Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for January 26, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes- Does antimatter weigh more than matter? Lab experiment to find out the answer
- Graphene: Supermaterial goes superpermeable
- Evolved, mutated gene module linked to Joubert syndrome
- Kepler announces 11 planetary systems hosting 26 planets
- Virtual Projection team puts iPhone writing on the wall (w/ video)
- Researchers seek to beat 'molecular obesity'
- Scientists map one of life's molecular mysteries
- Researchers discover critical rotational motion in cells
- Life beyond Earth? Underwater caves in Bahamas could give clues
- Researchers identify mechanism behind associative memory by exploring insect brains
- Survey suggests family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual interests
- Overgrazed grasslands tied to locust outbreaks
- Competition is at the root of diversity in rainforests: study
- Scientists illuminate cancer cells' survival strategy
Space & Earth news
Gingrich vows to establish a colony on the moon (Update)
Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has stirred strong passions by claiming he will establish a permanent moon base by 2020 if elected, but experts say he is living on another planet.
Britain ranks top risks posed by climate change
(AP) -- Britain says coastlines, wildlife and even the nation's most famous dish are under threat from climate change in its first-ever national assessment of likely risks.
Extreme droughts could increase by 15 percent in Spain by the middle of the century
A team at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena has designed a new method for calculating drought trends. Initial results suggest that by the year 2050 there could be a 15% increase compared to the droughts seen in 1990 in the Segura river basin.
Brazil's Petrobras unit reports oil leak
Transpetro, a subsidiary of Brazil's state-run energy giant Petrobras, said Thursday it had detected an oil leak off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul state but did not know how much had spilled.
Debris from way out there
"Well, here it is," said aerospace engineer William Ailor as he paused next to the hulking metal shells arrayed along the plaza outside a visitor entrance at Aerospace Corp.'s El Segundo, Calif., headquarters.
Russian cargo vessel takes off for space station
The Russian cargo ship Progress M-14M was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early Thursday, bringing water and fuel to the International Space Station, the mission control centre said.
NASA's J-2X engine kicks off 2012 with powerpack testing
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new series of tests on the engine that will help carry humans to deep space will begin next week at NASA's Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi. The tests on the J-2X engine bring NASA one step closer to the first human-rated liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engine to be developed in 40 years.
The proof is in the clouds
For most people, clouds are just an indication of whether it's a "good" or "bad" day. A team of scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that certain clouds hold the key to climate behavior prediction. The researchers improved the modeling system to simulate the way clouds interact with particles in the air. The team assessed the state-of-the-art model's ability to simulate clouds and their interaction with fine particles in the air and pollution.
CU-Boulder-led team to assess decline of Arctic sea ice in Alaska's Beaufort Sea
(PhysOrg.com) -- A national research team led by the University of Colorado Boulder is embarking on a two-year, multi-pronged effort to better understand the impacts of environmental factors associated with the continuing decline of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.
Classifying solar eruptions
(PhysOrg.com) -- Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). While these are the most common solar events, the sun can also emit streams of very fast protons – known as solar energetic particle (SEP) events – and disturbances in the solar wind known as corotating interaction regions (CIRs). All of these can produce a variety of "storms" on Earth that can – if strong enough -- interfere with short wave radio communications, GPS signals, and Earth's power grid, among other things.
Native species proposed as viable long-term sequesters
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research into the carbon sequestration abilities of native tree species was undertaken by Greening Australia, and will hopefully make native species more attractive and viable option for carbon farming.
Blue marble 2012: Amazing high definition image of Earth
A new high-definition version of the ‘Blue Marble’ has been taken from the newest Earth observation satellite. The just-renamed Suomi NPP satellite took numerous images on January 4, 2012 and this composite image was created from several “swaths” of Earth. It is a stunningly beautiful look at our home planet, with the largest versions of the image showing about 1.6 km (1 mile) per pixel. This Sun-synchronous Earth-orbiting satellite is 824 kilometers (512 miles) above Earth, and it gets a complete view of our planet every day. It is the first of a new generation of satellites that will observe many facets of how our Earth may be changing.
Tsunami debris survey launched northwest of Midway
The tsunami that followed on the heels of the March 11, 2011, earthquake in Japan produced as much as 25 million tons of debris. Much of this debris was swept into the ocean. What stayed afloat drifted apart under the influence of winds and currents, most of it eastward. Predicted to reach the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii within the coming years, the debris' composition and how much is still floating on the surface are largely unknown. One thing is certain: the debris is hazardous to navigation, marine life, and when washed ashore, to coastlines.
Haiti should brace for more devastating quakes: study
The 2010 earthquake that devastated southern Haiti may have opened a new era of seismic activity and residents should brace for more massive temblors, said a US study on Thursday.
Living on the edge: An innovative model of mangrove-hammock boundaries in Florida
The key to understanding how future hurricanes and sea level rise may trigger changes to South Florida's native coastal forests lurks below the surface, according to a new model linking coastal forests to groundwater. Just inland from the familiar mangroves that line the coasts lie hardwood hammocks that are sensitive to salinity changes in water found in the soils.
NASA satellites see cyclone Funso exiting Mozambique Channel
Powerful Cyclone Funso is now beginning to exit the Mozambique Channel, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning image of the storm that shows the depth and extent of it.
NASA infrared satellite instrument sees tropical storm Iggy growing in strength
The AIRS infrared instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite has been providing forecasters with the cloud top temperatures in the Southern Indian Ocean's ninth tropical cyclone, which has officially been renamed Iggy. AIRS data showed that the area of strong thunderstorms around Iggy's center has expanded in area over the last day.
Detecting detrimental change in coral reefs
Over dinner on R.V. Calypso while anchored on the lee side of Glover's Reef in Belize, Jacques Cousteau told Phil Dustan that he suspected humans were having a negative impact on coral reefs. Dustan—a young ocean ecologist who had worked in the lush coral reefs of the Caribbean and Sinai Peninsula—found this difficult to believe. It was December 1974.
Photo from NASA Mars orbiter shows wind's handiwork
(PhysOrg.com) -- Some images of stark Martian landscapes provide visual appeal beyond their science value, including a recent scene of wind-sculpted features from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Professors argue flattening oil production should trump environment as reason to move to alternative sources
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two university professors, one from the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington in Seattle, the other from Oxford, have published an opinion piece in the journal Nature, where they argue that governments aren’t doing enough to wean modern societies off of oil and onto more sustainable and stable sources, including atomic energy. James Murray, who is also the founding director of the University of Washington's Program on Climate Change and David King, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford as well as senior science adviser to the bank UBS also has served as chief scientific adviser to the British government back in 2000-07; together write that because global oil production hit a cap in 2005, small disruptions in supply have led to large disruptions in economic systems and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Scientist: Temperate freshwater wetlands are 'forgotten' carbon sinks
A new study comparing the carbon-holding power of freshwater wetlands has produced measurements suggesting that wetlands in temperate regions are more valuable as carbon sinks than current policies imply, according to researchers.
Kepler announces 11 planetary systems hosting 26 planets
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, its host star. Such systems will help astronomers better understand how planets form.
Technology news
Davos call for global action against cybercrime
International action to snuff out cybercrime is desperately needed, officials and business leaders said here, warning that criminals move at Internet speed while countries drag their feet.
Two Megaupload accused granted bail in New Zealand
Two of Kim Dotcom's co-accused were granted bail in New Zealand Thursday, a day after the Megaupload boss was ordered to remain behind bars pending US attempts to extradite him for copyright piracy.
Sony's 'CLEFIA' encryption technology adopted as an international standard
Sony Corporation has been working to standardize ‘CLEFIA,’ the block cipher algorithm it developed and presented as a state-of-the-art cryptography technique in 2007, and announced today that after final ISO/IEC approval, ‘CLEFIA’ was adopted as one of the ISO/IEC 29192 International Standards in lightweight cryptography.
Taiwan firm to make computer tablets in Brazil
Taiwan-based manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group plans to make computer tablets in Brazil after the government granted the company tax incentives, officials said.
Poland signs copyright treaty that drew protests
(AP) -- Poland on Thursday signed an international copyright agreement which has sparked days of protests by Internet users who fear it will lead to online censorship.
Review: Fresh stories propel 'The Old Republic'
(AP) -- How do you make that familiar galaxy far, far away fresh again? Take it back to an even longer time ago. Way back. Well before Vader, Luke, Leia, Yoda and especially Jar Jar. More than 3,000 years before, in fact. That's the setting for BioWare's engaging "Star Wars: The Old Republic," a multiplayer online game for PCs that debuted last month. (The standard version costs $59.99, with 30 days of game time; afterward, users are required to buy subscription plans.)
Six Super Bowl apps you must have
It will be New York Giants vs. New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, now the only thing left to do is prepare for your big game celebration.
Israeli hackers attack Iranian sites
A group of Israeli hackers said on Thursday they have attacked several Iranian websites, a day after a number of Israeli websites were taken offline in the latest incident in a low-level cyberwar.
Down the Apple food chain, profits and some worry
(AP) -- If you like Apple's stock, you're going to love its suppliers.
Oscars to introduce electronic voting
Oscars organizers said Wednesday they would introduce electronic voting to select Hollywood's top films and stars from next year, in the latest reform of the elite awards show system.
Nintendo posts loss on strong yen, weak sales
(AP) -- Nintendo Co. sank to losses for the April-December period, battered by a price cut for its 3DS handheld, a strong yen that erodes overseas earnings and competition from mobile devices such as the iPhone that offer games-on-the-go.
Canada basks in role as global special effects hub
Canada's westernmost province of British Columbia, one of the top regions for filmmaking outside of Hollywood, is rapidly gaining prominence as a world leader in animation and special effects.
Web app could find out if a song has the X Factor
A new web app that allows budding musicians to score their own songs to find out if they have hit potential has been launched.
Using real-time road traffic data to evaluate congestion
A new project has shown that by using existing sources of information about traffic flow it is possible to create a minute-by-minute image of congestion in cities.
UCSC grad creates Rock Band-like video game for the blind
UC Santa Cruz graduate Rupa Dhillon hopes to change the face of gaming with Rock Vibe—a Rock Band-style electronic musical video game for people who are both blind and sighted.
AT&T posts 4Q loss on charges; revenue increases
(AP) -- AT&T Inc. is still the home of the iPhone. It activated 7.6 million of them in the latest quarter, accounting for one out of every five iPhones sold globally.
Nokia loss tempered by Windows phone launch
Mobile phone maker Nokia Corp. on Thursday posted a fourth-quarter net loss of euro1.07 billion ($1.38 billion) as sales slumped 21 percent even as the company's first Windows smartphones hit markets in Europe and Asia.
US cautions EU against costly online data privacy rules
The United States will closely examine the European Commission's online privacy legislation and wants to ensure it will not be too costly for companies to do business, a senior US diplomat said Thursday.
Research: South Africans most active tweeters
Young people tweeting from BlackBerrys and iPhones are driving the growth of Twitter in Africa, with South Africans by far the most vociferous, according to new research published Thursday.
Iowa State engineer wants to 'sculpt' more powerful electric motors and generators
Dionysios Aliprantis took up an imaginary hammer and chisel and pounded away at the air.
Israel sets sights on next-generation Internet
(AP) -- Israel is often referred to as "Startup Nation," thanks to its long history of high-tech breakthroughs produced by scrappy little companies. But in one critical area, the speed of Internet connections, Israel has fallen behind other tech-savvy countries.
European parliament website under cyber attack
The European parliament website came under cyber attack Thursday but hackers failed to penetrate the assembly's internal network, a spokesman said.
Wikipedia founder hails role in US
(AP) -- The founder of Wikipedia hailed the online encyclopedia's role in helping halt U.S. legislation aimed at cracking down on Internet piracy, saying the proposed bills needed to be stopped because they were flawed.
FCC accepting objections to Verizon's planned spectrum buy
Those opposed to Verizon Wireless' deal to purchase wireless spectrum from Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks for $3.6 billion must file objections with the Federal Communications Commission by Feb. 21.
Google+ opens up to teenagers
Google on Thursday opened up Google+ to teenagers, just days after loosening the rules about using real names on the social network.
US striving to prevent WikiLeaks repeat: spy chief
The United States is taking "serious and noticeable" measures to prevent another breach of classified files like the massive WikiLeaks document dump, the nation's spy chief said Thursday.
Symantec urges users to disable pcAnywhere
Symantec is recommending that users of its pcAnywhere software disable the product following the theft of source code from the US computer security firm.
Android grabs more tablet market share: survey
Tablet computers powered by Google's Android software are increasing their global market share but Apple's iPad still dominates the category, a research firm said Thursday.
LED lights point shoppers in the right direction
Looking for an item in a large department store or mall can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but that could change thanks to a hybrid location-identification system that uses radio frequency transmitters and overhead LED lights, suggested by a team of researchers from Penn State and Hallym University in South Korea.
Rap music powers rhythmic action of medical sensor
(PhysOrg.com) -- The driving bass rhythm of rap music can be harnessed to power a new type of miniature medical sensor designed to be implanted in the body.
Visual nudge improves accuracy of mammogram readings
In 2011 -- to the consternation of women everywhere -- a systematic review of randomized clinical trials showed that routine mammography was of little value to younger women at average or low risk of breast cancer.
Virtual Projection team puts iPhone writing on the wall (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A collaborative team from the University of Calgary, University of Munich, and Columbia, have figured out a way to use a smartphone to project the phone’s display on to external displays nearby. The team thinks of its technology approach, Virtual Projection, as "borrowing available display space in the environment." Dominikus Baur, Sebastian Boring, and Steven Feiner are behind Virtual Projection. Feiner is Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University where he directs the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab.
Medicine & Health news
US seeks injunction on Indian drug firm Ranbaxy
US officials sought a "groundbreaking" injunction against Indian drug giant Ranbaxy on Wednesday, saying the maker of the first generic version of cholesterol-lowering Lipitor has failed to meet US safety guidelines.
French police arrest boss of breast implant company
French police on Thursday arrested Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of the PIP breast implant company that sparked a global health scare by using substandard silicone, as part of a manslaughter probe.
5 Questions: Magnus on the role of research ethics consultations
In the past decade, a growing number of academic medical centers have begun offering research ethics consultation services, in which bioethics experts help scientists address the ethical and societal implications of their laboratory and clinical experiments. For instance, an investigator may want advice on the social and cultural ramifications of conducting genetic research among an indigenous population. But the role of these consults isn’t always well-understood. Many researchers believe that Institutional Review Boards, which must approve any research involving human subjects, will address these kinds of ethical questions. However, there are some areas of research — such as those involving animal subjects or broad social risk — that fall outside of the regulatory purview of IRBs. The consultation services can help fill this gap, in addition to giving scientists a sounding board for exploring ethical questions early in their research-design process.
New therapeutic target to combat liver cancer discovered
Spanish researchers at CIC Biogune, the Cooperative Centre for Research into Biosciences and led by Dr. Maria Luz Martinez Chantar, have found a strong relationship between high levels of Hu antigen R (HuR) protein and the malignancy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, through a novel molecular process in the investigation of this pathology and known as neddylation. The project provides new opportunities for making advances in the quest for personalised therapeutic applications in the treatment for Hepatocarcinoma.
Newer radiation technology improves head and neck cancer patients' long-term quality of life
Patients treated with IMRT for head and neck cancer report an increasingly better quality of life post-treatment when compared to patients receiving other forms of radiation therapy, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM.
Radiation plus chemotherapy provides long-term positive results for head and neck cancer patients
A select subgroup of advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation therapy plus the chemotherapy drug cisplatin had more positive outcomes than patients treated with radiation therapy alone and continued to show positive results 10 years post-treatment, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM.
Ontario's first cardiac stem cell transplant performed last week
Heart failure is a leading cause of death in Canada. As part of the ongoing IMPACT-CABG clinical trial to treat advanced heart failure, physicians at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre performed the first cardiac stem cell transplant in Ontario last week using stem cells derived from the patient's own bone marrow, isolated completely within the operating room, and implanted into the heart at the time of coronary bypass surgery. Researchers hope that stem cell therapy may be developed into a novel treatment for the 50,000 Canadians diagnosed each year with advanced heart failure.
Erlotinib dose-adjusted for smoking status effective as first treatment for head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancers respond well to the anti-cancer drug erlotinib when it is administered before surgery and a stronger dose is given to patients who smoke, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM.
Oral temperature changes in head and neck cancer patients predicts side effect severity
Slight temperature increases of the oral mucus membranes early in a head and neck cancer patient's chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiotherapy) treatment is a predictor of severe mucositis later in treatment, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Danish health care fast track program reduces cancer patients' treatment, diagnosis wait time
In Denmark, implementing a national fast track system for cancer patients reduced the waiting time between a patient's initial meeting with a health care provider and their first treatment by four weeks when comparing 2010 to 2002, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Standard treatments for head and neck cancer less effective in HIV-positive patients
Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy is less effective for patients with HIV when compared to the recurrence and overall survival rates in patients who do not have HIV, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Routine follow-up scans can detect head and neck cancer recurrences earlier
Routine use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans in head and neck cancer patient follow-up can detect local recurrences before they become clinically apparent and may improve the outcome of subsequent salvage therapy, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
CT scans for dizziness in the ER: Worth the cost?
Performing CT scans in the emergency department for patients experiencing dizziness may not be worth the expense – an important finding from Henry Ford Hospital researchers as hospitals across the country look for ways to cut costs without sacrificing patient care.
Gates injects $750M in troubled Global Fund
(AP) -- Bill Gates pledged $750 million on Thursday to fight three killer diseases and rescue a beleaguered health fund whose financial losses have cost it donor support.
NIH launches trials to evaluate CPR and drugs after sudden cardiac arrest
The National Institutes of Health has launched two multi-site clinical trials to evaluate treatments for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. One will compare continuous chest compressions (CCC) combined with pause- free rescue breathing to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which includes a combination of chest compressions and pauses for rescue breathing. The other trial will compare treatment with the drug amiodarone, another drug called lidocaine, or neither medication (a salt-water placebo) in participants with shock-resistant ventricular fibrillation, a condition in which the heart beats chaotically instead of pumping blood.
US hospitality industry often reluctant to hire people with disabilities
People with disabilities trying to find employment in the U.S. hospitality industry face employers who are often reluctant to hire them because of preconceived notions that they cannot do the job and that they are more costly to employ that people without disabilities, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.
Millions now manage aging parents' care from afar
(AP) -- Kristy Bryner worries her 80-year-old mom might slip and fall when she picks up the newspaper, or that she'll get in an accident when she drives to the grocery store. What if she has a medical emergency and no one's there to help? What if, like her father, her mother slips into a fog of dementia?
Stop taking steroids: Kidney transplant recipients may not need long-term prednisone
Rapid discontinuation of the immunosuppressive steroid prednisone after a kidney transplant can help prevent serious side effects, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Also, doing so does not appear to jeopardize the long-term survival of transplant patients and their new organs.
Amgen buys Micromet for anti-leukemia drug
Biotech giant Amgen said Thursday it was buying the German-American cancer research firm Micromet, giving it access to Micromet's promising leukemia therapy.
Dutch women reimbursed for breast implant removals
Dutch women wanting to replace potentially defective breast implants made by now-defunct French company PIP will be paid back in full, the Dutch health insurance federation said Thursday.
Survival rates for pediatric bone marrow transplants top in nation
The UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital has the best overall survival rates in the nation for bone marrow transplants, according to a recent independent review of 156 programs nationwide.
Researchers publish new findings on aging pediatric bruises
A multi-university research group which includes several University of Notre Dame faculty and graduate students, has recently published a paper detailing new work on the analysis and dating of human bruises. The research, which is funded by the Gerber Foundation, will have particular application to pediatric medicine, as bruise age is often key evidence in child abuse cases.
Workplace safety program can reduce injuries if aggressively enforced, study finds
A longstanding California occupational safety program requiring all businesses to eliminate workplace hazards can help prevent injuries to workers, but only if it is adequately enforced, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation.
2 in 5 adults with rheumatoid arthritis are physically inactive
A new study, funded by a grant from the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), found that two in five adults (42%) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were inactive. Taking measures to motivate RA patients to increase their physical activity will improve public health according to the findings now available in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
Prenatal testosterone linked to increased risk of language delay for male infants, study shows
New research by Australian scientists reveals that males who are exposed to high levels of testosterone before birth are twice as likely to experience delays in language development compared to females. The research, published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, focused on umbilical cord blood to explore the presence of testosterone when the language-related regions of a fetus' brain are undergoing a critical period of growth.
Asthma rate and costs from traffic-related air pollution are much higher than once believed
A research team led by University of Massachusetts Amherst resource economist Sylvia Brandt, with colleagues in California and Switzerland, have revised the cost burden sharply upward for childhood asthma and for the first time include the number of cases attributable to air pollution, in a study released this week in the early online version of the European Respiratory Journal.
'DIMming' cancer growth -- STAT: Diindolylmethane suppresses ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a major cause of death worldwide. Approximately 25,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year and 15,000 women will die from it in the United States alone. The novel anti-cancer drug diindolylmethane (DIM) has been shown in laboratory to inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine has looked in detail at the action of DIM and showed that it works by blocking the activation and production of the transcription factor STAT3. DIM also enhances the anti-cancer effect of the platinum-based chemotherapy drug cisplatin.
Deaths from heart attacks halved in last decade
The death rate from heart attack in England has halved in the last decade, claims a research paper published today in the British Medical Journal.
Are we bad at forecasting our emotions? It depends on how you measure accuracy
(Medical Xpress) -- How will you feel if you fail that test? Awful, really awful, you say. Then you fail the test and, yes, you feel bad—but not as bad as you thought you would. This pattern holds for most people, research shows. The takeaway message: People are lousy at predicting their emotions. “Psychology has focused on how we mess up and how stupid we are,” says University of Texas Austin psychologist Samuel D. Gosling. But Gosling and colleague Michael Tyler Mathieu suspected that researchers were missing part of the story. So the two reanalyzed the raw data from 11 studies of “affective forecasting” and arrived at a less damning conclusion: “We’re not as hopeless as an initial reading of the literature might lead you to think,” says Gosling. The study is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Pairing masks and hand washing could drastically slow spread of pandemic flu
(Medical Xpress) -- Masks and hand hygiene could cut the spread of flu-like symptoms up to 75 percent, a University of Michigan study found.
Well-controlled HIV doesn't affect heart metabolism, function
(Medical Xpress) -- People with HIV often develop blood sugar and lipid problems and other metabolic complications that increase the risk of heart disease. But new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the HIV virus and the drugs used to treat it don’t worsen heart metabolism and function in these patients, compared with HIV-negative patients with metabolic complications.
Public opinion lights the fire for politicians to adopt anti-smoking bans
(Medical Xpress) -- Citizens aren't just blowing smoke when it comes to anti-tobacco legislation—and they tend to copy what neighboring states do, new research shows.
Long-term effect of war on healthcare costs
(Medical Xpress) -- In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that exposure to war and its effect on mental health are linked to a substantial increase in health care costs which remain high many years after the conflict.
Cambridge team first to grow smooth muscle cells from patient skin cells
A Cambridge University research team has for the first time discovered a method of generating different types of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) - the cells which make up the walls of blood vessels - using cells from patients' skin. This work could lead to new treatments and better screening for cardiovascular disease.
Elevated risk factors linked to major cardiovascular disease events across a lifetime
In one of the largest-ever analyses of lifetime risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD), researchers have found that middle-aged adults who have one or more elevated traditional risk factors for CVD, such as high blood pressure, have a substantially greater chance of having a major CVD event, such as heart attack or stroke, during their remaining lifetime than people with optimal levels of risk factors. This National Institutes of Health-supported study used health data from 257,384 people and was the first to look simultaneously at multiple risk factors for CVD across age, sex, race, and birth generation.
Study: Diabetes affects hearing loss, especially in women
Having diabetes may cause women to experience a greater degree of hearing loss as they age, especially if the metabolic disorder is not well controlled with medication, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
Prevalence of oral HPV infection higher among men than women
The overall prevalence of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is approximately 7 percent among men and women ages 14 to 69 years in the United States, while the prevalence among men is higher than among women, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Muscling in on multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease, causes periodic attacks of neurologic symptoms such as limb weakness and mobility defects. And while MS patients' walking abilities and muscle strength are examined on a regular basis, doctors have yet to determine when the lower limb muscles begin to deteriorate. That's important because with earlier identification of mobility problems, doctors would be able to implement early intervention programs that could make all the difference for those with MS.
Oral HPV infection, HPV-related cancers more common in men
Oral HPV infection is more common among men than women, explaining why men are more prone than women to develop an HPV related head and neck cancer, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Physician's weight may influence obesity diagnosis and care
A patient's body mass index (BMI) may not be the only factor at play when a physician diagnoses a patient as obese. According to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the diagnosis could also depend on the weight of your physician. Researchers examined the impact of physician BMI on obesity care and found that physicians with a normal BMI, as compared to overweight and obese physicians, were more likely to engage their obese patients in weight loss discussions (30 percent vs. 18 percent) and more likely to diagnose a patient as obese if they perceived the patient's BMI met or exceed their own (93 percent vs. 7 percent). The results are featured in the January issue of Obesity.
Mutated Kras spins a molecular loop that launches pancreatic cancer
Scientists have connected two signature characteristics of pancreatic cancer, identifying a self-perpetuating "vicious cycle" of molecular activity and a new potential target for drugs to treat one of the most lehal forms of cancer.
New disease hits Dutch, German livestock
A new livestock disease causing deformities at birth has been detected in at least five European countries, including the Netherlands and Germany, a Dutch agriculture ministry spokesman said Thursday.
What are friends for? Negating negativity
"Stand by me" is a common refrain when it comes to friendship but new research from Concordia University proves that the concept goes beyond pop music: keeping friends close has real physiological and psychological benefits.
New research sheds light on gene destruction linked to aggressive prostate cancer
Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada have identified a possible cause for the loss of a tumour suppressor gene (known as PTEN) that can lead to the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
New study shows caffeine consumption linked to estrogen changes
Asian women who consumed an average of 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day—the equivalent of roughly two cups of coffee—had elevated estrogen levels when compared to women who consumed less, according to a study of reproductive age women by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Tracking the birth of an evolutionary arms race between HIV-like viruses and primate genomes
Using a combination of evolutionary biology and virology, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have traced the birth of the ability of some HIV-related viruses to defeat a newly discovered cellular-defense system in primates.
Mutation drives viral sensors to initiate autoimmune disease
A new study uses a mouse model of a human autoimmune disease to reveal how abnormal regulation of the intracellular sensors that detect invading viruses can lead to autoimmune pathology. The research, published online on January 26th in the journal Immunity by Cell Press, provides key insight into mechanisms that underlie the development of autoimmune disease and may lead to more effective strategies for therapeutic intervention.
Gatekeeper signal controls skin inflammation
A new study unravels key signals that regulate protective and sometimes pathological inflammation of the skin. The research, published online on January 26th in the journal Immunity by Cell Press, identifies a "gatekeeper" that, when lost, can cause inflammatory skin disease in the absence of injury or infection. The findings may eventually lead to new treatment strategies for the more than 10% of people in the western world that suffer from inflammatory skin diseases.
In the brain, an earlier sign of autism
In their first year of life, babies who will go on to develop autism already show different brain responses when someone looks at or away from them. Although the researchers are careful to say that the study, reported online on January 26 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, is only a first step toward earlier diagnosis, the findings do suggest that direct brain measures might help to predict the future development of autism symptoms in infants as young as six months.
Exploring how a parent's education can affect the mental health of their offspring
Could depression in adulthood be tied to a parent's level of education? A new study led by Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, a medical sociologist from McGill University, suggests this is the case.
Are you a happy shopper? Research website helps you find out
Psychologists have found that buying life experiences makes people happier than buying possessions, but who spends more of their spare cash on experiences? New findings published this week in the Journal of Positive Psychology reveal extraverts and people who are open to new experiences tend to spend more of their disposable income on experiences, such as concert tickets or a weekend away, rather than hitting the mall for material items.
Fear dementia? Your diet, weight more important than genes, experts say
Anyone who has a close relative with Alzheimer's shares the same worry: Am I next? However, a growing body of research indicates that our lifestyles - particularly what we eat and whether we're obese - play a greater role than our genes in determining our brain health as we age.
New gene discovery provides clue to brain, eye and lymphatic development
Researchers have found a new gene that, when mutated, can lead to lymphoedema (swollen limbs) as part of a rare disorder that can also cause problems with eye and brain development. This is the fourth lymphoedema-related gene found by the same researchers in three years, and the first linked to the eyes and brain. They say it could lead to better diagnosis and treatment for lymphoedema, an area that has been poorly understood previously.
Study finds leukemia cells are 'bad to the bone'
University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have discovered new links between leukemia cells and cells involved in bone formation, offering a fresh perspective on how the blood cancer progresses and raising the possibility that therapies for bone disorders could help in the treatment of leukemia.
Multiple births lead to weight gain and other problems for mouse moms and male offspring
Women have long bemoaned the fact that as they have more children, their weight gain from pregnancy becomes more difficult to lose. A new study using a mouse model that mimics the human effects of multiparity (giving birth more than once) has found that mouse moms who gave birth four times accrued significantly more fat compared to primiparous females (those giving birth once) of similar age.
Newly engineered highly transmissible H5N1 strain ignites controversy
Scientists have engineered a new strain of H5N1 (commonly known as bird flu) to be readily transmitted between humans. Two perspectives being published early online in Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians, raise concerns about if and how this research should be continued, and how the data should be shared for the benefit of public health.
The ethics of brain boosting
(Medical Xpress) -- The idea of a simple, cheap and widely available device that could boost brain function sounds too good to be true.
Survey suggests family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual interests
A hallmark of the individual is the cultivation of personal interests, but for some people, their intellectual pursuits might actually be genetically predetermined. Survey results published by Princeton University researchers in the journal PLoS ONE suggest that a family history of psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression could influence the subjects a person finds engaging.
Researchers identify mechanism behind associative memory by exploring insect brains
A key feature of human and animal brains is that they are adaptive; they are able to change their structure and function based on input from the environment and on the potential associations, or consequences, of that input. For example, if a person puts his hand in a fire and gets burned, he learns to avoid flames; the simple sight of a flame has acquired a predictive value, which in this case, is repulsive. To learn more about such neural adaptability, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have explored the brains of insects and identified a mechanism by which the connections in their brain change to form new and specific memories of smells.
Scientists illuminate cancer cells' survival strategy
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has discovered key elements of a strategy commonly used by tumor cells to survive when they spread to distant organs. The finding could lead to drugs that could inhibit this metastasis in patients with tumors.
Evolved, mutated gene module linked to Joubert syndrome
A team led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports that newly discovered mutations in an evolved assembly of genes cause Joubert syndrome, a form of syndromic autism.
Biology news
Groups sue over Navy sonar use off Northwest
Conservationists and Native American tribes are suing over the Navy's expanded use of sonar in training exercises off the Washington, Oregon and California coasts, saying the noise can harass and kill whales and other marine life.
Tiger captured for first time using Northern India wildlife corridor
The New Year brought a new surprise for wildlife monitoring teams near Northern India’s Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, as a tiger was captured for the first time using one of the important wildlife corridors south of the famous park.
NOAA unveils improved way to estimate saltwater recreational fishing
NOAA today announced it has begun to use an improved method to estimate the amount of fish caught by saltwater anglers, which will allow rules that fishermen follow to be based on more accurate information.
Tiny crooners: Male house mice sing songs to impress the girls
Male house mice produce melodious songs to attract mates. Unfortunately for us, because the melodies are in the ultra-sonic range human ears cannot detect them. Through spectrographic analyses of the vocalizations of wild house mice, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have found that the songs of male mice contain signals of individuality and kinship. Their results appear in the journal Physiology & Behavior and in the Journal of Ethology.
Ecologists record and study deep-sea fish noises
University of Massachusetts Amherst fish biologists have published one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years, collected from the sea floor about 2,237 feet (682 meters) below the North Atlantic. With recording technology now more affordable, Rodney Rountree, Francis Juanes and colleagues are exploring the idea that many fish make sounds to communicate with each other, especially those that live in the perpetual dark of the deep ocean.
IRCM researchers fuel an important debate in the field of molecular biology
Dr. Francois Robert, molecular biology researcher at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), and his team confirmed that the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II, a key enzyme in the process of gene expression, is uniform across all genes. This discovery, which contributes to numerous debates on the topic within the scientific community, will be published tomorrow in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.
Winged predators seek certain trees when foraging for caterpillars
Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers at UC Irvine and Wesleyan University. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics of their wriggly prey.
Microbubbles provide new boost for biofuel production
The technique builds on previous research in which microbubbles were used to improve the way algae is cultivated.
'Worm speak' uses chemicals to communicate
(PhysOrg.com) -- A species of small, transparent roundworms have a highly evolved language in which they combine chemical fragments to create precise molecular messages that control social behavior, reports a new study from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) at Cornell and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Viruses con bacteria into working for them
MIT researchers have discovered that certain photosynthetic ocean bacteria should beware of viruses bearing gifts: These viruses are carrying genetic material taken from their previous bacterial hosts that tricks the new host into using its own machinery to activate the genes, a process never before documented in any virus-bacteria relationship.
Scientists reveal how females store sperm for decades
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered that all sorts of females – from birds to reptiles to insects – have a nifty trick to prolong the lifespan of sperm, letting them store it for weeks, months or even years on end.
Scientists map one of life's molecular mysteries
All living organisms are made up of cells, behind these intricate life forms lie complex cellular processes that allow our bodies to function. Researchers working on protein secretion — a fundamental process in biology — have revealed how protein channels in the membrane are activated by special signals contained in proteins destined for secretion. The results help explain the underlying mechanism responsible for the release of proteins such as hormones and antibodies into the blood stream.
Researchers discover critical rotational motion in cells
In a study that holds major implications for breast cancer research as well as basic cell biology, scientists with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have discovered a rotational motion that plays a critical role in the ability of breast cells to form the spherical structures in the mammary gland known as acini. This rotation, which the researchers call "CAMo," for coherent angular motion, is necessary for the cells to form spheres. Without CAMo, the cells do not form spheres, which can lead to random motion, loss of structure and malignancy.
Competition is at the root of diversity in rainforests: study
Another attractive theory falls foul of the facts. A census of trees in rainforests on three continents has confirmed that competition plays a central role in structuring communities. This contradicts the so-called neutral theory in ecology, which views random fluctuations as the decisive factor.
Overgrazed grasslands tied to locust outbreaks
While residents of the United States and much of Europe think of locust plagues as biblical references, locust swarms still have devastating effects on agriculture today, especially in developing countries in Asia and Africa.
Life beyond Earth? Underwater caves in Bahamas could give clues
Discoveries made in some underwater caves by Texas &M University at Galveston researchers in the Bahamas could provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth millions of years ago, and perhaps give hints of what types of marine life could be found on distant planets and moons.
Researchers show how new viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the current issue of Science, researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.
This email is a free service of PhysOrg.com
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://www.physorg.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment