Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for February 23, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- World's best measurement of W boson mass tests Standard Model, Higgs boson limits- Motorized roller could mass-produce graphene-based devices
- Metal nanoparticles shine with customizable color
- Breakthrough in designing cheaper, more efficient catalysts for fuel cells
- Pregnant gelada monkeys abort when new male enters group
- Researchers say galaxy may swarm with 'nomad planets'
- Disarming the botulinum neurotoxin
- Farm 'weeds' have crucial role in sustainable agriculture
- The many moods of Titan
- Scientists find a key to growth differences between species
- Research reveals evolution of earliest horses was driven by climate change, global warming affected body size
- Study shows Maya civilization collapse related to modest rainfall reductions
- Genome sequencing finds unknown cause of epilepsy
- The high price of losing manufacturing jobs: research
- H5N1 bird flu cases more common than thought: study
Space & Earth news
UT researcher helps develop green toy standards
Catherine Wilt, director of the Center for Clean Products at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, is working to make toys healthier, safer, and more environmentally-friendly.
From V-2 rocket to moon landing
He was a handsome, charismatic, brilliant, onetime member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party and SS paramilitary force. He also was a hero in the United States hailed for helping to land the first man on the moon.
Scientists call for no-take coral sea park
More than 300 eminent scientists from 21 other countries around the world today urged the Australian Federal Government to create the world's largest no-take marine reserve in the Coral Sea.
Study: Nation's urban forests losing ground
National results indicate that tree cover in urban areas of the United States is declining at a rate of about 4 million trees per year, according to a U.S. Forest Service study published recently in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
Venus, Jupiter, moon offer dazzling night show
(AP) -- Stargazers of the world are getting a treat this weekend.
High season for tornadoes ahead, eyes on Southeast
(AP) -- With the month of March looming, tornado chasers are already watching the Southeast as a nasty storm brews with the potential to spin off a batch of tornadoes.
Space image: Dawn on Vesta
(PhysOrg.com) -- This Dawn FC (framing camera) image shows the sun illuminating the landscape of Vesta during a Vestan ‘sunrise’. When this image was obtained the sun had a low angle relative to Vesta’s surface, just as the sun has a low angle in the sky in the morning on Earth.
Laser radar illuminates the way to deep space
This car was not snapped with a camera but scanned by a 3D imaging lidar, the laser equivalent of radar. ESA is developing the sensor as a navigation aid for exploring deep space.
Space image: Expedition 30 cosmonauts perform spacewalk
(PhysOrg.com) -- This image of Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov, both Expedition 30 flight engineers, was taken during a spacewalk on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012.
The Dragon clash
NGC 5907 is a spiral galaxy lying in the Dragon constellation, showing extraordinary large loops and currents of stars in its surrounding halo. According to researchers, it could have been formed through a gigantic collision of galaxies, 8 to 9 billion years ago. Six scientists of the Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Astronomical Observatories of China and Aix-Marseille Universite propose this scenario on the basis of simulations with 200 000 to 6 million particles. These up-to-date calculations, that include gas hydrodynamics, are able to reproduce in a film the formation of NGC5907 and its surrounding gigantic loops of matter. Results appeared on the cover of the online edition of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the 13 February 2012. They provide an important test for cosmological scenarios.
Plate tectonics modelled realistically
Swiss scientists have for the first time succeeded in realistically simulating how an oceanic plate sinks of its own accord under an adjacent plate. At the same time they showed why only one of the plates rather than both subducts into the Earth’s mantle, and how this process affects the dynamics of the Earth’s interior.
Interview with lead spacewalker on Endeavour's final mission
In an exclusive interview with Physics World, astronaut Drew Feustel gives a vivid account of his two missions into space and recalls his determination to make his childhood ambition – space flight – come true.
Microbes may be engineered to help trap excess CO2 underground
The mineralization process required to permanently trap excess CO2 underground is extremely slow. Bacteria, say researchers at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, might help speed things up.
Earth siblings can be different: Chemical clues on the formation of planetary systems
An international team of researchers, with the participation of IAC astronomers, has discovered that the chemical structure of Earth-like planets can be very different from the bulk composition of the Earth. This may have a dramatic effect on the existence and formation of the biospheres and life on Earth-like planets.
Tornado season looms, but forecasting a challenge
(AP) -- Tornado season is starting, but don't ask meteorologists how bad it will be this spring and summer.
NASA pinning down 'here' better than ever
Before our Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices can tell us where we are, the satellites that make up the GPS need to know exactly where they are. For that, they rely on a network of sites that serve as "you are here" signs planted throughout the world. The catch is, the sites don't sit still because they're on a planet that isn't at rest, yet modern measurements require more and more accuracy in pinpointing where "here" is.
The fireballs of February
In the middle of the night on February 13th, something disturbed the animal population of rural Portal, Georgia. Cows started mooing anxiously and local dogs howled at the sky. The cause of the commotion was a rock from space.
Researchers find rare life in Pacific ocean's depths
(PhysOrg.com) -- A joint research group of U.S. and Japanese geoscientists, including a team from UT Dallas, has discovered a system of hydrothermal vents teeming with life three miles below the surface of the western Pacific Ocean.
Spectacularly bright object in Andromeda caused by 'normal' black hole
(PhysOrg.com) -- A spectacularly bright object recently spotted in one of the Milky Way's neighbouring galaxies is the result of a "normal" stellar black hole, astronomers have found.
The many moods of Titan
(PhysOrg.com) -- A set of recent papers, many of which draw on data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, reveal new details in the emerging picture of how Saturn's moon Titan shifts with the seasons and even throughout the day. The papers, published in the journal Planetary and Space Science in a special issue titled "Titan through Time", show how this largest moon of Saturn is a cousin - though a very peculiar cousin - of Earth.
Study shows Maya civilization collapse related to modest rainfall reductions
A new study reports that the disintegration of the Maya Civilization may have been related to relatively modest reductions in rainfall.
Researchers say galaxy may swarm with 'nomad planets'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Our galaxy may be awash in homeless planets, wandering through space instead of orbiting a star.
Technology news
Beatles hits become mobile phone ringtones
Hits from The Beatles have finally joined the chorus of ringtones available for mobile phones.
Sony commercializes TransferJet compatible LSI
Sony today announced the commercialization of "CXD3271GW" LSI, for use in the close proximity wireless transfer technology TransferJet. This LSI realizes a 350Mbps transmission speed and the industry's highest receiving sensitivity, while also contributing to reduced power consumption, reduced parts count and smaller sizing of the sets, all to enhance its suitability for mobile devices such as smartphones. Sony recently presented this technological achievement related to its new LSI at the ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference: February 19~23, 2012, San Francisco, U.S.).
Toshiba manufactures 19nm generation NAND Flash Memory with world's largest density, smallest die size
Toshiba Corporation today announced breakthroughs in NAND flash that secure major advances in chip density and performance. In the 19 nanometer generation, Toshiba has developed a 3-bit-per-cell 128 gigabit (Gb) chip with the world's smallest die size -- 170mm2 -- and fastest write speed -- 18MB/s of any 3-bit-per-cell device.
Protecting people from deadly floods, quakes in the Philippines
Typhoons thrash the Philippines every year, causing flash flooding and mudslides that often kill hundreds of people in the Southeast Asian nation. Many blame the death and destruction on the wrath of nature. But Gavin Shatkin has a different view.
'Iran Cyber Army' hits Azerbaijan state TV site
Hackers calling themselves the 'Iranian Cyber Army' have attacked the website of mainly Muslim neighbour Azerbaijan's state television station, the communications ministry said on Thursday.
Milan lags behind in fashion's Internet revolution
With social network sites and smartphone apps making rapid inroads into the fashion world, observers say Italy risks falling behind even as its luxury brands feel the pain from the economic crisis.
Swiss environmental groups want Beznau nuclear plant shut
Switzerland's Beznau nuclear plant will soon boast the "dubious record" of being the oldest nuclear plant in the world and should be shut down, a group of environmental organisations said Thursday.
Google funds project investigating the geography of the ancient world
A University of Southampton led project, exploring how people of antiquity viewed the geography of the ancient world, has been backed by $50,000 of funding from Google, Inc. via its Digital Humanities Awards Program.
Gannett to charge for newspapers online
Gannett, the largest US newspaper chain, has announced plans to begin charging for online access to its 80 US dailies by the end of the year with the exception of flagship USA Today.
Ex-congresswoman to head Google Washington office
Google on Thursday named a former Republican congresswoman from New York to head the Internet giant's Washington-based policy and lobbying operation.
New record low-power multi-standard transceiver for sensor networks
Imec and Holst Centre announce a 2.3/2.4GHz transmitter for wireless sensor applications compliant with 4 wireless standards (IEEE802.15.6/4/4g and Bluetooth Low Energy). The transmitter has been fabricated in a 90nm CMOS process, and consumes only 5.4mW from a 1.2V supply (2.7nJ/bit) at 0dBm output. This is 3 to 5 times more power-efficient than the current state-of-the-art Bluetooth-LE solutions. These results have been obtained in collaboration with Panasonic, within imec and Holst Centre’s program for ultralow-power wireless communication.
US attorneys general pressure Google on privacy
Attorneys general from across the United States urged Google on Wednesday to put the brakes on plans for a major change to its privacy policy.
Bail rules prevent Kim Dotcom from using Internet
(AP) -- Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom made his fortune and even took his name from the Internet, but now he's barred from logging on.
IPhone sucks subscribers away from T-Mobile USA
(AP) -- Customers have been leaving T-Mobile USA, the country's No. 4 cellphone company, for the last two years. Now that all three of the bigger carriers have the iPhone, that stream has turned into a flood.
Internet service prevents cable tangle in presentations at conferences
To connect a laptop to an additional monitor, projector or even to a monitor wall, a special cable was required, until now. Researchers of the Saarland University's Intel Visual Computing Institute overcome this obstacle by linking computer and monitor via an 'Internet Service'. By this means, a screen's contents can be shifted freely to any terminal's display and even shown on large-scale monitor walls. The Saarland University's scientists present their results for the first time at stand F34, in hall 9 at the computer fair Cebit. The trade show takes place in Hannover from March 6 to 10.
Micropatterning Director at TSMC suggests e-beam lithography may replace EUV
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most integrated circuits today are made by using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, but that could change, according to Burn Lin, Micropatterning Director at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd (TSMC) who was speaking at a SPIE Alternative Lithography Conference in San Jose last week. He says that as manufactures seek to make ever smaller and denser chips, EUV could lose its edge in allowing the industry to follow Moore’s law. The answer he says, may turn out to be switching to electron beam (e-beam) lithography.
Google hints at TV service for ultra-fast broadband test
Google Inc. has sent an ever-clearer signal that it could be bringing a TV service to the Kansas City market.
Google+ 'Hangouts' grow in popularity
David Resnick used it to break through the anxiety and isolation of people who stutter. Joe Saad launched a business. M. Monica Malone, an extrovert whose damaged immune system left her a shut-in, found a way she could give back to others. Brandon Hartung and Stacy Frazer found each other.
Shanghai court throws out case against Apple
A court in Shanghai threw out a civil case against Apple Inc on Thursday, citing a lack of evidence in a trademark dispute and ruled the US computer giant could continue iPad sales in the city.
Engineers improve allocation of limited health care resources in resource-poor nations
In the developing world, allocating limited health care resources as effectively and equitably as possible is a top priority.
Google Street View to launch in Botswana
Botswana will be the second African country to launch Google Street View, officials announced Thursday, saying the technology would boost the nation as a diamond exporter and safari destination.
Aircraft of the future could capture and re-use some of their own
Tomorrow's aircraft could contribute to their power needs by harnessing energy from the wheel rotation of their landing gear to generate electricity.
2 Baltimore attorneys sue Facebook over privacy
(AP) -- Two Baltimore law firms have filed a lawsuit against Facebook, arguing that the site has violated privacy laws.
T-Mobile USA to make data network work with iPhone
(AP) -- T-Mobile USA on Thursday said it will revamp its wireless data network this year, with the side effect of making it compatible with iPhones and some other smartphones sold by competing carriers.
Mathematician sees artistic side to father of computer
This year a series of events around the world will celebrate the work of Alan Turing, the father of the modern computer, as the 100th anniversary of his birthday approaches on June 23. In a book chapter that will be published later this year, mathematician Robert Soare, the founding chairman of the University of Chicago's computer science department, will propose that Turing's achievement was artistic as well as scientific.
Apple CEO says company has more cash than it needs
(AP) -- Apple CEO Tim Cook knows this much: the world's most valuable company has more money than it needs. But he and the rest of Apple's board are still trying to figure out whether it makes sense to dip into the nearly $100 billion cash hoard to pay shareholders a dividend this year.
'Rock Vibe' brings electronic music game to blind
Bridging a divide between sighted and blind gamers, University of California, Santa Cruz graduate Rupa Dhillon has created a version of the musical rhythm "Rock Band" game that everyone can play.
Microsoft sharpens its ads to jab rivals
From the Gmail Man, who peeks into people's private mail, to the VMware salesman stuck in the '70s, Microsoft's marketing campaigns have become quite pointed in the past year.
Tough times for HP ahead; will investors wait?
(AP) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. plans to spend years turning itself around as it addresses internal problems and battles broader threats from smartphones and tablet computers.
White House unveils 'one click' online privacy plan
The Obama administration is calling for stronger privacy protections for consumers as mobile gadgets, Internet services and other tools are able to do a better job of tracking what you do and where you go.
HP has open-source vision for 'orphan' webOS
The future of webOS - the innovative mobile software that three successive CEOs at Hewlett-Packard have struggled to make into a profitable product - may lie somewhere in the windowless rooms of a Stanford Medical School radiology lab.
ZZFS team says file syncs can be more personal
(PhysOrg.com) -- Turn over tweaks, updates, and edits on your entire body of recent work, personal accounts, financial records, and legal communiqués to cloud services? Giants like Google might sport a smiley face if you do, but finding an alternative for home PC users has been a topic for researchers. A combined team from Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft Labs in Cambridge, England, have developed ZZFS, a system in prototype of software and hardware that would allow users to access files remotely, even when that home PC is sleeping.
Medicine & Health news
Study: Virtual colonoscopy effective screening tool for adults over 65
Computed tomography (CT) colonography can be used as a primary screening tool for colorectal cancer in adults over the age of 65, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.
Fitness program for mentally ill expands in NH
(AP) -- Back when he was a self-described friendless recluse, Craig Carey spent hours sitting in a chair doing nothing or driving around in his car, alone. Then a fitness program for people with serious mental illness turned his life around.
Colon Cancer Alliance and American College of Radiology demand Medicare cover virtual colonoscopy
In response to a study published online Feb. 23 in Radiology which showed that virtual colonoscopies are comparably affective to standard colonoscopy at detecting colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps in adults ages 65 and older, the Colon Cancer Alliance and the American College of Radiology released a joint statement demanding Medicare cover seniors for screening virtual colonoscopies — also known as CT colonography.
Britain probes sex-selective abortion claims
The British government on Thursday vowed to investigate newspaper reports that doctors illegally approved abortions that were requested due to the sex of the unborn child.
Community health indicators tied to transplant outcomes
(HealthDay) -- In the community setting, health indicators are significantly associated with post-kidney-transplant mortality, according to a study published online Feb 20 in the Archives of Surgery.
Celiac disease is linked to osteoporosis
People with celiac disease are at risk for osteoporosis, according to physicians at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). A 2009 New England Journal of Medicine study supports this correlation. Researchers believe that people with celiac disease may develop osteoporosis because their body poorly absorbs calcium and vitamin D, which are necessary for bone health.
Accepting negative feelings provides emotional relief
Many adults suffer from mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety symptoms. This puts them at increased risk of developing a mental disorder. Proactive intervention by the mental health services is therefore crucial if we want to reduce this risk.
Researchers helping map brain cancer genome
Fueled by the hope of finding better treatments, patients like Kenneth Jacques are helping medical science map the entire genetic sequence of a few types of brain tumors.
Clinical trial examines benefits of, mechanisms behind ultrafiltration for heart failure
University of Cincinnati cardiologists are conducting a one-of-a-kind clinical trial to determine if a dialysis-like procedure could be deemed the new standard of care for patients suffering from extensive fluid retention caused by heart failure.
Augmented play helps autism
Playing with interactive toys could help children with autism to improve their social interaction with other children, say University of Sussex psychologists.
Assessing the impact of the Affordable Care Act on health care for veterans
While the Affordable Care Act will expand health insurance coverage for low-income persons through Medicaid and state health-insurance exchanges, including much-needed care for 1.8 million uninsured veterans in the U.S., the new insurance coverage option also may have a number of unintended negative effects on health care for veterans, said Kenneth W. Kizer, director of the Institute for Population Health Improvement at UC Davis Health System.
Dementia, sleeping problems and depression are interrelated
People with dementia suffer more from sleep disorders and depression than other people. The highest incidence is found among patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD).
NGOs protest Novartis' Glivec patent quest in India
Several NGOs protested Thursday at the annual meeting of Novartis against the attempt by the Swiss pharmaceutical group's India company to obtain a patent for its anti-cancer drug Glivec.
$70 million to close the gap on treatable Australian Indigenous eye health
Presently Indigenous Australians suffer six times the blindness of mainstream Australians and 94 percent of vision loss in Indigenous Australians is unnecessary, preventable or treatable.
Recalling items from memory reduces our ability to recall other related items
Researchers at the universities of Granada and Jaén, Spain, have discovered why recalling some items from memory reduces our ability to recall other related items. In the field of Psychology, this phenomenon is known as "Retrieval-Induced Forgetting" (RIF), and researchers have determined the cognitive process that causes this phenomenon and its duration.
Obesity may modify the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer
A case-control study from Newfoundland/Labrador has reported that greater alcohol intake may increase the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among obese subjects, but not among non-obese subjects. This is not a particularly large study, and only 45-60% of subjects who were recruited by telephone ended up providing data. Further, it is a case-control comparison, rather than a cohort analysis, making bias in the results more likely.
Project aims to improve HIV/AIDS prevention materials for African-American women
African-American women make up a disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. Researchers from North Carolina State University are trying to change that, leading a National Science Foundation project aimed at developing HIV/AIDS prevention materials that resonate with African-American female college students.
President's Bioethics Commission posts additional documents related to its historical investigation
Today the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues posted on its website, www.bioethics.gov, hundreds of supporting documents related to its investigation into the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) studies conducted in Guatemala in the 1940s. The documents include a spreadsheet that Commission staff painstakingly created to document the research subjects in Guatemala. In addition, the Commission has posted a Spanish translation of its report, "Ethically Impossible" STD Research in Guatemala from 1946 to 1948.
Medicare and Medicaid CT scan measure is unreliable: study
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have published findings that question the reliability of a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measure. The study, "Assessment of Medicare's Imaging Efficiency Measure for Emergency Department Patients With Atraumatic Headache" finds that the CMS measure—an attempt to reduce computed tomography (CT) scans in emergency departments (ED)—does not accurately determine which hospitals are performing CT scans inappropriately.
A Rhode Island Hospital physician's experience in front-line field hospital in Libya
Adam Levine, M.D., an emergency medicine physician with Rhode Island Hospital and a volunteer physician with International Medical Corps, was deployed to a field hospital near Misurata, Libya, during the conflict there. He and his colleagues cared for over 1,300 patients from both sides of the conflict between June and August 2011. In a paper now available online in advance of print in the African Journal of Emergency Medicine, Levine describes his experience and the lessons he learned that he hopes will aid in future humanitarian efforts.
For Latina moms, pediatrician's personality, empathy trump knowledge of Spanish, quick service
A small study of Latina women with young children led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center shows moms value a pediatrician's empathy and warmth far more than their ability to speak Spanish or other conveniences.
Woodchucks and sudden cardiac death
How much calcium could a hibernating woodchuck's heart cells sequester, if a hibernating woodchuck's heart cells could sequester calcium? More than enough, it turns out, to protect the animals from cardiac arrhythmias – abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation that can lead to sudden cardiac death – according to a new study of the hibernating animals that may provide insight into arrhythmia therapies. The findings will be presented at a poster session at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS), which will take place Feb. 25-29 in San Diego, Calif.
Cancer risk up in bilateral retinoblastoma survivors
(HealthDay) -- For survivors of bilateral retinoblastoma (Rb), family history is associated with an increased risk of second cancers (SCs), especially melanoma, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Possible biomarkers for Parkinson's disease identified
Scientists at Durin Technologies, Inc., and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) have announced a possible breakthrough in the search for a diagnostic biomarker for Parkinson's disease - a blood test that in the future may be able to detect the disease with high accuracy.
Pseudo-Prospective analyses ID alcohol recovery correlates
(HealthDay) -- Prospective analysis of correlates of alcohol recovery compare favorably with pseudo-prospective studies with time-dependent covariates, but differ from cross-sectional analyses, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
CT colonography shown to be comparable to standard colonoscopy
Computerized tomographic (CT) colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, is comparable to standard colonoscopy in its ability to accurately detect cancer and precancerous polyps in people ages 65 and older, according to a paper published online today in Radiology.
Aspirin as good as Plavix for poor leg circulation: study
(HealthDay) -- Aspirin works as well as Plavix in patients with blocked leg arteries, a new European study finds.
How cells brace themselves for starvation
Cells that repress their "bad time" pumps when a nutrient is abundant were much more efficient at preparing for starvation and at recovering afterward than the cells that had been genetically engineered to avoid this repression.
Hospitals ranked for emergency medicine quality
(HealthDay) -- Patients admitted to the top hospitals for emergency medicine in the United States have a nearly 42 percent lower death rate than those admitted to other hospitals in the nation, according to a new report.
Recession increases work-related stress by 40 per cent, study finds
(Medical Xpress) -- One in four workers experience work-related stress in times of recession -- and work-related stress increases by 40 per cent overall, according to new research.
Malaria immunity in the spotlight
(Medical Xpress) -- Mothers who are treated for malaria may pass on lower levels of natural immunity to their young, animal studies show.
Researchers discover how vitamin D inhibits inflammation
Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered specific molecular and signaling events by which vitamin D inhibits inflammation. In their experiments, they showed that low levels of Vitamin D, comparable to levels found in millions of people, failed to inhibit the inflammatory cascade, while levels considered adequate did inhibit inflammatory signaling. They reported their results in the March 1, 2011, issue of The Journal of Immunology.
Study closes debate on folic acid and heart disease
(Medical Xpress) -- Taking folic acid supplements is not going to have any meaningful effect on your risk of coronary heart disease.
Higher risk of autism among certain immigrant groups
A major register study from Karolinska Institutet shows that children born to certain groups of immigrants had an increased risk of developing autism with intellectual disability. The study includes all children in Stockholm County from 2001 to 2007, and brings the question of the heredity of autism to the fore.
Women with preeclampsia in first 37 weeks of pregnancy at higher risk of heart problems in later life
(Medical Xpress) -- Women with preeclampsia in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy are at greater risk of developing heart problems in the years after giving birth than those who develop the condition in the final weeks, according to new research.
Shedding light on memory deficits in schizophrenic patients and healthy aged subjects
Working memory, which consists in the short-term retention and processing of information, depends on specific regions of the brain working correctly. This faculty tends to deteriorate in patients with schizophrenia, as it does in healthy aged subjects.
Battling obesity with better mathematical models
In the war to lose weight it may be something other than willpower or junk food that's preventing victory: it could be faulty use of mathematics.
First vaccine against fatal visceral leishmaniasis enters clinical trial
The first clinical trial of a new vaccine for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been launched by the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), a Seattle-based nonprofit that develops products to prevent, detect, and treat diseases of poverty. The Phase 1 trial is taking place in Washington State, with a companion Phase 1 trial planned in India, an epicenter of the disease.
How one-year-olds can recognize beliefs of others
The question as to when children become able to attribute mental states such as beliefs and desires to others is answered differently by different tests. A new model by Bochum's philosophers now integrates seemingly contradictory empirical findings.
First study to show that bisphenol A exposure increases risk of future onset of heart disease
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a controversial chemical widely used in the plastics industry. A new study followed people over a 10-year time period and shows that healthy people with higher urine concentrations of BPA were more likely to later develop heart disease.
Parkinson's disease patients can become more creative when they take dopamine
Some Parkinson's Disease patients can suddenly become creative when they take dopamine therapy, producing pictures, sculptures, novels and poetry. But their new-found interests can become so overwhelming that they ignore other aspects of their everyday life, such as daily chores and social activities, according to research published in the March issue of the European Journal of Neurology.
Study: Impulsive kids play more video games
Impulsive children with attention problems tend to play more video games, while kids in general who spend lots of time video gaming may also develop impulsivity and attention difficulties, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Burning calories at the gym avoids burnout at work
Obesity can be a dangerous risk to our physical health, but according to a Tel Aviv University researcher, avoiding the gym can also take a toll on our mental health, leading to depression and greater burnout rates at work.
New study shows promise for analyzing bladder pain syndrome
A pilot study led by University of Kentucky researchers shows that the gene expression analysis of urine sediment could provide a noninvasive way to analyze interstitial cystitis in some patients.
90 percent of firefighters exhibit symptoms of PTSD: researchers
A new study on the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among firefighters in Israel indicates that approximately 90 percent show some form of full or partial symptoms.
Blood test detects Down syndrome during pregnancy
(HealthDay) -- A second company reports that it has developed a prenatal blood test to detect Down syndrome, potentially providing yet another option for pregnant women who want to know whether their unborn child has the condition.
Brain 'hyperconnectivity' linked to depression
People with depression have hyperactive brain activity, according to a study published online Tuesday that offers new insight into the brain dysfunction that causes depression.
New street drug 'bath salts' packs double punch, mimics effects of two powerful narcotics
The street drug commonly referred to as "bath salts" is one of a growing list of synthetic and unevenly regulated narcotics that are found across the United States and on the Internet. New research on this potent drug paints an alarming picture, revealing that bath salts pack a powerful double punch, producing combined effects similar to both methamphetamine (METH) and cocaine.
Invade and conquer: Nicotine's role in promoting heart and blood vessel disease
Cigarette smoke has long been considered the main risk factor for heart disease. But new research from Brown University in Providence, R.I., shows that nicotine itself, a component of cigarette smoke, can contribute to the disease process by changing cell structure in a way that promotes migration and invasion of the smooth muscle cells that line blood vessels. In particular, invading cells can remodel structures called podosomes, and this leads to further degradation of vessel integrity.
Secondhand smoke results in graft rejection
A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that cigarette smoke exposure, in a cause-effect manner, results in graft rejection that would have been prevented by certain drug treatments.
A change of heart: Probing how chronic alcoholism alters cellular signaling of heart muscle
Beyond the personal tragedy of chronic alcoholism there is heartbreak in the biological sense, too. Scientists know severe alcoholism stresses the heart and that mitochondria, the cellular energy factories, are especially vulnerable to dysfunction. But they don't know the precise mechanism.
Protein scouts for dangerous bacteria: How the immune system detects listeria and other bad bacteria
Millions of "good" bacteria exist harmoniously on the skin and in the intestines of healthy people. When harmful bacteria attack, the immune system fights back by sending out white blood cells to destroy the disease-causing interlopers. But how do white blood cells know which bacteria are good and which are harmful?
Breaking down cancer's defense for future vaccines
Researchers at the EPFL have identified an important mechanism that could lead to the design of more effective cancer vaccines. Their discovery of a new-found role of the lymphatic system in tumour growth shows how tumours evade detection by using a patient's own immune system.
Memory formation triggered by stem cell development
Researchers at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics have discovered an answer to the long-standing mystery of how brain cells can both remember new memories while also maintaining older ones.
Investigation links deaths to paint-stripping chemical
The deaths of at least 13 workers who were refinishing bathtubs have been linked to a chemical used in products to strip surfaces of paint and other finishes.
Neurotoxins in shark fins: A human health concern
Sharks are among the most threatened of marine species worldwide due to unsustainable overfishing. Sharks are primarily killed for their fins alone, to fuel the growing demand for shark fin soup, which is an Asia delicacy. A new study by University of Miami (UM) scientists in the journal Marine Drugs has discovered high concentrations of BMAA in shark fins, a neurotoxin linked to neurodegenerative diseases in humans including Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig Disease (ALS). The study suggests that consumption of shark fin soup and cartilage pills may pose a significant health risk for degenerative brain diseases.
Scientists uncover inflammatory circuit that triggers breast cancer
Although it's widely accepted that inflammation is a critical underlying factor in a range of diseases, including the progression of cancer, little is known about its role when normal cells become tumor cells. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have shed new light on exactly how the activation of a pair of inflammatory signaling pathways leads to the transformation of normal breast cells to cancer cells.
Proteins behaving badly: Researchers develop an algorithm to predict how and when proteins misfold
Several neurodegenerative diseases – including Alzheimer's and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) – are caused when the body's own proteins fold incorrectly, recruit and convert healthy proteins to the misfolded form, and aggregate in large clumps that gum up the works of the nervous system. "For Star Trek fans, this is like the Borg, [a fictional race of cyborgs that abduct and assimilate humans and other species]," says Steven Plotkin, a biophysicist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver who studies the process of protein misfolding.
Research examines environmental triggers altering gene function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients
A University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) researcher is examining how environmental triggers might alter gene function in people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The research could lead to better insights into the disease and eventually to new treatments.
Fast-food menu calorie counts legally compliant but not as helpful to consumers as they should be
Calorie listings on fast-food chain restaurant menus might meet federal labeling requirements but don't do a good job of helping consumers trying to make healthy meal choices, a new Columbia University School of Nursing (CUSON) study reports.
Eating citrus fruit may lower women's stroke risk
A compound in citrus fruits may reduce your stroke risk, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Slamming the brakes on the malaria life cycle
Scientists have discovered a new target in their fight against the devastating global disease 'malaria' thanks to the discovery of a new protein involved in the parasite's life cycle.
Getting a handle on chronic pain: New 'barcode' tool lets doctors evaluate chronic pain quickly and objectively
How we move is an excellent indicator of overall health. When we feel good, we move around continually. When we're in pain, we reduce our physical activity. This observation might seem trivial, but it has led to an original approach for evaluating chronic pain. A team from EPFL's Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement (LMAM) has developed a clever, easy-to-use visual tool to help doctors assess their patients' pain levels. The research appears online February 23 in the journal PLoS One.
Researchers discover new HIV vaccine-related tool
(Medical Xpress) -- A new discovery involving two Simon Fraser University scientists could lead to a little known and benign bacterium becoming a vital new tool in the development of a vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Naked mole-rats bear lifesaving clues
Could blind, buck-toothed, finger-sized naked mole-rats harbor in their brain cells a survival secret that might lead to better heart attack or stroke treatments?
New strategies for treatment of infectious diseases
The immune system protects from infections by detecting and eliminating invading pathogens. These two strategies form the basis of conventional clinical approaches in the fight against infectious diseases. In the latest issue of the journal Science, Miguel Soares from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (Portugal) together with Ruslan Medzhitov from Yale University School of Medicine and David Schneider from Stanford University propose that a third strategy needs to be considered: tolerance to infection, whereby the infected host protects itself from infection by reducing tissue damage and other negative effects caused by the pathogen or the immune response against the invader. The authors argue that identifying the mechanisms underlying this largely overlooked phenomenon may pave the way to new strategies to treat many human infectious diseases.
Southerners sleepiest, U.S. 'Sleep map' shows
(HealthDay) -- Where you live in the United States may influence how well you sleep, researchers report.
Stability predicts treatment success for vitiligo
(HealthDay) -- In patients with vitiligo, a depigmenting disorder characterized by loss of melanocytes from the epidermis, melanocyte transplantation is more likely to be successful in patients whose disease has been stable for longer periods, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Healthy foods missing from stores in low-income black neighborhoods, study finds
Most convenience stores have a wide variety of chips, colorful candies and bottles of sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages. While shoppers can buy calorie-heavy foods wrapped in pretty packages in these locations, what they usually can't find are the fresh produce, whole grains and low-fat dairy products necessary for a healthy diet.
Preschools get disadvantaged children ready for the rigors of kindergarten
Preschools help children prepare for the rigors of grade school—especially children who come from a minority family, a poor family, or whose parents don't provide high-quality interactions. The results of a new study of over 1,000 identical and fraternal twins, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, confirm that preschool programs are a good idea.
Hepatitis C kills more Americans than HIV: study
More Americans died in 2007 of hepatitis C infection, which causes incurable liver disease, than from the virus that causes AIDS, US health authorities said this week.
More kidney dialysis is better, research finds
(HealthDay) -- If you're receiving kidney dialysis, four new studies suggest that you could benefit from longer or more frequent dialysis sessions.
Scientists trigger muscle stem cells to divide
(Medical Xpress) -- A tiny piece of RNA plays a key role in determining when muscle stem cells from mice activate and start to divide, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding may help scientists learn how to prepare human muscle stem cells for use in therapies for conditions such as muscular dystrophy and aging by controlling their activation state.
Girls' verbal skills make them better at arithmetic
(PhysOrg.com) -- While boys generally do better than girls in science and math, some studies have found that girls do better in arithmetic. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that the advantage comes from girls’ superior verbal skills.
Levels of protein SIRT6 appear to impact lifespan of mice
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers in Israel have found that genetically altering male mice to cause them to express more of the protein SIRT6 allowed them to live up to fifteen percent longer. Haim Cohen and colleagues at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan, describe in their paper published in Nature, how they veered from following the crowd studying SIRT2 and instead chose to look at SIRT6. In so doing, they discovered that when the mice under study were caused to express more SIRT6, the older males tended to metabolize sugar at a faster rate than normal, which led, they believe, to protecting them from metabolic disorders and a longer lifespan.
Blood mystery solved
(Medical Xpress) -- You probably know your blood type: A, B, AB or O. You may even know if you’re Rhesus positive or negative. But how about the Langereis blood type? Or the Junior blood type? Positive or negative? Most people have never even heard of these.
New class of compounds stops disease-fueling inflammation in lab tests
Scientists have developed a unique compound that in laboratory tests blocks inflammation-causing molecules in blood cells known to fuel ailments like cancer and cardiovascular disease without causing harmful toxicity.
Disarming the botulinum neurotoxin
Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) and the Medical School of Hannover in Germany recently discovered how the botulinum neurotoxin, a potential bioterrorism agent, survives the hostile environment in the stomach on its journey through the human body. Their study, published February 24 in Science, reveals the first 3D structure of a neurotoxin together with its bodyguard, a protein made simultaneously in the same bacterium. The bodyguard keeps the toxin safe through the gut, then lets go as the toxin enters the bloodstream. This new information also reveals the toxin's weak spot—a point in the process that can be targeted with new therapeutics.
Mobile DNA elements can disrupt gene expression and cause biological variation, study shows
The many short pieces of mobile DNA that exist in the genome can contribute to significant biological differences between lineages of mice, according to a new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
Genetic risk for elevated arsenic toxicity discovered
One of the first large-scale genomic studies conducted in a developing country has discovered genetic variants that elevate the risk for skin lesions in people chronically exposed to arsenic. Genetic changes found near the enzyme for metabolizing the chemical into a less toxic form can significantly increase an individual's risk for developing arsenic-related disease.
Genome sequencing finds unknown cause of epilepsy
Only 10 years ago, deciphering the genetic information from one individual in a matter of weeks to find a certain disease-causing genetic mutation would have been written off as science fiction.
H5N1 bird flu cases more common than thought: study
Bird flu is believed to be a rare disease that kills more than half of the people it infects, but a US study out Thursday suggests it may be more common and less lethal than previously thought.
Biology news
Noble false widow spider marches north in the UK
The noble false widow spider, a species often mistaken for the black widow spider in the UK, is spreading north, Natural History Museum enquiry records show.
Female sex hormones can weaken the ability of fish to protect themselves against environmental toxins
It is well known that female sex hormones (oestrogens) that end up in rivers and lakes, primarily via spillage from sewers and livestock farming, pose a threat to the environment.
Illegal orangutan trader prosecuted
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) announced today Sumatra's first ever successful sentence of an illegal orangutan owner and trader in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
A unique on-off switch for hormone production
Weizmann scientists have revealed a new kind of on-off switch in the brain for regulating the production of a main biochemical signal from the brain that stimulates cortisol release in the body.
Rare whale caught on film for first time
Australian researchers Thursday revealed they had filmed a pod of extremely rare Shepherd's beaked whales for the first time ever.
Mild winter triggers early maple sugar season
Lighter than normal snow accumulation, warmer than normal temperatures earlier in the season and an earlier than normal start of the maple syrup season are making some weather watchers wonder if there is a new “normal.”
Opinion: H5N1 flu is just as dangerous as feared, now requires action
The debate about the potential severity of an outbreak of airborne H5N1 influenza in humans needs to move on from speculation and focus instead on how we can safely continue H5N1 research and share the results among researchers, according to a commentary to be published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on Friday, February 24.
Controlling Japanese barberry helps stop spread of tick-borne diseases
A nature-themed drama is unfolding in a corner of the UConn Forest in Storrs. The story contains elements of surprise as well as a glimpse of the region’s agrarian past.
World nourishment at risk of being diminished: Wild cereals threatened by global warming
A 28-year comparative study of wild emmer wheat and wild barley populations has revealed that these progenitors of cultivated wheat and barley, which are the best hope for crop improvement, have undergone changes over this period of global warming. The changes present a real concern for their being a continued source of crop improvement.
Human population the primary factor in exotic plant invasions in the United States
Extensive ongoing research on biotic invasions around the world constantly increases data availability and improves data quality. New research in the United States shows how using improved data from previous studies on the establishment of exotic plant species changes the understanding of patterns of species naturalization, biological invasions, and their underlying mechanisms. The study was published in the open access journal NeoBiota.
Italian vineyards invaded from North America by new species of leafminer
Since in 2006 an unknown leafmining moth was found in North Italian vineyards by Mario Baldessari and colleagues, often in great numbers, scientists have tried to put a name to this apparently new invader. Italian scientists from the Fondazione Edmund Mach di San Michele all'Adige and the Università di Padova turned for help to taxonomists in the Netherlands and United States. The new species was described in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Protein assassin: Scientists find that the unfolded end of a protein can kill E. coli-like bacteria selectively
When bacteria wage a turf war, some of the combatants have an extra weapon. Certain strains of the bacteria E. coli produce proteins that kill competing E. coli and other like microbes, and researchers from Newcastle University in England have recently discovered something surprising about one of these lethal proteins: even after the toxic folded portion of the protein is removed, the unfolded end is still deadly. The finding may one day help scientists find new, more targeted ways to kill antibiotic-resistant microbes. The researchers will present their results at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS), held Feb. 25-29 in San Diego, Calif.
Molding the business end of neurotoxins
For snakes, spiders, and other venomous creatures, the "business end," or active part, of a toxin is the area on the surface of a protein that is most likely to undergo rapid evolution in response to environmental constraints, say researchers from Ben Gurion University in Israel. Understanding these evolutionary forces can help researchers predict which part of unstudied toxins will do damage, and may also aid in the design of novel synthetic proteins with tailored pharmaceutical properties. The team will present its results at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, held Feb. 25-29 in San Diego, Calif.
Lineage trees reveal cells' histories
In recent years, a number of controversial claims have been made about the female mammal's egg supply – that it is renewed over her adult lifetime (as opposed to the conventional understanding that she is born with all of her eggs), and that the source of these eggs is stem cells that originate in the bone marrow. Now, Weizmann Institute scientists have disproved one of those claims and pointed in new directions toward resolving the other. Their findings, based on an original method for reconstructing lineage trees for cells, were published online today in PLoS Genetics.
Familiarity breeds contempt in cleaner fish
(PhysOrg.com) -- Familiarity with your partner is usually thought to promote teamwork, but new research has found that on coral reefs at least, female cleaner fish are more cooperative with unfamiliar males than their breeding partner.
Two new species of fish found able to regenerate a lost fin
(PhysOrg.com) -- History has shown that many invertebrates are able to regenerate lost limbs. Rare however, are animals with backbones that are able to do so, and when they do exist, they are usually amphibians or a few species of fish that regenerate parts that are mostly made of skin-like material. Thus the discovery of two species of Polypterus bichir, fish found in Africa, that can regenerate a lost side (pectoral) fin in as little as a month has created some excitement in the scientific community. Such fish are ray-finned, which means their fins are made up of skin-like webbing stretched between bony structures connected directly to the skeleton. Rodrigo Cuervo, a biologist with Veracruz University in Mexico discovered the fish’s unique abilities and has co-written a paper about them with colleagues. They have published the results of their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For fish, fear smells like sugar
When one fish gets injured, the rest of the school takes off in fear, tipped off by a mysterious substance known as "Schreckstoff" (meaning "scary stuff" in German). Now, researchers reporting online on February 23 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology have figured out what that scary stuff is really made of.
Research reveals evolution of earliest horses was driven by climate change, global warming affected body size
When Sifrhippus, the earliest known horse, first appeared in the forests of North America more than 50 million years ago, it would not have been mistaken for a Clydesdale. It weighed in at around 12 pounds -- and it was destined to get much smaller over the ensuing millennia.
Scientists find a key to growth differences between species
The tiny, little-noticed jewel wasp may provide some answers as to how different species differ in size and shape. And that could lead to a better understanding of cell growth regulation, as well as the underlying causes of some diseases.
Farm 'weeds' have crucial role in sustainable agriculture
Plants often regarded as common weeds such as thistles, buttercups and clover could be critical in safe guarding fragile food webs on UK farms according to Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Pregnant gelada monkeys abort when new male enters group
(PhysOrg.com) -- Pregnant female geladas show an unusually high rate of miscarriage the day after the dominant male in their group is replaced by a new male, a new University of Michigan study indicates.
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