacy pledge in FTC settlement
Government regulators are sharing some alarming information about Facebook: They believe the online social network has often misled its more than 800 million users about the sanctity of their personal information.
Cars go green and online as Tokyo Motor Show opens
Electric cars with cutting-edge green technology and vehicles remote-controlled by smartphones caught the eye Wednesday at the first Tokyo Motor Show held since Japan's devastating earthquake.
Philippine solar light bottles offer hope
Filipino entrepreneur Illac Diaz is aiming to help a million poor people in a year, and with the help of some plastic bottles and a clever social media campaign may do even better.
Canadian firm bids to commercialize fusion reactor
In the race against world governments and the wealthiest companies to commercialize a nuclear fusion reactor, a small, innovative Canadian firm is hoping to bottle and sell the sun's energy.
At a crossroads: New research predicts which cars are likeliest to run lights at intersections
In 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2.3 million automobile crashes occurred at intersections across the United States, resulting in some 7,000 deaths. More than 700 of those fatalities were due to drivers running red lights. But, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, half of the people killed in such accidents are not the drivers who ran the light, but other drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
Researchers find some smartphone models more vulnerable to attack
New research from North Carolina State University shows that some smartphones specifically designed to support the Android mobile platform have incorporated additional features that can be used by hackers to bypass Android's security features, making them more vulnerable to attack. Android has the largest share of the smartphone market in the U.S.
Medicine & Health news
End to the 30-year war against AIDS in sight
Thirty years, 30 million deaths and 60 million infections after HIV appeared, medical researchers now have the tools to halt the deadly epidemic.
New tuberculosis research movement needed
In this week's PLoS Medicine, Christian Lienhardt from the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland and colleagues announce that the Stop TB Partnership and the WHO Stop TB Department have launched the TB Research Movement.
Self-referral leads to more negative exams for patients
Physicians who have a financial interest in imaging equipment are more likely to refer their patients for potentially unnecessary imaging exams, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
New hip implants no better than traditional implants
New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published in the British Medical Journal today.
Action needed to improve men's health in Europe
Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts in the British Medical Journal today.
Are there too many women in medicine?
In the UK, women doctors are set to outnumber their male counterparts by 2017. The press has dubbed the rise "worrying" and "bad for medicine" but in an editorial published by Student BMJ today, Maham Khan asks is medicine becoming overfeminised and is having too many female doctors bad practice?
China expects 48,000 new HIV cases this year
(AP) -- China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex.
Scale-up of voluntary male circumcision cost-effective way to prevent HIV in S. and E. Africa
A collection of nine new articles to be published in PLoS Medicine and PLoS ONE, in conjunction with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), highlights how scaling up voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention in eastern and southern Africa can help prevent HIV not only at individual but also at community and population level as well as lead to substantial cost savings for countries due to averted treatment and care costs.
China to hold first AIDS Walk on Great Wall
China is due to hold its first AIDS Walk -- a fundraising walkathon already popular in the US -- on the Great Wall, organisers said Wednesday, as the nation steps up its fight against the disease.
The communicative brain
The ability to communicate using language is fundamental to the distinctive and remarkable success of the modern human. It is this capacity that separates us most decisively from our primate cousins, despite all that we have in common across species as intelligent social primates.
HIV spreading in Europe, but AIDS cases declining: study
HIV infections continued to rise in Europe in 2010, but thanks to treatment the number of cases of full-blown AIDS has dramatically declined in recent years, according to a report published Wednesday.
Measuring mental aftershocks
The massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile in February 2010 left thousands homeless, caused billions of dollars in damages and triggered a deadly tsunami. The psychological impact of such traumatic events over time is the focus of an ongoing research collaboration between UC Irvine psychologists and Chilean academic and government officials.
UC research examines home births -- then and now
A comparison of home-birth trends of the 1970s finds many similarities – and some differences – related to current trends in home births.
Improving patient care by improving nurses' work environment
While nurse-to-patient ratios are widely recognized as an important factor in determining the quality of patient care, those ratios are not always easy to change without significant cost and investment of resources. What's more, the projected nursing shortage will make it even more difficult for hospitals to increase nurse staffing. A study published in the current issue of Health Care Management Review indicates that there are other aspects of registered nurses' (RNs) work environments that RNs perceive can also have a significant impact on the quality of care they deliver. In order of influence, those factors are: physical work environment, workgroup cohesion, nurse-physician relations, procedural justice and job satisfaction. Nurses' ratings of patient care quality were also higher in hospitals with Magnet® recognition programs, and lower in work settings with greater organizational constraints such as lack of equipment and supplies.
New report: Community health plans improving care for patients with chronic illnesses
Community health plans are partnering with physician practices to initiate a range of care management programs for people living with chronic diseases; these programs have resulted in decreased emergency room (ER) use, improved health and lower costs. The findings, released today by the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), are part of a report that is a comprehensive look at the way community health plans partner with providers to improve care.
Publicly releasing inspection data on meat processing facilities could have 'substantial benefits'
Publicly posting enforcement and testing data corresponding to specific meat, poultry, and egg products' processing plants on the Internet could have "substantial benefits," including the potential to favorably impact public health, says a new report from the National Research Council. The report adds that the release of such data could contribute to increased transparency and yield valuable insights that go beyond the regulatory uses for which the data are collected.
Study shows hospice caregivers need routine care interventions
A study led by the University of Kentucky researcher Elaine Wittenberg-Lyles found that hospice family caregivers are "second order patients" themselves and require their own unique care needs.
Two million Californians report mental health needs; most receive little or no treatment
Nearly 2 million adults in California, about 8 percent of the population, need mental health treatment, but the majority receive no services or inadequate services, despite a state law mandating that health insurance providers include mental health treatment in their coverage options, a new report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows.
Inspector highlights psych drug use among elderly
(AP) -- Government inspectors will tell lawmakers Wednesday that the Medicare health plan needs to do more to stop doctors from prescribing powerful psychiatric drugs to nursing home patients with dementia, an unapproved practice that has flourished despite repeated government warnings.
Heart attack risk differs between men and women
Findings on coronary CT angiography (CTA), a noninvasive test to assess the coronary arteries for blockages, show different risk scenarios for men and women, according to a study presented today at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer
Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The findings, observed in nearly 5,000 postmenopausal women, appear in the Nov. 29 online edition of the British Journal of Cancer.
Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease
People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Violent video games alter brain function in young men
A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis of long-term effects of violent video game play on the brain has found changes in brain regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control in young adult men after one week of game play. The results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Training peers improves social outcomes for some kids with ASD
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who attend regular education classes may be more likely to improve their social skills if their typically developing peers are taught how to interact with them than if only the children with ASD are taught such skills. According to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, a shift away from more commonly used interventions that focus on training children with ASD directly may provide greater social benefits for children with ASD. The study was published online ahead of print on Nov. 28, 2011, in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Abstinence-only education does not lead to abstinent behavior
States that prescribe abstinence-only sex education programs in public schools have significantly higher teenage pregnancy and birth rates than states with more comprehensive sex education programs, researchers from the University of Georgia have determined.
Is the end of polio truly in sight?
Declaring the eradication of polio will be far more difficult than it was for smallpox, according to a review published in the Journal of General Virology. Further research into the complex virus - host interactions and how the vaccine is used in the final stages of the eradication programme is crucial to its success.
Mouse study explains bacterium's unique role in periodontitis
Scientists say they have solved in mice the mystery of how an unusual bacterium can trigger the common dental condition periodontitis while residing in low numbers in the space between tooth and gum.
Researchers examine role of inflammatory mechanisms in a healing heart
(Medical Xpress) -- Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that an inflammatory mechanism known as inflammasome may lead to more damage in the heart following injury such as a heart attack, pointing researchers toward developing more targeted strategies to block the inflammatory mechanisms involved.
Drug boosts survival when breast cancer spreads to brain
Treatment with lapatinib could extend survival in women with Her2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the brain, according to research published today in the British Journal of Cancer.
Impatient people have lower credit scores: study
Is there a psychological reason why people default on their mortgages? A new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people with bad credit scores are more impatient – more likely to choose immediate rewards rather than wait for a larger reward later.
Brain training exercises more effective at improving cognitive function than crossword puzzles, study says
A new study shows that doing brain training exercises is more effective at improving cognitive function than performing knowledge games, like crossword puzzles. This is the preliminary analysis of the results from Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study (IHAMS) presented last week at Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 64th Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston.
Surgeons perform better with eye movement training
(Medical Xpress) -- Surgeons can learn their skills more quickly if they are taught how to control their eye movements.
Health-care providers should be alert to risk of suicide among pregnant women and new mothers
Increased screening of pregnant women and new mothers for major depression and conflicts with intimate partners may help identify women at risk for suicide, a University of Michigan Health System-led analysis of federal data concludes.
Sickle cell anemia as malaria defense
Sickle cell anemia causes pain, fatigue and delayed growth, all because of a lack of enough healthy red blood cells. And yet genetic mutations that cause it - recessive genes for the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin protein - have survived natural selection because they also seem to provide a natural defense against malaria. Scientists have long known this, and they have long wondered how it worked.
Why evolutionarily ancient brain areas are important
Structures in the midbrain that developed early in evolution can be responsible for functions in newborns which in adults are taken over by the cerebral cortex. New evidence for this theory has been found in the visual system of monkeys by a team of researchers from the RUB. The scientists studied a reflex that stabilizes the image of a moving scene on the retina to prevent blur, the so-termed optokinetic nystagmus. They found that nuclei in the midbrain initially control this reflex and that signals from the cerebral cortex (neocortex) are only added later on. PD Dr. Claudia Distler-Hoffmann from the Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology and Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Hoffmann from the Department of Animal Physiology report in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Promising and perilous? The ambivalent role of the CXCL12/ CXCR4 axis in heart repair
The chemokine CXCL12 acts as a chemical signal which mobilizes hematopoietic and other types of stem cells to leave the bone marrow and enter the circulation. Secretion of CXCL12 also guides these cells to sites at which the perfusion of tissue is sub-optimal due to localized obstruction of blood flow. These capabilities have made CXCL12 and its cognate receptor CXCR4 interesting candidates for therapies aimed at mitigating the effects of damage to the heart caused by myocardial infarction.
New research distinguishes roles of conscious and subconscious awareness
What distinguishes information processing with conscious awareness from processing occurring without awareness? And, is there any role for conscious awareness in information processing, or is it just a byproduct, like the steam from the chimney of a train engine, which is significant, but has no functional role?
Dieters should eat foods rich in protein, mostly from dairy, to protect bones during weight loss
New research suggests that a calorie-restricted diet higher in protein—mostly from dairy foods—and lower in carbohydrates coupled with daily exercise has a major positive impact on bone health in overweight and obese young women.
Clinical trial for muscular dystrophy demonstrates safety of customized gene therapy
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that it is safe to cut and paste together different viruses in an effort to create the ultimate vehicle for gene therapy. In a phase I clinical trial, the investigators found no side effects from using a "chimeric" virus to deliver replacement genes for an essential muscle protein in patients with muscular dystrophy.
Interethnic marriage between African- and Native-Americans produced many children
American Indians with African ancestry outdid 'full bloods' in reproductive terms in the early 1900s, despite the odds being against them, according to a new study by Michael Logan from the University of Tennessee in the US. Their increased fertility occurred at a time when things were not going particularly well for full bloods either - in social, economic and health terms. The work is published online in Springer's journal, Human Ecology.
Simple blood test diagnoses Parkinson's disease long before symptoms appear
A new research report appearing in the December issue of the FASEB Journal shows how scientists from the United Kingdom have developed a simple blood test to detect Parkinson's disease even at the earliest stages. The test is possible because scientists found a substance in the blood, called "phosphorylated alpha-synuclein," which is common in people with Parkinson's disease, and then developed a way to identify its presence in our blood.
Researchers develop a way to monitor engineered blood vessels as they grow in patients
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nanoparticle technology, researchers from Yale have devised a way to monitor the growth of laboratory-engineered blood vessels after they have been implanted in patients. This advance represents an important step toward ensuring that blood vessels, and possibly other tissues engineered from a patient's own biological material, are taking hold and working as expected. Until now, there has been no way to monitor the growth and progress of engineered tissues once they were implanted. This research was published in the December 2011 issue of the FASEB Journal.
The newest of the new in gene therapy: 'Tag and target and exchange'
A combination of two techniques promises to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of experimental gene therapies, while also reducing potential side effects says a new research report published in the December 2011 issue of the FASEB Journal. The report describes how scientists from Germany combined two techniques involving the use of site-specific recombinases, or enzymes that facilitate the exchange of genetic material between DNA strands, to help guide exactly where new genetic material is inserted into a cell's DNA. This experimental approach to gene therapy represents an important advance, as successful gene therapy has the potential to correct the root cause of numerous illnesses and health conditions.
Medical researchers discover hidden side of prion diseases
Medical researchers in Canada and the United States recently published their joint findings that fatal prion diseases, which include BSE or "mad cow disease," have a hidden signature.
Pfizer's blockbuster drug Lipitor goes generic
Pfizer's patent on the best-selling drug of all-time, the cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor, expired on Wednesday, opening the path to generic competitors for America's most popular medication.
Researchers find possible breakthrough to relieve pain following spinal cord injury
A collaborative research group – led by researchers at Cleveland Clinic – published findings that indicate a one-time injection immediately after spinal cord injury can limit pain for an extended period of time.
Study finds inadequate mask use among health care workers early in 2009 H1N1 outbreak
Inadequate use of masks or respirators put health care workers at risk of 2009 H1N1 infection during the earliest stages of the 2009 pandemic in the U.S., according to a study published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Is it Alzheimer's disease or another dementia? Marker may give more accurate diagnosis
New research finds a marker used to detect plaque in the brain may help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis between two common types of dementia – Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The study is published in the November 30, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers use a 3D printer to make bone-like material (w/ video)
It looks like bone. It feels like bone. For the most part, it acts like bone. And it came off an inkjet printer.
Gene is first linked to herpes-related cold sores
A team of researchers from the University of Utah and the University of Massachusetts has identified the first gene associated with frequent herpes-related cold sores.
New research proves color is not a black and white issue
Scientists at the University of Hull have found that some people have the ability to hallucinate colours at will – even without the help of hypnosis.
First analysis of tumor-suppressor interactions with whole genome in normal human cells
Scientists investigating the interactions, or binding patterns, of a major tumor-suppressor protein known as p53 with the entire genome in normal human cells have turned up key differences from those observed in cancer cells. The distinct binding patterns reflect differences in the chromatin (the way DNA is packed with proteins), which may be important for understanding the function of the tumor suppressor protein in cancer cells. The study was conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and is published in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell Cycle.
Unlocking the genetic and molecular mystery of soft-tissue sarcoma
Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have uncovered important molecular and genetic keys to the development of soft-tissue sarcomas in skeletal muscle, giving researchers and clinicians additional targets to stop the growth of these often deadly tumors.
Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab
One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell – can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease, a study led by a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher finds.
Genome-wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets
In a study into the genetics of blood cell formation, researchers have identified 68 regions of the genome that affect the size and number of platelets. Platelets are small cells that circulate in the blood and are key to the processes of blood clotting and wound healing.
Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice
Over the past year, researchers at the California Institute of Technology, and around the world, have been studying a group of potent antibodies that have the ability to neutralize HIV in the lab; their hope is that they may learn how to create a vaccine that makes antibodies with similar properties. Now, biologists at Caltech led by Nobel Laureate David Baltimore, president emeritus and Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology, have taken one step closer to that goal: they have developed a way to deliver these antibodies to mice and, in so doing, have effectively protected them from HIV infection.
Genetic sequencing could help match patients with biomarker-driven cancer trials, treatments
As cancer researchers continue to identify genetic mutations driving different cancer subtypes, they are also creating a catalog of possible targets for new treatments.
Biology news
Feasibility of using mycoherbicides to control illicit drug crops is uncertain
The effectiveness of using specific fungi as mycoherbicides to combat illicit drug crops remains questionable due to the lack of quality, in-depth research, says a new report from the National Research Council.
Philippine police seize 2,000 geckos from trader
Philippine authorities seized a haul of about 2,000 live geckos as part of a campaign to protect the lizard that is highly-valued in traditional Asian medicine, police said Wednesday.
Rescued killer whale starts new life in Spain
A female killer whale captured in the North Sea began a new life in the Canary Islands on Wednesday after being flown over from The Netherlands, a Spanish zoo said.
Chinese panda loan to France kept top secret
As world leaders held frenzied talks to try to save the crisis-hit eurozone in the south of France earlier this month, the fate of two giant pandas destined for a French zoo hung in the balance.
British butterfly is evolving to respond to climate change
As global temperatures rise and climatic zones move polewards, species will need to find different environments to prevent extinction. New research, published today in the journal Molecular Ecology, has revealed that climate change is causing certain species to move and adapt to a range of new habitats.
More tuart dieback culprits found
A new Phytophthora fungi species might be a significant factor in tuart decline of tuart trees.
Scientists discover anti-inflammatory polyphenols in apple peels
Here's another reason why "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"—according to new research findings published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, oral ingestion of apple polyphenols (antioxidants found in apple peels) can suppress T cell activation to prevent colitis in mice. This study is the first to show a role for T cells in polyphenol-mediated protection against an autoimmune disease and could lead to new therapies and treatments for people with disorders related to bowel inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and colitis-associated colorectal cancer.
Researchers discover molecular machinery for bacterial cell death
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Vienna have revealed for the first time a stress-induced machinery of protein synthesis that is involved in bringing about cell death in bacteria.
A Spanish botanist searches for prehistoric flora refuges in China
Jordi Lopez of the Barcelona Botanical Institute has joined local researchers in a study to locate and define "havens and museums of flora" in China – areas where vegetation resisted the glaciations of the Quaternary Period.
Petroleum-eating mushrooms
Take a Petri dish containing crude petroleum and it will release a strong odor distinctive of the toxins that make up the fossil fuel. Sprinkle mushroom spores over the Petri dish and let it sit for two weeks in an incubator, and surprise, the petroleum and its smell will disappear. "The mushrooms consumed the petroleum!" says Mohamed Hijri, a professor of biological sciences and researcher at the University of Montreal's Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (IRBV).
Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substances
Some of the nastiest smelling creatures on Earth have skin that produces the greatest known variety of anti-bacterial substances that hold promise for becoming new weapons in the battle against antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are reporting. Their research on amphibians so smelly (like rotten fish, for instance) that scientists term them "odorous frogs" appears in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research.
Turtle embryos speed up development to hatch in the safety of a group
Australian freshwater turtle embryos can sense how developed other babies are in their eggs and then speed up their own growth to hatch with the most advanced of their siblings, according to new research.
Scientists enlisting public's help in identifying whale dialects
(PhysOrg.com) -- In recent years, crowd sourcing has been shown to be an effective means of categorizing large amounts of data by large groups of people, the project that uses captcha’s to help translate text on the Internet, for example, has been a great success. Now, scientists that study whale sounds are asking the public for help in matching whale sounds made by one whale to those made by others in other groups. They hope is that by gathering the ears of many listeners, progress can be made in figuring out if different groups of whales have different dialects, and maybe even in deciphering what some whale sounds actually mean.
Bacterial attachment mimics the just-in-time industrial delivery model
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the human world of manufacturing, many companies are now applying an on-demand, just-in-time strategy to conserve resources, reduce costs and promote production of goods precisely when and where they are most needed. A recent study from Indiana University Bloomington scientists reveals that bacteria have evolved a similar just-in-time strategy to constrain production of an extremely sticky cement to exactly the appropriate time and place, avoiding wasteful and problematic production of the material.
Researches find poop-throwing by chimps is a sign of intelligence
(PhysOrg.com) -- A lot of people who have gone to the zoo have become the targets of feces thrown by apes or monkeys, and left no doubt wondering about the so-called intellectual capacity of a beast that would resort to such foul play. Now however, researchers studying such behavior have come to the conclusion that throwing feces, or any object really, is actually a sign of high ordered behavior. Bill Hopkins of Emory University and his colleagues have been studying the whole process behind throwing and the impact it has on brain development, and have published their results in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
Stronger corn? Take it off steroids, make it all female
A Purdue University researcher has taken corn off steroids and found that the results might lead to improvements in that and other crops.
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