Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 9, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- NASA satellite could reveal if primordial black holes are dark matter- UIUC team will show can't-tell photo inserts at Siggraph (w/ video)
- What do animals 'know'? More than you may think
- Is cannibalism in polar bears on the rise?
- Vaccine against epidemic gastroenteritis being tested
- Suppression of protein critical to cell division stops cancer cells from dividing, kills them
- Researchers find clue to explain how penguins know when to surface
- Researchers design Alzheimer's antibodies
- Slow road to stability for emulsions
- 2010 spike in Greenland ice loss lifted bedrock, GPS reveals
- Expanding dead zones shrinking tropical blue marlin habitat
- Baby lab reveals surprisingly early gift of gab
- NASA OKs Feb. launch of private space station trip
- HP to offer webOS as open-source software
- Google+ rolling out facial recognition feature
Space & Earth news
NASA presents software of the year award
(PhysOrg.com) -- Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science (AEGIS), novel autonomy software that has been operating on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity since December 2009, is NASA's 2011 Software of the Year recipient.
Ten successful years of mapping the middle atmosphere
(PhysOrg.com) -- On December 7, 2001, a Delta II rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying a spacecraft designed to observe a little known area of the atmosphere that experiences some of the most dramatic energy fluctuations in the near-Earth environment.
EPA report on WY water doesn't end fracking debate
(AP) -- A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draft finding that it may have detected groundwater pollution resulting from a controversial technique that plays a huge role in modern oil and gas development isn't settled science yet.
UN climate talks on edge heading into final hours
(AP) -- The United States, China and India could scuttle attempts to save the only treaty governing global warming, Europe's top negotiator said Friday hours before a 194-nation U.N. climate conference was to close.
Image: Fresh impact craters on asteroid Vesta
(PhysOrg.com) -- This image, taken December 6, 2011, combines two separate views of the giant asteroid Vesta obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
EPA theorizes fracking-pollution link
(AP) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday for the first time that fracking - a controversial method of improving the productivity of oil and gas wells - may be to blame for causing groundwater pollution.
New app helps skywatchers count meteors, log data, aid NASA research
A new NASA handheld device application for mobile devices enables skywatchers to better track, count and record data about sporadic meteors and meteor showers anywhere in the world.
LRO observes final lunar eclipse of the year
(PhysOrg.com) -- Orbiting 31 miles above the lunar surface, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft will get a "front-row seat" to the total lunar eclipse on Dec. 10, 2011.
In glowing, swirling dust, new stars are born
(PhysOrg.com) -- An image taken by UA astrophotographer Adam Block, chosen by NASA as Astronomy Picture of the Day, brings us the best yet glimpse into a stellar nursery about 450 light years away from Earth.
Prime Indonesian jungle to be cleared for palm oil
(AP) -- The man known as Indonesia's "green governor" chases the roar of illegal chainsaws through plush jungles in his own Jeep. He goes door-to-door to tell families it's in their interest to keep trees standing.
The European Extremely Large Telescope moves closer to reality
(PhysOrg.com) -- The governing body of the European Southern Observatory, the ESO Council, has approved ESO’s budget for 2012. This includes preparatory work on the road to the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) site at Cerro Armazones and the start of development of some very challenging optical components for the telescope. With several ESO Member States now having committed their part of the required additional funding, the final approval for the whole E-ELT programme is expected in mid-2012.
Tidal locking could render habitable planets inhospitable
Tidally-locked planets - planets with one side perpetually facing their star while the other remains shrouded in darkness - tend to be warmer on one side than the other. The presence of an atmosphere can help distribute the heat across the planet, equalizing the temperatures. But tidal locking could result in wide climate variations, a result that could threaten the evolution of life on the surface of these planets.
Pinot noir grapes reveal 700-year climate record
The French call pinot noir "the noble grape" and have long considered it a source of inspiration. Now it can also be appreciated as the reason for an extensive, localized climate record.
Dolomite discovery ends 100-year treasure hunt
(PhysOrg.com) -- The century-old mystery of a missing mineral in coral reefs has been solved by a team from The Australian National University.
Upper atmospheric lightening sprites caught in 3D video
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sometimes in science, it’s easy to get caught up in the practical, to focus so heavily on the why’s and how’s of things, that it’s easy to miss the simple beauty that nature offers. That might be the case with a little known type of lightening that occurs between the part of the atmosphere where weather events are seen quite easily, and the far reaches near the beginning of space. Called sprites, these other kinds of lightening strikes are of far shorter duration than we’re accustomed to; it wasn’t until just the past thirty years or so that anyone even knew they existed. So odd were they, that pilots flying at high altitudes who saw them feared for their jobs if they spoke of them. Now however a research team has captured some instances of them using high speed cameras mounted on two jets to create 3D images.
2010 spike in Greenland ice loss lifted bedrock, GPS reveals
(PhysOrg.com) -- An unusually hot melting season in 2010 accelerated ice loss in southern Greenland by 100 billion tons – and large portions of the island's bedrock rose an additional quarter of an inch in response.
Expanding dead zones shrinking tropical blue marlin habitat
The science behind counting fish in the ocean to measure their abundance has never been simple. A new scientific paper authored by NOAA Fisheries biologist Eric Prince, Ph.D., and eight other scientists shows that expanding ocean dead zones – driven by climate change – have added a new wrinkle to that science.
NASA OKs Feb. launch of private space station trip
(AP) -- A private California company will attempt the first-ever commercial cargo run to the International Space Station in February.
Technology news
Yahoo! launches online comedy channel
Yahoo! is adding a comedy channel to its online line-up, kicking it off with a "CrazyStupidPolitics" show starring Bill Maher live in Silicon Valley in February.
India bid to censor Internet draws flak
Indian government efforts to block offensive material from the Internet have prompted a storm of online ridicule along with warnings of the risk to India's image as a bastion of free speech.
US director makes first smartphone movie
An independent US filmmaker has made what is believed to be the first feature-length movie shot with a smartphone, to be released next week -- with actress Gena Rowlands in the starring role.
EU Commissioner calls for new tools for bloggers
(AP) -- The European Union should help teach bloggers living under oppressive regimes how to communicate freely and avoid detection, and develop technology to help them, the bloc's digital affairs commissioner said Friday.
Texas Instruments lowers 4Q outlook
(AP) -- Semiconductor maker Texas Instruments Inc. lowered its outlook for its fourth-quarter revenue and profit on Thursday, saying demand had weakened for a variety of products that use its chips.
Google debuts digital magazine for mobile devices
Google is joining a crowd of companies packaging digital content in a magazine-like format for mobile devices.
Romanians charged in US with computer fraud
Four Romanians have been charged with hacking into the computer systems of hundreds of US merchants and making millions of dollars in purchases with stolen credit card data, the Justice Department said Thursday.
Australia lifts Samsung ban in defeat for Apple
The High Court on Friday cleared the way for Samsung to sell its Galaxy 10.1 tablet in Australia in time for Christmas, dismissing iPad manufacturer Apple's bid to have a ban extended.
US bill targets exports of Web censorship tools
A bill aimed at choking off US exports of technology used for Internet surveillance or censorship was introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Switchgrass as bioenergy feedstock
Scientists examined current knowledge about the potential contributions of bioenergy production from switchgrass to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Their findings, published in GCB Bioenergy, conclude that the use of switchgrass bioenergy can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but encourage further research to address the significant sources of uncertainty, such as what type of land is converted to switchgrass.
New app uses mathematical theory to match your face to celebrities' faces
(PhysOrg.com) -- Are you as dashing as George Clooney, or as glamorous as Angelina Jolie? Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London have developed an app that uses a mathematical formula to analyse your face and tell you which celebrities you look like.
Researchers create tool for 'Circuit-Aware' reliability testing
(PhysOrg.com) -- A PML research team has devised a reliability data transformation methodology that could ease one of the semiconductor industry’s most vexing problems: reliability qualification.
Australian court rules Samsung can sell Galaxy
(AP) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is free to sell its Galaxy tablet computers in Australia after the country's highest court Friday dismissed rival Apple's appeal in its global patent battle.
French IT company aspires to be email-free within a year
How many work emails do you get a day? 80? 200? 500? More than 1,000?
Digital music lockers offer compelling bargain
If you've got a big digital music collection, you may want to consider signing up for a digital music storage locker.
To thwart porn, colleges are buying up .xxx sites
(AP) -- The University of Kansas is buying up website names such as http://www.KUgirls.xxx and http://www.KUnurses.xxx . But not because it's planning a Hot Babes of Kansas site or an X-rated gallery of the Nude Girls of the Land of Aaahs.
Justice Dept wants to put off AT&T-T-Mobile trial
(AP) -- The Justice Department said Friday it wants to withdraw or postpone its antitrust case against the proposed merger between AT&T Inc. and smaller rival T-Mobile USA now that the two companies pulled their application with the Federal Communications Commission to approve the deal.
Netscape co-founder nixes Yahoo! leadership role
Netscape co-founder turned Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen on Friday shot down reports he was in line to take an executive role at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo!.
Web security firm Blue Coat acquired for $1.3 bn
Web security company Blue Coat Systems said Friday it is being acquired by a private investment group in a deal worth $1.3 billion.
Apple to appeal Motorola patent dispute ruling in Germany
Apple said Friday it would immediately appeal a German court ruling in favour of rival Motorola in a patent dispute.
YouTube buys US-based music rights company
YouTube said Friday it has acquired RightsFlow, a New York-based company which manages music rights for songwriters, recording artists, record labels and online music services.
HP to offer webOS as open-source software
(AP) -- It may be one of the technology world's most expensive efforts to give something away: Hewlett-Packard Co. said Friday that it's making its webOS mobile system available as open-source software that anyone can use and modify freely.
Google+ rolling out facial recognition feature
Google is rolling out a feature that lets members of its online social network automatically find themselves in photos posted by friends.
UIUC team will show can't-tell photo inserts at Siggraph (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Visitors to this month's Siggraph Asia conference on computer graphics from December 12 to 15 will witness a presentation from a team at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign on how to tweak photos by adding in something that was not there before. They will present their study, Rendering Synthetic Objects into Legacy Photographs, which details their approach.
Medicine & Health news
No clear evidence of a decrease in child maltreatment across 6 countries despite decades of policies
A Review of child maltreatment trends and policies across six countries/states (England, USA, Sweden, New Zealand, Western Australia [Australia], and Manitoba [Canada]) shows that there is no clear evidence of a decrease in child maltreatment across these nations, despite decades of polices designed to achieve such a reduction. The Review is written by Professor Ruth Gilbert, UK Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK, and colleagues across these six nations.
Proteins do not predict outcome of herceptin treatment in HER2-positive breast cancer
Precisely quantifying the amount of three different HER growth proteins, along with several other proteins believed linked to breast cancer, did not predict a patient's outcome after treatment for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer with Herceptin, say Mayo Clinic researchers. HER2-positive breast cancer gets its name from a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 that promotes cancer cell growth.
Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function are frequent and long-lasting after ALI
Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function were common and long-lasting during the first two years following acute lung injury (ALI), according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Depressive symptoms were an independent risk factor for impaired physical function.
Discordance among commercially-available diagnostics for latent TB infection
In populations with a low prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), the majority of positives with the three tests commercially available in the U.S for the diagnosis of TB are false positives, according to a new study.
Diabetes among Indiana adults increasing at alarming rate
The number of Hoosiers diagnosed with diabetes is rising at an alarming rate, jumping from 3.8 percent of the state's population in 1993 to 9.8 percent today, says a new report from Ball State University. Burden of Diabetes Among Adults in Indiana, released by the university's Global Health Institute (GHI), found that another 5.6 percent of the adult population in Indiana report having prediabetes or borderline diabetes. The study also found the number of adults reporting having diabetes increases with age and obesity and decreases as adults' income and education levels rise.
The perils of drunken walking
(Medical Xpress) -- Drinking and driving is a much-publicized, dangerous combination, but is walking after drinking any safer?
Concussed triathlete back to winning races with help of new treatment protocol
(Medical Xpress) -- Former Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker was in the middle of the swimming portion of a triathlon in Hamburg, Germany, when the swimmer in front of him accidentally kicked him in the face. Shoemaker finished the race, but could tell something was wrong with how his body was working. Three weeks later, he crashed hard from his bike onto wet pavement during a race in London, adding to his list of injuries.
The Medical Minute: Pipes in the brain as treatment for aneurysms
Brain aneurysms are balloon-like out-pouchings that can develop off of brain arteries. Like balloons, these out-pouchings can burst causing a devastating type of stroke as blood leaks in and around the brain. Many years ago brain aneurysms could only be treated with a major, invasive surgical procedure that involved opening the skull and working around the folds of the brain to place a metal clip across the base of the aneurysm. This procedure usually took several hours, required a hospital stay of about a week and often left patients out of work for several weeks. In recent years, minimally invasive brain aneurysm treatment called aneurysm coil embolization or aneurysm coiling has become increasingly popular.
Winter holidays prime time for depression
(Medical Xpress) -- The music playing in the background as we do our Christmas shopping may tell us it’s "the most wonderful time of the year.” But it’s also prime time for depression, a UC Health psychiatrist says.
Vanderbilt study leads to simpler therapy for treating latent tuberculosis
Research, led by Timothy Sterling, M.D., professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has led to an important change in CDC recommendations in the regimen for prevention of the centuries-old scourge, tuberculosis (TB). Sterling’s work is published in the Dec. 8 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Cancer risk in Northern Ireland lower than the Republic of Ireland
People in Northern Ireland have a lower risk of developing some cancers than those living in the Republic of Ireland, according to the All-Ireland Cancer Atlas - a collaborative publication by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry at Queen's University Belfast and the National Cancer Registry in Cork.
Boceprevir: Indication of added benefit for specific patients
The active ingredient boceprevir has been available since the middle of 2011 as a treatment for chronic hepatitis C of genotype 1. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined to establish whether boceprevir offers added benefit in comparison with the previous standard therapy.
SABCS: Loss of RB in triple negative breast cancer associated with favorable clinical outcome
Researchers at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have shown that loss of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (RB) in triple negative breast cancer patients is associated with better clinical outcomes. This is a new marker to identify the subset of these patients who may respond positively to chemotherapy.
Breast cancer patients face increasing number of imaging visits before surgery
Breast cancer patients frequently undergo imaging like mammograms or ultrasounds between their first breast cancer-related doctor visit and surgery to remove the tumor. Evaluations of these scans help physicians understand a person's disease and determine the best course of action. In recent years, however, imaging has increased in dramatic and significant ways, say researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center. More patients have repeat visits for imaging than they did 20 years ago, and single imaging appointments increasingly include multiple types of imaging.
Tropical disease experts report missed opportunity to transform global HIV/AIDS fight
Global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts are missing a major opportunity to significantly improve health conditions in poor countries by simply adding low-cost care for the many other chronic and disabling diseases routinely afflicting and often killing these same patients, according to a panel of disease experts who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).
FDA panel wants more risk information on Yaz pills
(AP) -- Federal health experts said Thursday that drug labeling for Yaz and other widely-used birth control pills should be updated to emphasize recent data suggesting a higher risk of blood clots with the drugs than older contraceptive pills.
Starch intake may influence risk for breast cancer recurrence
Researchers have linked increased starch intake to a greater risk for breast cancer recurrence, according to results presented at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 6-10, 2011.
New study supports claim that breast screening may be causing more harm than good
A new study published on bmj.com today supports the claim that the introduction of breast cancer screening in the UK may have caused more harm than good.
Intermittent, low-carbohydrate diets more successful than standard dieting
An intermittent, low-carbohydrate diet was superior to a standard, daily calorie-restricted diet for reducing weight and lowering blood levels of insulin, a cancer-promoting hormone, according to recent findings.
Potential breast cancer prevention agent found to lower levels of 'good' cholesterol over time
Exemestane steadily lowered levels of "good" cholesterol in women taking the agent as part of a breast cancer prevention study, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, is being tested to prevent breast cancer in women at an increased risk of developing the disease.
Ready-to-bake cookie dough not ready-to-eat, study of E. coli outbreak finds
The investigation of a 2009 multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), an important cause of bacterial gastrointestinal illness, led to a new culprit: ready-to-bake commercial prepackaged cookie dough. Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online, a new report describing the outbreak offers recommendations for prevention, including a stronger message for consumers: Don't eat prepackaged cookie dough before it's baked.
Diagnosis of tuberculosis is increased in postpartum women
The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is significantly increased in mothers postpartum, suggesting a potential new population to target for screening, according to a new UK-wide cohort study.
Study: Bone drug boosts breast cancer survival
(AP) -- Doctors were mostly hoping to prevent complications and relapses when they gave young women a medicine to keep their bones strong during breast cancer treatment. Seven years later, they found it did more than that: The bone drug improved survival, as much as many chemotherapies do.
Final toll from melon listeria outbreak: 30 dead
(AP) -- U.S. health authorities say the final death toll from an outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe is 30.
Stress response predictor in police officers may be relevant for military
(Medical Xpress) -- Police academy recruits who showed the greatest rise in the stress hormone cortisol after waking up in the morning were more likely to show acute stress symptoms in response to trauma years later as police officers, according to a study by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, the University of California, San Francisco and New York University Langone Medical Center.
Study: More than 9 million U.S. adults lost health coverage in recession
(Medical Xpress) -- An estimated 9.3 million American adults lost health insurance coverage as a result of increased unemployment during the recession of 2007-09, according to a newly published study by researchers at Cornell, Indiana and Carnegie Mellon universities.
Artificial intestine to treat youths' bowel disorder
(Medical Xpress) -- A tiny 3-D collagen "scaffold" developed in a Cornell lab could prove a lifesaver for those who have lost parts of their intestine.
Characterizing a toxic offender
The brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease contain protein aggregates called plaques and tangles, which interfere with normal communication between nerve cells and cause progressive learning and memory deficits. Now, a research team led by Takaomi Saido from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Wako has identified a particular fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) that contributes to the formation of plaques in the brain.
Turning the spotlight on drug-resistant tumors
Molecular probes that can illuminate cancer cells are often invaluable tools in the fight against the disease. The latest addition to this group is a family of fluorescent probes that can highlight a particularly pernicious kind of tumor cell: those resistant to anticancer drugs. The international team of scientists behind the research, led by Hiroshi Abe at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute in Wako, Japan, and Ralf Morgenstern at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, say that their discovery could help expedite research efforts to defeat these drug-resistant tumors.
Study challenges decades-old treatment guidelines for anorexia
Adolescents hospitalized with anorexia nervosa who receive treatment based on current recommendations for refeeding fail to gain significant weight during their first week in the hospital, according to a new study by UCSF researchers.
Just one minute of exercise a day could prevent diabetes researchers find
(Medical Xpress) -- Volunteers were asked to perform two 20-second cycle sprints, three times per week for researchers in the University’s Department for Health
Rare gene variant implicates vitamin D in cause of multiple sclerosis
(Medical Xpress) -- A rare genetic variant that appears to be directly and causally linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) has been identified by Oxford University researchers.
Alzheimer's vaccine cures memory of mice
(Medical Xpress) -- A vaccine that slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia has been developed by researchers at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI).
Scientists discover how to beat resistance to standard leukaemia drug
(Medical Xpress) -- Cancer Research UK-funded scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) have revealed a technique to kill chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cells that have stopped responding to a targeted drug, according to research published in Cancer Cell today.
Circulating tumor cells not linked to survival in newly diagnosed inflammatory breast cancer
The presence of circulating tumor cells in the blood appears to have no relationship to survival in women who have just been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, according to new research from Fox Chase Cancer Center. However, the research shows that these stray tumor cells may signal that the disease has spread to other parts of the body, even before imaging reveals any metastases. The results will be presented on Friday, December 9 at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Study unlocks origins of blood stem cells
A research team led by Nancy Speck, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has discovered a molecular marker for the immediate precursors of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells (HSCs) in the developing embryo, which provides much-needed insights for making these cells from engineered precursors.
Step forward in foot-and-mouth disease understanding
Researchers at the University of Leeds have been studying an enzyme – called 3D – which plays a vital role in the replication of the virus behind the disease. They have found that this enzyme forms fibrous structures (or fibrils) during the replication process. What's more, they have found a molecule which can prevent these fibrils forming.
Researchers identify a novel therapeutic approach for liver cancer
Cancer of the liver – rare in the United States but the third-leading cause of cancer death worldwide – can result from environmental exposures or infections like chronic hepatitis, but the link is poorly understood.
New disinfection technique could revolutionize hospital room cleaning
A Queen's University infectious disease expert has collaborated in the development of a disinfection system that may change the way hospital rooms all over the world are cleaned as well as stop bed bug outbreaks in hotels and apartments.
New registered nurses' lack of geographic mobility has negative implications for rural health
A study on the geographic mobility of registered nurses (RNs) recently published in the December Health Affairs magazine suggests that the profession's relative lack of mobility has serious implications for access to health care for people in rural areas.
People with DFNA2 hearing loss show increased touch sensitivity
People with a certain form of inherited hearing loss have increased sensitivity to low frequency vibration, according to a study by Professor Thomas Jentsch of the Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)/Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and Professor Gary Lewin (MDC), conducted in cooperation with clinicians from Madrid, Spain and Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The research findings, which were published in Nature Neuroscience, reveal previously unknown relationships between hearing loss and touch sensitivity: In order to be able to 'feel', specialized cells in the skin must be tuned like instruments in an orchestra.
Oxytocin helps people feel more extraverted
First dates, job interviews or Christmas cocktail parties can be stressors for some people. Such social rites of passage have no doubt made shy or introverted individuals wish for a magic potion that could make them feel like socialites, yet the answer might actually come from a nasal spray.
Study underlines potential of anti-stress peptide to block alcohol dependence
New research by scientists at the Scripps Research Institute has underlined the power of an endogenous anti-stress peptide in the brain to prevent and even reverse some of the cellular effects of acute alcohol and alcohol dependence in animal models. The work could lead to the development of novel drugs to treat alcoholism.
Why women quit breast cancer drugs early
Why do so many postmenopausal women who are treated for estrogen-sensitive breast cancer quit using drugs that help prevent the disease from recurring?
World vigilant after Dutch lab mutates killer virus
World health ministers said Friday they were being vigilant after a Dutch laboratory developed a mutant version of the deadly bird flu virus that is for the first time contagious among humans.
Scientists use animal-free reagents to create clinical-grade neurons from skin cells
(Medical Xpress) -- Using a specially designed facility, UCLA stem cell scientists have taken human skin cells, reprogrammed them into cells with the same unlimited property as embryonic stem cells, and then differentiated them into neurons while completely avoiding the use of animal-based reagents and feeder conditions throughout the process.
Proteins linked to longevity may be involved in mood control
(Medical Xpress) -- Over the past decade, MIT biologist Leonard Guarente and others have shown that very-low-calorie diets provoke a comprehensive physiological response that promotes survival, all orchestrated by a set of proteins called sirtuins.
Vaccine against epidemic gastroenteritis being tested
(Medical Xpress) -- A new vaccine is being tested in the US that may protect against the norovirus, which causes "stomach flu" or acute viral gastroenteritis, that can occur in confined living settings such as cruise ships, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and military establishments.
Suppression of protein critical to cell division stops cancer cells from dividing, kills them
Suppressing a newly identified and characterized protein involved in regulating cell division could be a novel strategy to fight certain cancers because it stops the malignant cells from dividing and causes them to die quickly, according to a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Researchers design Alzheimer's antibodies
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to design antibodies aimed at combating disease. The surprisingly simple process was used to make antibodies that neutralize the harmful protein particles that lead to Alzheimer's disease.
Baby lab reveals surprisingly early gift of gab
From the moment they're born, babies are highly attuned to communicate and motivated to interact. And they're great listeners.
Biology news
New leads on mechanisms that confer virulence to E.coli-type bacteria
A team headed by scientists from the IRB Barcelona reports how the protein Ler, which is found in pathogenic bacteria, interacts with certain DNA sequences, thereby activating numerous genes responsible for virulence, which bacteria then exploit to infect human cells. Ler is present in pathogenic Escherichia coli strains, such as the one that caused a deadly infectious outbreak in Germany last May. The study is published in the scientific journal PloS Pathogens.
Solar power development in US Southwest could threaten wildlife
Government agencies are considering scores of applications to develop utility-scale solar power installations in the desert Southwest of the United States, but too little is known to judge their likely effects on wildlife, according to an article published in the December 2011 issue of BioScience. Although solar power is often seen as a "green" energy technology, available information suggests a worrisome range of possible impacts. These concern wildlife biologists because the region is a hotspot of biodiversity and includes many endangered or protected species, notably Agassiz's desert tortoise. It and another tortoise, Morafka's, dig burrows that shelter many other organisms.
Coral reefs in warming seas
Disease outbreaks are often associated with hot weather. Because many bacteria typically multiply more rapidly in warmer conditions, it's a commonly held notion that warm-weather outbreaks are a straightforward consequence of greater numbers of the microbial culprit.
New study illustrates the physics behind great white shark attacks on seals
A new study examining the complex and dynamic interactions between white sharks and Cape fur seals in False Bay, South Africa, offers new insights on the physical conditions and biological factors underlying predator-prey interactions in the marine environment.
Butterflies: 'Twice-punished' by habitat fragmentation and climate change
New findings by Virginie Stevens (CNRS), Jean Clobert (CNRS), Michel Baguette (Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle) and colleagues show that interactions between dispersal and life-histories are complex, but general patterns emerge. The study was published as open access paper in the journal Ecology Letters.
Long sexual duration could be period of male choice
(PhysOrg.com) -- The duration of sexual intercourse differs wildly across the animal kingdom. Now researchers seeking to understand the evolutionary significance of lengthy copulation duration have found evidence that it could signify a choosy male taking the time to assess the suitability of his female mate.
Mitochondria and the great gender divide
(Medical Xpress) -- Why are there two sexes? It’s a question that has long perplexed generations of scientists, but researchers from UCL have come up with a radical new answer: mitochondria.
Star Wars-inspired bacterium provides glimpse into life
(PhysOrg.com) -- A bacterium whose name was inspired by the Star Wars films has provided new clues into the evolution of our own cells and how they came to possess the vital energy-producing units called mitochondria.
Is cannibalism in polar bears on the rise?
(PhysOrg.com) -- A series of photographs of cannibalism in polar bears have been released, and the researchers who witnessed the act think the rate of cannibalism may be increasing. They observed three instances of adult male polar bears killing and eating young cubs during summer and autumn in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway and made a series of photographs of one episode.
Researchers find clue to explain how penguins know when to surface
(PhysOrg.com) -- Anyone who has ever swum around near the bottom of a swimming pool, or flippered along an ocean floor for any length of time without benefit of an air supply knows that there is a decision making process going on from the moment the dive begins: when to surface?
Pig-induced pluripotent stem cells may be safer than previously thought
Pig stem cell research conducted by two animal scientists at the University of Georgia reveals a better way to determine the safety of future stem cell therapies than rodent-based models.
What do animals 'know'? More than you may think
(PhysOrg.com) -- Rats use their knowledge to make decisions when faced with ambiguous situations, UCLA psychologists report.
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