Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for February 10, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- The power of estrogen -- male snakes attract other males- Humans may have helped the decline of African rainforests 3000 years ago
- New error-correcting codes guarantee the fastest possible rate of data transmission
- Experts reveal how plants don't get sunburn
- Fool's gold may prove an unlikely alternative to overexploited catalytic materials
- Curry spice component may help slow prostate tumor growth
- Both maternal and paternal age linked to autism
- New understanding of DNA repair could eventually lead to cancer therapy
- Hovering not hard if you're top-heavy, researchers find
- Grass to gas: Researchers' genome map speeds biofuel development
- Putting the squeeze on planets outside our solar system
- Complex wiring of the nervous system may rely on a just a handful of genes and proteins
- Japan scientist makes 'Avatar' robot
- Team isolates nerve cells involved in storing long term memory and gene proteins associated with them
- Protein libraries in a snap
Space & Earth news
Putin receives 'prehistoric' water from Antarctic lake
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was given a water sample Friday taken from a pristine lake hidden under Antarctic ice for over a million years, after Russian scientists drilled down to its surface.
Rockot to launch two Sentinel satellites
ESA and Eurockot today signed contracts for launching two ESA satellites: Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-3A will fly in 2013 on Rockot vehicles from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia for Europe’s GMES program. The contract signing by Matthias Oehm, Chief Executive Officer of Eurockot Launch Services GmbH, and Volker Liebig, Director of ESA’s Earth Observation Programs, took place at the historic Chamber of Commerce of Bremen, Germany.
Searching for planets in clouds of dust
(PhysOrg.com) -- A UA astronomy research team was awarded a $600,000 grant for technology development under NASA’s Explorer mission program. The mission would send a space telescope high above Earth's surface to watch how planets around other stars form and evolve.
Probing a link from Sahara dust to climate change
Qilong Min, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate and Professor with the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) at the University at Albany is developing innovative ways to measure how dust in the Sahara Desert can change clouds in the tropical Atlantic, the Caribbean region and Europe. This research will help scientists find better ways to estimate the impact dust has on climate change.
Sandy streets over the Atlantic
Thick dust from the Sahara blowing over the ocean off the western coast of Africa encounters the islands of Cape Verde, forming a wake of swirling “vortex streets” visible by satellite.
Domestic consumption main contributor to Africa's growing e-waste
West Africa faces a rising tide of e-waste generated by domestic consumption of new and used electrical and electronic equipment, according to a new United Nations report. Domestic consumption makes up the majority (up to 85 percent) of waste electronic and electrical equipment produced in the region, according to the study. The E-waste problem in West Africa is further exacerbated by an ongoing stream of used equipment from industrialized countries, significant volumes of which prove unsuitable for reuse.
NASA budget will axe Mars deal with Europe: scientists
US President Barack Obama's budget proposal to be submitted next week for 2013 will cut NASA's budget by 20 percent and eliminate a major partnership with Europe on Mars exploration, scientists said Thursday.
Streams need trees to withstand climate change
(PhysOrg.com) -- More than twenty years of biological monitoring have confirmed the importance of vegetation for protecting Australia's freshwater streams and rivers against the ravages of drought and climate change.
The turbulent birth of super star clusters in galaxy mergers
By combining two of the most advanced telescopes in the world -- the new Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of ESO -- a team of French astronomers from the Institut d'astrophysique spatiale (IAS- CNRS) led by graduate student Cinthya Herrera has for the first time traced the very first steps in the formation of young super-star clusters in a nearby galaxy merger, the “Antennae”. This analysis, now published as an Astronomy & Astrophysics letter, not only represents a novel avenue for studying the very early stages of star formation in external galaxies, it is also ALMA's first scientific result ever to be published. It gives a foretaste of how ALMA will revolutionize our views on star formation and galaxy growth.
What does a nebula sound like?
What do things sound like out in the cosmos? Of course, sound waves can’t travel through the vacuum of space; however, electromagnetic waves can. These electromagnetic waves can be recorded by devices called spectrographs on many of the world’s most powerful telescopes. Astronomer Paul Francis from the Australian National University has used some of these recordings and converted them into sound by reducing their frequency 1.75 trillion times to make them audible, as the original frequencies are too high to be heard by the human ear.
Two new moons for Jupiter
Advances in technology have lead to the discovery of new planets outside of our Solar System, and now even new moons in our own backyard.
Mars Science Laboratory computer issue resolved
(PhysOrg.com) -- Engineers have found the root cause of a computer reset that occurred two months ago on NASA's Mars Science Laboratory and have determined how to correct it.
Clam fields found at deep, low-temperature Mariana vents
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have marveled at the unusual life forms thriving at high temperature hydrothermal vents of the deep ocean.
Could Venus be shifting gear?
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has discovered that our cloud-covered neighbour spins a little slower than previously measured. Peering through the dense atmosphere in the infrared, the orbiter found surface features were not quite where they should be.
Humans may have helped the decline of African rainforests 3000 years ago
(PhysOrg.com) -- Large areas of rainforests in Central Africa mysteriously disappeared over three thousand years ago, to be replaced by savannas. The prevailing theory has been that the cause was a change in climate, and the deforestation then enabled humans to increase their agricultural activities. A new study suggests that climate change alone cannot fully explain the transition and that human activities might be implicated.
Technology news
Zynga partners with toy maker Hasbro
Old school toy maker Hasbro and online social game star Zynga on Thursday announced a partnership to mesh the Internet firm's hits with real-world products.
World's first 300mm-fab compatible directed self-assembly process line
At next week’s SPIE Advanced Lithography conference (San Jose, CA), imec announces the successful implementation of the world first 300mm fab-compatible Directed Self-Assembly (DSA) process line all-under-one-roof in imec’s 300mm cleanroom fab. The upgrade of an academic lab-scale DSA process flow to a fab-compatible flow was realized in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin, AZ Electronic Materials and Tokyo Electron Ltd. Imec’s DSA collaboration aims to address the critical hurdles to take DSA from the academic lab-scale environment into high-volume manufacturing.
Tailor-made search tools for the Web
For companies, customer feedback is a matter of strategic importance. Smart apps for the semantic analysis of user opinions from the Web help businesses keep an eye on feedback. Users benefit as well: with the "Eat and Drink" app, the user can quickly learn all about the special features of restaurants, cafes and bars.
Expat French get Internet vote for first time
French citizens will for the first time this year be able to vote in a parliamentary election over the Internet, an experiment that could be extended to other elections if successful.
"Twisted Metal" gamers get shot at real gunplay
Fans of "Twisted Metal" will get to welcome a long-awaited sequel of the car-battle videogame with a real-world bang by blasting an ice cream truck to bits with a machine gun.
US video game sales fall 34 percent in January
(AP) -- U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell 34 percent in January from a year earlier to $751 million due to the lack of new game titles, according to market researcher NPD Group.
Engineering images bring life to submerged city
(PhysOrg.com) -- Photo-realistic 3D mapping and digital reconstruction of an ancient underwater city in Greece have earned a team from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies top honours in Canon Australia's Extreme Imaging competition.
Netflix light on flicks as viewers soak up TV shows
Like most fresh faces that arrive in Hollywood, Netflix wanted to be a movie star. But now it's learning what many in Tinseltown have known for decades: Movies are sexy, but the real money is in television.
Zuckerberg's focus drives Facebook's ascent
When Mark Zuckerberg showed up to rent Judy Fusco's Los Altos, Calif., house in the fall of 2004, soon after he'd arrived in Silicon Valley, the landlord was immediately struck by his confidence.
Sony's Hirai refuses to abandon dire TV business
Struggling Japanese entertainment giant Sony will not abandon its cash-bleeding television business, its incoming CEO says, but he acknowledges tough decisions lie ahead including over redundancies.
Review: Netflix and Hulu's new scripted originals
Within just over a week, Netflix and Hulu are both debuting their first stabs at original scripted programming.
India probes Google over 'forex transactions'
Indian authorities are probing whether online giant Google broke domestic foreign-exchange transactions rules while shifting funds abroad, the Press Trust of India reported on Friday.
Germany freezes signing of disputed Internet pact
Germany on Friday halted the signing of a controversial international accord billed as a way to beat online piracy that has sparked angry protests, saying it needed more time to consider it.
Advanced power-grid model finds low-cost, low-carbon future in West
(PhysOrg.com) -- The least expensive way for the Western U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to help prevent the worst consequences of global warming is to replace coal with renewable and other sources of energy that may include nuclear power, according to a new study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers.
Small modular reactor design could be a 'SUPERSTAR'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Though most of today's nuclear reactors are cooled by water, we've long known that there are alternatives; in fact, the world's first nuclear-powered electricity in 1951 came from a reactor cooled by sodium. Reactors cooled by liquid metals such as sodium or lead have a unique set of abilities that may again make them significant players in the nuclear industry.
New power source discovered
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and RMIT University have made a breakthrough in energy storage and power generation.
CIA website offline, Anonymous takes credit
The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was unresponsive on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have knocked it offline.
New error-correcting codes guarantee the fastest possible rate of data transmission
Error-correcting codes are one of the triumphs of the digital age. They’re a way of encoding information so that it can be transmitted across a communication channel — such as an optical fiber or a wireless connection — with perfect fidelity, even in the presence of the corrupting influences known as “noise.”
Medicine & Health news
Current trend is to preserve pregnancy in patients diagnosed with cervical or ovarian cancer
The first paper in The Lancet Series on cancer in pregnancy explores the issues around gynaecological cancers, with cervical and ovarian being the most common. The current trend is to preserve pregnancy wherever possible. The first paper is by Professor Philippe Morice, Department of Gynecological Surgery, Institut Gustave Roussy, France, and colleagues.
Surgery and chemotherapy are possible for pregnant women with breast cancer
Breast cancer in pregnant women is as common as in non-pregnant women of the same age, with no evidence to suggest pregnancy increases the risk of such cancer. In the majority of cases, pregnant women can have their breast cancer treated with surgery or chemotherapy or both, and the aim in most cases should be a normal length pregnancy to avoid the harm to the unborn child that can be caused by premature birth. Termination of the pregnancy does not improve the outcome for the mother. The issues around this delicate subject are discussed in the second paper in The Lancet Series on cancer in pregnancy, written by Dr Frédéric Amant, Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Center, Leuven Cancer Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, and colleagues.
Complications of blood cancers make termination advisable at early stages of pregnancy
Lymphoma is the fourth most common cancer in pregnancy, affecting one in 6000 pregnancies. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute leukaemia, and other blood cancers, while also rare, can also occur in pregnancy. The need for urgent chemotherapy and the increased risk of blood clots during pregnancy, which is enhanced in blood cancers, mean that it is advisable to terminate a pregnancy if it is in its early stages to protect the health of the mother. However cancers discovered later in pregnancy can be treated. The issues around blood cancers in pregnancy are discussed in the third paper of The Lancet Series on pregnancy in cancer, written by Dr Benjamin Brenner, Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel, and colleagues.
Study finds that red blood cell transfusion decreases fatigue in women with acute postpartum anemia
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that in women with acute postpartum anemia, due to excessive blood loss during delivery, red blood cell transfusion led to a statistically significant decrease in physical fatigue. While excessive blood loss during delivery caused severe physical fatigue, the effect of red blood cell transfusion on this fatigue was small.
Study weighs risks and benefits of birthing facilities
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that the risk of obstetric intervention is lower for women who deliver or intend to deliver outside of hospitals, but there are some higher risks for newborns intended for home births compared to hospital births.
Study finds in women with prior cesarean, optimal gestational age for elective delivery is week 39
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that for women with prior delivery via cesarean section the optimal timing of elective delivery for mother and baby is 39 weeks even after consideration of the risk with continuing pregnancy.
4.5 million Americans living with total knee replacement
New research presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that more than 4.5 million Americans are living with a total knee replacement (TKR), as the number of TKR surgeries has more than doubled over the past decade, with the sharpest rise among younger patients. Osteoarthritis continues to be the primary reason for TKR.
Researchers show benefits of local anesthesia after knee replacement surgery
Researchers at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson have shown that local anesthesia delivered through a catheter in the joint, intraarticularly, may be more beneficial than traditional opioids such as morphine and Oxycontin for pain management following total knee replacement surgery.
Study finds massively parallel sequencing can detect fetal aneuploidies, including Down syndrome
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that massively parallel sequencing can be used to diagnose fetal aneuploidies, including Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, Patau syndrome and Turner syndrome.
Study finds preterm labor diagnostic markers not universal, diagnosis and interventions should not be generalized
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that preterm birth interventions should be tailored for underlying risk factors and pathways.
Clinical trial teaches binge eaters to toss away cravings
Of 190 million obese Americans, approximately 10-15 percent engage in harmful binge eating. During single sittings, these over-eaters consume large servings of high-caloric foods. Sufferers contend with weight gain and depression including heart disease and diabetes. A new clinical trial, called Regulation of Food Cues, at UC San Diego Health System, aims to treat binge eating by helping participants to identify real hunger and to practice resistance if the stomach is full.
Using economic evaluations for drug reimbursement decisions - what have we achieved?
Researchers at the University of York perform evaluations of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drugs for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Increasing healthy food options makes economic sense
If there is an obvious truth one can learn from perusing the various dining options on Lehigh’s sprawling Asa Packer campus—from the University Center and Rathbone Hall to the sorority and fraternity houses on “the Hill”—it is this: students have access to a broad spectrum of foods within a reasonable distance.
At the edge of a cliff, health care must evolve quickly
To reverse America’s unsustainable health-care costs, Congress must adopt more refined, nimble strategies and get tough in the face of those pushing to keep the status quo, according to Dr. Donald M. Berwick, a leader in the fight to improve medical care and wellness in the United States.
S.Africa in $208 mln AIDS drug venture with Swiss Lonza
South Africa on Friday unveiled plans for a 1.6 billion rand ($208 million, 157 million euro) pharmaceutical plant, in a joint venture with Swiss biochemicals group Lonza to produce anti-AIDS drugs.
Russia sounds alarm over spiralling teenage suicides
Top Russian psychiatrists on Friday called for urgent measures to battle the soaring teenage suicide rate, one of the world's highest.
Joint patent for using the BRCA1 gene as a therapy for cardiovascular disease
St. Michael's Hospital and King Saud University have received their first joint U.S. patent to use the BRCA1 gene as a therapy for cardiovascular disease.
Orthopaedic surgery report provides transparency on patient safety, quality initiatives
At NYU Langone Medical Center the focus on quality, patient safety and patient experience are not just broad stroke initiatives – but measureable, quantifiable and concrete. Patients and health care professionals can learn about this commitment to world-class care and operational transparency in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's recently published "2012 Quality and Outcomes Report," which is now available online as well as in hard copy at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting taking place this week in San Francisco.
From virginity to Viagra
Americans will spend more than $17 billion on Valentine's Day, but far less on programs like sex education for adolescents. The editors of the new book, Sex for Life, From Virginity to Viagra, How Sexuality Changes Throughout Our Lives, argue that not only do our public policies on sex education need to be reevaluated, our entire concept of human sexuality needs to be broadened.
Authors with financial conflicts reporting negative outcomes in major orthopaedic journals
In a new study presented today at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), researchers completed a systematic review of three major orthopaedic journals – the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American and British editions) and the Journal of Arthroplasty (JOA) – for all articles related to metal-on-metal total hip replacement between October 1999 and May 2011. As a conflict of interest can increase the potential for research bias and study outcomes, the AAOS and major orthopaedic journals require all presenters and authors to disclose potential professional conflicts.
Obama forges compromise birth control plan
US President Barack Obama Friday announced a compromise to defuse a row over access to birth control which prompted election-year Republican critics to claim he was waging a war on religion.
US issues guidelines to avoid heparin contamination
Four years after US drug-maker Baxter International's blood thinner heparin was contaminated in China, causing dozens of deaths, US regulators on Friday issued draft guidelines for safe production.
Q&A: Obama and the birth control controversy
(AP) -- What birth control debate? A half-century after the introduction of the pill, acceptance of birth control by American women is virtually universal.
A novel method for simultaneously measuring blood pressure and arterial stiffness
Arterial stiffness due to is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease but is very difficult to measure. It also can influence blood pressure readings since these rely on the time taken for arteries to return to normal volume and flow after compression. A new method for measuring arterial stiffness has been reported in BioMed Central's open access journal BioMedical Engineering OnLine. This simple, non-invasive, calculation is able to interpret standard oscillometric measurements to quantify both arterial stiffness and blood pressure simultaneously.
Cannabis use doubles chances of vehicle crash
Drivers who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are nearly twice as likely to cause a vehicle collision as those who are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol claims a paper published today in the British Medical Journal.
Study says children of women exposed to chemotherapy in pregnancy develop as well as other children
A study published Online First by The Lancet Oncology, and linked to The Lancet Series on cancer in pregnancy, shows that children of women exposed to chemotherapy while pregnant develop as well as children in the general population. The study is by Dr Frédéric Amant, Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Center, Leuven Cancer Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, and colleagues.
Metastatic breast cancer hitches a free ride from the immune system
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most lethal form of breast cancer . It spreads easily through the lymphatic and blood vessels, forming metastasis which can lead to multi-organ failure. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Cell Communication and Signaling demonstrates how IBC cells use IL-8, secreted as part of the anti-inflammatory response by a specific set of white blood cells (monocytes), to increase fibronectin expression.
Sleep breathing machine shows clear benefits in children with sleep apnea
Children and adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea had substantial improvements in attention, anxiety and quality of life after treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP)—a nighttime therapy in which a machine delivers a stream of air through a mask into the nose.
Neurologic improvement detected in rats receiving stem cell transplant
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report that early transplantation of human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricles of neonatal rats with birth-related brain damage is possible, and that the donor cells can survive and migrate in the recipient's brain. The study was designed to have the rat's brain damage mimic brain injury in infants with very low birth weight.
India's global pharmacy role threatened by EU pact
(AP) -- Efforts by India and the European Union to strengthen trade are threatening India's ability to deliver lifesaving medicines to the world's poorest, analysts say as the two sides push through protracted negotiations on a free-trade pact.
Breastfeeding protects against asthma up to six years of age
(Medical Xpress) -- Research by the University of Otago in Christchurch and Wellington has shown that breastfeeding of infants has a clear protective effect against children developing asthma or wheezing up to six years of age.
Study finds stress hormones fluctuate with mood during pregnancy
(Medical Xpress) -- While pregnant, women pay particular attention to factors such as diet and exercise to ensure their babies are born healthy and develop normally. New research from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine suggests another factor women should pay particular attention to while pregnant−their mood. The findings were published in this month’s issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology.
High school students test best with 7 hours' rest
(Medical Xpress) -- Whether or not you know any high school students that actually get nine hours of sleep each night, that’s what federal guidelines currently prescribe.
Study suggests girls can 'rewire' brains to ward off depression
(Medical Xpress) -- What if you could teach your brain to respond differently to things that make you feel sad, down or stressed out? What if doing that helped ward off depression?
UNC investigator issues call to action for schizophrenia research
(Medical Xpress) -- Much of medical research is aimed at figuring out what role a single gene or molecule plays in the development of disease.
What does love look like?
What does love look like? A dozen roses delivered on an ordinary weekday? Breakfast in bed? Or just a knowing glance between lovers?
Is that sleepiness during pregnancy normal or a sign of sleep apnea?
(Medical Xpress) -- Most pregnant women complain of being tired. Some of them however, could be suffering more than normal fatigue associated with their pregnancy; they may have developed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a periodic cessation of breathing during sleep. If left untreated, OSA poses a variety of health risks to these women, from diabetes to high blood pressure and stroke. Recent studies have also indicated that pregnant women with OSA are at risk for delivering low birthweight or preterm infants.
Numeracy: The educational gift that keeps on giving?
(Medical Xpress) -- Cancer risks. Investment alternatives. Calories. Numbers are everywhere in daily life, and they figure into all sorts of decisions. A new article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, examines how people who are numerate—that’s like literacy, but for numbers—understand numbers better and process information differently so that they ultimately make more informed decisions.
News of plaque-clearing drug tops week of major advances against Alzheimer's disease
In the last eight days, scientists have delivered a powerful one-two punch in the fight to defeat Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, the White House and members of Congress are proposing increases in Alzheimer's research funding. This has been a big week for all who seek to end this disease, says the CEO of the American Health Assistance Foundation.
Antidepressants and pregnancy: Women must consider the impact of drugs on baby, and of depression on baby, themselves
Upon learning they are pregnant, most women dutifully nix the alcohol, sushi and caffeine. But what about antidepressants?
To avoid early labor and delivery, weight and diet changes not the answer
One of the strongest known risk factors for spontaneous or unexpected preterm birth – any birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy, most often without a known cause – is already having had one. For women in this group who would like to avoid this scenario in their second pregnancy, focusing on weight gain and dietary changes may not be the best strategy. A new study reported at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting found no connection between weight gain and the risk of repeat preterm birth.
Arthritic knees, but not hips, have robust repair response
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center used new tools they developed to analyze knees and hips and discovered that osteoarthritic knee joints are in a constant state of repair, while hip joints are not.
Night, weekend delivery OK for babies with birth defects
Weekday delivery is no better than night or weekend delivery for infants with birth defects, according to a new study presented today at The Pregnancy Meeting, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual conference. The finding is good news for all parties – moms, babies and healthcare teams – and suggests that this high-risk population of women should deliver when their bodies are ready to deliver, regardless of the day or time.
Drug halts organ damage in inflammatory genetic disorder
A new study shows that Kineret (anakinra), a medication approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is effective in stopping the progression of organ damage in people with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID). This rare and debilitating genetic disorder causes persistent inflammation and ongoing tissue damage. The research was performed by scientists at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Cochlear implants may be safe, effective for organ transplant patients
Cochlear implants may be a safe, effective option for some organ transplant patients who've lost their hearing as an unfortunate consequence of their transplant-related drug regime, researchers report.
Researchers develop new method for creating tissue engineering scaffolds
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new method for creating scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, providing an alternative that is more flexible and less time-intensive than current technology.
Molecular profiling reveals differences between primary and recurrent ovarian cancers
There is a need to analyze tumor specimens at the time of ovarian cancer recurrence, according to a new study published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Researchers used a diagnostic technology called molecular profiling to examine the differences in the molecular characteristics of primary and recurrent ovarian tumors and found significant changes for some biomarkers. This is the first study that examined potential differences in a broad biomarker panel in patient-matched primary versus recurrent ovarian cancers and underscores the importance of analyzing the most current tumor tissue in order to make the most informed decisions about treatment for recurrence.
C-sections linked to breathing problems in preterm infants
Research conducted at Yale School of Medicine shows that a cesarean (C-section) delivery, which was thought to be harmless, is associated with breathing problems in preterm babies who are small for gestational age.
Health experts, scientists to discuss bird flu studies
The World Health Organization said Friday it will meet next week to determine whether scientists can publish research on a bird flu virus that may be easily passed among humans.
Human cognitive performance suffers following natural disasters, researchers find
Not surprisingly, victims of a natural disaster can experience stress and anxiety, but a new study indicates that it might also cause them to make more errors - some serious - in their daily lives. In their upcoming Human Factors article, "Earthquakes on the Mind: Implications of Disasters for Human Performance," researchers William S. Helton and James Head from the University of Canterbury explore how cognitive performance can decline after earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Seeing colors in music, tasting flavors in shapes may happen in life's early months
Famed violinist Itzhak Perlman sees a deep forest green whenever he plays a B-flat on his Stradivarius' G string. The A on the E string is red.
Team isolates nerve cells involved in storing long term memory and gene proteins associated with them
(Medical Xpress) -- A research team in Taiwan has succeeded in isolating two nerve cells in fruit fly brains that are believed to be the major players in allowing for the formation of long term memories. Furthermore, they’ve also found the genes that appear to be essential in creating related proteins that allow such memories to be saved. They have published a paper describing their work in Science.
Curry spice component may help slow prostate tumor growth
Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a study from researchers at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center suggests.
Both maternal and paternal age linked to autism
Older maternal and paternal age are jointly associated with having a child with autism, according to a recently published study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
New understanding of DNA repair could eventually lead to cancer therapy
A research group in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta is hoping its latest discovery could one day be used to develop new therapies that target certain types of cancers.
Complex wiring of the nervous system may rely on a just a handful of genes and proteins
Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a startling feature of early brain development that helps to explain how complex neuron wiring patterns are programmed using just a handful of critical genes. The findings, published February 3 in Cell, may help scientists develop new therapies for neurological disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and provide insight into certain cancers.
Biology news
An eye for the tsetse fly
(PhysOrg.com) -- Geoffrey M. Attardo was one of those little boys who made pets of the spiders outside his bedroom window, feeding them and watching as they spun intricate webs. Age has not diminished his fascination with the insect/arthropod world.
Cure of ADPKD by selection for spontaneous genetic repair events in Pkd1-mutated iPS cells
A research group including Kyoto University researchers demonstrates that mouse iPS cells, in which genetic correction occurs spontaneously through mitotic recombination, is selectable from the population of genetically mutated iPS cells in the mouse model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This technology could be applicable of genome editing in human iPS cells for curing patients with genetic disorders.
New drugs schedule makes horse racing a sure thing
What do Gai Waterhouse and Anthony Cummings have in common with Queen Elizabeth II?
Fighting crimes against biodiversity: How to catch a killer weed
Invasive species which have the potential to destroy biodiversity and influence global change could be tracked and controlled in the same way as wanted criminals, according to new research from Queen Mary, University of London.
Miami battling invasion of giant African snails
No one knows how they got there. But an invasion of African giant snails has southern Florida in a panic over potential crop damage, disease and general yuckiness surrounding the slimy gastropods.
Protein libraries in a snap
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Rice University undergraduate will depart with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular research.
Experts reveal how plants don't get sunburn
(PhysOrg.com) -- Experts at the University of Glasgow have discovered how plants survive the harmful rays of the sun.
Grass to gas: Researchers' genome map speeds biofuel development
Researchers at the University of Georgia have taken a major step in the ongoing effort to find sources of cleaner, renewable energy by mapping the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perennial grass with promise as a source of ethanol and bioenergy.
The power of estrogen -- male snakes attract other males
A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest snake in the neighborhood – attracting dozens of other males eager to mate.
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