Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for February 6, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Electrons in concert: A simple probe for collective motion in ultracold plasmas- Fossil cricket: Jurassic love song reconstructed
- Harnessing plasmonics, engineers weld nanowires with light
- Nicira promises virtual networks will transform networking
- Study of diving beetles suggest sperm evolution may be driven by changes in female reproductive organs
- New insight from whole-genome sequencing of Europe's 2011 E. coli outbreaks
- Discovery predicts patient sensitivity to important drug target in deadly brain cancer
- Exercise triggers stem cells in muscle
- Researchers examine consequences of non-intervention for infectious disease in African great apes
- Bigger US role against companies' cyberthreats?
- Copper + love chemical = big sulfur stink
- Study identifies new prostate cancer drug target
- Tasting fructose with the pancreas
- Why bad immunity genes survive: Study implicates arms race between genes and germs
- Researchers find clues to common birth defect in gene expression data
Space & Earth news
Climate risk of toxic shock
The effects of climate change could expose Australians to greater risks from toxic contamination, a leading scientist has warned.
China bans airlines from paying EU carbon charges
China said Monday it has banned its airlines from complying with an EU scheme to impose charges on carbon emissions opposed by more than two dozen countries including India, Russia and the United States.
Toward a global microwave standard
Much of what is known about decadal climate change – and much of what appears on the evening weather forecast as well – comes from satellite-based remote sensing of microwave radiation at different levels in the Earth's atmosphere. Microwave measurements are generally reported as the apparent temperature of the object being monitored. Yet, at present, there is no accepted brightness-temperature (radiance) standard for microwaves that can be used for authoritative calibration of microwave sensors, for resolving discrepancies between readings from different satellites, or for comparing one program's results with another's.
Asteroid Vesta floats in space in high resolution 3-D
The giant Asteroid Vesta literally floats in space in a new high resolution 3-D image of the battered bodies Eastern Hemisphere taken by NASA’s Dawn Asteroid Orbiter.
New methodology assesses risk of scarce metals
Yale researchers have developed a methodology for governments and corporations to determine the availability of critical metals, according to a paper in Environmental Science & Technology.
Political leaders play key role in how worried Americans are by climate change: study
More than extreme weather events and the work of scientists, it is national political leaders who influence how much Americans worry about the threat of climate change, new research finds.
Scientists cautious over Russia's Antarctic lake drilling
Experts on Monday raised questions over the scientific benefit and environmental impact of Russia's feat in drilling into a virgin lake under Antarctica's icesheet.
More environmental rules needed for shale gas, says Stanford geophysicist
In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama praised the potential of the country's tremendous supply of natural gas buried in shale. He echoed the recommendations for safe extraction made by an advisory panel that included Stanford University geophysicist Mark Zoback. The panel made 20 recommendations for regulatory reform, some of which go well beyond what the president mentioned in his address.
NASA satellite sees cyclone Jasmine heading for Vanuatu, New Caledonia
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over strengthening Tropical Storm Jasmine and noticed bands of thunderstorms wrapping into its center as it heads toward Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
NASA watches a Gulf Weather system for unusual subtropical development
Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico doesn't begin until June 1, 2012, but a low pressure area in the Gulf called System 90L, is being watched on February 5 and 6 for possible development into sub-tropical depression although the chances are now slim to none. Data from the GOES-13 satellite was created into an image at NASA, and it showed System 90L raining on south Florida today.
NASA's Aqua satellite sees small new tropical storm near Tonga
Tropical Storm 11P has formed in the South Pacific Ocean, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of its cloud temperatures, revealing power in the cyclone.
The hills are evolving: New model predicts speed of spreading valleys
From high above the Florida Panhandle, the Apalachicola Bluffs -- a winding system of steep ravines -- look like the branching veins of a leaf.
Mars Express reveals wind-blown deposits on Mars
(PhysOrg.com) -- New images from ESA’s Mars Express show the Syrtis Major region on Mars. Once thought to be a sea of water, the region is now known to be a volcanic province dating back billions of years.
Russia 'drills into' Antarctic subglacial lake
A Russian team has succeeded in drilling through four kilometres (2.5 miles) of ice to the surface of a mythical subglacial Antarctic lake which could hold as yet unknown life forms, reports said Monday.
High planetary tilt lowers odds for life?
Highly-tilted worlds would have extreme seasons, subjecting life to alternating periods of scorching and subzero temperatures. This could make the development of all but hardiest, simplest creatures a long shot.
ESO team succeeds in linking telescopes at Paranal Observatory into giant VLT
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers working as part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) at the Cerra Paranal Mountain Observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile, have succeeded in virtually connecting all four main Unit Telescopes (UTs) at the site, completing a project ten years in the making. Connecting the telescopes together virtually allows for the creation of a single virtual mirror that allows researchers to capture images from space as if all of the telescopes were in fact one giant telescope with a mirror 130m in diameter. Combined, the telescopes are known as the Very Large Telescope (VLT).
UNH ocean scientists shed new light on Mariana Trench
An ocean mapping expedition has shed new light on deepest place on Earth, the 2,500-kilometer long Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean near Guam. Using a multibeam echo sounder, state-of-the-art equipment for mapping the ocean floor, scientists from the University of New Hampshire Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center found four "bridges" spanning the trench and measured its deepest point with greater precision than ever before.
Researchers uncover a mechanism to explain dune field patterns
In a study of the harsh but beautiful White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, University of Pennsylvania researchers have uncovered a unifying mechanism to explain dune patterns. The new work represents a contribution to basic science, but the findings may also hold implications for identifying when dune landscapes like those in Nebraska's Sand Hills may reach a "tipping point" under climate change, going from valuable grazing land to barren desert.
Technology news
Outrage over Steve Jobs angel in Taiwan ad
A Taiwanese television commercial featuring a Steve Jobs look-alike angel complete with white wings and a halo has caused uproar, with critics saying it is disrespectful towards Apple's late founder.
Toshiba announces family of ultra-efficient, high-speed, low voltage MOSFETs
Toshiba today announced a new family of ultra-high-efficiency, high-speed MOSFETs that deliver significant improvements in trade-off characteristics between low on resistance (RDS(ON)) and low input capacitance (Ciss). The new trench MOSFET series will have voltage ratings from 60V to 120V and will allow designers to reduce the size and improve the efficiency and performance of secondary synchronous rectification in switch mode power supplies.
PML's Pernstich develops open-source software to automate test equipment
A free, easily customizable software program for automating test equipment via GPIB or RS232 bus may sound too good to be true, especially for smaller companies, graduate students, and hobbyists or for day-to-day laboratory work. But that's exactly what Kurt Pernstich of the PML's Semiconductor and Dimensional Metrology Division has created.
Google Doodle celebrates Francois Truffaut
Google Doodle, which highlights anniversaries on the Google search engine, Monday showcased Francois Truffaut, the late French "new wave" film-maker who would have turned 80 on Monday.
Czech Republic, Slovakia freeze anti-piracy pact
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said Monday his country would freeze plans to ratify a controversial international online anti-piracy accord after mounting off-and-online protests.
Record 10,000 tweets per second at Super Bowl
Twitter said users were firing off a record 10,000 tweets per second in the final three minutes of the Super Bowl.
Augmented reality promises astronauts instant medical knowhow
A new augmented reality unit developed by ESA can provide just-in-time medical expertise to astronauts. All they need to do is put on a head-mounted display for 3D guidance in diagnosing problems or even performing surgery.
Verizon to set up streaming service with Redbox
Challenging Netflix, phone company Verizon Communications Inc. says it will start a video streaming service later this year in cooperation with Redbox and its DVD rental kiosks.
Playing RFID tag with sheets of paper
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are an essential component of modern shopping, logistics, warehouse, and stock control for toll roads, casino chips and much more. They provide a simple way to track the item to which the tag is attached. Now, researchers in France have developed a way to deposit a thin aluminum RFID tag on to paper that not only reduces the amount of metal needed for the tag, and so the cost, but could open up RFID tagging to many more systems, even allowing a single printed sheet or flyer to be tagged.
3Qs: Figuring out Facebook's financials
Following much anticipation, Facebook filed for an initial public offering (IPO) after U.S. markets closed on Wednesday. Reports have speculated that the social media giant’s offering — pending approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — could top rival Google Inc.’s 2004 IPO, which holds the record for the largest U.S. Internet IPO, raising $1.9 billion at a valuation of $23 billion. Northeastern University news office asked David Sherman, professor of accounting in the College of Business Administration, to analyze Facebook’s IPO prospectus and explain what it reveals.
Verizon-Redbox deal adds to online video choices
(AP) -- A new Internet streaming venture built around Redbox's DVD-rental kiosks adds to a crowded field of online video-viewing services dominated by Netflix.
Taiwan's HTC expects 30 percent sales plunge in 1Q
Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC forecast Monday that its revenue in the three months to March may plunge 30 percent from a year ago, as competitors Apple and Samsung take their grip on the market.
Google, Facebook remove content on India's order
Google India has removed web pages deemed offensive to Indian political and religious leaders to comply with a court case that has raised censorship fears in the world's largest democracy, media reported Monday.
Italian professor launches challenge to Google
An Italian computer science professor whose research helped inspire Google launched a new search engine and social media network on Monday that he hopes will challenge the US technology giant.
Solvay hails world's largest fuel cell of type in Flanders, one can power 1,400 homes
Chemicals giant Solvay hailed Monday the successful entry into service in Flanders of what it said was the largest fuel cell of its type in the world.
Bigger US role against companies' cyberthreats?
(AP) -- A developing Senate plan that would bolster the government's ability to regulate the computer security of companies that run critical industries is drawing strong opposition from businesses that say it goes too far and security experts who believe it should have even more teeth.
After Megaupload closure, BTJunkie shuts down
BTJunkie, a popular file-sharing indexing site, said Monday it was voluntarily shutting down, less than three weeks after the US closure of Megaupload in a crackdown on piracy of music, films and other materials.
iPhone leaps to third place in mobile market
An outbreak of iPhone fever made Apple the third hottest mobile phone maker worldwide at the end of 2011, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Navy to begin tests on electromagnetic railgun prototype launcher
The Office of Naval Research (ONR)'s Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun program will take an important step forward in the coming weeks when the first industry railgun prototype launcher is tested at a facility in Dahlgren, Va., officials said Feb. 6.
Nicira promises virtual networks will transform networking
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the past four years, founders of the start-up company Nicira have been developing cutting-edge software that they predict will transform the networking technology underlying the Internet. Today Nicira has debuted the software, called the Network Virtualization Platform (NVP). As its name implies, the NVP software acts as a virtual network by simulating the routers, switches, and other physical hardware used in data center networks. Yet the virtual network is completely independent of the physical network hardware. This software-defined networking means that operators can reconfigure any piece of a network programmatically rather than having to manually reconfigure the physical hardware.
Medicine & Health news
Do patients pay when they leave against medical advice?
(Medical Xpress) -- There are ways in which patients who leave the hospital against medical advice wind up paying for that decision. Being saddled with the full cost of their hospital stay, however, is not one of them.
Research shows decline in subarachnoid hemorrhage fatality rates
(Medical Xpress) -- The fatality rate from subarachnoid hemorrhage in a five-county area of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky has declined significantly since 1988, research conducted at the University of Cincinnati (UC) shows.
Dark chocolate and red wine are the heart-healthy food, drink of love
Forget the oysters and the champagne this Valentine’s Day. If you want to keep your true love’s heart beating strong, dark chocolate and red wine are the food and drink of love, said Susan Ofria, clinical nutrition manager at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
Women born to older mothers have a higher risk of developing breast cancer
A new study analyses the influence that certain birth and infancy characteristics have on mammographic density – an important indicator of breast cancer risk. The results reveal that women born to mothers aged over 39 years and women who were taller and thinner than the average girl prior to puberty have a higher breast density. This brings with it an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Combined asthma medication therapy shown to reduce attacks
A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that using two types of common asthma medications in combination reduces severe asthma attacks.
Geometry, not gender: New study may shed light on why women, and some men, are at greater risk for ACL injuries
Much orthopaedic research has been devoted to determining why women are far more susceptible to knee ligament injuries than men. According to a new study, the answer may lie in geometry – the length and shape of a patient's knee bone – more than gender.
New database aims to improve emergency general surgery care and outcomes
Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, have successfully created and implemented an emergency general surgery registry (EGSR) that will advance the science of acute surgical care by allowing surgeons to track and improve surgical patient outcomes, create performance metrics, conduct valid research and ensure quality care for all emergency general surgery (EGS) patients. The registry, featured in a study published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, was modeled after the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) and components of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). It is the first registry of its kind to establish ICD-9 codes (International Classification of Diseases) that help to define and evaluate EGS patients.
Donation opens new opportunities for more effective diabetes treatment
The Swedish medical university, Karolinska Institutet, has received a grant of 1.6 million Euro from the Stichting af Jochnick Foundation for research into the fundamental causes of diabetes. The grant will make it possible to use unique methods to study how the release of insulin is regulated in living organisms – and this will create new opportunities for developing more effective drugs against diabetes.
HIV-infected youth, psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes
A study of children and adolescents who had been infected perinatally (around the time of their birth) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suggests little evidence of an association between specific antiretroviral therapy and the severity of psychiatric disorders, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Spinning sessions trigger the same biochemical indications as heart attacks
A short spinning session can trigger the same biochemical indications as a heart attack – a reaction that is probably both natural and harmless, but should be borne in mind when people seek emergency treatment for chest pain, reveals a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Increased clumsiness in former welders
Welders who are exposed to manganese from welding fumes, risk developing increased clumsiness – and the result may remain decades after exposure has ceased. This is the finding of a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, of former shipyard workers.
Combined oral contraceptive pill helps painful periods
A large Scandinavian study, that has been running for 30 years, has finally provided convincing evidence that the combined oral contraceptive pill does, indeed, alleviate the symptoms of painful menstrual periods reports scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
PET techniques provide more accurate diagnosis, prognosis in challenging breast cancer cases
In two new studies featured in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, researchers are revealing how molecular imaging can be used to solve mysteries about difficult cases of breast cancer. One article focuses on an imaging agent that targets estrogen receptors in estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer patients with formerly inconclusive assessments, and the second highlights a different imaging agent's ability to help predict the prognosis for patients undergoing chemotherapy for a very aggressive type of breast cancer.
Traumatic to be on a ventilator treatment while conscious
More and more people being cared for on ventilators are conscious during the treatment, but what is it like to be fully conscious without being able to communicate with the world around you? A thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has lifted the lid on a world of panic, breathlessness and unheard pain.
Optimism and humour can help to combat dental fear
Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have investigated the strategies used by people who suffer from dental fear to cope with dental treatment. Some of the most important factors in managing stress during a visit to the dentist include optimism on the part of the patient and an atmosphere of humour in the interaction with the dental staff.
ACP recommends metformin to treat type 2 diabetes based on CE analysis of oral medications
The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends that clinicians add metformin as the initial drug treatment for most patients with type 2 diabetes when lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, and weight loss have failed to adequately improve high blood sugar.
Straight from the gut: Microbes can cause obesity
(Medical Xpress) -- Obesity and chronic liver disease can be triggered by a family of proteins that alter populations of microbes in the stomach, a discovery that suggests the condition may be infectious, Yale scientists report. The study, in the advance online publication of Nature, expands on earlier Yale research that showed how similar microbial imbalances caused by the same family of proteins increases the risk of intestinal diseases such as colitis.
New virtual tool may provide more accurate diagnosis of genetic mutations
DNA sequencing to detect genetic mutations can aid in the diagnosis and selection of treatment for cancer. Current methods of testing DNA samples, Sanger sequencing and pyrosequencing, occasionally produce complex results that can be difficult or impossible to interpret. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a free software program, Pyromaker, that can more accurately identify such complex genetic mutations.
Children hospitalized at alarming rate due to abuse
In one year alone, over 4,500 children in the United States were hospitalized due to child abuse, and 300 of them died of their injuries, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study. The findings are published in the March 2012 issue of Pediatrics (published online Feb. 6).
Positive parenting during early childhood may prevent obesity
Programs that support parents during their child's early years hold promise for obesity prevention, according to a new study in the online February 6 issue of Pediatrics.
Too many kids breathe others' smoke in cars: CDC
Texting while driving, speeding and back-seat hanky-panky aren't all that parents need to worry about when their kids are in cars: Add secondhand smoke to the list.
UGA discovery uses 'fracture putty' to repair broken bone in days
Broken bones in humans and animals are painful and often take months to heal. Studies conducted in part by University of Georgia Regenerative Bioscience Center researchers show promise to significantly shorten the healing time and revolutionize the course of fracture treatment.
Magnetic therapy becoming more popular for treating depression
(Medical Xpress) -- A new magnetic therapy that treats major depression recently received a major boost when the government announced Medicare will cover the procedure in Illinois.
Are European kids getting enough vitamin D? Winter weather reopens the debate
The cold snap has well and truly set in across much of Europe, and as temperatures fall, watching our health becomes increasingly more crucial. Keeping our vitamin D levels up during the winter months has long been lauded as an important part of this fight against unforgiving winter climes, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young children.
Looking healthy is more attractive than manliness
(Medical Xpress) -- Having a healthy skin colour is more important in determining how attractive a man is to women than how manly they look. These are the findings of a study carried out by researchers in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
Combined approach to global health can save lives at lower cost
(Medical Xpress) -- The great paradox of global health efforts is that regions of the world most plagued by poverty, poor infrastructure and rampant disease are often the most difficult to support. Now, scientists have demonstrated that confronting several diseases at once can make the most of thinly-stretched donor dollars and national health care budgets, to help to save lives.
Magnetic research for better brain health
A pioneering therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and stroke is now better understood thanks to researchers from The University of Western Australia and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in France.
Low levels of lipid antibodies increase complications following heart attack
Coronary patients with low levels of an immune system antibody called anti-PC, which neutralises parts of the "bad" cholesterol, run a greater risk of suffering complications following an acute cardiac episode and thus of premature death. This according to new research from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the scientific periodical The International Journal of Cardiology.
Study finds strategy shift with age can lead to navigational difficulties
A Wayne State University researcher believes studying people's ability to find their way around may help explain why loss of mental capacity occurs with age.
Cognitive problems common among non-demented elderly
Both subjective and objective cognitive impairment are highly common among non-demented elderly Swedes, with an overall prevalence of 39 percent and 25 percent respectively, according to a nationwide twin study by researchers at the Aging Research Center of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The study confirms higher education as a major protective factor and stresses the importance of environmental aspects over genes in mild cognitive disorders in old age.
Researchers find additional benefits of cord blood cells in mice modeling ALS
Repeated, low-dose injections of mononuclear cells derived from human umbilical cord blood (MNC hUCB, tradename: U-CORD-CELL) have been found effective in protecting motor neuron cells, delaying disease progression and increasing lifespan for mice modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, report University of South Florida researchers and colleagues from Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., and the Ribeirao Preto School of Medicine at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Zinc control could be path to breast cancer treatment
The body's control mechanisms for delivering zinc to cells could be key to improving treatment for some types of aggressive breast cancer.
Time = money = less happiness, study finds
What does "free time" mean to you? When you're not at work, do you pass the time -- or spend it?
Easy-to-use blood thinners likely to replace Coumadin
Within a few years, a new generation of easy-to-use blood-thinning drugs will likely replace Coumadin for patients with irregular heartbeats who are at risk for stroke, according to a journal article by Loyola University Medical Center physicians.
'ROCK' off: Study establishes molecular link between genetic defect and heart malformation
UNC researchers have discovered how the genetic defect underlying one of the most common congenital heart diseases keeps the critical organ from developing properly. According to the new research, mutations in a gene called SHP-2 distort the shape of cardiac muscle cells so they are unable to form a fully functioning heart.
Does online dating really work?
Whether enlisting the help of a grandmother or a friend or the magic of Cupid, singles long have understood that assistance may be required to meet that special someone.
Heart hormone helps shape fat metabolism
It's well known that exercising reduces body weight because it draws on fat stores that muscle can burn as fuel. But a new study at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) suggests that the heart also plays a role in breaking down fat. In their study, published February 6 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Sheila Collins, Ph.D. and colleagues detail how hormones released by the heart stimulate fat cell metabolism. These hormones turn on a molecular mechanism similar to what's activated when the body is exposed to cold and burns fat to generate heat. This study adds another dimension to our understanding of how the body regulates fat tissue and may someday lead to new ways to manipulate the process with drugs to reduce weight in obese patients or maintain it in individuals who experience pathological weight loss during chronic heart failure.
Drugs targeting chromosomal instability may fight a particular breast cancer subtype
Another layer in breast cancer genetics has been peeled back. A team of researchers at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center (KCC) led by Richard G. Pestell, M.D., PhD., FACP, Director of the KCC and Chair of the Department of Cancer Biology, have shown in a study published online Feb. 6 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that the oncogene cyclin D1 may promote a genetic breakdown known as chromosomal instability (CIN). CIN is a known, yet poorly understood culprit in tumor progression.
How autoreactive T cells slip through the cracks
Immune cells capable of attacking healthy organs "see" their targets differently than do protective immune cells that attack viruses, according to work published online this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Physical punishment of children potentially harmful to their long-term development
An analysis of research on physical punishment of children over the past 20 years indicates that such punishment is potentially harmful to their long-term development, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Antidepressant-suicide link in youths absent in new analysis
In 2004, concerns about antidepressant drugs increasing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young patients prompted the FDA to issue a rare "black box warning." Now, a new analysis of clinical trial data finds that treatment with the antidepressant fluoxetine did not increase — or decrease — suicidality in children compared to placebo treatment.
Three 'targeted' cancer drugs raise risk of fatal side effects
Treatment with three relatively new "targeted" cancer drugs has been linked to a slightly elevated chance of fatal side effects, according to a new analysis led by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They added that the risk remains low, but should be taken into account by physicians and patients.
Who will benefit from stroke drug? New score can help decide
A new scoring method can help doctors quickly decide which stroke patients will respond well to the clot-busting drug alteplase, according to a study published in the February 7, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Survey of elementary school student access to food in vending machines, snack bars, other venues
About half of all public and private elementary school students could buy food in one or more competitive venues on campus (vending machines, school stores, snack bars or a la carte lines) by the 2009-2010 school year and sugary foods were available to almost all students with access to these options, according to a report published in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Behavioral prevention model appears to reduce bullying, peer rejection
A widely used universal behavioral prevention model in schools appears to be associated with lower rates of teacher-reported bullying and peer rejection, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
First-trimester induced abortion not associated with increased risk of psychiatric readmission
First-time first-trimester induced abortion is not associated with an increased risk of readmission to psychiatric facilities among women with a history of a treated mental disorder, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Smoking associated with more rapid cognitive decline in men
Smoking in men appears to be associated with more rapid cognitive decline, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry.
Revised criteria could reclassify many with mild Alzheimer dementia
Many patients currently diagnosed with very mild or mild Alzheimer disease dementia could potentially be reclassified as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) under revised criteria for that condition, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology.
A push for family input to detect dementia earlier
(AP) -- Alexis McKenzie's mother had mild dementia, but things sounded OK when she phoned home: Dad was with her, finishing his wife's sentences as they talked about puttering through the day and a drive to the store.
Visual working memory not as specialized in the brain as visual encoding, study finds
Researchers have long known that specific parts of the brain activate when people view particular images. For example, a region called the fusiform face area turns on when the eyes glance at faces, and another region called the parahippocampal place area does the same when a person looks at scenes or buildings. However, it's been unknown whether such specialization also exists for visual working memory, a category of memory that allows the brain to temporarily store and manipulate visual information for immediate tasks. Now, scientists have found evidence that visual working memory follows a more general pattern of brain activity than what researchers have shown with initial visual activity, instead activating a more diffuse area in the front of the brain for all categories of visual stimuli.
Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows
Hard hit by one of the worst recessions in nearly a century, hundreds of thousands of Californians lost insurance coverage across the state as employers shed jobs and the health plans that came with those jobs, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Smallest tools could give biggest results in bone repair
When William Murphy works with some of the most powerful tools in biology, he thinks about making tools that can fit together. These constructions sound a bit like socket wrenches, which can be assembled to turn a half-inch nut in tight quarters, or to loosen a rusted-tight one-inch bolt using a very persuasive lever.
'Test and Treat' model offers new strategy for eliminating malaria
As researchers work to eliminate malaria worldwide, new strategies are needed to find and treat individuals who have malaria, but show no signs of the disease. The prevalence of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic malaria can be as high as 35 percent in populations with malaria and these asymptomatic individuals can serve as a reservoir for spreading malaria even in areas where disease transmission has declined.
Injectable progesterone contraceptives may be associated with poor periodontal health
Injectable progesterone contraceptives may be associated with poor periodontal health, according to research in the Journal of Periodontology. The study found that women who are currently taking depotmedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injectable contraceptive, or have taken DMPA in the past, are more likely to have indicators of poor periodontal health, including gingivitis and periodontitis, than women who have never taken the injectable contraceptive. DMPA is a long-lasting progestin-only injectable contraceptive administered intermuscularly every three months.
Metabolic 'breathalyzer' reveals early signs of disease
The future of disease diagnosis may lie in a "breathalyzer"-like technology currently under development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
School closures slow spread of pH1N1: study
Closing elementary and secondary schools can help slow the spread of infectious disease and should be considered as a control measure during pandemic outbreaks, according to a McMaster University led study.
Gene mutation discovery sparks hope for effective endometriosis screening
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have, for the first time, described the genetic basis of endometriosis, a condition affecting millions of women that is marked by chronic pelvic pain and infertility. The researchers' discovery of a new gene mutation provides hope for new screening methods.
It's not solitaire: Brain activity differs when one plays against others
Researchers have found a way to study how our brains assess the behavior – and likely future actions – of others during competitive social interactions. Their study, described in a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to use a computational approach to tease out differing patterns of brain activity during these interactions, the researchers report.
Right hand or left? How the brain solves a perceptual puzzle
(Medical Xpress) -- When you see a picture of a hand, how do you know whether it’s a right or left hand? This “hand laterality” problem may seem obscure, but it reveals a lot about how the brain sorts out confusing perceptions. Now, a study which will be published in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science, challenges the long-held consensus about how we solve this problem. “For decades, the theory was that you use your motor imagination,” says Shivakumar Viswanathan, who conducted the study with University of California Santa Barbara colleagues Courtney Fritz and Scott T. Grafton. Judging from response times, psychologists thought we imagine flipping a mental image of each of our own hands to find the one matching the picture. These imagined movements were thought to recruit the same brain processes used to command muscles to move—a high-level cognitive feat.
Research team takes new approach to studying differences between human and monkey brains
(Medical Xpress) -- In order to provide more insight into how human and monkey brains are similar and how they’re different, a research team has taken a different approach to studying both to find out which parts of the brains of each respond in similar ways, and which, if any, differ, when exposed to a shared experience. In this case, the team, as they describe in their paper published in Nature Methods, describe how they exposed groups of humans and monkeys to the same section of a Hollywood movie, while monitoring them via fMRI and found some brain areas responded in both groups as expected, while others were a complete surprise.
Looking at the micro could mend broken hearts
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers have completed the first comprehensive survey of the tiny cellular molecules found in the heart and which are essential for its healthy function. The breakthrough could lead to the development of targeted therapeutic treatments for heart disease.
Researchers develop method of directing stem cells to increase bone formation and bone strength
A research team led by UC Davis Health System scientists has developed a novel technique to enhance bone growth by using a molecule which, when injected into the bloodstream, directs the body's stem cells to travel to the surface of bones. Once these cells are guided to the bone surface by this molecule, the stem cells differentiate into bone-forming cells and synthesize proteins to enhance bone growth. The study, which was published online today in Nature Medicine, used a mouse model of osteoporosis to demonstrate a unique treatment approach that increases bone density and prevents bone loss associated with aging and estrogen deficiency.
Scientists make strides toward fixing infant hearts
Researchers at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital have turned stem cells from amniotic fluid into cells that form blood vessels. Their success offers hope that such stem cells may be used to grow tissue patches to repair infant hearts.
Exercise triggers stem cells in muscle
University of Illinois researchers determined that an adult stem cell present in muscle is responsive to exercise, a discovery that may provide a link between exercise and muscle health. The findings could lead to new therapeutic techniques using these cells to rehabilitate injured muscle and prevent or restore muscle loss with age.
Why bad immunity genes survive: Study implicates arms race between genes and germs
University of Utah biologists found new evidence why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs – even though some of those genes make us susceptible to infections and to autoimmune diseases.
New study finds individual differences in anthrax susceptibility
Susceptibility to anthrax toxin is a heritable genetic trait that may vary tremendously among individuals, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Tasting fructose with the pancreas
Taste receptors on the tongue help us distinguish between safe food and food that's spoiled or toxic. But taste receptors are now being found in other organs, too. In a study published online the week of February 6 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) discovered that beta cells in the pancreas use taste receptors to sense fructose, a type of sugar. According to the study, the beta cells respond to fructose by secreting insulin, a hormone that regulates the body's response to dietary sugar.
Study identifies new prostate cancer drug target
Research led by Wanguo Liu, PhD, Associate Professor of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has identified a new protein critical to the development and growth of prostate cancer. The findings are published online in the Early Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, available the week of February 6, 2012.
Researchers find clues to common birth defect in gene expression data
Researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC), The Jackson Laboratory and other institutes have uncovered 27 new candidate genes for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a common and often deadly birth defect.
Discovery predicts patient sensitivity to important drug target in deadly brain cancer
A recent discovery by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists enables the prediction of patient sensitivity to proposed drug therapies for glioblastoma – the most common and most aggressive malignant brain tumor in humans.
Biology news
New insights into invasive plant management
Over a decade of research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has resulted in the development of a new matrix for invasive plant management. The model was created by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Burns, Ore., and helps land managers recognize how rangeland degradation processes vary across landscapes. ARS is USDA's chief scientific research agency.
Under the Microscope #5 - Daisy
In this video Dr Beverley Glover explains how a daisy is a collection of tiny flowers grouped together to make it look like a single big flower.
A new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice found in Costa Rica
Several periods of field work during 2008 have led to the discovery of a new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice in Costa Rica's high-altitude region "Cerro de la Muerte". The discovery was made thanks to molecular data analysis of mitochondrial DNA. The collected records have also increased the overall knowledge of plant lice (one of the most dangerous agricultural pests worldwide) from the region with more that 20%. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Want consensus? Look to fish
(PhysOrg.com) -- A flock of birds. A school of fish. An army of ants. Glance at these groupings and they appear to move in unison effortlessly. Take a closer look and you’ll see an intricate symphony of leaders and followers, cues and signals, consensus building and decision-making.
Study shows electron-beam irradiation reduces virus-related health risk in lettuce, spinach
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of scientists studying the effects of electron-beam irradiation on iceberg lettuce and spinach has had its research published in the February issue of the leading microbiology journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, said the study’s lead investigator.
Domestic cats, and wild bobcats and pumas, living in same area have same diseases
(PhysOrg.com) -- Domestic cats, wild bobcats and pumas that live in the same area share the same diseases.
Satellite tracking reveals sea turtle feeding hotspots
Satellite tracking of threatened loggerhead sea turtles has revealed two previously unknown feeding 'hotspots' in the Gulf of Mexico that are providing important habitat for at least three separate populations of the turtles, according to a study published recently in the journal Biological Conservation.
Neurons from stem cells could replace mice in botulinum test
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using lab-grown human neurons, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have devised an effective assay for detecting botulinum neurotoxin, the agent widely used to cosmetically smooth the wrinkles of age and, increasingly, for an array of medical disorders ranging from muscle spasticity to loss of bladder control.
New study makes key finding in stem cell self-renewal
A University of Minnesota-led research team has proposed a mechanism for the control of whether embryonic stem cells continue to proliferate and stay stem cells, or differentiate into adult cells like brain, liver or skin.
Researchers examine consequences of non-intervention for infectious disease in African great apes
Infectious disease has joined poaching and habitat loss as a major threat to the survival of African great apes as they have become restricted to ever-smaller populations. Despite the work of dedicated conservationists, efforts to save our closest living relatives from ecological extinction are largely failing, and new scientific approaches are necessary to analyze major threats and find innovative solutions.
New insight from whole-genome sequencing of Europe's 2011 E. coli outbreaks
Using whole-genome sequencing, a team led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Broad Institute has traced the path of the E. coli outbreak that sickened thousands and killed over 50 people in Germany in summer 2011 and also caused a smaller outbreak in France. It is one of the first uses of genome sequencing to study the dynamics of a food-borne outbreak and provides further evidence that genomic tools can be used to investigate future outbreaks and provide greater insight into the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
Study of diving beetles suggest sperm evolution may be driven by changes in female reproductive organs
Studying female reproductive tracts and sperm in diving beetles (Dytiscidae), researchers from the University of Arizona and Syracuse University have obtained a glimpse into a bizarre and amazing world of sperm that can take on a variety of forms – including joining together into conglomerates that navigate the twisted mazes of the female reproductive tract.
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