Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for February 15, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Astronomers watch instant replay of powerful stellar eruption- Black hole came from a shredded galaxy
- Space diamonds reveal supernova origins
- Research group extends capabilities of jamming universal gripper robot arm effector (w/ video)
- At Yale, quantum computing is a (qu)bit closer to reality
- Plasmas torn apart: Physicists make discovery that hints at origin of phenomena like solar flares
- Remove software for smartphone can zap photo items (w/ video)
- Lava formations in eastern Oregon linked to rip in giant slab of Earth
- New drugs show promise for preventing 'absence seizures' in children
- Out of Africa? Data fail to support language origin in Africa
- Extreme summer temperatures occur more frequently: study
- Researchers find simple reason why some children die despite aggressive modern therapy for brain cancer
- In the mouth, smoking zaps healthy bacteria, welcomes pathogens
- Diabetes may start in the intestines, research suggests
- Cisco challenges Microsoft takeover of Skype in EU
Space & Earth news
Exploring eruptions: Research on volcanoes could one day help save lives
Geology takes the long view. It is a field, after all, in which the pace of change spans billions of years. John Lyons, however, is interested in geological events that happen at a faster rate. So the recent graduate of Michigan Tech’s PhD program in geophysics has found a compromise: he studies volcanoes.
SLS advanced booster risk reduction solutions
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has issued a NASA Research Announcement for the Space Launch System (SLS) Advanced Booster risk-reduction effort.
NASA announces third round of CubeSat space mission candidates
NASA has selected 33 small satellites to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2013 and 2014. The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, NASA field centers and Department of Defense organizations.
NASA shuts down its last mainframe computer
NASA has just powered down its last mainframe computer. Umm, everyone remembers what a mainframe computer is, right? Well, you certainly must recall working with punched cards, paper tape, and/or magnetic tape, correct? That does sound a little archaic. “But all things must change,” wrote Linda Cureton on the NASA CIO blog. “Today, they are the size of a refrigerator but in the old days, they were the size of Cape Cod.”
Book examines state-owned oil firms, prices and pollution
To maintain power, oil-rich governments often lean on their national oil companies in ways that hurt the environment, damage their companies' efficiency and raise prices for the rest of the world, according to Stanford University researcher Mark Thurber.
Russia launches European telecoms satellite
A Russian Proton-M rocket completed the successful launch Wednesday of a European telecommunications satellite after a two-month delay.
Productive farms can be 'greener than organic': study
(PhysOrg.com) -- Farms that aim for high food production using environmentally-friendly practices could be better for the environment than both organic and conventional farms.
APEX turns its eye to dark clouds in Taurus
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new image from the APEX (Atacama Pathfinder Experiment) telescope in Chile shows a sinuous filament of cosmic dust more than ten light-years long. In it, newborn stars are hidden, and dense clouds of gas are on the verge of collapsing to form yet more stars. It is one of the regions of star formation closest to us. The cosmic dust grains are so cold that observations at wavelengths of around one millimetre, such as these made with the LABOCA camera on APEX, are needed to detect their faint glow.
NASA aircraft to trek globe in 2012 for earth studies
(PhysOrg.com) -- While NASA's fleet of Earth science spacecraft -- its "eyes on the Earth" - continues to monitor the pulse of our home planet, 2012 is also shaping up to be an extraordinary time for NASA's Airborne Science Program and its Earth system science research initiatives. Multiple aircraft and specialized instruments, including several from JPL, will operate in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America this year in support of studies conducted by NASA and the Earth science community, improving scientists' understanding of our planet.
Nasa's picture of the future of human spaceflight
NASA released a new interactive infographic that attempts to give a picture of future of human spaceflight activities and where NASA might be going. The new Space Launch system and the Orion MPCV figure prominently in going to future destinations such as the Moon, Mars, Near Earth Asteroids and even LaGrange Points. It would be awesome to go to all those destinations, but – call me pessimistic — in reality, we’ll be lucky if we even get to one of them in the next 30 years. But since human spaceflight received favorable funding nods in the new NASA budget proposal, we can hopefully look forward to the first un-crewed test flight of the MPCV in 2013 or 2014.
Nationwide radium testing of groundwater shows most susceptible regions: Central US and East Coast
Groundwater in aquifers on the East Coast and in the Central U.S. has the highest risk of contamination from radium, a naturally occurring radioactive element and known carcinogen.
Climate change may increase risk of water shortages in hundreds of US counties by 2050
More than 1 in 3 counties in the United States could face a "high" or "extreme" risk of water shortages due to climate change by the middle of the 21st century, according to a new study in ACS's Journal of Environmental Science & Technology. The new report concluded that 7 in 10 of the more than 3,100 U.S. counties could face "some" risk of shortages of fresh water for drinking, farming and other uses. It includes maps that identify the counties at risk of shortages.
NASA sees Cyclone Giovanna enter the Mozambique Channel
Cyclone Giovanna crossed over the island of Madagascar leaving flooding and damages in its wake and has now entered the Mozambique Channel. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image that showed a ragged eye still exists, and the storm is regaining strength in the warm Channel waters.
Swiss craft janitor satellites to grab space junk
The tidy Swiss want to clean up space. Swiss scientists said Wednesday they plan to launch a "janitor satellite" specially designed to get rid of orbiting debris known as space junk.
Lava formations in eastern Oregon linked to rip in giant slab of Earth
Like a stream of air shooting out of an airplane's broken window to relieve cabin pressure, scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego say lava formations in eastern Oregon are the result of an outpouring of magma forced out of a breach in a massive slab of Earth. Their new mechanism explaining how such a large volume of magma was generated is published in the Feb. 16 issue of the journal Nature.
Extreme summer temperatures occur more frequently: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- Extreme summer temperatures are already occurring more frequently in the United States, and will become normal by mid-century if the world continues on a business as usual schedule of emitting greenhouse gases.
Human and humanoid robot shake hands in space 1st
Astronauts and robots have united in space with a healthy handshake.
Black hole came from a shredded galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered. The presence of the star cluster suggests that the black hole was once at the core of a now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy. The discovery of the black hole and the star cluster has important implications for understanding the evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies.
Astronomers watch instant replay of powerful stellar eruption
Astronomers are watching the astronomical equivalent of an instant replay of a spectacular outburst from the unstable, behemoth double-star system Eta Carinae, which was initially seen on Earth nearly 170 years ago. Astrophysicists affiliated with UC Santa Barbara and Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) contributed to the study.
Technology news
Boost for wave energy: half the Wave Hub berths now filled
Two of the four berths at an EU-funded grid-connected offshore marine-energy test site have now been filled. Wave Hub, located off the Cornish coast in the United Kingdom, is the largest test site of its type in the world. It is supported by EUR 23 million from the European Regional Development Fund under its Convergence objective, which focuses on supporting sustainable integrated economic development and the creation of sustainable jobs.
Chicago asked not to stifle wireless at summits
(AP) -- Protesters are coming by the thousands to Chicago, armed with smartphones, video cameras and social media links that will allow them to instantly map strategy, share plans and disseminate images of what's happening - right in front of a police force renowned for responding with tough tactics.
FCC adopts new rules against 'robocalls'
(AP) -- The federal government is cracking down on "robocalls," those automated phone calls with the tendency to interrupt Sunday dinners and otherwise annoy consumers.
New 'smart pills' signal your iPhone -- and more from innovative drug company partnerships
Imagine a "smart pill" containing a biodegradable electronic chip that monitors how your body responds to the medicine, broadcasts the information to your iPhone, which then emails the information to your physician. It may sound like science fiction, but drug companies have been studying just such an approach, according to an article in the current edition of ACS's Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Scottish leader boasts of green energy potential
An independent Scotland would be able to get rich on renewable energy sector revenues, First Minister Alex Salmond insisted Wednesday.
Yahoo faces investor mutiny as Asia talks unravel
(AP) -- Yahoo's hopes for a fresh start under a new CEO faded Tuesday as its closely watched discussions to sell most of its Asian holdings unraveled and a frustrated shareholder announced that he will try to seize four seats on the struggling Internet company's board.
Researchers combine mobile phone technology and microscopy
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed an optical accessory that turns an ordinary camera phone into a high-resolution microscope. The device is accurate to one hundredth of a millimetre. Among those who will benefit from the device are the printing industry, consumers, the security business, and even health care professionals. A new Finnish enterprise called KeepLoop Oy and VTT are already exploring the commercial potential of the invention. The first industrial applications and consumer models will be released in early 2012.
Start-up finds online meaning
(PhysOrg.com) -- Software developed at Oxford University that accurately assesses what people mean from what they say online will provide a valuable ‘sentiment analysis’ tool for businesses, particularly finance companies.
Eye-tracking studies: first impressions form quickly on the web
When viewing a website, it takes users less than two-tenths of a second to form a first impression, according to recent eye-tracking research conducted at Missouri University of Science and Technology. But it takes a little longer - about 2.6 seconds - for a user's eyes to land on that area of a website that most influences their first impression.
Computer scientists collect computing tools for next-generation machines
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers using the OLCF's resources can foresee substantial changes in their scientific application code development in the near future.
Alibaba to reach out to Yahoo CEO on stalled deal
(AP) -- Alibaba Group and Japan's Softbank will go directly to Yahoo's chief executive, bypassing negotiators from the U.S. Internet company, after talks over the sale of Yahoo's Asian holdings broke down, a person familiar with the negotiations said Wednesday.
Japan planned review of tsunami risk, but too late
(AP) -- Four days before a tsunami devastated a Japanese nuclear plant, its operator promised a fuller assessment of the risk of such a disaster - but not for seven months.
Comcast subscribers almost stop cancelling cable
(AP) -- It's become the routine in the cable industry that subscribers stream out the door every quarter, hanging up on cable in favor of service from satellite or phone companies. But in the October to December quarter, Comcast Corp. nearly managed to stop that flow.
Twitter subpoenas a challenge to intellectual privacy
The City of New York recently subpoenaed a Twitter account as part of an ongoing Occupy Wall Street criminal case. The Occupy protester named in the case is challenging the subpoena.
Virtual reality supports planning by architects
Even the most exact construction plan lacks many details and design options. The building owner needs imagination to obtain an idea of the constructed building. Now, the 3D video glasses made by the KIT spin-off "inreal Technologies" provide a true representation in virtual reality. With the help of integrated high-resolution motion sensors, the virtual environment adapts to the natural movement of the head in real time. At the CeBIT, the young entrepreneurs will present their new product at the stand of their partner, Carl Zeiss AG.
Hot invention cools down environment: Environmentally-friendly heat exchanger produced
The current global energy crisis means that sustainability now supplants necessity as the mother of all invention. Concordia University's Georgios Vatistas, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, has taken this adage to heart with his reinvention of an industrial staple: the heat exchanger.
Google tightens grip on smartphone wallets
Google on Wednesday assured users of its smartphone wallets that the mobile-age technology thwarts thieves better than old-school cash or credit cards.
Apple to seek safeguards for iPhone contact lists
Apple on Wednesday said application developers will have to get express permission from users before tapping into contact information stored in its popular gadgets, in a move to address privacy concerns.
Hackers take aim at Nasdaq, Bats websites
Hackers have targeted the public websites of the operators of the Nasdaq and Bats stock exchanges over the past two days with cyberattacks that disrupted the sites but had no impact on trading.
Thermal storage gets more solar on the grid
(PhysOrg.com) -- It's 4:45 on a sweltering August afternoon, and the rooftop solar panels are starting to lose juice. The sun's lower angles and that huge cottonwood tree are interfering with the efficient photon-to-electricity transfer.
Microchips' optical future
Computer chips are one area where the United States still enjoys a significant manufacturing lead over the rest of the world. In 2011, five of the top 10 chipmakers by revenue were U.S. companies, and Intel, the largest of them by a wide margin, has seven manufacturing facilities in the United States, versus only three overseas.
Cisco challenges Microsoft takeover of Skype in EU
Networking company Cisco said Wednesday that it is challenging Microsoft's $8.5 billion takeover of Skype at the European Union's top court to ensure Microsoft won't block other video conferencing services.
FCC plans to nix wireless network that may jam GPS
Federal officials are effectively killing a private company's plans to start a national high-speed wireless broadband network after concluding it would in some cases jam GPS devices.
US Senate in new cybersecurity push
US senators, warning of potentially catastrophic cyberattacks, introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at protecting critical infrastructure such as power, water and transportation systems.
US regulators pull plug on LightSquared
US telecom regulators have pulled the plug on an ambitious plan to build a high-speed wireless broadband network, citing potential interference with GPS navigation devices.
In new mass-production technique, robotic insects spring to life
A new technique inspired by elegant pop-up books and origami will soon allow clones of robotic insects to be mass-produced by the sheet.
Remove software for smartphone can zap photo items (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Swedish company focused on mobile-device imaging technology, Scalado, plans to show object-removal software for the smartphone at this month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The software lets you remove anything in a photo that you’re taking, with just a screen tap. The only requirements are that the object has to be moving -- unwanted pedestrians as you try to capture something on the city streets, for example -- for the application to capture and delete. Also, the camera needs to stay still and focused on the subject while you touch each moving item chosen for removal.
Medicine & Health news
Financially empowering school-age girls in resource-poor nations can prevent HIV and herpes infections
Findings of research published Online First by the Lancet suggest that financially empowering school-age girls and their families can have substantial effects on their sexual and reproductive health, reducing both HIV and HSV-2 infections. The study is by Dr Berk Özler, The World Bank; Prof Richard Garfein and Dr Craig McIntosh, University of California at San Diego; and Dr Sarah Baird, George Washington University, USA.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is safe, effective for women having hot flushes, night sweats following breast cancer treat
Hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS) affect 65-85% of women after breast cancer treatment; they are distressing, causing sleep problems and decreased quality of life. Hormone replacement therapy is often either undesirable or contraindicated. A new study published Online First by The Lancet Oncology shows that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a safe and effective treatment for these women, with additional benefits to mood, sleep, and quality of life. Furthermore, CBT could be incorporated into breast cancer survivorship programmes and delivered by trained breast cancer nurses, conclude the authors, led by Professor Myra Hunter, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. The study was funded by Cancer Research UK.
Get rid of the Bill, former vice chair of Local Commissioning Group tells Lansley
With news of the Health and Social Care Bill facing further challenge in the House of Lords, Cambridgeshire GP Dr Peter Bailey asks the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to "Get rid of the Bill" in an article published today in the British Medical Journal.
Malnutrition 'puts 450 million children at risk of stunting'
About 450 million children will be physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years unless the world takes action to tackle malnutrition, a new report from Save the Children warned Wednesday.
Calls for policy changes as lives put at risk by bureaucracy
A European Parliament event to discuss how EU legislation has negatively affected the treatment received by children and adolescents has marked International Childhood Cancer Day - 15th February.
Menopausal women use non-medical approaches to treat their symptoms and want more support
Menopausal women prefer non-medical treatment for their symptoms and want more support from their GP and partner, finds a new study published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Study quantifies impact of unsafe water and poor sanitation on child and maternal mortality
The impact of unsafe water and sanitation on the death rates of children under five and mothers in the year after childbirth has been quantified for the first time by Canadian-based researchers.
Will anti-arrhythmic drug beat sudden cardiac arrest?
(Medical Xpress) -- Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States. This form of heart attack kills 325,000 people every year, representing one death every two minutes. Almost all SCA victims die before they even reach a hospital. To identify a drug that paramedics can use in the field, UC San Diego Health System has opened a clinical trial to evaluate two medications to help restore the heart beat.
Patients need more guidance on chemo web information
(Medical Xpress) -- Doctors and nurses may be underestimating the value placed on internet chemotherapy information by cancer patients and missing out on opportunities to discuss this information with them, new research finds today.
Novel tuberculosis research technology published
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one-third of the world's population is currently infected with tuberculosis bacteria. The bacteria is incredibly resistant to treatment, and despite its prevalence, very little is known about why it is so stress tolerant. But, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have been developing a new way of culturing tuberculosis bacteria, which could lead to new insights and treatments.
South Asians living with coronary disease experience lower quality of life: study
In a first-of-its-kind study in Canada, Kevin Bainey of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has discovered that South Asians who live in Alberta with coronary disease experience a lower quality of life.
Medicare's bill for artificial feet is questioned
(AP) -- It doesn't compute: Medicare's bill for artificial feet has jumped by more than half, although foot and leg amputations due to diabetes continue to decline dramatically.
Cold snap in Eastern Europe kills more than 650
(AP) -- More than 650 people have died during a record-breaking cold snap in Eastern Europe, authorities said Wednesday, as officials in the Czech Republic blamed two massive car crashes on blinding snow.
Research highlights urgent need to tackle low number of organ donors from BME communities
There is an urgent need to increase the number of organ donors from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in countries with a strong tradition of immigration, such as the UK, USA, Canada and the Netherlands, in order to tackle inequalities in access and waiting times.
Many babies born to immigrants are being labeled too small incorrectly
One of the first things people ask new parents is how much does their baby weigh.
Operational research seeks benefit for stroke victims
Researchers from the University of Exeter, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), are working with clinicians from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) and the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) to reduce the time it takes from the start of a stroke to the administration of vital clot-busting drug treatment.
Using online patient communities and new trial approaches to optimize clinical research
As oncologists already know and newly diagnosed lung cancer patients learn, the kind of treatment given to patients is increasingly becoming dependent on the specific gene mutation present in the cancer. But, as lung cancer moves from being one common disease to multiple different diseases at the molecular level, learning about and getting access to the right treatment within clinical trials can be challenging for these subpopulations of patients that may be widely dispersed around the globe.
Female cancer survivors have 'worse health behaviors' than women with no cancer history
A recent study conducted by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has found that female cancer survivors receiving screening mammography have "worse health behaviors" than women receiving mammography screening and who had never had cancer.
Breakdown of triglycerides in heart muscle boosts cardiac function
The heart relies heavily on oxidation of fatty acids for energy production. However, excess storage of fatty acids as triglycerides, within heart muscle cells, frequently observed in patients with obesity and diabetes, is often associated with cardiac dysfunction. The question remained: was this cause and effect? Now a team of investigators shows that baseline heart function "showed moderate, but significant improvement" in mouse models that overproduce an enzyme that breaks down these triglycerides, says principal investigator Jason Dyck, of the University of Alberta, Edmonton. The research is published in the February Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Strict parental rules about drinking can curb adolescent impulses to drink
Frequent drinking can lead to changes in the processing of alcohol cues that can, in turn, facilitate renewed drinking if an individual's ability and motivation to reflect on drinking behaviors are insufficient. A study investigating the interaction between automatically activated approach tendencies and the ability and motivation to reflect on drinking behaviors in young adolescents with limited drinking experience has found that stricter parental rules about drinking are highly protective, especially for males.
Neighborhood bar density linked to intimate partner violence-related visits to emergency department
Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to heavy drinking, substance use by one or both partners, and living in a neighborhood characterized by poverty and social disadvantage. Alcohol outlet density has been linked to assaultive violence in a community. A study of the association between alcohol outlet densities and IPV-related visits to the Emergency Department (ED) throughout California between July 2005 and December 2008 has found that density of bars is associated with IPV-related ED visits.
Oral nutritional interventions improve nutritional intake and QOL in malnourished cancer patients
Oral nutritional interventions help increase nutritional intake and improve some aspects of quality of life (QOL) in malnourished cancer patients or those who are at nutritional risk, but do not effect mortality, according to a study published February 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Owning a dog encourages exercise in pregnant women
The study of more than 11,000 pregnant women, in partnership with Mars Petcare, showed that those who owned dogs were approximately 50% more likely to achieve the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day through high levels of brisk walking than those without dogs. Scientists suggest that as it is a low-risk exercise, walking a dog could form part of a broader strategy to improve the health of pregnant women.
Study shows that urinary mercury is not correlated with autism
A recent study finds no statistically significant correlation between urinary mercury levels and autism, according to a Feb. 15 report in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Stem cell treatments improve heart function after heart attack
Stem cell therapy moderately improves heart function after a heart attack, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. But the researchers behind the review say larger clinical trials are needed to establish whether this benefit translates to a longer life.
Cold water baths reduce muscle soreness but evidence lacking on safety
Plunging into cold water after exercise may be an effective way to reduce muscle soreness, but it is unclear whether there are harmful side effects. These are the conclusions of a new systematic review of cold water immersion interventions published in The Cochrane Library.
Research paves way for non drug-based dementia treatments for 'behaviors that challenge' carers
Alternative therapies for dementia patients need to be researched and applied more consistently if they are to help care organisations improve the well-being of patients and reduce the number of antipsychotic drugs prescribed.
Cognitive stimulation beneficial in dementia
Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review by Cochrane researchers. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being.
No support shown for the use of pycnogenol for chronic disorders
The manufacturer of a dietary supplement made from French pine bark, Pycnogenol, markets it widely for the prevention or treatment of many chronic disorders, ranging from asthma to erectile dysfunction, but a recent systematic review found no sound basis for the claims.
Popular fetal monitoring method leads to more c-sections
Pregnant women in labor, upon arriving at the hospital, will often have their baby’s heart rate monitored to assess the baby’s wellbeing. A new research review suggests that the use of one popular method of monitoring does not improve maternal and fetal outcomes and makes women more likely to have cesarean sections.
Protein may play role in obesity, diabetes, aging
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a potent regulator of sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. The new findings may help scientists find better treatments for type 2 diabetes, obesity and other health problems caused by the body’s inability to properly regulate blood sugar. The research is published online Feb. 13 in PLoS ONE.
Military service changes personality, makes vets less agreeable
(Medical Xpress) -- It’s no secret that battlefield trauma can leave veterans with deep emotional scars that impact their ability to function in civilian life. But new research led by Washington University in St. Louis suggests that military service, even without combat, has a subtle lingering effect on a man’s personality, making it potentially more difficult for veterans to get along with friends, family and co-workers.
Scientists reveal best imaging technique for ovarian cancer
Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have determined that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, which measures the movement of water molecules within the tumour, may be the best way to monitor how women with late-stage ovarian cancer are responding to treatment. The study is published in the journal Radiology today.
Hundreds more breast cancer patients should be tested for BRCA1 gene
(Medical Xpress) -- Leading breast cancer experts are calling for women under 50 who are diagnosed with triple-negative (TN) breast cancer to be offered testing for faults in the BRCA1 gene, according to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Food nutrition labels influencing health-conscious consumers to choose more calories
In a recent study, Colorado State University marketing Professor Gina Mohr has uncovered facts about nutrition labeling that might change how food purchasing decisions are made.
Can't seem to lose weight? Top reasons why from weight-loss expert
(Medical Xpress) -- It’s been more than a month since New Year’s and swimsuit season is lurking on the horizon – how are those weight-loss resolutions working out?
Chemicals in cigarette smoke linked to lower fertility
Young girls who are exposed to cigarette smoke could experience reduced fertility later in life, a three-year study has found.
Researchers study mitochondrial function, potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are conducting an early phase clinical trial of a novel drug therapy for patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. The drug is a new compound called MSDC-0160, which is an insulin sensitizer that modulates mitochondrial metabolism.
Contraceptive preferences among young Latinos related to sexual decision-making
Half of the young adult Latino men and women responding to a survey in rural Oregon acknowledge not using regular effective contraception – despite expressing a desire to avoid pregnancy, according to a new Oregon State University study.
New method makes it easier to treat prostate and pancreatic cancer
Laser light in combination with certain drugs – known as photodynamic therapy – can destroy cancer tumours, but is today used mostly to cure skin cancer. The reason that internal tumours are not treated with the method is that the technology does not exist to check that the precise amount of light is administered. However, software developed by researchers in atomic physics at Lund University in Sweden looks like being able to solve the problem.
'First-in-human' drug for malignant glioma available in experimental trial
The UC Cancer Institute is one of three centers internationally approved to test an experimental drug's safety and pharmacokinetics and also assess the clinical benefit against recurrent malignant glioma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Oncolytic virus extends survival in medulloblastoma model
A strain of measles virus engineered to kill cancer cells prolongs survival in a model of medulloblastoma that is disseminated in the fluid around the brain, according to a new study by researchers at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and the Mayo Clinic. Treatment with the oncolytic virus called MV-GFP extended survival of animals with disseminated human medulloblastoma up to 122 percent, with treated animals surviving 82 days on average versus 37 days for controls. Two of the eight treated animals were left cancer-free.
Psychiatric diagnoses: Why no one is satisfied
As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is revised for the first time since 1994, controversy about psychiatric diagnosis is reaching a fever pitch.
Mayo Clinic: Hospitalization of US underage drinkers common, costs $755 million a year
Hospitalization for underage drinking is common in the United States, and it comes with a price tag -- the estimated total cost for these hospitalizations is about $755 million per year, a Mayo Clinic study has found. Researchers also found geographic and demographic differences in the incidence of alcohol-related hospital admissions. The findings were published online today in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Tool assessing how community health centers deliver 'medical home' care may be flawed
On the health front, the poor often have at least two things going against them: a lack of insurance and chronic illnesses, of which diabetes is among the most common.
Smoking cessation aide shows promise as alcoholism treatment
A medication commonly used to help people stop smoking may have an unanticipated positive side effect for an entirely different vice: drinking alcohol. A new study by University of Chicago researchers finds that varenicline, sold as Chantix, increases the negative effects of alcohol and therefore could hold promise as a treatment for alcoholism.
The brain's caudate nucleus and frontal cortex are less active in people who drink more
Alcohol abuse and dependence are common problems in the United States due to a number of factors, two of which may be social drinking by college students and young adults, and risk taking that may lead to heavier drinking later in life. A study of the neural underpinnings of risk-taking in young, non-dependent social drinkers has found that the caudate nucleus and frontal cortex regions of the brain show less activation in people who drink more heavily.
How fast you walk and your grip in middle age may predict dementia, stroke risk
Simple tests such as walking speed and hand grip strength may help doctors determine how likely it is a middle-aged person will develop dementia or stroke. That's according to new research that was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012.
Peripheral artery disease undertreated, understudied in women
Women with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, are two to three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack than those without it ― yet it's often unrecognized and untreated, especially in women, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.
New regulations fail to make TV food adverts healthier for children
Despite new regulations restricting UK TV advertisements for food, children are still exposed to the same level of advertising for junk foods which are high in fat, salt and sugar, researchers have found.
Improved emergency treatment for prolonged seizures: National trial shows autoinjectors fast, effective
When a person is experiencing a prolonged convulsive seizure, quick medical intervention is critical. With every passing minute, the seizure becomes harder to stop, and can place the patient at risk of brain damage and death. This is why paramedics are trained to administer anticonvulsive medications as soon as possible -- traditionally giving them intravenously before arriving at the hospital.
Should low molecular weight heparin be used in cancer treatment?
For decades, the blood thinner heparin has been used to prevent and treat blood clots. Could it be just as effective in treating cancer?
Study explains high platelets in ovarian cancer patients, survival reduced
Highly elevated platelet levels fuel tumor growth and reduce the survival of ovarian cancer patients, an international team of researchers led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer center reports in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers uncover new clues about how cancer cells communicate and grow
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers have shown that the communication signals sent around the body by cancer cells, which are essential for the cancer to grow, may contain pieces of RNA – these substances, like DNA, are pieces of genetic code that can instruct cells, and ultimately the body, how to form. The same study also found early indications that these genetic instructions can be intercepted and modified by chemotherapy to help prevent cancer cells growing.
Parent-training intervention curbs pediatric obesity rates, study shows
A UCLA study has found that a new parent-training program is effective in reducing the risk of low-income, preschool-age Latino children being overweight.
Autism affects motor skills, study indicates
(Medical Xpress) -- Children with autism often have problems developing motor skills, such as running, throwing a ball or even learning how to write. But scientists have not known whether those difficulties run in families or are linked to autism. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to autism as the culprit.
Gene therapy for epilepsy could stop seizures
(Medical Xpress) -- Sparking production of a hormone in the brain that people with epilepsy often lack could prevent debilitating seizures, University of Florida researchers have discovered.
Scientists report link between traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder
(Medical Xpress) -- UCLA life scientists and their colleagues have provided the first evidence of a causal link between traumatic brain injury and an increased susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder.
The mathematics of a heart beat could save lives
(Medical Xpress) -- What we perceive as the beating of our heart is actually the co-ordinated action of more than a billion muscle cells. Most of the time, only the muscle cells from the larger heart chambers contract and relax. But when the heart needs to work harder it relies on back-up from the atrial muscle cells deep within the smaller chambers (atria) of the heart.
New drugs show promise for preventing 'absence seizures' in children
A team led by a University of British Columbia professor has developed a new class of drugs that completely suppress absence seizures – a brief, sudden loss of consciousness – in rats, and which are now being tested in humans.
In the mouth, smoking zaps healthy bacteria, welcomes pathogens
According to a new study, smoking causes the body to turn against its own helpful bacteria, leaving smokers more vulnerable to disease.
Diabetes may start in the intestines, research suggests
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have made a surprising discovery about the origin of diabetes. Their research suggests that problems controlling blood sugar — the hallmark of diabetes — may begin in the intestines.
Stem cell study in mice offers hope for treating heart attack patients
A UCSF stem cell study conducted in mice suggests a novel strategy for treating damaged cardiac tissue in patients following a heart attack. The approach potentially could improve cardiac function, minimize scar size, lead to the development of new blood vessels – and avoid the risk of tissue rejection.
Drinking alcohol shrinks critical brain regions in genetically vulnerable mice
Brain scans of two strains of mice imbibing significant quantities of alcohol reveal serious shrinkage in some brain regions - but only in mice lacking a particular type of receptor for dopamine, the brain's "reward" chemical. The study, conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and published in the May 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, now online, provides new evidence that these dopamine receptors, known as DRD2, may play a protective role against alcohol-induced brain damage.
Genetic mutation implicated in 'broken' heart
For decades, researchers have sought a genetic explanation for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a weakening and enlargement of the heart that puts an estimated 1.6 million Americans at risk of heart failure each year. Because idiopathic DCM occurs as a familial disorder, researchers have long searched for genetic causes, but for most patients the etiology for their heart disease remained unknown.
Researchers find simple reason why some children die despite aggressive modern therapy for brain cancer
(Medical Xpress) -- It can be frightening enough to know that your child has brain cancer without the additional heartbreak of being told that the treatment is not working despite aggressive therapy. New research from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) has now identified why some therapies for paediatric brain cancer fail – and what can be done in the future to increase cure rates.
Biology news
DuPont to build Beijing seed bank
US chemical and agribusiness giant DuPont announced Tuesday it will build a "state-of-the-art" seed bank in Beijing to boost its molecular breeding business in China's rapidly growing agriculture market.
Indian village relocated to protect tigers
An entire village inside a north Indian nature reserve has been moved to make more room for local tigers in a bid to protect the country's dwindling big cat population, an official said Wednesday.
Organic farming improves pollination success in strawberries
Organic farms produce strawberries with fewer malformations and a higher proportion of fully pollinated berries relative to conventional forms, according to a Feb. 15 report in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Coral survival's past is key to its future
Florida Institute of Technology researchers are taking an historical approach to predict the extinction risk of reef-building corals. Led by Robert van Woesik, professor of biological sciences, the researchers are examining past events to gain insight into how these corals today may fare through climate change.
Trojan horse bacteria use nanobodies to conquer sleeping sickness
Sleeping sickness, caused by the trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei, is transmitted to humans (and animals) via the bite of the tsetse fly. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Microbial Cell Factories uses a bacteria, which naturally lives in the fly, to release nanobodies (antibody fragments) against the trypanosome. These antibodies, which bind to the surface of the parasite, are the first stage in producing targeted nanobodies which could kill, or block, trypanosome development.
Team seeks to learn how humans adapt to high places
How did early humans learn to live at the highest altitudes on earth?
Tiny chameleons discovered in Madagascar
Four new species of miniaturized lizards have been identified in Madagascar. These lizards, just tens of millimeters from head to tail and in some cases small enough to stand on the head of a match, rank among the smallest reptiles in the world. The full report can be found in the Feb. 15 issue of the open access journal PLoS ONE.
The crystal ball of conservation
An innovative horizon-scanning exercise, which has just delivered its latest report, highlights emerging topics of relevance to the world’s natural environment and the diversity of its species.
Killing prions with ozone
When it comes to infectious agents, it doesn’t get much worse than prions. These misfolded proteins are highly resistant to a wide variety of extreme disinfectant procedures. They have been identified as the culprits behind mad cow disease and chronic wasting disease in animals and humans, and are also implicated in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion-related disorders.
Threatened butterfly vanishes from Florida refuge
For more than a year, Bahia Honda State Park biologist Jim Duquesnel traversed the nature sanctuary with two hopes. He wanted to see a Miami blue butterfly and rid the Florida Keys outpost of as many iguanas as he could.
New miniature grasshopper-like insect is first member of its family from Belize
Scientists at the University of Illinois, USA have discovered a new species of tiny, grasshopper-like insect in the tropical rainforests of the Toledo District in southern Belize. Dr Sam Heads and Dr Steve Taylor co-authored a paper, published in the open access journal ZooKeys, documenting the discovery and naming the new species Ripipteryx mopana. The name commemorates the Mopan people – a Mayan group, native to the region.
Computer sleuthing helps unravel RNA's role in cellular function
Computer engineers may have just provided the medical community a new way of figuring out exactly how one of the three building blocks of life forms and functions.
Hawaiian monk seal sent to Waikiki to save species
The Hawaiian monk seal, the most endangered marine mammal in the United States, has a long list of threats - fishing nets, sharks and, particularly, humans. But for one group of seals, the biggest threat came from one of its own: a 400-pound brute named KE18 who killed two other seals and wounded at least 11, most of them helpless pups.
Microbiotas characterized for 19 traditional Italian sourdough breads
Italy is well-known for aesthetics that play to every sense of the human sensory system: automotive style, espresso, ancient architecture, music, and Fettuccini Alfredo, among much else. Now a team of Italian investigators has analyzed the microbiota of 19 sourdoughs used in traditional Italian breads. They report their findings in the February issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
College students, fish show surprising similarities in numerical approximation
Fish are as good at evaluating numerical ratios as college students are, says a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Featherweight songbird is a long-distance champ
A tiny songbird weighing just two tablespoons of sugar migrates from the Arctic to Africa and back, a distance of up to 29,000 kilometres (18,000 miles), scientists reported on Wednesday.
Honeybees shown to speak directly to hornets
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most higher order animals have some means for “speaking” with enemies or predators. Dogs and cats growl and hiss for example when threatened to let others know not to mess with them. Lower order organisms on the other hand, don’t generally have such a direct means for such communication, thus when an example is found, it’s generally unique. That’s certainly the case for Apis cerana, an Asian honeybee, as a team of international researchers has found. This species of bee has figured out a way to speak very clearly to their gravest threat, as the researchers describe in their paper published in Animal Behavior, by banding together and shaking their abdomens.
Fossil fish illuminates evolution of plankton-eating
Animals from very different groups that developed independently into plankton-eating giants took similar evolutionary steps along the way, new research shows.
Prion proteins play powerful role in survival, evolution of wild yeast strains
Prions, the much-maligned proteins most commonly known for causing "mad cow" disease, are commonly used in yeast to produce beneficial traits in the wild. Moreover, such traits can be passed on to subsequent generations and eventually become "hard-wired" into the genome, contributing to evolutionary change.
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