Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for February 1, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor- Repulsive gravity as an alternative to dark energy (Part 2: In the quantum vacuum)
- A spider web's strength lies in more than its silk
- Self-assembling nanorods: Researchers obtain 1-, 2- and 3-D nanorod arrays and networks
- Wireless power could revolutionize highway transportation, researchers say
- Physicists create first 'frequency comb' to probe ultraviolet wavelengths
- Brain capacity limits exponential online data growth
- Scientists help define structure of exoplanets
- Researchers: Societal control of sugar essential to ease public health burden
- Nanoparticles used to increase thermal properties of transformer oil
- Australia -- land of the koala, kangaroo... and elephant
- 'Atlantis' volcano gives tips for mega-eruptions
- Biofuel cell generates electricity when implanted in False Death's Head Cockroach
- Microsoft slams Google user data policy in new ads
- Physics team calculates that graphene disks could be complete optical absorbers
Space & Earth news
New record from stalagmites shows climate history in Central Asia
The climate in Central Asia, currently a semiarid region, has varied over the past 500,000 years. An accurate record of the past climate can help scientists understand current climate and better predict how the climate may change in the future. Previous studies with paleoclimate records, such as lake sediments and ice cores, show changes in moisture in the region, but climate history in the region is debated, as some of those records are not high resolution or not well dated.
BP must pay some of Halliburton's Gulf spill costs
British oil giant BP must cover some of the eventual claims against subcontractor Halliburton arising from the devastating 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a US judge ruled Tuesday.
Image: Crack discovered in Pine Island Glacier
(PhysOrg.com) -- In mid-October 2011, NASA scientists working in Antarctica discovered a massive crack across the Pine Island Glacier, a major ice stream that drains the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Extending for 19 miles (30 kilometers), the crack was 260 feet (80 meters) wide and 195 feet (60 meters) deep.
Help astronomers measure the solar system
As the bright Mars-crossing asteroid 433 Eros makes its closest approach to Earth since 1975, astronomers around the globe are taking the opportunity to measure its position in the sky, thereby fine-tuning our working knowledge of distances in the solar system. Using the optical principle of parallax, whereby different viewpoints of the same object show slightly shifted positions relative to background objects, skywatchers in different parts of the world can observe Eros over the next few nights and share their images online.
Report identifies 16 highest priorities to guide NASA's Technology Development efforts for next 5 years
During the next five years, NASA technology development efforts should focus on 16 high-priority technologies and their associated top technical challenges, says a new report from the National Research Council. In addition, the report recommends emphasis on flight demonstrations for technologies that are nearly ready and a 10 percent allocation from the existing program budget to advance and refine early emerging technologies.
Where's the snow? Not in Lower 48; but elsewhere
(AP) -- Snow has gone missing in action for much of the U.S. the last couple months. But it's not just snow. It's practically the season that's gone AWOL.
Survey tracks '55+' attitudes about the environment
An international survey led by Simon Fraser University's Gerontology Research Centre (GRC) and the University of York's (UK) Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is tracking attitudes about the environment among those over 55.
Massive swarm of tunicates tilts ocean's chemical balance
A surge of nutrients to the warm waters off the southeastern coast of Australia during the highly productive austral spring can spark an explosion in the phytoplankton population. Where phytoplankton bloom, so do the predators that feed on them. Some of these predators, like the globally prevalent, barrel-shaped tunicate salp Thalia democratica, excel at capitalizing on the transient nature of phytoplankton blooms.
Plan to move Argentine meteorite to Germany blocked
An unlikely alliance between the native Moqoit people and leading Argentine scientists has thwarted plans to ship the world's second largest meteorite to Germany as a prestigious art exhibit.
NASA's GCPEX mission: What we don't know about snow
Predicting the future is always a tricky business -- just watch a TV weather report. Weather forecasts have come a long way, but almost every season there's a snowstorm that seems to come out of nowhere, or one that's forecast as 'the big one' that turns out to be a total bust.
New study shows correlation between summer Arctic sea ice cover and winter weather in Central Europe
Even if the current weather situation may seem to speak against it, the probability of cold winters with much snow in Central Europe rises when the Arctic is covered by less sea ice in summer. Scientists of the Research Unit Potsdam of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association have decrypted a mechanism in which a shrinking summertime sea ice cover changes the air pressure zones in the Arctic atmosphere and impacts our European winter weather. These results of a global climate analysis were recently published in a study in the scientific journal Tellus A.
ASU, Stanford examine implications of bioenergy crops
A team of researchers from Arizona State University, Stanford University and Carnegie Institution for Science has found that converting large swaths of land to bioenergy crops could have a wide range of effects on regional climate.
Canada looks to the future in space
When it comes to space, the first thing most people think of is NASA. Or Russia and the European Space Agency, or even more recently, countries like China and Japan. In the public eye, Canada has tended to be a bit farther down on the list. There is the Canadian Space Agency, but it is better known for developing space and satellite technologies, not awe-inspiring launches to the Moon or other planets, which naturally tend to get the most attention.
Russia to try again for Phobos-Grunt?
Russia says "eisho odin ras"* for its Mars moon lander mission, according to Roscomos chief Vladimir Popovkin.
Hayabusa 2 Mission approved by Japanese government
In 2010, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa completed an exciting although nail-biting mission to the asteroid Itokawa, successfully returning samples to Earth after first reaching the asteroid in 2005; the mission almost failed, with the spacecraft plagued by technical problems. The canister containing the microscopic rock samples made a soft landing in Australia, the first time that samples from an asteroid had been brought back to Earth for study.
Yellow-cedar are dying in Alaska: Scientists now know why
Yellow-cedar, a culturally and economically valuable tree in southeastern Alaska and adjacent parts of British Columbia, has been dying off across large expanses of these areas for the past 100 years. But no one could say why -- until now.
Russia will replace Soyuz for next ISS mission: source
Russia will replace the Soyuz spacecraft set to take the next crew to the International Space Station after a fault was found in testing, a space industry source said Wednesday.
First plants caused ice ages: research
New research reveals how the arrival of the first plants 470 million years ago triggered a series of ice ages. Led by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford, the study is published today (February 1, 2012) in Nature Geoscience.
A pocket of star formation
(PhysOrg.com) -- This new view shows a stellar nursery called NGC 3324. It was taken using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The intense ultraviolet radiation from several of NGC 3324's hot young stars causes the gas cloud to glow with rich colours and has carved out a cavity in the surrounding gas and dust.
Tropical cyclones to cause greater damage
Tropical cyclones will cause $109 billion in damages by 2100, according to Yale and MIT researchers in a paper published in Nature Climate Change.
Scientists help define structure of exoplanets
Using models similar to those used in weapons research, scientists may soon know more about exoplanets, those objects beyond the realm of our solar system.
'Atlantis' volcano gives tips for mega-eruptions
Around 1630 BC, a super-volcano blew apart the Aegean island of Santorini, an event so violent that some theorists say it nurtured the legend of Atlantis.
Sun delivered curveball of powerful radiation at Earth
A potent follow-up solar flare, which occurred Friday (Jan. 17, 2012), just days after the Sun launched the biggest coronal mass ejection (CME) seen in nearly a decade, delivered a powerful radiation punch to Earth's magnetic field despite the fact that it was aimed away from our planet.
Technology news
Precision space maneuvers
Spacecraft must operate with utmost precision when conducting landing maneuvers on other planets, or docking to a space station. To ensure they do not drift off course, imaging sensors collect a fl ood of data that are analyzed in real time. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology FIRST have engineered a system based on multicore technologies that allow spacecraft to be piloted and positioned with pinpoint accuracy. It can be seen at the embedded world trade show in Nuremberg from February 28 to March 1, 2012.
From opening thunder to closing whimper
Thanks to lightning-fast software from the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), if a truck bomb was discovered in Lower Manhattan we will now be able to predict the likely damage patterns in the surrounding areas, and prioritize the first responders' activities long before the bomb's acoustic shockwave ricocheted out at the speed of sound.
Malaysia grants license to Aussie rare earth plant
(AP) -- Malaysia on Wednesday granted a license for an Australian mining company to operate the first rare earths plant outside China in years, despite public protests over fears of radioactive contamination.
KIT: Fast and easy programming
An increasing number of electronics products such as smartphones are equipped with fast, energy-efficient multi-core processors. As a matter of fact, however, programming of the respective applications is rather time-consuming and expensive. For fast and easy programming, partners from research and industry within the EU consortium ALMA are developing a novel tool chain based on the open-source software Scilab. ALMA is being coordinated by Professor Jürgen Becker and Dr. Michael Hübner from KIT's Institute for Information Processing Technology (ITIV).
An emergency network for natural disasters
Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas are developing an emergency communications network that will maintain operation during natural disasters and provide critical warnings and geographic information to people affected by the disasters. The researchers are honing and testing the system now and expect to deploy a pilot network at the end of 2012.
Indiana launches new ultra-high-speed network
Indiana is the first state to launch a high-speed 100-gigabits-per-second (Gbps) network link dedicated to research and education. The new network, named Monon100, is 10 times faster than the current network link. With it, scientists and medical researchers will be able to rapidly share the massive amounts of data created by modern digital instruments such as gene sequencers, powerful microscopes or the Large Hadron Collider.
An electronic green thumb
If sensors are supposed to communicate with each other to compare the measured data and to secure them, then, in the future, a network of distributed sensor nodes will aid in that: the network ensures a problem-free communication between the sensors. For example, they can be used to reliably monitor the watering of plants. At the 'embedded world' trade fair, taking place from 2/28 - 3/1 in Nuremberg (Germany), the researchers are showcasing a technological demonstration.
New report outlines key features of next-generation public safety communications
Creation of a next-generation public safety communications network requires leadership from a single non-profit organization devoted to this purpose, according to a report released today by a federal advisory committee. Such a network would support voice, video and data transmissions, and ideally be at the disposal of all first responders—the medical, emergency, law enforcement or military personnel who are first on the scene of events that threaten public safety.
Judge allows SC Twitter lawsuit go move forward
(AP) -- A South Carolina company's lawsuit accusing a former employee of costing it hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost business when he took Twitter followers can go forward, a federal judge has ruled.
India's Mahindra Satyam posts strong profit growth
India's software outsourcer Mahindra Satyam on Wednesday posted a near five-fold jump in its third quarter net profit, beating market forecasts, as margins were boosted by a fall in the rupee.
Assange takes extradition battle to Britain's top court
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange took his fight against extradition to Britain's Supreme Court Wednesday, arguing that sending him to Sweden over rape allegations would breach legal principles dating back 1,500 years.
Ukraine shuts down leading file-sharing site
Ukrainian authorities have shut down a popular file-sharing website saying it violates copyright laws, officials said Wednesday.
Sony's Hirai to replace Stringer as CEO in April
(AP) -- Sony Corp. announced Wednesday that Kazuo Hirai, who leads the company's core consumer products business, will replace Howard Stringer as CEO and president effective April 1, as the electronics and entertainment company desperately tries to engineer a turnaround.
Super Bowl advertisers go after 'second screens'
(AP) -- Call it the "second-screen" Super Bowl. About two-thirds of smartphone and tablet owners use their gadgets to do things like text or post on Twitter while watching TV, according to research firm Nielsen. So, for Sunday's game, companies from Coke to Chevy are trying to reach fans on all the "second screens" they have.
Quarter of tweets not worth reading, Twitter users tell researchers
Twitter users choose the microblogs they follow, but that doesn't mean they always like what they get. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Georgia Institute of Technology found that users say only a little more than a third of the tweets they receive are worthwhile.
Swimming goes high tech with EPFL-developed inertial systems
Scientists from EPFL's Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement have developed inertial systems, worn in a full-body swimming suit, which can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of elite-level swimmers during workout sessions. It’s a revolutionary new tool for coaches.
Apps for day-to-day work
Games, e-mails and around-the-clock Internet access – smartphones are making the information culture an even more prominent part of everyday life. Businesses and employers are also increasingly relying on mobile companions with apps developed expressly for the task at hand. In the future, for instance, apps will help farmers in organizing harvest their crops or provide support for business travelers. Researchers will be presenting the new apps at CeBIT 2012 (March 6-10).
Darpa researchers design eye-enhancing virtual reality contact lenses
Currently being developed by DARPA researchers at Washington-based Innovega iOptiks are contact lenses that enhance normal vision by allowing a wearer to view virtual and augmented reality images without the need for bulky apparatus.
Barnes & Noble says it won't stock Amazon titles
(AP) -- Barnes & Noble is attempting to irk its publishing rival Amazon.com Inc. by not stocking Amazon published titles in its stores.
Nonprofit to help Megaupload users retrieve data
(AP) -- Users of the file-sharing website Megaupload who feared their data could be deleted as early as Thursday have a reprieve after a nonprofit group stepped in at the eleventh hour.
A new system of stereo cameras detects pedestrians from within the car
A team of German researchers, with the help of a lecturer at the University of Alcalá (UAH, Spain), has developed a system that locates pedestrians in front of the vehicle using artificial vision. Soon to be integrated into the top-of-the-range Mercedes vehicles, the device includes two cameras and a unit that process information supplied in real time by all image points.
New U of M video game teaches consequences of distracted driving
Being in a life-threatening vehicle crash due to distracted driving teaches a painful lesson, but makers of the new video game Distraction Dodger hope there is a much safer way to teach the same lesson.
France convicts Google Maps for unfair competition
A French commercial court has found Google guilty of abusing the dominant position of its Google Maps application and ordered it to pay a fine and damages to a French mapping company.
Matching fans to music tops record industry agenda
After a decade-long battle against file-sharing, music and technology giants are now pushing users to share to their hearts' content, with online music recommendations a key issue at the MIDEM trade fair that wrapped up Tuesday.
TripAdvisor rapped by British advertising watchdog
Travel website TripAdvisor was censured by Britain's advertising watchdog on Wednesday and warned that it must not claim that all of its user-generated reviews are from real travellers.
Finland's UPM to make biodiesel from wood pulp
Finnish papermaker UPM said Wednesday it plans to build the world's first industrial-scale plant to refine a byproduct of wood pulp into biodiesel.
Status update: Facebook to go public, raise $5B
(AP) -- Facebook made a much-anticipated status update Wednesday: The Internet social network is going public eight years after its computer-hacking CEO Mark Zuckerberg started the service at Harvard University.
Hackers attack Brazil's largest state-run bank
(AP) -- A group of Internet hackers said Wednesday it took down the website of the Banco do Brasil, Brazil's largest state-run bank. It's the third such attack against financial institutions in a week.
Will Facebook deliver an IPO surprise?
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg turns up at business conventions in a hoodie. "Cocky" is the word used to describe him most often, after "billionaire." He was Time's person of the year at 26.
Driving the green: New study suggests that electric-powered trucks will save money for businesses
A company looking to purchase an electric-powered delivery truck today will likely experience some sticker shock: Such a vehicle costs nearly $150,000, compared to about $50,000 for the same kind of truck with a standard internal-combustion engine.
German engineers mimic humpback whale to increase helicopter stability
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whale researchers have known for some time that humpback whales are able to perform feats of underwater acrobatics that belie their huge size and that some of that ability is partly due to the bumps they have on the leading edge of their dorsal fins. Now, engineers at the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology in Germany have applied the same idea to the leading edges of helicopter rotors and have found that doing so allows for greater stability and faster flight.
Microsoft slams Google user data policy in new ads
Microsoft Corp. took out full-age ads in major newspapers Wednesday, slamming privacy policy changes at search rival Google Inc. that allow it to merge user data across its services.
Wireless power could revolutionize highway transportation, researchers say
A Stanford University research team has designed a high-efficiency charging system that uses magnetic fields to wirelessly transmit large electric currents between metal coils placed several feet apart. The long-term goal of the research is to develop an all-electric highway that wirelessly charges cars and trucks as they cruise down the road.
A spider web's strength lies in more than its silk
While researchers have long known of the incredible strength of spider silk, the robust nature of the tiny filaments cannot alone explain how webs survive multiple tears and winds that exceed hurricane strength.
Medicine & Health news
Large hospital successfully implements CPOE system with clinical decision support for radiology
In an effort to reduce the inappropriate use of medical imaging and improve quality of care, a large, tertiary-care hospital has successfully implemented a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system with clinical decision support for radiology, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Significant increases in meaningful use (for electronically created studies, from 0.4 percent to 61.9 percent; for electronically signed studies, from 0.4 percent to 92.2 percent) and the adoption of CPOE (from 0.5 percent to 94.6 percent) were observed.
MSK ultrasound volume increase higher among non-radiologists, study suggests
Between 2000 and 2009, the musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound volume increase among non-radiologists was much higher than that among radiologists, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Ultrasound images of the MSK system provide pictures of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and soft tissue throughout the body.
Surgical breast biopsy not overused, study suggests
Contrary to earlier findings, surgical breast biopsies may not be as overused as previously thought, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Surgical breast biopsies are more invasive than needle biopsies, requiring an incision and the use of general anesthesia.
24,000 ducks destroyed in Australia after bird flu
Some 24,000 Australian ducks were being destroyed Wednesday after testing positive for a low pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus, an outbreak which has prompted poultry export bans in parts of Asia.
Sleep apnea linked to silent strokes, small lesions in brain
People with severe sleep apnea may have an increased risk of silent strokes and small lesions in the brain, according to a small study presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
Clot-busting drugs appear safe for treating 'wake-up' stroke patients
Clot-busting drugs may be safe for patients who wake up experiencing stroke symptoms, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
UCSF leaders explore bioinformatics in research, patient care and education
In the world of bioinformatics, the rush is on to extract gold from a data mine.
Experimental drug reduces 'second stroke' after aneurysm rupture
An experimental drug, clazosentan, reduced the risk of blood vessel spasm in patients with a brain aneurysm, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
Mumbai hospital review highlights challenges posed by a major terrorist attack
Meticulous forward planning, effective casualty assessment by a senior surgeon and efficient teamwork by medical and administrative staff are essential when handling injuries sustained in major terrorist incidents.
Dyslexia-linked genetic variant decreases midline crossing of auditory pathways
Finnish scientists have found that a rare dyslexia-linked genetic variant of the ROBO1 gene decreases normal crossing of auditory pathways in the human brain. The weaker the expression of the gene is, the more abnormal is the midline crossing. The results link, for the first time, a dyslexia-susceptibility gene to a specific sensory function of the human brain. This collaborative study between Aalto University and University of Helsinki in Finland and the Karolinska Insitutet in Sweden was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
3D mapping of human genome to help understand diseases
Genome Institute of Singapore’s (GIS) Associate Director of Genomic Technologies, Dr. Yijun RUAN, led a continuing study on the human genome spatial/structural configuration, revealing how genes interact/communicate and influence each other, even when they are located far away from each other. This discovery is crucial in understanding how human genes work together, and will re-write textbooks on how transcription regulation and coordination takes place in human cells.
Obesity and heart disease: Is the health of your fat a measure of risk?
Dr. Fiona McGillicuddy from the UCD Conway Institute wins the first award under the SFI-HRB Wellcome Trust Biomedical Partnership. She will investigate the links between obesity, 'good cholesterol', diet and coronary artery disease.
Study illuminates ethnic disparities in diabetes and cognitive impairment
A new study finds that decreasing the disparities in rates of type 2 diabetes among Whites, Blacks and Hispanics could eliminate some racial and ethnic disparities in the development of cognitive impairment or dementia. Prior research has shown that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for all forms of major cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Belgium advises women to have PIP breast implants removed
Belgium's health authorities on Wednesday advised women with defective breast implants made by French firm PIP to have them removed.
Prostate cancer risk halved for subfertile men
Involuntary childlessness owing to reduced fertility is a concern for many men. However, these men do have one advantage – they run a significantly lower risk of suffering from prostate cancer. Researchers are interested in whether this phenomenon could be used in the fight against cancer.
Survivors of violence benefit from mentoring
Can mentoring relationships help female students who survive childhood abuse or domestic violence? Absolutely, according to new research from Concordia University, published in the Journal of College Student Development.
FDA approves new skin cancer drug
A new skin cancer drug tested for the first time in the world five years ago at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare just received expedited approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a remarkable accomplishment in new drug development.
A thought-provoking new therapeutic target for brain cancer?
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common of all malignant brain tumors that originate in the brain. Patients with GBM have a poor prognosis because it is a highly aggressive form of cancer that is commonly resistant to current therapies. New therapeutic approaches are therefore much needed. Joanna Phillips, Zena Werb, and colleagues, at the University of California, San Francisco, have now identified a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of GBM.
Assessing the value of BMI screening and surveillance in schools
The value of routine body mass index (BMI) screening in schools has been a topic of ongoing controversy. An expert Roundtable Discussion in the current issue of Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., debates the pros and cons of routine BMI screening in the school setting, discusses the most recent data, and explores when and for what purpose BMI screening results should be shared with parents and the potential benefits. The Roundtable is available online.
For stroke prevention, large medical centers may have the edge
Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of unruptured brain aneurysms, outcomes have remained stagnant over the last 10 years. This can be explained by the dramatic proliferation of minimally invasive endoscopic coiling procedures at lower-volume community hospitals, where outcomes are inferior.
First lady promotes healthy food in California
(AP) -- Michelle Obama says a proposed new supermarket in the middle of a blue-collar Hispanic neighborhood in Southern California is an example of how the effort to bring healthy foods to low-income communities is paying off.
New map pinpoints areas of highest human risk for lyme disease in eastern United States
A new map pinpoints well-defined areas of the Eastern United States where humans have the highest risk of contracting Lyme disease, one of the most rapidly emerging infectious diseases in North America, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As part of the most extensive Lyme-related field study ever undertaken, researchers found high infection risk confined mainly to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest and low risk in the South. The results were published in the February issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Given frequent over- and under-diagnosis of Lyme disease, the new map could arm the public and health officials with critical information on actual local risk.
Exercise can improve the health and wellbeing of cancer patients
Exercise can improve the health of cancer patients who have completed their main cancer-related treatment finds a study published in the British Medical Journal.
Women taking indigestion drugs at increased risk of hip fracture after menopause
Post-menopausal women are 35% more likely to suffer hip fracture if they take indigestion drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a figure which increases to 50% if they are also current or former smokers, suggests a study published today in the British Medical Journal.
Heart failure is associated with loss of brain cells and a decline in mental processes
Australian researchers have found evidence that heart failure is associated with a decline in people's mental processes and a loss of grey matter in the brain. These changes can make it more difficult for heart failure (HF) patients to remember and carry out instructions such as taking the correct medication at the right times.
New drug extends survival in patients with drug-resistant prostate cancer
A new drug, MDV3100, is improving the survival rate in men with advanced prostate cancer, results of a large, phase III clinical trial show. The drug is designed to block a type of cellular receptor that drives progression of prostate cancer. Based on the strength of the data from the phase III trial, it is anticipated that the biopharmaceutical company Medivation, which licensed MDV3100, will file a new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration later this year.
Hold the extra burgers and fries when people pleasers arrive
If you are a people-pleaser who strives to keep your social relationships smooth and comfortable, you might find yourself overeating in certain social situations like Super Bowl watch parties. A new study from Case Western Reserve University found that, hungry or not, some people eat in an attempt to keep others comfortable.
2012 adult immunization schedule broadens recommendations for HPV and hepatitis B vaccinations
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) now recommends routine HPV vaccination for males aged 11 to 12 years and catch-up vaccination for males aged 13 to 21. These are just two of the changes to the 2012 Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule being published February 1 in Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Men more likely to have an accurate memory of unpleasant experiences
A woman's memory of an experience is less likely to be accurate than a man's if it was unpleasant and emotionally provocative, according to research undertaken by University of Montreal researchers at Louis-H Lafontaine Hospital.
Decaffeinated coffee preserves memory function by improving brain energy metabolism
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes. This brain dysfunction is a known risk factor for dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. The research is published online in Nutritional Neuroscience.
Study questions proton therapy for prostate cancer
A warning to men considering a pricey new treatment for prostate cancer called proton therapy: Research suggests it might have more side effects than traditional radiation does.
Imaging study shows how humor activates kids' brain regions
For the first time, researchers have scanned the brains of children watching funny videos to examine which of their brain regions are active as their sense of humor develops. The new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine show that some parts of the brain network that respond to humor in adults already exist in 6- to 12-year-olds, though the neural circuits become more sophisticated as kids grow.
Article addresses the e-patient phenomenon
A team of scholars from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis and the University of Maryland School of Nursing published the first article in academic nursing literature about the electronic-savvy patient, or e-patient. The article is also the first published by a group of doctoral students at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. The article, "Exploration of the E-Patient Phenomenon in Nursing Informatics," was published online Jan. 6 in Nursing Outlook — the official journal of the American Academy of Nursing — and will appear in an upcoming print edition of the journal. The article describes how health-care providers can collaborate with e-patients — individuals who use technology to become involved in their own health care — to increase "collective wisdom" about health.
Infections in childhood linked to high risk of ischemic stroke
Common infections in children pose a high risk of ischemic stroke, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
Poor neighborhoods suffer higher incidence of arthritis
People living in poor neighbourhoods have a higher rate and risk of arthritis - one of the most common causes of disability in the developed world.
How antipsychotic medications cause metabolic side effects such as obesity and diabetes
In 2008, roughly 14.3 million Americans were taking antipsychotics—typically prescribed for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or a number of other behavioral disorders—making them among the most prescribed drugs in the U.S. Almost all of these medications are known to cause the metabolic side effects of obesity and diabetes, leaving patients with a difficult choice between improving their mental health and damaging their physical health. In a paper published January 31 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) reveal how antipsychotic drugs interfere with normal metabolism by activating a protein called SMAD3, an important part of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) pathway.
Stents and surgery for blocked neck arteries are neck-and-neck as lasting stroke prevention
A new comparison of the procedures to help prevent strokes by removing or relieving blockages in the arteries of the neck concludes they are equally effective at halting repeat blockage. Two years after treatment with either surgery or a minimally invasive treatment using wire coils called stents, the re-blockage rate remained the same, approximately six percent. Results of the analysis were detailed in a presentation at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference today in New Orleans.
Severe, rapid memory loss linked to future, fatal strokes
Severe, rapid memory loss may be linked to -- and could predict -- a future deadly stroke, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.
When the isolated lung runs out of air
A lung transplant is the only treatment option for patients faced with imminent pulmonary failure. But suitable donor organs are highly susceptible to damage in transit. A team of researchers based at LMU's Walther Straub Institute, Germany, has now discovered why this is so, and suggest ways of avoiding it.
Insulin resistance linked to brain health in elderly
New research from Uppsala University shows that reduced insulin sensitivity is linked to smaller brain size and deteriorated language skills in seniors. The findings are now published in the scientific journal Diabetes Care.
Obesity reduces the size of your brain
(Medical Xpress) -- New research from Uppsala University shows that a specific brain region linked to appetite regulation is reduced in elderly people who are obese. Poor eating habits over a lifetime may therefore weaken brain function that helps us to control our desire to eat. The findings are published in The International Journal of Obesity.
Pfizer recalls 1 million packets of US birth control pills
US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Wednesday recalled one million packets of birth control pills over a packaging error that could put women at risk of unintended pregnancy.
Study reveals new wrinkle in growing US health gap
Most studies that have examined growing levels of health disparity in the United States have focused on the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in terms of socioeconomic factors such as education and income.
Impoverished schools, parent education key factors in student weight
Attending a financially poor school may have more of an effect on unhealthy adolescent weight than family poverty, according to Penn State sociologists.
Study shows massage reduces inflammation following strenuous exercise
Most athletes can testify to the pain-relieving, recovery-promoting effects of massage. Now there's a scientific basis that supports booking a session with a massage therapist: On the cellular level massage reduces inflammation and promotes the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle. The research, involving scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario appears in the February 1st online edition of Science Translational Medicine.
'Life and activity monitor' provides portable, constant recording of vital signs
Researchers have developed a type of wearable, non-invasive electronic device that can monitor vital signs such as heart rate and respiration at the same time it records a person's activity level, opening new opportunities for biomedical research, diagnostics and patient care.
Blood test accurately distinguishes depressed patients from healthy controls
The initial assessment of a blood test to help diagnose major depressive disorder indicates it may become a useful clinical tool. In a paper published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a team including Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers reports that a test analyzing levels of nine biomarkers accurately distinguished patients diagnosed with depression from control participants without significant false-positive results.
Potatoes lower blood pressure in people with obesity and hypertension without increasing weight
The first study to check the effects of eating potatoes on blood pressure in humans has concluded that two small helpings of purple potatoes (Purple Majesty) a day decreases blood pressure by about 4 percent without causing weight gain. In a report in the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers say that decrease, although seemingly small, is sufficient to potentially reduce the risk of several forms of heart disease.
Sleep deprivation tied to increased nighttime urination in preadolescence
Nighttime visits to the bathroom are generally associated with being pregnant or having an enlarged prostate, but the problem can affect youngsters, too. A new study sheds light on why some children may need to urinate more often during the rest cycle. Danish researchers have found that sleep deprivation causes healthy children, between the ages of eight and twelve, to urinate significantly more frequently, excrete more sodium in their urine, have altered regulation of the hormones important for excretion, and have higher blood pressure and heart rates.
Many children with liver transplants from parents can safely stop using anti-rejection drugs
Physicians at three transplant centers have found in a pilot study that a majority of children who receive liver tissue from a parent can eventually stop using immunosuppression (anti-rejection) medications safely. These drugs, which tamp down natural immune function, have been linked to a bevy of complications, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure.
Vigorous exercise linked to gene activity in prostate
Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have identified nearly 200 genes in the healthy prostate tissue of men with low-grade prostate cancer that may help explain how physical activity improves survival from the disease.
First-of-its-kind head patch monitors brain blood flow and oxygen
A research team led by investigators at Mayo Clinic in Florida has found that a small device worn on a patient's brow can be useful in monitoring stroke patients in the hospital. The device measures blood oxygen, similar to a pulse oximeter, which is clipped onto a finger.
Researchers pinpoint genetic connection to traumatic experience
Rutgers scientists have uncovered genetic clues as to why some mice no longer in danger are still fearful while others are resilient to traumatic experiences – knowledge that could help those suffering with crippling anxiety and PTSD.
Study shows Alzheimer's disease may spread by 'jumping' from one brain region to another
For decades, researchers have debated whether Alzheimer's disease starts independently in vulnerable brain regions at different times, or if it begins in one region and then spreads to neuroanatomically connected areas. A new study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers strongly supports the latter, demonstrating that abnormal tau protein, a key feature of the neurofibrillary tangles seen in the brains of those with Alzheimer's, propagates along linked brain circuits, "jumping" from neuron to neuron.
Extended synaptic development may explain our cognitive edge over other primates
Over the first few years of life, human cognition continues to develop, soaking up information and experiences from the environment and far surpassing the abilities of even our nearest primate relatives. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers have identified extended synaptic development in the human brain relative to other primates, a finding that sheds new light on the biology and evolution of human cognition.
Seasonal changes may influence the efficacy of vaccination against diabetes
The development of a medicine for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, based on autoantigen GAD65, received a setback following crucial clinical phase 3 trials that failed to show significant effects. One possible explanation may be seasonal variations in the immune system, claim those responsible for the study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Eating behavior influenced by dining partners
Share a meal with someone and you are both likely to mimic each other's behavior and take bites at the same time rather than eating at your own pace, says a study published in the Feb. 2 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
Here is what real commitment to your marriage means
What does being committed to your marriage really mean? UCLA psychologists answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage.
Study of Alzheimer's-related protein in healthy adults may shed light on earliest signs of disease
Researchers from the Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center have completed a large-scale neuroimaging study of healthy adults from age 30 to 90 that measured beta-amyloid protein—a substance whose toxic buildup in the brain is a diagnostic marker for Alzheimer's disease.
Lungs clothed in fresh cells offer new hope for transplant patients
For patients suffering from severe pulmonary diseases including emphysema, lung cancer or fibrosis, transplantation of healthy lung tissue may offer the best chance for survival. The surgical procedure, however, faces two primary challenges: an acute shortage of donor lungs and rejection of transplanted tissue by the recipient's immune system.
Testosterone makes us less cooperative and more egocentric, study finds
Testosterone makes us overvalue our own opinions at the expense of cooperation, research from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London has found. The findings may have implications for how group decisions are affected by dominant individuals.
Stem cells could drive hepatitis research forward
Hepatitis C, an infectious disease that can cause inflammation and organ failure, has different effects on different people. But no one is sure why some people are very susceptible to the infection, while others are resistant.
Seeing really is believing
(Medical Xpress) -- Want to know why sports fans get so worked up when they think the referee has wrongly called their team's pass forward, their player offside, or their serve as a fault?
New evidence touch-sensing nerve cells may fuel 'ringing in the ears'
We all know that it can take a little while for our hearing to bounce back after listening to our iPods too loud or attending a raucous concert. But new research at the University of Michigan Health System suggests over-exposure to noise can actually cause more lasting changes to our auditory circuitry – changes that may lead to tinnitus, commonly known as ringing in the ears.
Why the brain is more reluctant to function as we age
New findings, led by neuroscientists at the University of Bristol and published this week in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, reveal a novel mechanism through which the brain may become more reluctant to function as we grow older.
Just another pretty face: Professor investigates neural basis of prosopagnosia
For Bradley Duchaine, there is definitely more than meets the eye where faces are concerned.
Researchers: Societal control of sugar essential to ease public health burden
Sugar should be controlled like alcohol and tobacco to protect public health, according to a team of UCSF researchers, who maintain in a new report that sugar is fueling a global obesity pandemic, contributing to 35 million deaths annually worldwide from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Same genes linked to early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease
The same gene mutations linked to inherited, early-onset Alzheimer's disease have been found in people with the more common late-onset form of the illness.
Biology news
Naming new plant species moves online
There are more than 380,000 plant species known to science, with many more around the world still to be found, identified and scientifically named. But this mighty task will now be more efficient for plant scientists, thanks to new rules that mean descriptions of new species can be published entirely online.
Early action tipped to save tonnes of Aussie avocados
Researchers at UQ's Queensland Alliance for Food and Agriculture (QAAFI) have acted swiftly to ensure Australia's next $180 million avocado crop won't be crippled by a fungus.
IPM decreased pesticide use in University of Florida housing
A new study recently published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management (JIPM) shows that from 2003 to 2008, the use of insecticide active ingredients was reduced by about 90% in University of Florida housing buildings after an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program was implemented.
Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections
Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance.
Weightlessness weighs heavy on genes -- a fly's perspective
On Earth all biology is subjected to gravity. Some biological systems require gravity for correct orientation (geotropism: plants grow up, roots grow down). In the absence of gravity even human biology is affected: astronauts lose bone density at 1-2% a month rather than the usual 1-2% a year on Earth. But the effects of gravity on cellular processes are less well understood. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Genomics has used diamagnetic levitation to counteract the effects of gravity on the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and found that the expression of several genes was affected. This included genes involved in cell signalling, the immune system, response to stress and changes in temperature, such as the heat shock proteins.
Research boosts maple syrup production
(PhysOrg.com) -- The secret to success for maple syrup producers may lie in the science of sanitation.
Endangered turtle baby boom in Philippines
Globally endangered green turtles are enjoying a baby boom on remote Philippine islands as a three-decade protection programme starts to pay off, environment group Conservation International said Wednesday.
New livestock virus spreading quickly in Germany: institute
A new livestock disease causing deformities in animals at birth is spreading rapidly in Germany, with at least five European countries affected to date, agriculture authorities said Wednesday.
A mighty revealing mouse
Ten years ago, when Prof. Neville Pillay first started investigating the semi-desert-dwelling African striped mouse or Rhabdomys in the Goegap Nature Reserve near Springbok, Northern Cape, he never anticipated how important and groundbreaking this research would be. Since then this mouse is emerging as a critical species behaviour indicator in this era of climate change.
Transgene insects: Scientists call for more open data
While genetically modified plants have already been introduced into the wild on a large scale in some parts of the world, the release of genetically modified animals is still at a relatively early stage. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany has now published a study examining the free release of genetically modified insects in Malaysia, USA, and Cayman Islands. Their findings suggest deficits in the scientific quality of regulatory documents and a general absence of accurate experimental descriptions available to the public before releases start. The researchers call for clear and accurate descriptions of releases to be very widely circulated before insects are released in a trial - particularly if mosquito species that bite humans are involved. They also provide an innovative checklist to assist journalists and the public in assessing the scientific credibility of regulatory release authorizations.
Global experts question claims about jellyfish populations
Blooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations – clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants – and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. Now, a new global and collaborative study questions claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide and suggests claims are not supported with any hard evidence or scientific analyses to date.
Prolific plant hunters provide insight in strategy for collecting undiscovered plant species
Today's alarmingly high rate of plant extinction necessitates an increased understanding of the world's biodiversity. An estimated 15 to 30 percent of the world's flowering plants have yet to be discovered, making efficiency an integral function of future botanical research—but how is this best accomplished? Botanist Dr. Gerrit Davidse, John S. Lehmann Curator of Grasses at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis has collaborated with eight British botanists to quantify the role of plant collectors in the discovery of plant diversity. Their findings show a disproportionately high percentage of the world's plant discoveries have been made by just two percent of the world's most prolific and experienced collectors, implying that identifying and funding this small number of experts in the right geographic locations is vital to any effective strategy to document the world's flora. The study was published Wednesday, Feb. 1 in the British scientific journal Proceedings o! f the Royal Society B.
Seagrass meadow found to be composed of extremely old, large organisms
Mediterranean seagrass meadows contain genetically identical clones up to 15 kilometers apart, suggesting that these organisms must be thousands to tens of thousands of years old, as reported in the Feb. 1 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
Circular RNAs more common than previously thought
In the classical model of gene expression, the genetic script encoded in our genomes is expressed in each cell in the form of RNA molecules, each consisting of a linear string of chemical "bases". It may be time to revise this traditional understanding of human gene expression, as new research suggests that circular RNA molecules, rather than the classical linear molecules, are a widespread feature of the gene expression program in every human cell. The results are published in the Feb. 1 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
New studies show promise for biological control methods against insects
(PhysOrg.com) -- For years, scientists have tried to use environmentally friendly fungi to control fire ant infestations.
Hunger may inhibit defensive behavior
Most animals don't spend nearly as much time and energy defending nesting or mating sites against intruders outside the breeding season. That's a given.
Making nature's best better to produce biofuels
If a tree falls in the forest and there are no enzymes to digest it, does it break down?
Road runoff spurring spotted salamander evolution
Spotted salamanders exposed to contaminated roadside ponds are adapting to their toxic environments, according to a Yale paper in Scientific Reports. This study provides the first documented evidence that a vertebrate has adapted to the negative effects of roads apparently by evolving rapidly.
Chaos in the cell's command center
A defective operating system is never a good thing. Like computers, our cells depend on operating systems to drive normal functions. Gene expression programs comprise the software code our cells rely on, with each cell type controlled by its own program. Corrupted programs can trigger disease.
Australia -- land of the koala, kangaroo... and elephant
Elephants and maybe rhinoceroses could be introduced to Australia to chomp on an invasive African grass that also causes wildfires, according to an idea reported in a scientific journal on Wednesday.
Bacterial plasmids -- the freeloading and the heavy-lifters -- balance the high price of disease
Studying self-replicating genetic units, called plasmids, found in one of the world's widest-ranging pathogenic soil bacteria -- the crown-gall-disease-causing microorganism Agrobacterium tumefaciens -- Indiana University biologists are showing how freeloading, mutant derivatives of these plasmids benefit while the virulent, disease-causing plasmids do the heavy-lifting of initiating infection in plant hosts. The research confirms that the ability of bacteria to cause disease comes at a significant cost that is only counterbalanced by the benefits they experience from infected host organisms.
Study finds southern Indian Ocean humpbacks singing different tunes
A recently published study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and others reveals that humpback whales on both sides of the southern Indian Ocean are singing different tunes, unusual since humpbacks in the same ocean basin usually all sing very similar songs.
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