Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 22, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Robots get social network of their very own (no kidding)- Scientists answer how bacteria fight toxic flouride
- New research may explain why serious thunderstorms and tornados are less prevalent on the weekends
- New device could bring optical information processing
- Researchers use webs of lasers to remove entropy from a system causing quantum gases to cool
- 'Plasmonic nanoantennas' show promise in optical innovations
- Like monkeys, pigeons can put numbers in order
- Neuroscientists identify a master controller of memory
- cb(3P): New particle at the Large Hadron Collider discovered by ATLAS experiment
- New technique makes it easier to etch semiconductors
- DNA mismatch repair happens only during a brief window of opportunity
- Fossils shed light on evolutionary origin of animals from single-cell ancestors
- HIV prevention research named scientific breakthrough of the year by Science
- Lubricant in metal-on-metal hip implants found to be graphite, not proteins
- MSU chemists become the first to solve an 84-year-old theory
Space & Earth news
Shell deploys ships to clean oil spill off Nigeria
Shell is deploying ships and mobilising planes on Thursday to clean up an oil spill at a major field off Nigeria, the company says, with some 40,000 barrels estimated to have leaked into the sea.
China says it opposes EU airline emissions charges
China Thursday joined Washington in opposing a plan by the European Union to impose carbon emissions charges on all airlines in its airspace from January 1, warning it risked sparking a trade war.
Reclaiming the land after a forest fire
Wildfires cause tragic losses to life, property, and the environment. But even after the fire rages, the damage is far from done. Without vegetation, bare, burnt soil lies vulnerable to erosion, which can impede efforts towards natural forest regeneration.
Earth always has a second temporary moon, researchers claim
In the fall of 2006, observers at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona found an object orbiting the Earth. At first, it looked like a spent rocket stage -- it had a spectrum similar to the titanium white paint NASA uses on rocket stages that end up in heliocentric orbits. But closer inspection revealed that the object was a natural body. Called 2006 RH120, it was a tiny asteroid measuring just a few metres across but it still qualified as a natural satellite just like out Moon. By June 2007, it was gone. Less than a year after it arrived, it left Earth’s orbit in search of a new cosmic companion.
A possible aid for navigators: Research says microorganisms may create Pacific's 'underwater lightning'
Star charts, compasses, sextants, even dead reckoning. For centuries, sailors have used one or all of those to determine their position on the globe and to help them navigate from one place to another.
NASA conducts Orion parachute testing for orbital test flight
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's parachutes high above the Arizona desert Tuesday in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.
NASA's first J-2X engine rockets through first round of testing; development continues strong
(PhysOrg.com) -- The best tech gift for propulsion engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.? It's NASA's first new human-rated rocket engine to be developed in 40 years. The J-2X engine -- highly efficient and versatile -- is a key component of the Space Launch System's second stage and will propel the nation's new heavy-lift launch vehicle beyond low-Earth orbit.
NORAD and satellite technology help Santa deliver
(PhysOrg.com) -- According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Census Bureau, the world's population is approximately 7 billion (6,979,978,073+) people. Santa Claus has had to adapt over the years to having less and less time to deliver gifts to more people. To better assure prompt deliveries and safe flights, higher technology systems are increasingly being used by the United States Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., to support the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
NASA studies vegetation canopy water content, soil moisture
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists seeking insight into the role vegetation plays in water fluctuation between soil and the atmosphere recently conducted research using specialized sensors during a series of NASA Airborne Science flights over California's San Joaquin Valley.
'Space ball' drops on Namibia
A large metallic ball fell out of the sky on a remote grassland in Namibia, prompting baffled authorities to contact NASA and the European space agency.
Gravity's effect on landslides: A strike against Martian water
A pile of sand, gravel, or other granular material takes on a familiar conical shape, with the slope of the pile's walls coming to rest at the static angle of repose. If the material exceeds this angle, it will trigger an avalanche, tumbling down until it comes to rest at the dynamic angle of repose.
Quadrantids Will Create Brief, Beautiful Show on Jan. 4
(PhysOrg.com) -- The 2012 Quadrantids, a little-known meteor shower named after an extinct constellation, will present an excellent chance for hardy souls to start the year off with some late-night meteor watching.
Space station commander captures unprecedented view of comet Lovejoy
(PhysOrg.com) -- International Space Station Commander Dan Burbank captured spectacular imagery of Comet Lovejoy, viewed from about 240 miles above the Earth’s horizon on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
2012: Shadow of the Dark Rift
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the most bizarre theories about 2012 has built up with very little attention to facts. This idea holds that a cosmic alignment of the sun, Earth, the center of our galaxy -- or perhaps the galaxy's thick dust clouds -- on the winter solstice could for some unknown reason lead to destruction. Such alignments can occur but these are a regular occurrence and can cause no harm (and, indeed, will not even be at its closest alignment during the 2012 solstice.)
Comprehensive study makes key findings of ocean pH variations
A group of 19 scientists from five research organizations have conducted the broadest field study of ocean acidification to date using sensors developed at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.
Sea cucumbers: Dissolving coral reefs?
Coral reefs are extremely diverse ecosystems that support enormous biodiversity. But they are at risk. Carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying the ocean, threatening reefs and other marine organisms. New research led by Carnegie's Kenneth Schneider analyzed the role of sea cucumbers in portions of the Great Barrier Reef and determined that their dietary process of dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding reef accounts for about half of at the total nighttime dissolution for the reef. The work is published December 23 by the Journal of Geophysical Research.
Cassini delivers holiday treats from Saturn
(PhysOrg.com) -- No team of reindeer, but radio signals flying clear across the solar system from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft have delivered a holiday package of glorious images. The pictures, from Cassini’s imaging team, show Saturn’s largest, most colorful ornament, Titan, and other icy baubles in orbit around this splendid planet.
New research may explain why serious thunderstorms and tornados are less prevalent on the weekends
(PhysOrg.com) -- For much of the last century, people in parts of the United States have come to notice that just as they got the weekends off to relax, so too did it seem, did serious weather. Big booming thunderstorms that produced large hail and/or tornados, seemed to strike at will during the week, but come the weekend, things grew quiet. While there have been many theories as to why this might be, mostly religion based, it hasn’t been until much more recently that researchers have begun to take a closer look.
Technology news
China extends microblog rules to south: report
China is extending rules requiring microblog users to register under their real names to Guangdong, state media said Thursday, after a spate of violent protests in the southern province.
Iran moves websites to avoid cyber attacks
Iran has moved most of its government websites to local hosts to protect them from cyber attacks, the country's deputy communications minister said on Thursday.
Let it snow! And five other super-fun Google tricks
Let it snow? Just in time for the holidays, Google has rolled out the latest in a string of neat tricks that you can play with the search engine.
Apple's late boss Steve Jobs to receive Grammy
(AP) -- Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is receiving a posthumous Grammy for his technological innovations in the arts.
How to kick-start new energy technologies
The world desperately needs innovation in energy technologies — but those innovations are unlikely to happen by themselves. A three-year study by a team of researchers based at MIT has now identified a suite of policy and investment strategies that could accelerate innovation in the United States, helping to meet our growing energy needs affordably and reliably, reducing carbon emissions and alleviating insecurity over energy supplies.
Rhapsody passes million US subscriber milestone
(AP) -- Digital music service Rhapsody has passed a million paying subscribers in the U.S.
With WeVideo, you can edit video in the cloud, then share it
The Internet has long been a great place to express yourself in words. But two of the biggest trends on the Web, cloud computing and social networks, are also making it a great place to express yourself with images - to create visual art alone or in collaboration with others, and then to share what you create with as many people as you dare.
Cellphone towers fade into landscape
Faced with providing service for ever more data-hungry cellphones, telecommunications carriers are in a nonstop race costing billions of dollars to boost the capacities of their networks.
AT&T finds big-money lobbying, ads don't always pay off
AT&T Inc. is one of the biggest corporate spenders in the nation's capital. But the rejection of its proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA showed that money can't necessarily buy you love from antitrust officials.
India says 3G roaming mobile pacts 'illegal'
India's telecom ministry told mobile phone operators on Thursday that they must scrap "illegal" mutual roaming agreements allowing them to provide seamless nationwide 3G services.
Netflix CEO's stock options slashed after bad year
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will pay a $1.5 million penalty for blunders that alienated the video subscription service's customers and pulverized its stock.
Battery-powered Christmas carol: A trip down memory (effect) lane
(PhysOrg.com) -- As consumers anticipate unwrapping the latest electronic gadget during the holidays, they may not give much thought to how long their shiny devices will last. But it's a topic under significant consideration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where researchers such as Claus Daniel are working to understand a critical lifetime component in these devices -- the battery.
Cuba to use sugar cane in new electricity plant
Cuba will open its first electricity plant using sugar cane as a biofuel hoping eventually to meet 30 percent of its energy needs from the fuel source, the official Granma daily said Thursday.
Medicine & Health news
Problems with a gastric band
As the number of people having gastric bands fitted to lose weight increases, so will the number of complications associated with the procedure. A Case Report published Online First by the Lancet details the problems experienced by a 49-year-old woman several years after she had a gastric band fitted. The Case Report is by Dr Adam Czapran, Department of Respiratory Medicine and Coronary Care Unit, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, West Midlands, UK, and colleagues.
Taiwan culls 1,000 pigs in foot-and-mouth outbreak
Taiwanese authorities said Thursday they had slaughtered nearly 1,000 pigs following the island's worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in more than 14 years.
Improving family consent in organ donation could save lives
Research published today in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggests that organ donation rates in the UK could be increased if the current issues affecting declined consent are improved. At present, only 30% of the UK population are registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). From 2003 to 2005, the overall consent rate for donation after brain death (DBD) was 59%. This figure remains largely unchanged with a consent rate of 63% for DBD in 2007-2009. The low consent rate for organ donation in the UK is the largest factor limiting actual organ donor.
Discharge summaries play key role in keeping nursing home patients safe
(Medical Xpress) -- Sending thorough and timely reports to nursing homes when a patient is discharged from the hospital could help promote patient safety during the early days after a hospitalization. Yet, these reports called discharge summaries are frequently incomplete and delayed. That's according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Their findings, recently published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, determined that reports regularly lacked necessary information on diet, activity level, therapy and pending laboratory tests of nursing home patients after departure from the hospital. The study, which was funded by the UW Health Innovation Program and the National Institutes of Health, involved 489 Medicare patients treated for strokes and hip fractures. All were sent to nursing homes after discharge from the hospital between 2003 and 2005. According to a requirement from The Joint Commission that accredits health care facilities, hospitals must submit discharge summaries (which provide details on the patient's hospital stay and future care) within 30 days after a patient is discharged from the hospital. Discharge summaries often serve as the primary template for guiding the care of patients discharged to nursing homes, especially in the first few days after hospital discharge. However, Dr. Amy Kind, assistant professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics and lead author of the study, identified a number of problems with the summaries.
Study to reveal causes of chronic fatigue syndrome
Scientists at the University of Liverpool are the first to use a new laboratory technique that could reveal the causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
Top 5 winter activities to land you in the ER
(Medical Xpress) -- The first day of winter was Wednesday, Dec. 21, and many states are bracing for a season of snow and ice. Broken bones from snowboarding and sledding top the list of common visits to the Emergency Department (ED) during the winter months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-quarter of all emergency hospital visits are attributed to snowboarding accidents, and half of all cases were for broken bones and sprains.
Wal-Mart pulls formula after baby dies in Missouri
(AP) -- Wal-Mart has pulled a batch of powdered infant formula from more than 3,000 of its stores nationwide after a newborn Missouri boy who was fed the formula died from what preliminary tests indicate was a rare bacterial infection, the retailer said.
Kenya HIV families torn between health or food
(AP) -- Rosalia Adhiambo won't take the free anti-HIV drugs that would prolong her life. The spiraling price of food in Kenya means she can't afford to feed both her grandniece and herself.
Virgin olive oil, fish fatty acids help prevent acute pancreatitis
Scientists at the University of Granada have shown that oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol -present in a particularly high concentration in virgin olive oil- and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids -found in fish- relieve the symptoms of pancreatitis.
Study finds colorectal cancer mortality dropping slower in African Americans
A new study finds that while colorectal cancer mortality rates dropped in the most recent two decades for every stage in both African Americans and whites, the decreases were smaller for African Americans, particularly for distant stage disease. The authors say concerted efforts to prevent or detect colorectal cancer at earlier stages in blacks could improve worsening black-white disparities.
Lingua franca critical for electronic medical records and health information exchange
A universal method of identifying medical test results and other clinical measurements is essential for health information exchange, which requires a common terminology to ensure that medical data can be recorded, transferred and ultimately used when and where the patient needs it.
2nd bacterial infection reported in Missouri baby
(AP) -- Authorities investigating a possible link between the death of a Missouri newborn and the formula powder he was fed say another baby in the state may have contracted a rare bacterial infection after consuming prepared formula.
Rare two-headed baby born in Brazil
A two-headed baby born in Brazil this week is actually a set of conjoined twins sharing one body because of a rare birth defect, doctors said Thursday.
When 'clean' is not clean enough
Some solutions are just no-brainers. Take medical backboards, for example, those hard plastic boards used to stabilize patients during emergencies before the patient is lifted onto the gurney and hurried into the ambulance. After each call, technicians scrub down their equipment to avoid exposing the next patient to diseases, microbes or bodily fluids, but despite these efforts, a study conducted in partnership with the University of Miami examined 55 "cleaned" active-duty backboards and found that every backboard was contaminated with at least 11 different strains of bacteria and microorganisms.
More than other drugs, injected meth is associated with an increased risk of attempted suicide
The dire physical and mental health effects of injecting methamphetamine are well known, but there's been little research about suicidal behavior and injecting meth. In a recent study, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the University of British Columbia found that drug users who inject methamphetamine had an 80% greater risk of attempting suicide than drug users who inject other substances.
Fixing common blood disorder would make kidney transplants more successful
Correcting anemia, a red blood cell deficiency, can preserve kidney function in many kidney transplant recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that aggressively treating anemia may help save the kidneys—and possibly the lives—of many transplant recipients.
Italy seeking women with French breast implants
(AP) -- Italy's health ministry on Thursday asked hospitals to track down women who received silicone breast implants made by a suspect French company due to concerns the implants may be unsafe.
Teens who express own views with mom resist peer pressures best
Teens who more openly express their own viewpoints in discussions with their moms, even if their viewpoints disagree, are more likely than others to resist peer pressure to use drugs or drink.
Study points to long-term recall of very early experiences
Most adults can't recall events that took place before they were 3 or 4 years old—a phenomenon called childhood amnesia. While some people can remember what happened at an earlier age, the veracity of their memories is often questioned. Now a new longitudinal study has found that events experienced by children as young as 2 can be recalled after long delays.
How moms talk influences children's perspective-taking ability
Young children whose mothers talk with them more frequently and in more detail about people's thoughts and feelings tend to be better at taking another's perspective than other children of the same age.
School absenteeism, mental health problems linked
School absenteeism is a significant problem, and students who are frequently absent from school more often have symptoms of psychiatric disorders. A new longitudinal study of more than 17,000 youths has found that frequently missing school is associated with a higher prevalence of mental health problems later on in adolescence, and that mental health problems during one year also predict missing additional school days in the following year for students in middle and high school.
Young children understand the benefits of positive thinking
Even kindergarteners know that thinking positively will make you feel better. And parents' own feelings of optimism may play a role in whether their children understand how thoughts influence emotions.
New components of antiviral pathway discovered
Scientists studying how mammals detect microbes have discovered new components in a crucial pathway that allows immune cells to detect viral invaders. Their research not only deepens the understanding of antiviral responses, but also uncovers connections to autoimmune diseases.
Treating sleep problems may be important in schizophrenia
(Medical Xpress) -- A study of schizophrenia patients has found profound disruptions in their sleep patterns, with half also having irregular body clocks that are out of synch with the pattern of night and day.
Scientists find missing link in regulation of glucose
(Medical Xpress) -- A team led by USC neuroscientist Alan Watts identified for the first time a biochemical signal that helps regulate the amount of glucose in the blood.
Researchers propose new model to design better flu shots
(Medical Xpress) -- The flu shot, typically the first line of defense against seasonal influenza, could better treat the U.S. population, thanks to University of Pittsburgh researchers.
Robotic surgery with one small incision
On Tuesday (Dec. 20), Dr. Santiago Horgan, chief of minimally invasive surgery at UC San Diego Health System, was the first surgeon in the United States to remove a diseased gallbladder through a patient’s belly button with the aid of a new FDA-approved da Vinci Si Surgical System. With one incision, Horgan removed the gallbladder in 60 minutes. The patient returned home five hours after the groundbreaking surgery and reported minimal pain.
Pinpointing asthma susceptibility in Japanese adults
A team of geneticists has identified five specific gene regions associated with asthma susceptibility among Japanese adults. Mayumi Tamari of the RIKEN Center for Genomic Medicine, Yokohama, led the research.
Crowded emergency departments deliver less effective pain relief
Crowding in hospital emergency departments has led to a decrease in the timely and effective use of pain medication in children suffering acute long bone fractures, according to a new study by the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Severe congenital disorder successfully treated in a mouse model for the first time
Using a mouse model, Heidelberg University Hospital researchers have for the first time successfully treated a severe congenital disorder in which sugar metabolism is disturbed. The team headed by Prof. Christian Korner, group leader at the Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine, demonstrated that if female mice are given mannose with their drinking water prior to mating and during pregnancy, their offspring will develop normally even if they carry the genetic mutation for the congenital disorder. The team's outstanding work will contribute to better understanding of the molecular processes of this metabolic disease, along with the key stages in embryonic development, and may offer a therapeutic approach for the first time.
Gene fusion in lung cancer afflicting never-smokers may be target for therapy
Smoking is a well-known risk factor for lung cancer, but nearly 25% of all lung cancer patients have never smoked. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers have identified a previously unknown gene fusion event that could explain a significant proportion of lung cancer cases in never-smokers, and might serve as a target for new therapies.
Long intervening non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in brain development
Whitehead Institute scientists have identified conserved, long intervening non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) that play key roles during embryonic brain development in zebrafish. They also show that the human versions of the lincRNAs can substitute for the zebrafish versions, which implies that the functions of these non-coding RNAs have been retained in humans as well as fish.
Toddlers don't listen to their own voice like adults do
When grown-ups and kids speak, they listen to the sound of their voice and make corrections based on that auditory feedback. But new evidence shows that toddlers don't respond to their own voice in quite the same way, according to a report published online on December 22 in Current Biology.
Scientists identify cell death pathway involved in lethal sepsis
Sepsis, a form of systemic inflammation, is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Sepsis is linked with massive cell death; however, the specific mechanisms involved in the lethality of sepsis are unclear. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the December 23rd issue of the journal Immunity finds that inhibition of a specific cell death pathway called "necroptosis" protected mice from lethal inflammation. The research may lead to new therapeutic interventions for fatal inflammatory conditions that are notoriously hard to control.
UCF patented on induced pluripotent stem cells, iPS cells
A process that prompts a single gene to generate millions of supercharged stem cells, which can then turn into any kind of cell a body needs to repair itself, has been patented at the University of Central Florida.
Previously unconnected molecular networks conspire to promote cancer
An inflammation-promoting protein triggers deactivation of a tumor-suppressor that usually blocks cancer formation via the NOTCH signaling pathway, a team of researchers led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports today in Molecular Cell.
Drugs used to overcome cancer may also combat antibiotic resistance: researchers
Drugs used to overcome cancer may also combat antibiotic resistance, finds a new study led by Gerry Wright, scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University.
Enzyme that flips switch on cells' sugar cravings could be anti-cancer target
Cancer cells tend to take up more glucose than healthy cells, and researchers are increasingly interested in exploiting this tendency with drugs that target cancer cells' altered metabolism.
Researcher contends multiple sclerosis is not a disease of the immune system
An article to be published Friday (Dec. 23) in the December 2011 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology argues that multiple sclerosis, long viewed as primarily an autoimmune disease, is not actually a disease of the immune system. Dr. Angelique Corthals, a forensic anthropologist and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, suggests instead that MS is caused by faulty lipid metabolism, in many ways more similar to coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) than to other autoimmune diseases.
Cell membrane proteins could provide targets for broader vaccines
Vaccines with broader reach might be made by stimulating specialized immune cells to recognize foreign cell membrane proteins that are shared across bacterial species, say researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in a report published online today in Immunity. The approach could be particularly beneficial in preventing infection by multi-drug resistant organisms.
Researchers link multiple sclerosis to different area of brain
Radiology researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions.
Double trouble: Concomitant immune challenges result in CNS disease
A research team led by Glenn Rall at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA developed a novel mouse model to show that a fatal central nervous system (CNS) disease can be caused by a pathogen that does not replicate in the CNS. The results of this new study are published December 22nd in the Open Access journal PLoS Pathogens.
Scientists engineer mosquito immune system to fight malaria
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute have demonstrated that the Anopheles mosquito's innate immune system could be genetically engineered to block the transmission of malaria-causing parasites to humans. In addition, they showed that the genetic modification had limited impact on the mosquito's fitness under laboratory conditions. The researchers' findings are published December 22nd in the Open Access journal PLoS Pathogens.
Scientists identify a novel therapy with potential for treating Parkinson's disease
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have made a significant step in the development of a novel therapy that could one day help to slow down, or even halt, the damage caused by Parkinson’s disease (PD), one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. The therapy, which has been shown to be effective in rat models of the condition, involves exploiting the natural process by which common viruses protect mitochondria (the energy-producing power house of cells) in order to keep cells alive while they replicate.
Fish oil may hold key to leukemia cure
A compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease, according to Penn State researchers. The compound -- delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 -- targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The compound is produced from EPA -- Eicosapentaenoic Acid -- an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, he said.
How skin is wired for touch
Compared to our other senses, scientists don't know much about how our skin is wired for the sensation of touch. Now, research reported in the December 23rd issue of the journal Cell provides the first picture of how specialized neurons feel light touches, like a brush of movement or a vibration, are organized in hairy skin.
Journal Science retracts mouse virus link to fatigue
The prominent US journal Science on Thursday retracted a 2009 report linking a mouse retrovirus to chronic fatigue syndrome after it was disproved by researchers earlier this year.
HIV prevention research named scientific breakthrough of the year by Science
The HIV Prevention Trials Network 052 study, led by Myron S. Cohen, MD of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been named the 2011 Breakthrough of the Year by the journal Science.
Neuroscientists identify a master controller of memory
When you experience a new event, your brain encodes a memory of it by altering the connections between neurons. This requires turning on many genes in those neurons. Now, MIT neuroscientists have identified what may be a master gene that controls this complex process.
Biology news
Development of 'matrix' material controlling differentiation of stem cells
The Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science in Japan succeeded in developing a matrix material which can control the differentiation of stem cells for regenerative medicine.
Stallone film in Bulgaria 'vandalised' bat colonies: experts
Bat experts have slammed the recent filming of a Sylvester Stallone movie in a Bulgarian cave, saying thousands of the mammals had suffered from the Hollywood treatment.
New Delta invader threatens to clog waterways, pumps
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-An invasive weed just now taking hold in the Delta could clog water delivery pumps and marinas on a scale never seen here before, but state officials say they are nearly hamstrung in trying to deal with it.
Controversial 'bird flu' edits move ahead
Top US scientists on Wednesday defended their bid to stop details of a mutant bird flu virus from being published and called for global cooperation to ward off an uncontrollable pandemic.
Worm compost can suppress plant disease, regulate nutrients, research finds
Organic growers could soon have another weapon in their arsenal, courtesy of the humble worm.
World-first discovery of hybrid sharks off Australia's east coast
(PhysOrg.com) -- Hybrid black tip shark containing both Common and Australian black tip DNA.
Revealing how a potato disease takes hold
Late blight is an economically devastating disease for potato farmers worldwide, causing tens of billions of dollars worth of damage each year. Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight, has evolved to overcome fungicides and major resistance genes that have been bred into commercial potato cultivars. In order to dampen the immune response of its host, P. infestans secretes molecules called disease effectors at the site of infection.
High genetic diversity in an ancient Hawaiian clone
The entire Hawaiian population of the peat moss Sphagnum palustre appears to be a clone that has been in existence for some 50,000 years researchers have discovered. The study is published in New Phytologist.
Transcriptional elongation control takes on new dimensions
Life is complicated enough, so you can forgive the pioneers of DNA biology for glossing over transcriptional elongation control by RNA polymerase II, the quick and seemingly bulletproof penultimate step in the process that copies the information encoded in our DNA into protein-making instructions carried by messenger RNA.
Unraveling malaria's genetic mysteries
(PhysOrg.com) -- Simon Fraser University researchers in biology and computing sciences are starting to piece together a picture that may help scientists and doctors save more than a million lives annually.
Genetic study of black chickens shed light on mechanisms causing rapid evolution in domestic animals
The genetic changes underlying the evolution of new species are still poorly understood. For instance, we know little about critical changes that have happened during human evolution. Genetic studies in domestic animals can shed light on this process due to the rapid evolution they have undergone over the last 10,000 years. A new study published today describes how a complex genomic rearrangement causes a fascinating phenotype in chickens.
Second rare white kiwi hatches in New Zealand
A second rare white kiwi has hatched at New Zealand's national wildlife centre, conservation officials announced Friday, months after the world's first hatched in captivity.
New species of 'spiral poo worms' found in the Atlantic
They could be mistaken for exotic blooms, but the colorful creatures captured in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean actually belong to a family of recently discovered acorn worms.
Study uncovers clues to what makes anesthetics work
Physicians use inhalation anesthetics in a way that is incredibly safe for patients, but very little is known about the intricacies of how these drugs actually work in children and adults. Now, researchers have uncovered what cells respond to anesthesia in an organism known as the C. elegans, according to a new study from the Seattle Children's Research Institute. C. elegans is a transparent roundworm used often in research. The study, "Optical reversal of halothane-induced immobility in C. elegans," is published in the December 20, 2011 issue of Current Biology.
Built-in 'self-destruct timer' causes ultimate death of messenger RNA in cells
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered the first known mechanism by which cells control the survival of messenger RNA (mRNA) -- arguably biology's most important molecule. The findings pertain to mRNAs that help regulate cell division and could therefore have implications for reversing cancer's out-of-control cell division. The research is described in today's online edition of the journal Cell.
New research illustrates how genome adapts to transposon invasion
Small, mobile sequences of DNA left over from viruses, called transposons or "jumping genes" because of their ability to move around the genome, pose a significant threat to the genetic integrity and stability of an organism. Considered genetic parasites, these transposable elements are believed to comprise as much as 50 percent of the human genome. Because of the damage transposons can do to an organism's DNA, an immune-like response has evolved to turn off, or silence, these mobile genetic elements.
Blood progenitor cells receive signals from niche cells and the daughter blood cells they create
Maintaining balance is crucial. In Drosophila, the common fruit fly, the creation and maintenance of the blood supply requires such balance.
DNA mismatch repair happens only during a brief window of opportunity
In eukaryotes – the group of organisms that include humans – a key to survival is the ability of certain proteins to quickly and accurately repair genetic errors that occur when DNA is replicated to make new cells.
Researchers develop CAD-Type tools for engineering RNA control systems
The computer assisted design (CAD) tools that made it possible to fabricate integrated circuits with millions of transistors may soon be coming to the biological sciences. Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed CAD-type models and simulations for RNA molecules that make it possible to engineer biological components or "RNA devices" for controlling genetic expression in microbes. This holds enormous potential for microbial-based sustainable production of advanced biofuels, biodegradable plastics, therapeutic drugs and a host of other goods now derived from petrochemicals.
New study shows how much food is needed by seabirds
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international group of scientists, including one from the U.S. Geological Survey, has shown that many seabirds begin to suffer when the food available for them in the ocean declines below a critical level. This level is about one-third of the maximum amount of food available historically. They have shown that this critical level is about the same for seabirds wherever they happen to be in the world. Their study – the most comprehensive ever undertaken – covers birds from the Arctic to the Antarctic and from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Research reveals aquatic bacteria more recent move to land
Research by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, faculty has discovered that bacteria's move from sea to land may have occurred much later than thought. It also has revealed that the bacteria may be especially useful in bioenergy research.
Scientists answer how bacteria fight toxic flouride
Yale researchers have uncovered the molecular tricks used by bacteria to fight the effects of fluoride, which is commonly used in toothpaste and mouthwash to combat tooth decay.
Like monkeys, pigeons can put numbers in order
(PhysOrg.com) -- Pigeons are on par with primates in their numerical abilities, according to new University of Otago research appearing in the leading international journal Science.
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