Friday, March 2, 2012

PhysOrg Newsletter Friday, Mar 2

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 2, 2012:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- All-carbon-nanotube transistor can be crumpled like a piece of paper
- Heart-powered pacemaker could one day eliminate battery-replacement surgery
- Solved: The mystery of the nanoscale crop circles
- Researchers develop 'SpeechJammer' gun that can quash human utterances
- A model burster: Researchers find the first neutron star that bursts as predicted
- Dark matter core defies explanation
- Pasta-shaped radio waves beamed across Venice
- Female bonobos use homosexual sex to increase social status
- New measurements of W boson mass point to Higgs mass and test Standard Model
- Mystery deepens around dark core in cosmic collision
- UK scientists develop optimum piezoelectric energy harvesters
- Unexpected crustacean diversity discovered in northern freshwater ecosystems
- Laptop theft did not put space station in peril: NASA
- New chips, faster networks to improve phone audio
- Squeezing polymers produces chemical energy but raises doubts about implant safety

Space & Earth news

Aquatic robot audits health of seabed
The watery depths of Western Australia's Ningaloo coast will be audited by marine engineers and scientists this week using an aquatic robot and technology developed by University of Sydney mechatronic experts.

GPM microwave imager instrument for NASA and JAXA mission arrives at Goddard
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. for integration into NASA's upcoming Earth science spacecraft. The instrument was built at the Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.

Mapping tool analyzes how climate change, conflict and aid intersect in Africa
Researchers have developed a new dynamic mapping tool that will help policymakers and other groups determine a country's vulnerabilities to climate change and conflicts and show how these two issues intersect in Africa.

Polish report: shale gas extraction not harmful
(AP) -- A scientific study in Poland has found that shale gas extraction at one site produced some toxic refuse but that the waste was reused and didn't harm the environment.

Everest climber highlights flood threat in Himalayas
(AP) -- Before Apa became a legendary Sherpa mountaineer, he was a humble Himalayan potato farmer who worked his fields in the Everest foothills until, without warning, raging floodwaters swallowed his farm.

NASA sees tropical storm Irina hit by wind shear, headed for Mozambique
The AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite provided forecasters with an infrared look at what was happening "under the hood" of Tropical Storm Irina's clouds and saw two reasons why it temporarily weakened before moving into the Mozambique Channel and heading for landfall in Mozambique in a couple of days.

Nasa conducts new parachute test for Orion
(PhysOrg.com) -- On Feb. 29, NASA successfully conducted another drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry, descent and landing parachutes high above the Arizona desert in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.

Oil versus fish in idyllic Norwegian islands
Looking for oil outside your front door may sound exciting, but in the idyllic Arctic archipelago of Lofoten, one of Norway's best fishing areas, the prospect of the black gold has sparked heated debate.

Happy birthday, Envisat
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the early hours of 1 March 2002, the largest Earth observation satellite ever built soared into orbit from ESA’s launch base in Kourou, French Guiana. For a decade, Envisat has been keeping watch over our planet.

Climate change could impact on polar ecosystems
Polar ecosystems could be at risk from the spread of toxic cyanobacteria if the climate continues to warm, say scientists.

Watching the planet breathe
Scientists have come up with an entirely new way to monitor the health of Earth’s plants from space. In work published in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and in Germany and Japan report on how measurements taken from space can open a whole new window onto the planet’s carbon cycle.

NASA's proposed 'InSight' lander would peer to the center of Mars in 2016
A Phoenix-like lander that would mine the deepest hole yet into Mars- to a depth of 5 meters – and unveil the nature of the mysterious deep interior and central core of the Red Planet is under consideration by NASA for a 2016 launch and sports a nifty new name – InSight.

Two-thirds of China's cities fail on air standards
(AP) -- Two-thirds of China's cities currently fail to meet stricter air quality standards that the government wants to phase in over four years to combat notoriously smoggy skies, a senior Chinese environmental official said Friday.

Effect of vegetation die-off tested on tidal marshland
Consisting of densely vegetated platforms raised slightly above sea level, and interwoven by channels of water meandering inland from the coast, tidal marshlands help buffer against strong storm surges, protect against flooding, limit coastal erosion, and provide a valuable habitat for a vast array of coastal species. Continued global climate change, however, has researchers worried about the stability of coastal marshlands in light of rising temperatures, sea levels, and a declining ocean pH. Of particular concern over shorter timescales are the potential consequences for marsh dynamics should there be a mass die-off of marshland vegetation.

Capsizing icebergs release earthquake-sized energies
A large iceberg can carry a large amount of gravitational potential energy. While all icebergs float with the bulk of their mass submerged beneath the water's surface, some drift around with precarious orientations-they are temporarily stable, but an outside push would send them tumbling over. Large icebergs, like those that split from the Jakobshavn Isbrae glacier in Greenland, can release the energy equivalent to a magnitude 6 or 7 earthquake when they capsize.

Asian emissions contribute to air pollution in western United States: study
As Asian countries develop, they are emitting more ozone precursors that pollute surface level air. Many studies have documented this pollution being carried by air currents to the western United States. To learn more about the mechanisms that transport air pollution across the ocean and determine the effects of Asian air pollution on air quality in the western United States, Lin et al. analyzed in situ and satellite measurements from May 2010 to June 2010 using a global high- resolution climate chemistry model.

NASA sees Tropical Storm Irina still hugging Madagascar coast
Satellite imagery from NASA's Terra satellite today, March 1, shows Tropical Storm Irina is slow to leave the coastline of Madagascar.

Gasoline worse than diesel when it comes to some types of air pollution: study
The exhaust fumes from gasoline vehicles contribute more to the production of a specific type of air pollution-secondary organic aerosols (SOA)-than those from diesel vehicles, according to a new study by scientists from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and other colleagues.

Another severe weather system seen on satellite movie from NASA
Another powerful weather system is moving through the central and eastern U.S., generating more severe weather. NASA created an animation of data from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite that shows the frontal system pushing east as it generated severe weather in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. At least 12 tornadoes were reported in three states before mid-day on March 2.

TRMM satellite sees remnants of Tropical Cyclone 15S's 'difficult childhood'
Tropical Cyclone 15S has had a difficult "childhood." It was born on March 1 and immediately dealt with a harsh environment. The cyclone weakened within 24 hours to a remnant low pressure area, and NASA's TRMM satellite revealed there was still some strength remaining in the storm.

Nasa finds sea ice decline driving rise in Arctic air pollutants
(PhysOrg.com) -- Drastic reductions in Arctic sea ice in the last decade may be intensifying the chemical release of bromine into the atmosphere, resulting in ground-level ozone depletion and the deposit of toxic mercury in the Arctic, according to a new NASA-led study.

Earth's makeup found to be more diverse than previously thought
(PhysOrg.com) -- For most of modern science, researchers have believed that the Earth was primarily made up of enstatite chondrites, a subclass of meteorites. This was because of the similarity of chromium, nickel and oxygen isotope proportions found on Earth as they compared to enstatite chondrites. Now however, new research by a pair of French geochemists studying silicon isotopes found on Earth, the moon and several types of meteorites, suggest, as they describe in their paper published in Science, that the ingredients that make up the Earth are likely more diverse.

Oxygen discovered at Saturn's moon Dione
(PhysOrg.com) -- Dione, one of Saturn’s icy moons, has a weak exosphere which includes molecules of oxygen, according to new findings from the Cassini-Huygens mission.

Mystery deepens around dark core in cosmic collision
Five years ago, San Francisco State researcher Andisheh Mahdavi and his colleagues observed an unexpected dark core at the center of Abell 520, a cosmic "train wreck" of galaxy clusters. With new space-based telescope observations, they have confirmed that the core really does exist. But they are no closer to explaining why it is there.

Laptop theft did not put space station in peril: NASA
A stolen US space agency laptop containing codes that control the International Space Station did not put the orbiting lab in peril, a NASA spokesman said on Friday.

A model burster: Researchers find the first neutron star that bursts as predicted
For the first time, researchers at MIT and elsewhere have detected all phases of thermonuclear burning in a neutron star. The star, located close to the center of the galaxy in the globular cluster Terzan 5, is a “model burster,” says Manuel Linares, a postdoc at MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.

Dark matter core defies explanation
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using data from NASA's Hubble Telescope have observed what appears to be a clump of dark matter left behind from a wreck between massive clusters of galaxies. The result could challenge current theories about dark matter that predict galaxies should be anchored to the invisible substance even during the shock of a collision.

Technology news

Kodak agrees to sell online gallery to Shutterfly
(AP) -- Eastman Kodak Co. said Thursday it plans to sell its online photo service business to online photo publishing company Shutterfly Inc. for $23.8 million.

With Breitbart gone, what becomes of his empire?
(AP) -- Can you have Breitbart.com without Andrew Breitbart?

Big science teams up with big business to kick-start European cloud computing
Today a consortium of leading IT providers and three of Europe’s biggest research centres (CERN, EMBL and ESA) announced a partnership to launch a European cloud computing platform. "Helix Nebula - the Science Cloud", will support the massive IT requirements of European scientists, and become available to governmental organisations and industry after an initial pilot phase.

When your ship comes in
Every day, thousands of cargo containers from around the world pass through our nation's sea ports carrying items we need, and possibly some that are not so welcome: drugs, explosives, chemical, biological, or radiological weapons – even human cargo.

FBI director: Cyber-threats will become top worry
(AP) -- The director of the FBI told an annual gathering of cyber-security professionals on Thursday that the agency needs the private sector to help combat what he believes is becoming the nation's No. 1 threat.

Fukushima 1 year on: Poor planning hampered Fukushima response
One year after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, an independent investigation panel has highlighted the country's failures in disaster planning and crisis management for the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The article, out now in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by SAGE, shows that agencies were thoroughly unprepared for the cascading nuclear disaster, following a tsunami that should have been anticipated.

Website lets people shine light on dark secrets
People around the world share their deep secrets with Frank Warren and he, in turn, reveals them to all.

New computers respond to students' emotions, boredom
Emotion-sensing computer software that models and responds to students’ cognitive and emotional states – including frustration and boredom – has been developed by University of Notre Dame Assistant Professor of Psychology Sidney D’Mello and a colleague from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. D’Mello also is a concurrent assistant professor of computer science and engineering.

Startup sued for putting local TV on the iPhone
(AP) -- Broadcasters have sued a startup backed by media billionaire Barry Diller that sends live local TV feeds to iPhones and iPads in the New York area.

German court dismisses Apple, Samsung lawsuits
(AP) -- A German court has dismissed patent lawsuits by technology giants Apple and Samsung against each other in the two companies' battle over the market for smartphones and tablet devices.

Yelp shares surge in stock market debut
(AP) -- Yelp's stock opened to five-star reviews from investors on Friday, soaring 60 percent in the first hour of trading after pricing at $15 on Thursday night.

Hybrid technology moves from road to water
Hybrid engines aren't just for cars anymore. Hybrid engine systems are slowly catching on with environmentally conscious sailors, replacing less-fuel efficient diesel motors on sailboats.

Social-network use leads companies to boost security
When Randy Kortering decided to upgrade computer network defenses at Haworth, a $1 billion-a-year office fixtures manufacturer, his chief of security warned him about social-networking use.

GIS siting of emergency vehicles improves response time
In an emergency, minutes matter. With this knowledge, University of Georgia researchers developed a new method for determining where emergency vehicle stations should be located. The results of their work could improve ambulance response time for the 200 million Americans who dial 911 each year, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Feel cheated? Small claims court brings big wins
(AP) -- If you feel cheated by a big company and complaining gets you nowhere, what can you do? A handful of recent cases suggest that consumers can, if they're motivated enough, win against big companies in small claims courts.

Yelp shares surge 63 percent in stock market debut
(AP) -- Yelp's stock opened to five-star reviews from investors on Friday, soaring 63 percent even though the company has yet to prove it can make money from its online recommendations.

Stuxnet was 'good idea': former CIA chief
The Stuxnet computer virus sabotage of Iran's nuclear program was a "good idea" but it lent legitimacy to the use of malicious software as a weapon, according to a former CIA director.

Australia's Barrier Reef to get Google treatment
Australian scientists mapping the Great Barrier Reef will broadcast their findings in partnership with Google, emulating its "Street View" to spotlight the impact of climate change.

Liquid battery could charge green energy
Engineering professor Donald Sadoway on Thursday used an old-school chalk board at the prestigious TED gathering to write the formula for a liquid battery that could one day cut the need for new power plants.

New chips, faster networks to improve phone audio
Smartphone owners can surf the Web, pay bills, watch videos, enjoy music and send email. But while their gadgets have been designed to handle increasing amounts of data, experts say, less attention has been paid to their ability to clearly convey the sound of someone's voice, especially in noisy restaurants and other places.

Medicine & Health news

Prenatal remediation strategy significantly reduces lead poisoning in children
An initiative in St. Louis targeted the homes of pregnant women to receive inspection and remediation of lead hazards before the birth of a child. According to a study just published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology this measure prevented childhood lead poisoning and reduced the overall burden of lead toxicity in children. Historically, the city had used an approach that waited until a child tested positive for lead poisoning, and then addressed home lead hazards to prevent future harm.

Family preferences strongly influence decision making in very premature deliveries
When making decisions and counseling about risk and management options for deliveries between 22 and 26 weeks (periviable deliveries), obstetricians are heavily influenced by family preferences, particularly by the impression that parents consistently prefer to have everything possible done to prolong a pregnancy or "save the baby" through interventions such as cesarean section. The results of a University of Pennsylvania study are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

iPhone app launched to help people manage chronic condition
ActiveME, a new iPhone application, has been launched to help patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME (CFS/ME).

Place matters when it comes to health
The community or neighborhood you live in can impact your health in big ways, and disadvantaged, low-income populations in the United States are at an increased risk of experiencing unhealthy conditions, more sickness and shorter lives, according to a new study by researchers with the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Human Needs.

Experimental vaccine aimed at improving ovarian cancer survival rates
An experimental vaccine study currently under way at the UC Cancer Institute aims to prevent ovarian cancer recurrence by triggering the body’s natural defense system.

Combination of two evidence-based practices shows promise in addressing chronic homelessnes
The combination of two evidence-based practices—supported employment and permanent supportive housing—shows promise in addressing chronic homelessness among adults with serious mental illness. Research reported in the March issue of Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association, found good housing and employment outcomes in a demonstration project with this very difficult-to-reach group.

Patient tracking to go with the flow
Patients admitted to hospitals in the future may find themselves equipped with a small ultrasound transmitter. With the help of their mobile phones, health care personnel will be able to keep track of where their patients are as well as any delays in their scheduled treatment.

Calif. doc charged with murder for prescriptions
(AP) -- The doctor passed out prescriptions for drugs like Xanax and OxyContin, Vicodin and Adderall at a rate of 25 per day for three years, with only cursory patient examinations and a minimum of questions, authorities said.

A healthy teenager is a happy teenager
Teenagers who turn their backs on a healthy lifestyle and turn to drink, cigarettes and junk food are significantly unhappier than their healthier peers. New research also shows that 12-13 is a catalyst age when young people turn away from the healthy habits of their younger years and start to get involved in risky behaviours.

APS issues new policy requiring identification of sex or gender in reporting scientific research
The American Physiology Society (APS) has announced a new policy requiring the reporting of the sex of experimental animals and the sex or gender of humans used in studies submitted for publication in any of the organization's 13 peer-reviewed journals. This notable requirement for all research study authors has been approved by the APS leadership and will be presented in an editorial, "In Pursuit of Scientific Excellence – Sex Matters," written by Virginia Miller, Ph.D., Professor, Surgery and Physiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. The announcement was made by Hershel Raff, Ph.D., Chair of the society's Publications Committee. He added that the editorial will appear in the journals beginning this month.

New screening technique could provide more reliable breast cancer detection
Scientists have successfully completed an initial trial of a new, potentially more reliable, technique for screening breast cancer using ultrasound. The team at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK's National Measurement Institute, working with the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, are now looking to develop the technique into a clinical device.

HCPs in pharmacotherapeutic treatment for opioid addiction should not return to clinical practice
Many health care professionals (HCPs) have easy access to controlled medications and the diversion and abuse of drugs among this group may be as high as 10%. Controversy surrounds the safety of allowing addicted HCPs to return to clinical practice while undergoing medical treatment with opioid substitution therapy such as buprenorphine. In the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Heather Hamza, CRNA, MS, of the Department of Anesthesiology, Los Angeles County Medical Center at the University of Southern California, and Ethan O. Bryson, MD, of the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, review the evidence and call for abstinence-based recovery instead.

Single-cell sequencing leads to a new era of cancer research
BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, developed single-cell genome sequencing technology and published two research papers for cancer single-cell sequencing in the research journal Cell. In the papers, which were published today in the same issue of Cell, BGI researchers applied their new single-cell sequencing (SCS) method to identify the genetic characteristics of essential thrombocythemia (ET, a kind of blood neoplasm) and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC, a typical kidney cancer), and demonstrated that single cell analyses of highly heterogeneous tissues provide much clearer intratumoral genetic pictures and developmental history than previous bulk tissue sequencing.

Two pancreatic-enzyme products approved
(HealthDay) -- Two drugs that supplement the digestion-aiding actions of pancreatic enzymes have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency said Thursday in a news release.

American College of Rheumatology releases first classification criteria for polymyalagia rheumatica
The American College of Rheumatology has released the first classification criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica – aimed at helping physicians identify patients with this condition, which occurs in persons aged 50 years or older who have recent onset of pain in the shoulders, neck and hips along with other inflammatory symptoms not explained by an alternate diagnosis.

Standardized outcome measures proposed for asthma clinical research
A consortium of federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations has published a report proposing a set of common measures and data-collection methods for use in asthma clinical research. Asthma Outcomes in Clinical Research: Report of the Asthma Outcomes Workshop, which appears as a supplement to the March 2012 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, resulted from a meeting organized by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc., with additional support for the publication from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. NIH contributors were the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Complementary meds used by 17 percent of elderly with cancer
(HealthDay) -- The prevalence of older people with cancer using complementary medications as they start a chemotherapy regimen is 17 percent, and is associated with less advanced disease and higher functional status, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Cancer.

Brown to establish Center for Evidence-Based Medicine
The difference between abundant information and useful knowledge is a problem in many fields including health care, where life and death can depend on the decision to prescribe a drug or perform a surgery. A new center at Brown University, led by a team of five experts in evidence-based medicine, will advance the study of turning heaps of data in research papers into a powerful understanding that doctors and scientists can apply.

Notre Dame's Bengal Bouts participants aid in concussion research
The University of Notre Dame's annual Bengal Bouts student boxing tournament's longtime mantra is "Strong Bodies Fight that Weak Bodies May Be Nourished."

Too many americans skipping colon cancer screening
(HealthDay) -- Approximately one in three U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 75 who should be screened for colorectal cancer have not been, according to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Regular smear tests boost chances of cure from 66 percent to 92 percent
Women can boost their chances of surviving cervical cancer substantially through regular cervical screening, claims a research paper published today in the British Medical Journal.

Babies born just 2 or 3 weeks early at higher risk of poor health
A research paper which demonstrates that babies born even just a few weeks early have worse health outcomes than full term babies has been published today in the British Medical Journal.

Living kidney donors at no increased risk of heart disease
Living kidney donors are at no greater risk of heart disease than the healthy general population, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today.

New high definition fiber tracking reveals damage caused by traumatic brain injury
A powerful new imaging technique called High Definition Fiber Tracking (HDFT) will allow doctors to clearly see for the first time neural connections broken by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other disorders, much like X-rays show a fractured bone, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in a report published online today in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Finding unseen damage of traumatic brain injury
The soldier on the fringes of an explosion. The survivor of a car wreck. The football player who took yet another skull-rattling hit. Too often, only time can tell when a traumatic brain injury will leave lasting harm - there's no good way to diagnose the damage.

Vandetanib doesn't up survival in non-small-cell lung cancer
(HealthDay) -- Vandetanib does not improve overall survival for patients who have received previous treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published online Feb. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Traitor proteins that could attack the body widespread, researchers find
(Medical Xpress) -- More than 32 million Americans harbor potentially toxic proteins that can attack body tissues and lead to autoimmune diseases such as lupus and scleroderma, according to a new University of Florida study.

Heart healthy choices early on pay off later
(Medical Xpress) -- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle from young adulthood into your 40s is strongly associated with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

When my eyes serve my stomach
(Medical Xpress) -- Our senses aren’t just delivering a strict view of what’s going on in the world; they’re affected by what’s going on in our heads. A new study finds that hungry people see food-related words more clearly than people who’ve just eaten. The study, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this change in vision happens at the earliest, perceptual stages, before higher parts of the brain have a chance to change the messages coming from the eyes.

Bioinformatics and epigenetics - computer-aided cancer diagnosis
The relatively young research field of epigenetics is the talk of the town. Many scientists expect the research on biochemical modifications beyond the actual DNA strand to lead to huge progress in the understanding of the regulation of gene activity in the years to come. Just how promising the results of epigenetic research are in terms of concrete medical applications is demonstrated by the work of Thomas Lengauer and Christoph Bock from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken. With the help of computers, they trawl through the genomes of cancer patients in search for suspect structures, and develop fast and simple new tools for improving cancer diagnosis in hospitals.

Biomedical informatics student creates device for Parkinson's disease
Utilizing technology within smartphones and tablets for patient advantage, Di Pan, a doctoral student at ASU’s Department of Biomedical Informatics (BMI), has created a state of the art device to measure tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Laboratory research shows promising approach to preventing Alzheimer's
(Medical Xpress) -- As scientists struggle to find an effective way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health may have found a new approach to interrupting the process that leads to the devastating disease.

Study links spanking and genetics to childhood aggression
(Medical Xpress) -- A study co-authored by UT Dallas criminologist Dr.  J.C. Barnes shows that the risk of problem behavior during childhood — particularly for boys — is greatly increased if children have genetic predispositions for these behaviors and if they are spanked by their parents.

Medical researchers recommend male circumcision
Penile cancer, HIV, HPV, syphilis and kidney inflammation are among a number of medical conditions whose risk can be lowered by the practice of infant male circumcision, says a study led by the University of Sydney.

Age affects risk of being diagnosed with cancer at advanced stage
Older women with breast cancer face a higher risk of being diagnosed with the disease at a late stage, while the risk of an advanced stage diagnosis of lung cancer decreases with age, a new study shows today.

Success in growing functional pituitary gland in a lab culture will advance regenerative medicine
Embryonic stem cells grown in a laboratory culture can organize themselves into a partial pituitary gland that is fully functional when transplanted into mice, a team of researchers led by Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology reports. These researchers developed a novel cell-culture technique for growing stem cells in three-dimensional floating clusters. They had previously shown that stem cells grown in this way can organize themselves into functional eye and brain tissue.  

Diabetes risk from sitting around
A new study has found that women who stay seated for long periods of time every day are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes, but that a similar link wasn't found in men.

Tortoise and the hare: New drug stops rushing cancer cells, slow and steady healthy cells unharmed
The American Cancer Society estimates that 44,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed this year and that 37,000 people will die from the disease. These are not strong odds. A new drug, rigosertib, allows pancreatic cancer cells to rush through replication – and then stops them cold, killing them in in the middle of a step called M phase. Healthy cells that don't rush are unharmed.

'REST' is crucial for the timing of brain development
Researchers have just shown that the molecule REST acts as an adapter in stem cells, and hope that future studies of REST will contribute to the development of new types of treatments for diseases such as cancer.

Studies show exposure to diesel exhaust may increase lung cancer mortality
Heavy diesel exhaust (DE) exposure in humans may increase the risk of dying from lung cancer, according to two papers released March 2nd by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

New 3-D stem cell culture method published
Stem cells are the body's mechanics, repairing damaged tissues and organs. Because these cells are able to grow into any type of cell in the body, scientists believe they hold the key to groundbreaking new therapies. To help further this research, scientists from the University of Victoria have found a new way to culture cells in 3D— a significant step forward for regenerative medicine.

Effects of environmental toxicants reach down through generations
A Washington State University researcher has demonstrated that a variety of environmental toxicants can have negative effects on not just an exposed animal but the next three generations of its offspring.

Prescription meds can put on unwanted pounds
(HealthDay) -- Medications taken by millions of Americans for mood disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic conditions can have an unhealthy side effect: weight gain.

Remote-control surgery grows, despite inconclusive evidence
Chubby, pink and anesthetized into unconsciousness and paralysis, 16-week-old Ian Lund was a small bump under blue drapes on an operating table at University of Chicago Medicine. Perched above him was a robot, with arms like a three-legged spider.

Cocoa may enhance skeletal muscle function
A small clinical trial led by researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) found that patients with advanced heart failure and type 2 diabetes showed improved mitochondrial structure after three months of treatment with epicatechin-enriched cocoa. Epicatechin is a flavonoid found in dark chocolate.

Holding a mirror to brain changes in autism
Impaired social function is a cardinal symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). One of the brain circuits that enable us to relate to other people is the "mirror neuron" system. This brain circuit is activated when we watch other people, and allows our brains to represent the actions of others, influencing our ability to learn new tasks and to understand the intentions and experiences of other people.

Gestational diabetes, obesity impact pregnancy outcomes
(HealthDay) -- Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who are obese have significantly higher odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to findings from the multinational Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study published online Feb. 22 in Diabetes Care.

Increasing shift from islet antibody positivity to diabetes
(HealthDay) -- There is an increase in both the prevalence and levels of islet antigen-2 and zinc transporter 8, as well as in autoantibodies, in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients during a period of rising disease incidence, according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes.

For sleep struggles, women urged to alter routines
(HealthDay) -- Driven to sleeplessness by the effects of stress and the demands of their own biology, women are more likely than men to have serious sleep problems, experts say.

Parkinson's disease stopped in animal model
(Medical Xpress) -- Millions of people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and worsens over time. As the world's population ages, it's estimated that the number of people with the disease will rise sharply. Yet despite several effective therapies that treat Parkinson's symptoms, nothing slows its progression.

R-loops break walls of gene silencing
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have figured out how the human body keeps essential genes switched “on” and silences the vast stretches of genetic repeats and “junk” DNA.

Artificial 'womb' unlocks secrets of early embryo development
(Medical Xpress) -- Pioneering work by a leading University of Nottingham scientist has helped reveal for the first time a vital process in the development of the early mammalian embryo.

Study: Facebook profile beats IQ test in predicting job performance
Can a person's Facebook profile reveal what kind of employee he or she might be? The answer is yes, and with unnerving accuracy, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

Biology news

Under the microscope #13
Matthew Kuo tells us how tiny worm faecal pellets affect how oil pipelines sit on the seabed.

Analyzing life on a molecular level
Three faculty members in USC Dornsife’s Department of Biological Sciences received research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop and apply innovative methods to analyze data on proteins, genes and their interactions.

Leading crop scientist warns against herbicide overuse
Overuse of the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) has caused US crops to become infested with glyphosate-resistant weeds - and a world-leading researcher at The University of Western Australia is fighting to prevent similar outcomes here.

Unwinding nature's clocks, with $14 million from DARPA
From the time we eat breakfast to when we leave work, mechanical clocks control a large part of our lives. But we, and other creatures, also have biological clocks that regulate just about every function in our bodies.

New study will help protect vulnerable birds from impacts of climate change
Scientists from PRBO Conservation Science and the Department of Fish and Game have completed an innovative study on the effects of climate change on bird species of greatest concern. This first-of-its-kind study prioritizes which species are most at risk and will help guide conservation measures in California. The study was published this week in the journal PLoS ONE.

Sea turtles surf an ocean highway to safer habitat, Stanford research suggests
(PhysOrg.com) -- The first few days of life for a leatherback turtle are no easy walk on the beach.

Flying jewels spell death for baby spiders
Spider flies are a rarely collected group of insects. Adults are considered important pollinators of flowers, while larvae live as internal parasitoids of juvenile spiders. Eight genera are recorded in Australasia, including four genera in the subfamily Panopinae, a group of large, hairy, often metallic coloured adults whose larvae specialize as parasitizing mygalomorph spiders such as tarantulas, trap door and funnel web spiders.

Protecting living fossil trees
Scientists are working to protect living fossil trees in Fiji from the impact of climate change with cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology.

Law that regulates shark fishery is too liberal: study
Shark fins are worth more than other parts of the shark and are often removed from the body, which gets thrown back into the sea. To curtail this wasteful practice, many countries allow the fins to be landed detached from shark bodies, as long as their weight does not exceed five per cent of the total shark catch. New University of British Columbia research shows that this kind of legislation is too liberal.

820 German farms hit by 'Schmallenberg' virus: institute
More than 800 German farms have been hit by a new livestock disease that causes deformities in animals at birth, agriculture authorities said Friday.

Ozone treated water v. lethal microbial material
A University of Alberta research team has discovered that technology commonly used to decontaminate food industry equipment can also rid meat processing plants of lethal microbial material responsible for the human version of the ailment Mad Cow disease.

The future of plant science -- a technology perspective
Plant science is key to addressing the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century, according to Carnegie's David Ehrhardt and Wolf Frommer. In a Perspective published in The Plant Cell, the two researchers argue that the development of new technology is key to transforming plant biology in order to meet human needs.

It takes two to tango: Pairs of entwined proteins handle the stress
(PhysOrg.com) -- Imagine two tango dancers sweeping across the dance floor and suddenly encountering a slick spot. To avoid a slip or even a nasty tumble, the pair must work together to support one another and glide safely through the stressful moment.

Studies reveal structure of EV71, a virus causing childhood illnesses
Researchers have discovered critical new details about the structure of a virus that causes potentially fatal brain swelling and paralysis in children, pointing toward designs for antiviral drugs to treat the disease.

Unexpected crustacean diversity discovered in northern freshwater ecosystems
Freshwater ecosystems in northern regions are home to significantly more species of water fleas than traditionally thought, adding to evidence that regions with vanishing waters contain unique animal life.

Female bonobos use homosexual sex to increase social status
(PhysOrg.com) -- Female bonobos (Pan paniscus) often form strong bonds with other females, and these bonds affect their position in the social hierarchy. Scientists from St Andrews University in the UK looked at the part sexual interactions might play in the formation of these social bonds, since female bonobos are known to often engage in sexual contacts with other females.


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