Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 21, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Can Earth-sized planets survive their star's expansion?- Researchers devise a way to make a simple quantum computer using holograms
- Hold that thought? Scientists find sensor that may explain working memory
- Record conductivity achieved in strained lattice organic semiconductor
- Bouncing signals off ceiling can rev up data centers
- Disease-causing strains of Fusarium prevalent in plumbing drains
- French study suggests maggots may clean wounds faster than surgery
- Scientists fight back in 'mutant flu' research row
- New discovery could lead to treatment for Angelman syndrome
- Underwater neutrino detector will be second-largest structure ever built
- Scientists provide global view of how HIV hijacks cells during infection
- Habit formation is enabled by gateway to brain cells
- Deafness shaped Beethoven's music
- Landmark discovery has magnetic appeal for scientists
- Silk microneedles deliver controlled-release drugs painlessly
Space & Earth news
EU court rejects challenge to airline emissions charges
Europe's top court on Wednesday threw out a US-led challenge to new charges for carbon emissions across EU airspace, opening up fears of a possible trade war which could also draw in China.
Researchers outline world's land and water resources for food and agriculture
Researchers from the University of Southampton have contributed to a major international United Nation's (UN) report into the current status of the world's land and water resources for food and agriculture.
Satellites can help to grow the perfect grape
A little water is needed to make wine, but how do you know when enough is enough? ESA’s GrapeLook service can give you the answer. GrapeLook uses satellites to help decide how much to water vineyards, and when.
AgriLife Research adds new instrumentation to measure greenhouse gases
As greenhouse gases become more of a concern, determining the actual rates of emissions through scientific data is a growing necessity, according to a Texas AgriLife Research scientist in Amarillo.
New US anti-pollution standards draw industry fire
US health campaigners Wednesday hailed the announcement of new anti-pollution standards for American manufacturers, but industry leaders condemned the rules for being costly and overly aggressive.
Proposals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions must balance with development needs
Efforts to combat climate change should take into account the development levels of different countries when negotiating agreements, according to a study published in the Dec. 21 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
Huge Antarctic iceberg foils centenary plans
An iceberg nearly 100 kilometres (60 miles) long was Wednesday preventing tourist ships from reaching Antarctica to mark the centenary of Australian explorer Douglas Mawson's epic polar voyage.
Why silicon-based aliens would rather eat our cities than us: Thoughts on non-carbon astrobiology
Conventional wisdom has long had it that carbon-based life, so common here on earth, must surely be abundant elsewhere; both in our galaxy and the universe as a whole.
A 'Rose' made of galaxies
(PhysOrg.com) -- In celebration of the twenty-first anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's deployment in April 2011, astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute pointed Hubble's eye to an especially photogenic group of interacting galaxies called Arp 273.
DARPA's new spy satellite could provide real-time video from anywhere on Earth
“It sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake” could be the theme song for a new spy satellite being developed by DARPA. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s latest proof-of-concept project is called the Membrane Optical Imager for Real-Time Exploitation (MOIRE), and would provide real-time images and video of any place on Earth at any time — a capability that, so far, only exists in the realm of movies and science fiction. The details of this huge eye-in-the-sky look like something right out of science fiction, as well, and it would be interesting to determine if it could have applications for astronomy as well.
New EPA air quality rules outweigh costs and provide major health and environmental benefits
A report by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health provides an expanded review of six new air quality regulations proposed or recently adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA). These include the first national standards for reducing dangerous emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants. Though the cost of implementing the new regulations is estimated to be about $195 billion over the next 20 years or so, the economic, environmental and health benefits amount to well over $1 trillion, considerably outweighing the control costs, according to the report, which was issued by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a non-profit think tank based in Washington, D.C.
Cryogenic testing completed for James Webb telescope mirrors
Cryogenic testing is complete for the final six primary mirror segments and a secondary mirror that will fly on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The milestone represents the successful culmination of a process that took years and broke new ground in manufacturing and testing large mirrors.
Belize protected area boosting predatory fish populations
A 14-year study by the Wildlife Conservation Society in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover's Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fish, which feed on the algae that smother corals and inhibit reef recovery.
Russia sends multinational crew to ISS
Russia on Wednesday sent a multinational crew of three astronauts to the International Space Station on a Soyuz rocket from its Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
New calculations suggest Jupiter's core may be liquefying
(PhysOrg.com) -- Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, may be causing its own core to liquefy, at least according to Hugh Wilson and colleague Burkhard Militzer of UC, Berkeley. They’ve come to this conclusion after making quantum mechanical calculations on the conditions that exist within the big planet. In a paper published on the preprint server arXiv, and submitted to Physical Review Letters, the two explain that because the gas giant has a relatively small core made of mostly iron, rock (partly magnesium oxide) and ice, and sits embedded in fluid hydrogen and helium all under great pressure from the planet’s gravity (which has created very high temperatures (16,000 K)), there is a likelihood that the core is liquefying due to the heat and pressure exerted on the magnesium oxide.
Some nearby young stars may be much older than previously thought
Low in the south in the summer sky shines the constellation Scorpius and the bright, red supergiant star Antares. Many of the brightest stars in Scorpius, and hundreds of its fainter stars, are among the youngest stars found near the earth, and a new analysis of them may result in a rethinking of both their ages and the ages of other groups of stars.
Dawn sends first low altitude images of Vesta
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft has sent back the first images of the giant asteroid Vesta from its low-altitude mapping orbit. The images, obtained by the framing camera, show the stippled and lumpy surface in detail never seen before, piquing the curiosity of scientists who are studying Vesta for clues about the solar system's early history.
Spitzer and Hubble telescopes find rare galaxy at dawn of time
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes have discovered that one of the most distant galaxies known is churning out stars at a shockingly high rate. The blob-shaped galaxy, called GN-108036, is the brightest galaxy found to date at such great distances.
Can Earth-sized planets survive their star's expansion?
Two Earth-sized planets have been discovered circling a dying star that has passed the red giant stage. Because of their close orbits, the planets must have been engulfed by their star while it swelled up to many times its original size.
Technology news
Mobile app to help Indian women fight sex assault
A smartphone app launched Wednesday in the Indian capital Delhi aims to fight a rise in sexual assault cases by enabling women to immediately alert friends or family if they feel at risk.
New EU project targets first 100GHz optical RAM silicon chips
A new EU project that aims to develop a 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) optical random access memory (RAM) chip has just kicked off. This chip will be the first of its kind.
Protecting computers at start-up: New NIST guidelines
A new draft computer security publication from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides guidance for vendors and security professionals as they work to protect personal computers as they start up.
Would cellphone ban dial back 'distracted driving'?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) — an independent federal agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents and promoting transportation safety — called for a complete end to cellphone use while driving, as opposed to bans in some states that still allow talking on hands-free devices.
Trimming time in the stacks
A sophisticated text-analyzing tool developed by a UC Berkeley graduate student could speed literary searches for humanities scholars and other researchers.
NIST special publication expands government authentication options
A newly revised publication from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) expands the options for government agencies that need to verify the identity of users of their Web-based services. Electronic Authentication Guideline (NIST Special Publication 800-63-1) is an extensive revision and update of the original document, released in 2006, and it recognizes that times, and technologies, have changed.
Steve Jobs statue unveiled in Budapest
A larger-than-life bronze statue of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was unveiled in a Budapest science park Wednesday, two months after his death.
White House takes tax fight to Twitter
The White House has taken its battle with Republican lawmakers over a crucial tax extension to Twitter, inviting Americans to weigh in on what the extra $40 per paycheck means to them.
Reports: Yahoo exploring sale of Asian holdings
(AP) -- Published reports say Yahoo is exploring selling most of its holdings in Asia in an attempt to raise money and boost its sagging stock price.
Yahoo expands sharing of stories through Facebook
Yahoo is deepening its connections with Facebook's online social network.
Canada hunts for rare earth metals as China cuts back
A steep decline in Chinese exports of rare earth metals used in many hi-tech gadgets has forced a global search for new crucial supplies and hopes are high for major finds in Canada, analysts say.
Split decision in Microsoft smartphone patent case
A US trade authority on Tuesday backed a claim by Microsoft that Motorola Mobility had infringed on its patented technology in Android-powered smartphones.
Cult video gaming firm closer to IPO
Leading video game hardware company Razer has secured $50 million from a Beijing-based venture capital fund that takes it potentially closer to a public listing, the company said Wednesday.
Internet lets US export consumer lifestyle
As gift-buying frenzy mounts in the days before Christmas, US retailers are exporting the country's shopping culture along with once hard-to-get goods to locales around the world.
Li-Fi: Inventor hailed for light bulb wi-fi
A University of Edinburgh engineer has been named among the top inventors in the world in high-profile publications.
Chinese hacked into US Chamber: report
A Chinese group has hacked into America's largest business lobbying organization, compromising all data on its servers and information about its three million members, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Saving on energy bills: Meeting families in the middle
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study released today by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) identifies steps that energy efficiency program managers can take to deliver significant savings on home energy bills to middle-income households.
A bicycle built for you
Recent graduates of the UA McGuire Entrepreneurship Program have launched Velocis, a company that promotes environmental sustainability and healthful living through use of custom-designed electric bicycles.
A fresh perspective on internet security
People don’t do enough to protect themselves on the Internet. They don’t use good passwords. They’re poor at recognizing the URL of “phishing” sites. They ignore certificate errors.
Facebook told to clarify privacy outside US, Canada
Facebook has to make its privacy policy easier to understand and to act on, the data commissioner in Ireland, where the social networking website has its international headquarters, said Wednesday.
Microsoft says 2012 CES tech show will be its last
Microsoft Corp. is pulling out of the International Consumer Electronics Show, the largest trade show in the Americas. It's joining Apple in saying that it prefers to put on its own events when the time is right to show off its products.
RIM shares soar on takeover rumors
Research In Motion's shares took off Wednesday amid unconfirmed reports that tech heavyweights Microsoft, Nokia and Amazon had looked to take over the BlackBerry smartphone maker.
Future is bright for ONR's lightweight, sun-powered generator
The Department of the Navy continues its move toward renewable energy with an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-funded solar generator that recently entered full production, with several systems already in the field.
Review: 'Rocksmith' rocks out with real guitars
If "Guitar Hero" was the spunky teenager who made music gaming fun, "Rocksmith" is his older, cooler brother in a distressed leather jacket.
Facebook agrees to changes to improve transparency
(AP) -- Facebook Inc. has agreed to make several changes to its services to improve transparency and better protect the personal data of its millions of users outside of the U.S., following an in-depth audit of its international headquarters that was released Wednesday.
Review: Take the time to curate Facebook Timeline
I've often joked that if something's not on Facebook, it didn't happen. Facebook's new Timeline feature makes that adage even more apparent.
US travel site TripAdvisor hits market with thud
Shares of popular travel ratings website TripAdvisor sank about five percent on their first day trading publicly Wednesday, as US investors remained skittish about new tech listings.
Apple buys Israeli start-up for $400 mn: reports
US giant Apple has finalised its first Israeli acquisition, agreeing to buy flash memory maker Anobit for about $400 million (307 million euros), local financial media reported on Wednesday.
Verizon 4G network crashes again
A high-speed smartphone data service freshly rolled out by Verizon crashed anew on Wednesday as the US telecom titan continued to work out issues with its new-generation network.
Hollywood still struggling to focus 3D technology
Two years after breakthrough 3D megahit "Avatar," Hollywood is still struggling to decide how best to use the new technology, as filmgoers tire of the novelty and say no to annoying glasses.
Traditional social networks fueled Twitter's spread
We've all heard it: The Internet has flattened the world, allowing social networks to spring up overnight, independent of geography or socioeconomic status. Who needs face time with the people around you when you can email, text or tweet to and from almost anywhere in the world? Twitter, the social networking and microblogging site, is said to have more than 300 million users worldwide who follow, forward and respond to each other’s 140-character tweets about anything and everything, 24/7.
Scientists model brain structure to help computers recognize objects
(PhysOrg.com) -- An essential question confronting neuroscientists and computer vision researchers alike is how objects can be identified by simply "looking" at an image. Introspectively, we know that the human brain solves this problem very well. We only have to look at something to know what it is.
Bouncing signals off ceiling can rev up data centers
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have a startlingly upbeat idea for data center managers coping with packed rooms, Internet traffic bursts, and high costs looming in having to reconfigure data center designs. The researchers find that data centers can use ceilings to bounce off data signals. Doing so enhances data transmission speeds by 30 percent.
Record conductivity achieved in strained lattice organic semiconductor
Organic semiconductors could usher in an era of foldable smartphones, better high-definition television screens and clothing made of materials that can harvest energy from the sun needed to charge your iPad, but there is one serious drawback: Organic semiconductors do not conduct electricity very well.
Medicine & Health news
Study shows potential of anti-growth factor drugs for reducing complication of advanced ovarian cancer
Blocking the action of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with the new anti-VEGF drug aflibercept can curb the development of malignant ascites (excessive fluid in the abdomen), a common and painful complication of advanced ovarian cancer, according to a new phase 2 randomised study published Online First in the Lancet Oncology.
Could cod liver oil help combat tuberculosis?
A review of a historical study from 1848 reveals that cod liver oil was an effective treatment for tuberculosis, says Professor Sir Malcolm Green in the Christmas issue published on in the British Medical Journal today.
Doctors should stop using the phrase 'obs stable' in hospital notes
The phrase "obs stable" in hospital notes is ambiguous and does not reliably indicate a patient's health status, concludes a study in the Christmas issue published in the British Medical Journal today.
Aquatic therapy soon after total knee arthroplasty improves outcomes
Despite increased use of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a notable lack of consensus about optimal postoperative treatment. Aquatic therapy has been shown to have a beneficial effect, and it is typically begun two weeks after surgery, after the wound has healed. According to a new study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, beginning aquatic therapy just 6 days after TKA may lead to improved results, while delaying its onset an additional week may be more appropriate after a THA.
Hong Kong culls chickens to battle bird flu
Hong Kong culled 17,000 chickens Wednesday and suspended live poultry imports for 21 days after three birds tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus.
Mammogram rates lower for Mexican women in U.S.
Mexican women in the United States are less likely to get mammograms than white women, black women and other Latinas, according to a new study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
New findings about the prion protein and its interaction with the immune system
(Medical Xpress) -- Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease which can function as a model for other diseases caused by an accumulation of proteins resulting in tissue malformations (proteinpathies), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Athletes prone to alcohol-related violence
(Medical Xpress) -- New research has found that rates of alcohol-related aggression and antisocial behaviours are particularly high in young Australian athletes, compared to their non-sporting peers.
Even limited telemedicine could improve developing health
A lack of infrastructure in developing countries, and particularly in rural areas, often ensures that healthcare provision is absent. Research published in the International Journal of Services, Economics and Management by a team at Howard University in Washington DC suggests a solution to this insidious problem involving the development of telemedicine.
New method of infant pain assessment
Recently, the accuracy of current methods of pain assessment in babies have been called into question. New research from London-area hospitals and the University of Oxford measures brain activity in infants to better understand their pain response.
Pre-surgery exam rates vary widely among hospitals
Hospitals vary greatly in the number of patients who see an internal medicine specialist before major non-cardiac surgery, with rates ranging from five per cent of patients to 90 per cent, new research has found.
PET technique promises better detection and response assessment for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Positron emission tomography (PET) and a molecular imaging agent that captures the proliferation of cancer cells could prove to be a valuable method for imaging a form of Non-Hodgkin's disease called mantle cell lymphoma, a relatively rare and devastating blood cancer. The pilot study is published in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Heart disease study highlights Scottish ethnic groups most at risk
Scots of Pakistani origin are 50 per cent more likely to be admitted to hospital with chest pain and angina than those of Indian ethnicity, a study has found.
Research finds Medicare and private insurance spending similar throughout Texas
Variations in health care spending by Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) are similar throughout the state despite previous research, which found significant spending differences between the private and commercial sector in McAllen, Texas. The latest research results from the University of Texas Health e Center at Houston (UTHealth), the Commonwealth Fund, and the Brookings Institution are published in the December issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
Northwestern researchers trial new device that may support improved newborn health
Despite the numerous medical advances that happen every day, the infant mortality rate in the United States is still higher than most European countries. While experts believe this is closely linked to the growing rate of pre-term births, researchers are committed to finding ways to make labor and delivery safer. Northwestern Medicine researchers are examining a new device that may support improved newborn health at delivery through closer monitoring of infant oxygen use during labor.
Naval technology could be a lifesaver
Battlefield corpsmen and medical professionals across the country gained a valuable tool last week, as the Food and Drug Administration approved the first hand-held device to detect life-threatening bleeding in the brain.
Unprecedented international effort to improve safety of orthopedic devices
Responding to a need for better post-market surveillance of orthopedic devices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established the International Consortium of Orthopaedic Registries (ICOR) in October 2010.
Adult immunization needs to move up the health check list
Check-list for a healthy life: Quit smoking. Don't drink too much. Exercise regularly.
Salt policy makers eat too much salt at work
Salt policy makers in the Netherlands are consuming more than the average daily recommended salt intake of 6 grams in one hot meal at their work canteens, finds a study in the Christmas issue published in the British Medical Journal today.
Fame is more likely to kill rock stars, not being 27 years old
The list of well known musicians who have died at age 27 may look like more than a coincidence – Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Brian Jones to name a few – but their age is unlikely to have been the cause of their demise, according to research in the Christmas issue published in the British Medical Journal today.
Every cloud has a silver lining: Weather forecasting models could predict brain tumor growth
Ever wondered how meteorologists can accurately predict the weather? They use complex spatiotemporal weather models, i.e. mathematical equations that track the motions of the atmosphere through time and space, and combine them with incoming data streams from weather stations and satellites. Now, an innovative new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Biology Direct has determined that the mathematical methodology used to assimilate data for weather forecasting could be used to predict the spread of brain tumors.
Get ready for spring - hay fever worse in spring than summer
Hay fever (runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes) is caused by an allergy to pollen, and most commonly to grass pollen. These tiny grains bring misery to sufferers through spring and summer and pollen levels are often included as part of weather reports to help sufferers prepare. However new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Clinical and Translational Allergy shows that, regardless of medication and other allergies, for the same grass pollen levels, hay fever symptoms are worse in the first half of the season than later on.
Diagnosis, treatment of depression among elderly depend on racial, cultural factors
Despite improvements to diagnostic tools and therapies in the two last decades, significant disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of depression remain, according to Rutgers research published online by the American Journal of Public Health; print, February 2012.
Low influence of playgrounds on child activity: study
Upgrading playgrounds does not appear to be sufficient to help children become more active.
Study: Blood cancer may be more common than realized
(Medical Xpress) -- A group of life-threatening blood disorders collectively called myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, may occur four times more often than reported by national cancer registries, according to new research from the University of Florida based on data from Medicare claims.
Balancing the womb
(Medical Xpress) -- New research hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour.
Women urged not to panic over breast implant scare
French authorities are to issue an expert report on Friday saying whether the implants, produced by the now-bankrupt Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) company, should be removed after several suspicious cancer cases.
Discovery of new vaccine approach for treatment of cancer
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, have developed a new vaccine to treat cancer at the pre-clinical level. The research team led by Professor Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin discovered a new approach for treating the disease based on manipulating the immune response to malignant tumors. The discovery has been patented and there are plans to develop the vaccine for clinical use for cancer patients.
Research shows graphic images get smokers' attention
(Medical Xpress) -- They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but its worth might just be measurable in terms of lives, according to research by a University of South Carolina public health professor.
Self-regulation of the immune system suppresses defense against cancer
Regulatory T cells, which are part of the body's immune system, downregulate the activity of other immune cells, thus preventing the development of autoimmune diseases or allergies. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center have now found the activation steps that are blocked by Tregs in immune cells. Since Tregs can also suppress the body's immune defense against cancer, the findings obtained by the DKFZ researchers are important for developing more efficient cancer treatments.
Positive feedback and tumorigenesis: A vicious circle that promotes cell proliferation
Cancer cells are essentially immortal. The acquisition of an unlimited capacity to divide – the process of immortalization - is a central event in the genesis of tumors. Normally, cells are subject to stringent mechanisms which control their proliferation. Together these ensure that pre-malignant cells are induced to enter a senescent, non-dividing state or to undergo apoptosis, i.e. commit suicide.
Telling the truth
(Medical Xpress) -- A new study shows that children as young as three or four years old can talk informatively and accurately about experiences – including incidents of abuse – if they are interviewed by specialists who understand children’s strengths and weaknesses. Its findings, published today in the journal Child Development, may prompt a review of current practice by police and social workers.
Heart attacks, other emergencies spike during holidays
(Medical Xpress) -- During his 23-year career, the medical director of the UCSF Emergency Department has done everything from treat traumatic injuries to deliver babies. While medical emergencies occur throughout the year, Polevoi sees the winter season and its related overindulgence as a pivotal time for preventing emergencies by listening to our bodies.
Christmas Day stroll helps fight festive fat
(Medical Xpress) -- A traditional Christmas Day family walk could help reduce fat levels in the blood, according to scientists at the University of Glasgow.
Can you stomach the festivities?
(Medical Xpress) -- Christmas and the New Year is the time of over-indulgence - and long may it continue. But is the season of festive feasting and making merry taking its toll on your body?
Myths and truths of obesity and pregnancy
Ironically, despite excessive caloric intake, many obese women are deficient in vitamins vital to a healthy pregnancy. This and other startling statistics abound when obesity and pregnancy collide. Together, they present a unique set of challenges that women and their doctors must tackle in order to achieve the best possible outcome for mom and baby.
Do our medicines boost pathogens?
Scientists of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG) discovered a parasite that not only had developed resistance against a common medicine, but at the same time had become better in withstanding the human immune system. With some exaggeration: medical practice helped in developing a superbug. For it appears the battle against the drug also armed the bug better against its host. "To our knowledge it is the first time such a doubly armed organism appears in nature", says researcher Manu Vanaerschot, who obtained a PhD for his detective work at ITG and Antwerp University. "It certainly makes you think."
Researchers identify potential target to delay metastatic pancreatic cancer and prolong survival
Often, and without much warning, pancreatic cancer cells slip through the endothelial cells, head into the blood and out to other parts of the body to metastasize, making it one of the deadliest and hardest to treat cancers today.
Researcher develops new way to assess risk for chemicals
Approximately 80,000 industrial chemicals are in use and about 700 new chemicals are introduced to commerce each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. To assess human health risks from exposure to harmful substances, James Englehardt, professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Miami, is proposing a new technique that is more efficient than current methods.
Supersized market economy, supersized belly: Wealthier nations have more fast food and more obesity
New research from the University of Michigan suggests obesity can be seen as one of the unintended side effects of free market policies.
Having a cow can be a heart healthy choice
Lean beef can contribute to a heart-healthy diet in the same way lean white meats can, according to nutritional scientists.
Study highlights impact of sleep deprivation on patients and health care providers
A new UCLA study shows that physicians who work shorter shifts are less likely to make mistakes during medical procedures.
How do we split our attention?
McGill's Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab team finds that we are natural-born multi-taskers.
Rare genetic mutations linked to bipolar disorder
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder.
Listen up: Abnormality in auditory processing underlies dyslexia
People with dyslexia often struggle with the ability to accurately decode and identify what they read. Although disrupted processing of speech sounds has been implicated in the underlying pathology of dyslexia, the basis of this disruption and how it interferes with reading comprehension has not been fully explained. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the December 22 issue of the journal Neuron finds that a specific abnormality in the processing of auditory signals accounts for the main symptoms of dyslexia.
Why bigger is better when it comes to our brain and memory
The hippocampus is an important brain structure for recollection memory, the type of memory we use for detailed reliving of past events. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the December 22 issue of the journal Neuron reveals characteristics of the human hippocampus that allow scientists to use anatomical brain scans to form predictions about an individual's recollection ability. The new research helps to explain why this relationship has been hard to find in the past and provides evidence for a possible underlying mechanism.
Brain size may predict risk for early Alzheimer's disease
New research suggests that, in people who don't currently have memory problems, those with smaller regions of the brain's cortex may be more likely to develop symptoms consistent with very early Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the December 21, 2011, online issue of Neurology.
Autologous stem cell transplantation does not improve os in patients with follicular lymphoma
High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC-ASCT), for previously untreated patients with advanced follicular lymphoma (FL) does not improve overall survival compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy alone, according to an online study published December 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Taking a predictive approach to identifying adverse drug reactions
In a move aimed at bolstering current systems for assessing and monitoring drug safety, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have created a new method that combines multiple forms of widely available data to predict adverse drug reactions. Unlike current approaches, which rely on detecting evidence of drug safety issues as they accumulate over time in clinical databases, this new method may be able to identify issues years in advance.
Study details how dengue infection hits harder the second time around
One of the most vexing challenges in the battle against dengue virus, a mosquito-borne virus responsible for 50-100 million infections every year, is that getting infected once can put people at greater risk for a more severe infection down the road.
Breakthrough in treatment to prevent blindness
A UCSF study shows a popular treatment for a potentially blinding eye infection is just as effective if given every six months versus annually. This randomized study on trachoma, the leading cause of infection-caused blindness in the world, could potentially treat twice the number of patients using the same amount of medication.
More reasons to keep this New Year's weight loss resolution uncovered
Long-term healthy dietary interventions frequently induce a rapid weight decline, mainly in the first four to six months, followed by weight stabilization or regain, despite continued dieting. The partial regain may discourage people from adhering to healthier habits, but research now shows that improvements to health remain even if weight is regained.
JAMA commentary contends vitamin therapy can still reduce stroke
A commentary by Dr. David Spence of The University of Western Ontario and Dr. Meir Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) argues that vitamin therapy still has a role to play in reducing stroke.
Self-affirmation may break down resistance to medical screening
People resist medical screening, or don't call back for the results, because they don't want to know they're sick or at risk for a disease. But many illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, have a far a better prognosis if they're caught early. How can health care providers break down that resistance?
Do you hear what I hear? Noise exposure surrounds us
Nine out of 10 city dwellers may have enough harmful noise exposure to risk hearing loss, and most of that exposure comes from leisure activities.
ORNL image analysis prowess advances retina research
Armed with a new ability to find retinal anomalies at the cellular level, neurobiologists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have made a discovery they hope will ultimately lead to a treatment for cancer of the retina.
Women should still be concerned about hormone replacement therapy, researchers say
McMaster University researchers have found consistent evidence that use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with breast cancer globally. This study comes at a time when more women are again asking for this medication to control hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.
Deafness shaped Beethoven's music
Progressive deafness profoundly influenced Beethoven's compositions, prompting him to choose lower-frequency notes as his condition worsened, scientists said on Tuesday.
Neuroscientists demonstrate crucial advances in 'brain reading'
(Medical Xpress) -- At UCLA's Laboratory of Integrative Neuroimaging Technology, researchers use functional MRI brain scans to observe brain signal changes that take place during mental activity. They then employ computerized machine learning (ML) methods to study these patterns and identify the cognitive state — or sometimes the thought process — of human subjects. The technique is called "brain reading" or "brain decoding."
How pregnancy changes a woman's brain
(Medical Xpress) -- We know a lot about the links between a pregnant mother’s health, behavior, and moods and her baby’s cognitive and psychological development once it is born. But how does pregnancy change a mother’s brain? “Pregnancy is a critical period for central nervous system development in mothers,” says psychologist Laura M. Glynn of Chapman University. “Yet we know virtually nothing about it.” Glynn and her colleague Curt A. Sandman, of University of the California Irvine, are doing something about that. Their review of the literature in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science, discusses the theories and findings that are starting to fill what Glynn calls “a significant gap in our understanding of this critical stage of most women’s lives.”
First 'live' imaging of specialized immune system cells reveals new clues about body's security system
To keep the body safe, the immune system enlists more than one form of protection. A circulating task force of immune system cells monitors the body’s periphery, and sends information back to field command centers — the lymph nodes — located at pivotal traffic points.
Learning left from right
(Medical Xpress) -- Pop psychology assertions about left-brain/right-brain differences are pretty much tosh. Our personalities are not dominated by a battle between the creative skills residing in one half of the brain competing with the hard reasoning in the other.
French study suggests maggots may clean wounds faster than surgery
(Medical Xpress) -- For thousands of years, people have used maggots to clean out wounds, particularly in battlefield situations when there were few other options. Use of maggots (fly larvae) virtually disappeared in the modern world though once antibiotics arrived on the scene, but that may change as a new study conducted by a team in France has shown that at least for some types of wounds, maggots may be the preferential form of treatment. The team, made up of doctors and researchers from various facilities in France, conducted a study with elderly male volunteers who had lower leg wounds or skin ulcers that weren’t healing well, and as they describe in their study published in Archives of Dermatology, the patients that were treated with maggots, fared better, at least in the first week, than did those treated with conventional surgical procedures.
Habit formation is enabled by gateway to brain cells
A brain cell type found where habits are formed and movement is controlled has receptors that work like computer processors to translate regular activities into habits, researchers report.
New discovery could lead to treatment for Angelman syndrome
Results of a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may help pave the way to a treatment for a neurogenetic disorder often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism.
Scientists provide global view of how HIV hijacks cells during infection
In perhaps the most comprehensive survey of the inner workings of HIV, an international team of scientists led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has mapped every apparent physical interaction the virus makes with components of the human cells it infects—work that may reveal new ways to design future HIV/AIDS drugs.
Single gene links rare and unrelated cancers
Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and the University of British Columbia are excited over a discovery made while studying rare tumour types.
Hold that thought? Scientists find sensor that may explain working memory
(Medical Xpress) -- In many cases, a delay occurs between the time you are presented information and the time you respond with an action or decision. Most of us call it a thought, while some scientists call it working memory.
Biology news
Exploiting Trichoderma: From food security to biotechnology
From improving food security to their use as biotechnology power horses, Trichoderma fungi are increasingly being exploited by industry. Current advances in the field are brought together and highlighted in a special issue of Microbiology published online on 27 December.
Linear sequences for seed plants
Scientists have been working out the best way to arrange plant specimens in herbaria and other collections so that their order best reflects evolutionary relationships.
China to release six pandas into wild
Six captive-bred pandas will be freed into an enclosed forest in southwestern China next year in the first mass release of the highly endangered animals, the official Xinhua news agency said Wednesday.
Ave Atque Vale: Botany bids 'hail and farewell' to Latin-only descriptions in 2012
In a major effort to speed up the process of officially recognizing new plant species, botanists will no longer be required to provide Latin descriptions of new species, and publication in online academic journals and books will be considered as valid as print publication.
Frankincense production 'doomed' warn ecologists
used in incense and perfumes across the world and a key part of the Christmas story – are declining so dramatically that production of the fragrant resin could be halved over the next 15 years, according to a new study published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.
Scientists release natural enemy of asian citrus psyllid
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of California, Riverside scientists released a natural enemy of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) this morning on campus to help control the spread of the psyllid, an invasive pest that could devastate the state’s $1.1 billion citrus industry and citrus trees in home landscapes. This is the first time the psyllid’s natural enemy has been released in California.
Killer flu virus threat over-hyped: Dutch scientist
A top Dutch scientist heading a team which created a mutant killer flu virus Wednesday said the threat to global biosecurity is being overplayed, even if full research results are published.
New process could advance use of healthy cells or stem cells to treat disease
In a discovery that may help speed use of "cell therapy" — with normal cells or stem cells infused into the body to treat disease — scientists are reporting development of a way to deliver therapeutic human cells to diseased areas within the body using a simple magnetic effect. Their report appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.
How the brain cell works: A dive into its inner network
University of Miami biology professor Akira Chiba is leading a multidisciplinary team to develop the first systematic survey of protein interactions within brain cells. The team is aiming to reconstruct genome-wide in situ protein-protein interaction networks (isPIN) within the neurons of a multicellular organism. Preliminary data were presented at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting, December 3 through 7, 2011, in Denver, Colorado.
An ecosystem being transformed: Yellowstone 15 years after the return of wolves
On the 15th anniversary of the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, a quiet but profound rebirth of life and ecosystem health is emerging, scientists conclude in a new report.
US official says bird flu limits not 'censorship'
Leading US health official Anthony Fauci on Wednesday rejected claims that the United States is censoring science by seeking to limit potentially dangerous bird flu information in major journals.
Winning fights increases aggression, even in crickets
Winning a fight can raise aggressiveness, and a study of fighting crickets, published Dec. 21 in the online journal PLoS ONE, provides new insight into the biochemical mechanism that may be responsible.
To turn up the heat in chilies, just add water
Biologists have learned in recent years that wild chilies develop their trademark pungency, or heat, as a defense against a fungus that could destroy their seeds. But that doesn't explain why some chilies are hot and others are not.
Study of fish fossil shows that 'head-first' diversity drives vertebrate evolution
The history of evolution is periodically marked by explosions in biodiversity, as groups of species try out a wide range of shapes and sizes. With a new analysis of two such adaptive radiations in the fossil record, researchers have discovered that these diversifications proceeded head-first.
Invisible fungi crucial for rainforest diversity
A complex network of fungi in the lower canopy could be one reason tropical rainforests are home to so many different types of insects, spiders and centipedes, say scientists.
Researchers develop new method of cleaning toxins from the oilsands
Alberta's oilsands have water challenges. Oilsands development uses a vast amount of water and even though it's recycled multiple times, the recycling concentrates the toxins and metals leftover from extracting and upgrading the bitumen, resulting in tailings ponds that are both a lightening rod for controversy and a significant risk to the environment. A research project underway between biologists at the University of Calgary and engineers at the University of Alberta to help resolve the water issue is making rapid progress toward that goal.
Meet the polygamous birds that don't hang around
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the University have established a mathematical model that goes some way to explain the very strange mating behaviour of the tiny Penduline tit.
Study reveals how normal cells fuel tumor growth
A new study published in the journal Nature Cell Biology has discovered how normal cells in tumors can fuel tumor growth.
Scientists fight back in 'mutant flu' research row
Leading virologists on Wednesday warned of censorship after a US bioterror watchdog asked scientific journals to withhold details of lab work that created a mutant strain of killer flu.
Disease-causing strains of Fusarium prevalent in plumbing drains
A study examining the prevalence of the fungus Fusarium in bathroom sink drains suggests that plumbing systems may be a common source of human infections.
Study examines how diving marine mammals manage decompression
Any diver returning from ocean depths knows about the hazard of decompression sickness (DCS) or "the bends." As the diver ascends and the ocean pressure decreases, gases that were absorbed by the body during the dive, come out of solution and, if the ascent is too rapid, can cause bubbles to form in the body. DCS causes many symptoms, and its effects may vary from joint pain and rashes to paralysis and death.
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