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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for February 3, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Amazon fungi found that eat polyurethane, even without oxygen- New kind of high-temperature photonic crystal could someday power everything from smartphones to spacecraft
- Photovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap alternative to traditional solar cells
- Scientists chart high-precision map of Milky Way's magnetic fields
- New technology to tackle treatment-resistant cancers
- Renowned physicist invents microscope that can peer at living brain cells
- Gene related to fat preferences in humans found
- Global extinction: Gradual doom is just as bad as abrupt
- Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600 million year drought, say scientists
- Collective action: Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells' history
- A battle of the vampires, 20 million years ago?
- Japanese entrepreneurs aim for Silicon Valley
- Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging
- Hearing metaphors activates brain regions involved in sensory experience
- EU probes new Google privacy policy
Space & Earth news
Iran launches observation satellite: media
Iran on Friday launched an observation satellite into orbit above Earth, its third since 2009, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Radio stars: Caltech's astronomy professor searches for cosmic radio waves
Growing up in rural northwest Ireland, beyond the reach of city lights, Gregg Hallinan fell in love with the night sky. "When you didn't have bad weather, and you didn't have clouds, the skies were nothing short of spectacular," he says. "From a young age, I was obsessed with astronomy—it's all I cared for. My parents got me a telescope when I was seven or eight, and from then on, that was it."
VIIRS eastern hemisphere image: Behind the scenes
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Suomi NPP satellite is in a polar orbit around Earth at an altitude of 512 miles (about 824 kilometers), but the perspective of the new Eastern hemisphere 'Blue Marble' is from 7,918 miles (about 12,743 kilometers). NASA scientist Norman Kuring managed to 'step back' from Earth to get the big picture by combining data from six different orbits of the Suomi NPP satellite. Or putting it a different way, the satellite flew above this area of Earth six times over an eight hour time period. Norman took those six sets of data and combined them into one image.
New study provides insight into Southern Ocean food web
One of the most comprehensive studies of animals in the Southern Ocean reveals a region that is under threat from the effects of environmental change.
Image: Saturn and its moon Dione
(PhysOrg.com) -- Saturn and Dione appear askew in this Cassini spacecraft view, with the north poles rotated to the right, as if they were threaded along on the thin diagonal line of the planet's rings.
NASA says Russian space woes no worry
(AP) -- NASA says it is still confident with the quality of Russian manned rockets, despite an embarrassing series of glitches and failures in the Russian space program.
Feb 13 set as new date for Europe's Vega rocket
The European Space Agency (ESA) said on Friday that the first launch of a long-awaited light rocket, Vega, which had been pencilled for February 9, would take place on February 13.
Sediments from the Enol lake reveal more than 13,500 years of environmental history
A team of Spanish researchers have used different geological samples, extracted from the Enol lake in Asturias, to show that the Holocene, a period that started 11,600 years ago, did not have a climate as stable as was believed.
Deforestation threatens Brazil's wetland sanctuary
The Pantanal, a stunning biodiversity sanctuary in central-western Brazil, is threatened by intensive farming and deforestation, a leading environmental group warned as the world marked World Wetlands Day on Thursday.
Classic portrait of a barred spiral galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, which is found in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a similar barred spiral, and the study of galaxies such as NGC 1073 helps astronomers learn more about our celestial home.
Do black holes help stars form?
(PhysOrg.com) -- The center of just about every galaxy is thought to host a black hole, some with masses of thousands of millions of Suns and consequently strong gravitational pulls that disrupt material around them. They had been thought to hinder the birth of stars, but now an international team of astronomers studying the nearby galaxy Centaurus A has found quite the opposite: a black hole that seems to be helping stars to form. The team, led by Dr. Stanislav Shabala of the University of Tasmania, Dr. Mark Crockett of the University of Oxford, and Dr. Sugata Kaviraj of Imperial College, London, publish their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
NASA's Juno spacecraft refines its path to Jupiter
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft successfully refined its flight path Wednesday with the mission's first trajectory correction maneuver. The maneuver took place on Feb. 1. It is the first of a dozen planned rocket firings that, over the next five years, will keep Juno on course for its rendezvous with Jupiter.
Mission to land on a comet
Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft is en route to intercept a comet– and to make history. In 2014, Rosetta will enter orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenkoand land a probe on it, two firsts.
Coral growth in Western Australia found to be thriving in warmer water
(PhysOrg.com) -- As most people are well aware, global warming isn’t just about the atmosphere, it’s about rising ocean temperatures as well. And like increases in the atmosphere, scientists aren’t really clear on what impact such temperature increases will have on the oceans. One such impact most researchers thought was well understood was the bleaching of coral reefs. As ocean temperatures rise and become more acidic, coral reefs tend to slough off the algae that grows on them, causing them to slowly die. Now however, new research by a team from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, has found that coral reefs off the western shores of the Australian continent are not only not suffering from the increased temperature, but are apparently thriving, as the study they’ve published in Science describes, they have actually been growing faster in the past hundred years than prior to that time.
Global extinction: Gradual doom is just as bad as abrupt
A painstakingly detailed investigation shows that mass extinctions need not be sudden events. The deadliest mass extinction of all took a long time to kill 90 percent of Earth's marine life, and it killed in stages, according to a newly published report.
Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600 million year drought, say scientists
Mars may have been arid for more than 600 million years, making it too hostile for any life to survive on the planet's surface, according to researchers who have been carrying out the painstaking task of analysing individual particles of Martian soil. Dr Tom Pike, from Imperial College London, will discuss the team's analysis at a European Space Agency (ESA) meeting on February 7, 2012. The researchers have spent three years analysing data on Martian soil that was collected during the 2008 NASA Phoenix mission to Mars. Phoenix touched down in the northern arctic region of the planet to search for signs that it was habitable and to analyse ice and soil on the surface.
Scientists chart high-precision map of Milky Way's magnetic fields
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are part of an international team that has pooled their radio observations into a database, producing the highest precision map to date of the magnetic field within our own Milky Way galaxy.
Technology news
Megaupload boss' bail appeal 'rejected' in N.Z.
Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom on Friday failed to overturn a ruling that he remain behind bars in New Zealand while US officials seek his extradition for alleged copyright piracy, reports said.
Gamers on 3-D mission to save world, just don't tell them they are learning cell biology
After growing up on an entertainment diet of X-Men and Xbox, high school and college-age students may find a textbook on cell biology to be a little, well, bland.
Jointly utilizing LTE networks
Data-intensive Internet applications on smartphones, tablets and laptops are more popular than ever before. The result: Traffic on the mobile network is increasing at a blinding speed. Intelligent technologies are intended to increase the data rates on the new LTE network. The solution is to use the mobile networks jointly.
After IPO, Facebook will face new profit pressures
(AP) -- For all the huge numbers in Facebook's IPO papers, a surprisingly small figure stands out: $4.39, the amount the site generated per user last year.
Zuckerberg has iron grip on Facebook
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg will retain an iron grip over the social network even after it becomes a public company.
Pew study: Facebook users get more than they give
(AP) -- The goody-two-shoes among us say it's better to give than to receive. That's not true for the average Facebook user, though.
Facebook's popularity also brings lawsuits
As Facebook readies for Wall Street's richest high-tech debut, it is wrangling with litigation and bracing for potential new suits.
Japan's Panasonic set for $10.2 billion loss
Japan's Panasonic on Friday warned it would see its worst-ever net loss of 780 billion yen ($10.2 billion) for the year to March, blaming the strong yen, flooding in Thailand, and acquisition costs.
Google loses appeal in Taiwan over app refund
Taiwan said Friday it had rejected an appeal by Google against a fine imposed on the US Internet giant for refusing to grant customers a seven-day trial period on its mobile phone apps.
ASU, Berkeley researchers find cost to park is more than we think
(PhysOrg.com) -- There’s no such thing as a free lunch, according to the old adage. And there’s no such thing as free parking, either.
A 'natural' solution for transportation
As the United States transitions away from a primarily petroleum-based transportation industry, a number of different alternative fuel sources—ethanol, biodiesel, electricity and hydrogen—have each shown their own promise. Hoping to expand the pool even further, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have begun to investigate adding one more contender to the list of possible energy sources for light-duty cars and trucks: compressed natural gas (CNG).
Judder-free videos on the smartphone
Overloaded cellular networks can get annoying – especially when you want to watch a video on your smartphone. An optimised Radio Resource Manager will soon be able to help network operators accommodate heavy network traffic. Researchers will present their solution at the GSMA Mobile World Congress from 27 February to 1 March, 2012 in Barcelona.
Poland freezes anti-piracy pact ratification
Poland's prime minister said Friday that Warsaw would put on ice plans to ratify a controversial international online anti-piracy accord after massive off-and-online protests in his country.
TV executives crave viewers who watch 2 screens
Forget the small screen and the big screen. The hottest new thing in television is the "second screen" - the one on the tablet computer or cell phone that an increasing number of viewers keep an eye on while they're watching TV. And figuring out how to corral all those second-screeners and make money off them was the hottest topic at a recent convention of 5,000 television executives in Miami Beach.
Hackers deface website of lawyers for US Marine
Members of the hacker group Anonymous defaced the website on Friday of the law firm that defended a US Marine who faced charges in connection with the 2005 killing of 24 Iraqi civilians.
Hackers hit Greek ministry over austerity, anti-piracy deal
Online hackers group Anonymous on Friday attacked the Greek justice ministry website in criticism of the country's tough fiscal reforms and its decision to join a controversial anti-piracy deal.
Hackers intercept FBI, Scotland Yard call (Update)
(AP) -- Trading jokes and swapping leads, investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard spent the conference call strategizing about how to bring down the hacking collective known as Anonymous, responsible for a string of embarrassing attacks across the Internet.
EU probes new Google privacy policy
The European Union's data protection authorities have asked Google to delay the rollout of its new privacy policy until they have verified that it doesn't break the bloc's data protection laws.
Japanese entrepreneurs aim for Silicon Valley
For an emerging generation of Japanese innovators, the dream isn't a job for life at a big company. They have new ambitions, and they're determined to go places. Especially Silicon Valley.
Medicine & Health news
Maine girl bouncing back after 6-organ transplant
(AP) -- A 9-year-old Maine girl is home from a Boston hospital healthy, active and with high hopes - and a new stomach, liver, spleen, small intestine, pancreas, and part of an esophagus to replace the ones that were being choked by a huge tumor.
Namaste, travelers! SFO opens airport yoga room
(AP) -- Stressed out by flying?
New study to assess 3 simple, cost-effective strategies to promote healthy aging
In Europe, the number of seniors aged 70 and over will increase by 40% in the next 20 years, while those aged 80 and over will more than double. Health authorities and the medical community expect a corresponding increase in the number of people suffering costly and debilitating age-related chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, heart and lung diseases and dementia. The significant increase in the numbers of people suffering age-related chronic diseases is expected to have serious social and health-economic repercussions across Europe – unless effective prevention strategies are put in place.
Legionnaires' Disease kills three Britons in Spain
Three British tourists have died after catching Legionnaires' Disease in a Spanish seaside hotel, regional authorities said Friday, as they shut the hotel to stop the deadly bug spreading.
Study explores possible 'safe and effective' anti-cancer therapy
(Medical Xpress) -- New findings discovered by an international research team, which includes a professor from Western University, may lead to a safe and effective anti-cancer therapy. A report published online today in the journal Cell Reports, co-authored by Dr. Dean Betts of Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Dr. Lea Harrington of Montreal University's Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et en Cancérologie, provides important evidence that human cancer tumours rely on the maintenance of telomeres – or the protective ends of chromosomes – for growth only when the telomeres shrink in length.
Adversity can be a catalyst for positive change
Tragedy, natural disasters, terrorism, divorce; 75 per cent of us will experience some form of trauma in life. But the experience can be a catalyst for positive change.
Fighting heart disease in women
Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, but 80 percent of heart disease is preventable. Although the majority of heart attacks occur in the ten years after menopause, the disease process starts much earlier. If a woman can keep her risks for cardiac disease low before the age of 50, then there is a good chance she can avoid heart disease.
Making sense of addiction terminology
A new editorial released this week offers clarity and structure on confusing drug and alcohol addiction terminology for prescribers, users and regulators. "Through a glass darkly: can we improve clarity about mechanism and aims of medications in drug and alcohol treatments?" is published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the official journal of the British Association for Psychopharmacology, published by SAGE.
Dignity counts when caring for older people
Older people feel that their health problems pose a challenge to their sense of independence, dignity and identity and sometimes the health care they are given makes things worse.
Clopidogrel with aspirin doesn't prevent more small strokes, may increase risk of bleeding, death
The anti-blood clot regimen that adds the drug clopidogrel (Plavix) to aspirin treatment is unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase the risk of bleeding and death in patients with subcortical stroke according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
Pioneering research will assess the effects of obesity on bone development
Researchers from the University of Sheffield are conducting ground-breaking research to determine how body weight and hormones affect bone health from childhood to adulthood.
Warfarin and aspirin are similar in heart failure treatment
In the largest and longest head-to-head comparison of two anti-clotting medications, warfarin and aspirin were similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
World Cancer Day points to prevention
Health care organizations from around the globe will come together on Saturday, Feb. 4 to promote cancer prevention as part of this year's World Cancer Day.
Schooling protects fleeing children from disease
Refugee children have scant access to medical care and are particularly vulnerable to disease. Fresh research results from the University of Copenhagen show that just a few hours of schooling a week may have a pronounced positive impact on their health not only in childhood but later in life when they achieve adulthood.
Komen drops plans to cut Planned Parenthood grants
(AP) -- The Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity on Friday abandoned plans to eliminate grants to Planned Parenthood. The startling decision came after three days of virulent criticism that resounded across the Internet, jeopardizing Komen's iconic image.
Coughing and other respiratory symptoms improve within weeks of smoking cessation
If the proven long-term benefits of smoking cessation are not enough to motivate young adults to stop smoking, a new study shows that 18- to 24-year olds who stop smoking for at least two weeks report substantially fewer respiratory symptoms, especially coughing. The study findings are detailed in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology.
Regular use of vitamin and mineral supplements could reduce the risk of colon cancer: study
Could the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in a regular diet help to reduce the risk of colon cancer and protect against carcinogens? A study published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (CJPP) found that rats given regular multivitamin and mineral supplements showed a significantly lower risk of developing colon cancer when they were exposed to carcinogens.
Dieting with the denomination, determination
As a brand new year gets underway, people all over America are resolving to better manage their weight and have a more healthy 2012. According to a new study, those starting new weight loss programs may be surprised to find out that both location and level of experience may influence their success. A recent article published in The Journal of Black Psychology (a journal from the Association of Black Psychologists, published by SAGE) finds that African American women beginning a new group weight loss program are more successful if they are less experienced with weight management and if the program meets in a church.
Latest illnesses point to raw milk's popularity
(AP) -- An outbreak of bacterial infections on the East Coast illustrates the popularity of raw, unpasteurized milk despite strong warnings from public health officials about the potential danger.
Malaria kills twice as many as previously thought: study
New research published in this week's edition of The Lancet shows that malaria kills 1.2 million people worldwide each year: twice as many as previously thought. Furthermore, while many believe most malaria deaths occur in young children (under 5 years), the new study shows that close to half of all deaths (42%) occur in older children and adults. Encouragingly, the data clearly show malaria interventions scaled-up over the past decade are driving mortality down. The study is by Professor Christopher Murray, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, and colleagues, and was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Scientists demonstrate effective new 'biopsy in a blood test' to detect cancer
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Health, and collaborating cancer physicians have successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of an advanced blood test for detecting and analyzing circulating tumor cells (CTCs)—breakaway cells from patients' solid tumors—from cancer patients. The findings, reported in five new papers, show that the highly sensitive blood analysis provides information that may soon be comparable to that from some types of surgical biopsies.
Sexually transmitted infections double in older population in 10 years
Sexually active adults aged 45 and over are being encouraged to pay more thought to safe sex in line with recent figures showing that STIs in 50-90 year olds have doubled in the past ten years.
Breastfeeding and lung function at school age: Does maternal asthma modify the effect?
Breastfeeding is associated with improved lung function at school age, particularly in children of asthmatic mothers, according to a new study from researchers in Switzerland and the UK.
How to tell apart the forgetful from those at risk of Alzheimer's disease
It can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could begin treatment as early as possible. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Geriatrics shows that specific questions, included as part of a questionnaire designed to help diagnose AD, are also able to discriminate between normal memory loss and aMCI.
Diet high in processed meat linked to increased diabetes risk in populations with high diabetes rate
(Medical Xpress) -- Diabetes risk is increased in men and women who eat a diet that is high in processed meats, according to a study published online this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Processed meats include hot dogs, lunch meat, sausages and canned meats.
Targeting tumors may help stop spread of breast, other cancers
(Medical Xpress) -- Cancer that has spread from the site of an original tumor to other places in the body is often viewed as a death sentence. But if there are just a few of those secondary tumors, called metastases, some patients have a good chance of survival if treated with a type of radiation that precisely targets small tumors, researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Rochester report online and in an upcoming print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
We are getting fatter, whichever way we turn
We are getting fatter - no matter which way we look at it, a Deakin University analysis of two popular obesity testing methods has found.
New technique successfully dissolves blood clots in the brain and lowers risk of brain damage after stroke
(Medical Xpress) -- Johns Hopkins neurologists report success with a new means of getting rid of potentially lethal blood clots in the brain safely without cutting through easily damaged brain tissue or removing large pieces of skull. The minimally invasive treatment, they report, increased the number of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who could function independently by 10 to 15 percent six months following the procedure.
Fall monitoring device could end standoffs, keep seniors safer
(Medical Xpress) -- It’s a scenario played out all too frequently: Adult children, worried about the safety of their aging parents, foist devices on them to monitor their safety. And their parents, resentful of having their privacy invaded and losing their independence, resist fiercely.
What patients talk about when they talk about doctors
(Medical Xpress) -- An analysis of hundreds of reviews posted to physician-rating sites on the Internet revealed that patients generally give their doctors favorable reviews in this forum. If they complain, it is generally about the experience of going to the doctor—finding parking, long waits in the office, and unfriendly office staff.
Kids heading for diabetes could change their future
(Medical Xpress) -- New research suggests exercise early in life could fend off diabetes and heart disease, even for those predisposed to such diseases.
'Gatekeeper' protein helps immune cells to sound a warning after encountering signs of tumor growth or infection
When the body’s own cells turn into ticking time bombs, as in cases of viral infection or cancerous transformation, a mechanism known as ‘cross-presentation’ enables the immune system’s dendritic cells (DCs) to sound the alarm.
Climate-change effects on malaria risk
A new study suggests that climate change, driven by greenhouse-gas emissions and land-use changes, will cause patterns of malaria infection to change over the next 50 years.
Decoding keys to a healthy life
For 74 years, one of the longest-running studies of normal adult development has been examining not disease and illness, but what may be life’s magic question: How can you live long and happy?
Researcher says six factors can help you lead a longer, better life
(Medical Xpress) -- Spanish explorer Ponce de León searched for the "Fountain of Youth" in hopes of finding eternal life. And while Peter Martin, director of Iowa State University's gerontology program, hasn't found the mythical fountain, he and his research team have determined behavioral factors that may increase longevity.
Depression link to heart disease not affected by medication
People with major depression and anxiety are 75% more likely to have a heart rate condition linked to cardiovascular disease – regardless of whether they are taking antidepressants, new research shows.
Lifestyle changes can help prevent 30% of cancers: WHO
More than 30 percent of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes, the World Health Organization said Friday, on the eve of World Cancer Day.
Lower levels of sunlight link to allergy and eczema
Increased exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of both food allergies and eczema in children, according to a new scientific study published this week.
Soy isoflavone supplements did not provide breast cancer protections
Soy isoflavone supplements did not decrease breast cancer cell proliferation in a randomized clinical trial, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
New device performs better than old for removing blood clots
An experimental blood clot-removing device outperformed the FDA-approved MERCI; retriever device, according to late-breaking science presented at the American Stroke Association's 2012 International Stroke Conference.
New drug doesn't improve disability among stroke patients
A new drug that showed promise in animal studies and an early clinical trial didn't improve disability among stroke patients, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
US recommends routine HPV vaccination for boys
US health authorities on Friday urged all boys age 11-12 to get a routine vaccination against the most common sexually transmitted disease, human papillomavirus, or HPV.
Rare mutations may help explain aneurysm in high-risk families
An innovative approach to genome screening has provided clues about rare mutations that may make people susceptible to brain aneurysms, predisposing them to brain bleeds, according to preliminary late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
In sub-Saharan Africa, a shorter walk to water saves lives
In the fight against child mortality in the developing world, simple things make a big difference. A new study by Stanford researchers recently published online by the journal Environmental Science and Technology shows that decreasing the amount of time families must walk to obtain clean water can help save the lives of young children.
Why two new studies represent important breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease research
Two different research groups have independently made the same important discoveries on how Alzheimer's disease spreads in the brain. The groups' findings have the potential to give us a much more sophisticated understanding of what goes wrong in Alzheimer's disease and, more importantly, what can be done to prevent or repair damage in the brain.
New procedure repairs severed nerves in minutes, restoring limb use in days or weeks
American scientists believe a new procedure to repair severed nerves could result in patients recovering in days or weeks, rather than months or years. The team used a cellular mechanism similar to that used by many invertebrates to repair damage to nerve axons. Their results are published today in the Journal of Neuroscience Research.
A new study shows how to boost the power of pain relief, without drugs
(Medical Xpress) -- Placebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction—say, doing a puzzle—relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That’s the part of the brain that controls high-level cognitive functions like working memory and attention—which is what you use to do that distracting puzzle.
New technology to tackle treatment-resistant cancers
Free-flowing cancer cells have been mapped with unprecedented accuracy in the bloodstream of patients with prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer, using a brand new approach, in an attempt to assess and control the disease as it spreads in real time through the body, and solve the problem of predicting response and resistance to therapies.
Gene related to fat preferences in humans found
A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene.
Hearing metaphors activates brain regions involved in sensory experience
When a friend tells you she had a rough day, do you feel sandpaper under your fingers? The brain may be replaying sensory experiences to help understand common metaphors, new research suggests.
Whole exome sequencing identifies cause of metabolic disease
Sequencing a patient's entire genome to discover the source of his or her disease is not routine – yet. But geneticists are getting close.
Biology news
A novel hypothesis for beetle diversification -- Loss of flight promotes beetle diversification
Professor Teiji Sota, Department of Zoology at Kyoto University, and his group demonstrated that loss of flight has been the major driving force for beetle diversification. This finding has been published in Nature Communications on January 31, 2012.
Roundworm research reviewed in Science publication
There are 16,000 types of parasitic roundworms causing illnesses in humans and animals. Controlling their effects on health becomes more difficult as the medicines used to treat them become less effective. A University of Georgia nematode expert offers one perspective on new research suggesting genetic changes in the worm cause them to resist conventional drugs.
UCI biologists turn up the heat on bacteria, discover mutation pattern
UCI biologists who spent a year growing 115 populations into 2,000 generations of E. coli at high heat discovered that the bacteria quickly adapted at the genetic level in two markedly different ways. The findings appear in the current issue of the journal Science.
Flower power: How to get ahead in advertising
Some plants go to extraordinary lengths to attract pollinators. A unique collaboration between plant scientists and physicists is revealing the full extent of botanical advertising.
Big trees boost city life
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research from The Australian National University has revealed for the first time the role large trees play in sustaining biodiversity and bird life in urban environments.
Study of feeding behaviors points to challenges for native fish
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study detailing the feeding behaviors of four species of fish found in the Colorado River and its tributaries uncovered a few surprises and opened new insights to the challenges faced by native fish species in the Southwest.
Making the worms turn
To biophysicist Aravinthan Samuel, the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans provides a pathway to understanding the brain and nervous system, first of the worm, then of higher animals, and even, perhaps, of humans.
Parasites or not? Transposable elements in fruit flies
The problem of parasitism occurs at all levels right down to the DNA scale. Genomes may contain up to 80 percent "foreign" DNA but details of the mechanisms by which this enters the host genome and how hosts attempt to combat its spread are still the subject of conjecture. Important new information comes from the group of Christian Schlotterer at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. The findings are published in the prestigious journal PLoS Genetics.
A battle of the vampires, 20 million years ago?
(PhysOrg.com) -- They are tiny, ugly, disease-carrying little blood-suckers that most people have never seen or heard of, but a new discovery in a one-of-a-kind fossil shows that “bat flies” have been doing their noxious business with bats for at least 20 million years.
Scientists snare 'superprawn' off New Zealand
Scientists have captured a "supergiant" crustacean in waters seven kilometres (4.5 miles) deep off New Zealand, measuring 10 times the normal size of related species.
Dry conditions spurred advanced photosynthesis
The need to conserve water played a vital role in driving plants to evolve a specialised form of photosynthesis, scientists have shown.
Genetic information migrates from plant to plant
Plant scientists were confounded by the fact that the DNA extracted from the plants’ green chloroplasts sometimes showed the greatest similarities when related species grew in the same area. They tried to explain this phenomenon, for which they coined the term “chloroplast capture” with the assumption that every once in a while those normally sexually incompatible species crossed and produced offspring with a new combination of nuclear and chloroplast genomes.
Collective action: Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells' history
If you wanted to draw your family tree, you could start by searching for people who share your surname. Cells, of course, don't have surnames, but scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found that genetic switches called enhancers, and the molecules that activate those switches – transcription factors – can be used in a similar way, as clues to a cell's developmental history. The study, published today in Cell, also unveils a new model for how enhancers function.
Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging
One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain.
Amazon fungi found that eat polyurethane, even without oxygen
(PhysOrg.com) -- Until now polyurethane has been considered non-biodegradable, but a group of students from Yale University in the US has found fungi that will not only eat and digest it, they will do so even in the absence of oxygen.
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