Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 1, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Tube-shaped solar cells could be weaved into clothing- Unique salt allows energy production to move inland
- Distributors reel from Mad Wednesday rush for $35 Pi
- New study links dust to increased glacier melting, ocean productivity
- Researchers suggests that bacteria communicate by touch
- Biologists offer clearer picture of how protein machine systems tweak gene expression
- New study reveals basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells
- Protein complex affects cells' ability to move, respond to external cues
- Research shows Scandinavian conifers survived Ice Age
- Scientists present first model of how buds grow into leaves
- Present ocean acidification rates are unprecedented: research
- Coral embryos clone themselves
- Japan finishes 'Sky Tree' - world's tallest communications tower
- Pioneering research on Bacillus subtilis metabolism reveals bacterium's secrets
- Research reveals first evidence of hunting by prehistoric Ohioans
Space & Earth news
Experts call for cleaner air to tackle invisible killer
Urgent action is needed to reduce the high concentrations of dangerous air pollutants in Europe, according to experts writing in the European Respiratory Journal today (1 March 2012).
Ames celebrates the 40th anniversary of Pioneer 10
Launched on March 2,1972, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to travel through the Asteroid belt, and the first spacecraft to make direct observations and obtain close-up images of Jupiter. Famed as the most remote object ever made through most of its mission, Pioneer 10 traveled more than 8 billion miles through space in 25 years. (On Feb. 17, 1998, Voyager 1's heliocentric radial distance equaled Pioneer 10 at 69.4 AU and thereafter exceeded Pioneer 10 at the rate of 1.02 AU per year.)
Millennium Development Goals progress reports overestimate access to safe water
The researchers show that the current methods oversimplify the measure by not accounting for water quality; the key measure of safety. In four of the five developing countries studied, the reduction in reported progress would be substantial. It is likely that MDG safe-water progress in other developing countries is similarly overstated.
Paper giant 'pulping protected Indonesian trees'
Environmental group Greenpeace accused one of the world's biggest paper companies Thursday of illegally logging internationally protected trees on Indonesia's lush Sumatra island.
SETI launches SETILive.org to empower citizen scientists
As part of the TED Prize Wish made by renowned astronomer Jill Tarter, the TED Prize today launches SETI Live (setilive.org): a site where – for the first time – the public can view data being collected by radio telescopes and collectively help search for intelligent life on other planets.
Ancient deep sea rivers of sand and mud tell climate story
Planet Earth is now due for another ice age when glaciers will form and sea levels drop up to 120m. But don't get your woollies out just yet. "Any moment now" in geological speak means give or take a few hundreds of years or more.
River flowing from China dries up in India: lawmaker
A major river in India's northeast that originates in Tibet has suddenly dried up, triggering speculation that China might be responsible, a local official told AFP on Thursday.
The physics of earthquake forecasting
One year on from the magnitude-9.0 earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami and caused a partial meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, this month's special issue of Physics World, on the theme of "Physics and the Earth", includes an investigation by journalist Edwin Cartlidge into the latest advances in earthquake forecasting.
New study of global freshwater scarcity
A new report published in the online journal PLoS ONE, analyzing water consumption in 405 river basins around the world, found that water scarcity impacts at least 2.7 billion people for at least one month each year.
Leap years prevent 'calendar climate change'
Without leap years, Earth would experience "calendar climate change" and the seasons would completely swap every 750 years, a Queensland University of Technology scientist says.
THEMIS Mars camera celebrates a decade's discoveries
Ten years ago, on Feb. 19, 2002, the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), a multi-band camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, began scientific operations at the Red Planet. Since then the camera has circled Mars nearly 45,000 times and taken more than half a million images at infrared and visible wavelengths.
Lake Tahoe water clarity improved in 2011
(PhysOrg.com) -- Lake Tahoe clarity improved in 2011, but overall has remained nearly stable since 2000, according to UC Davis scientists who study the lake.
Road map provides insight to urbanization phenomenon
As the world's population moves towards urbanisation, an international research team involving Queen Mary, University of London, has begun to unlock the factors driving the growing phenomenon.
UH scientists analyze a tiny comet grain to date Jupiter's formation
Particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 brought to Earth in 2006 by NASA's Stardust spacecraft indicate that Jupiter formed more than three million years after the formation of the first solids in our Solar System. The new finding helps test Solar System formation theories, which do not agree on the timing of Jupiter though it is certain the formation of this giant planet affected how materials moved, collided, and coalesced during the complex planet-forming process.
Study of wildfire trends in Northwestern California shows no increase in severity over time
Even though wildfires have increased in size over time, they haven't necessarily grown in severity nor had corresponding negative impacts to the ecosystem, according to a recently published study appearing in the journal Ecological Applications.
'Leaping' into the realm of science
Yesterday was Feb. 29, the extra day we add to the calendar in leap years. But why do we need this extra day, and what is the science behind it? And what about the lesser-known leap second – which delegates from more than 70 nations recently debated whether to abolish? Northeastern University news office asked Murray Gibson, dean of the College of Science, to answer these questions – as well as how early scientists discovered the need to adjust the calendar.
Exciting new 'Enceladus Explorer' mission proposed to search for life
Along with Jupiter’s moon Europa, a tiny Saturnian moon, Enceladus, has become one of the most fascinating places in the solar system and a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life. Its outward appearance is that of a small, frozen orb, but it revealed some surprises when the Cassini spacecraft gave us our first ever close-up look at this little world – huge geysers of water vapour spewing from its south pole. The implications were thought-provoking: Enceladus, like Europa, may have an ocean of liquid water below the surface. Unlike Europa however, the water is apparently able to make it up to the surface via fissures, erupting out into space as giant plumes.
NASA satellite movie shows movement of tornadic weather system
A satellite animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery showed the movement of the front that triggered severe storms and tornadoes in several states on February 29, 2012. Today, NASA released a GOES satellite animation of that weather system that triggered at least 20 tornadoes.
Catalyser for clean rainforest air
(PhysOrg.com) -- The atmosphere’s robust capacity to clean itself is owed to the consistent recycling of its cleaning agent. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz have now clarified exactly how hydroxyl radicals, which break up organic compounds in the air, are recycled. According to their findings, the reactive molecules can be produced when isoprene is broken down. Isoprene is released into the atmosphere by plants and was, until now, only known for using up hydroxyl radicals during its chemical cleaning. However, it appears that at low hydroxyl concentrations, more of the atmospheric cleaning agent is produced than is removed. Therefore, isoprene is acting as a sort of buffer, which can mitigate the increase in greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
Acidic Europa may eat away at chances for life
The ocean underneath the icy shell of Jupiter's moon Europa could be too acid to support life, due to compounds that may regularly migrate downward from its surface, researchers find.
Next-gen weather satellites to improve tornado warnings
When you read the following paragraph, consider the following: Tornado season hasn't even started yet.
LAMIS -- a green chemistry alternative for laser spectroscopy
At some point this year, after NASA's rover Curiosity has landed on Mars, a laser will fire a beam of infrared light at a rock or soil sample. This will "ablate" or vaporize a microgram-sized piece of the target, generating a plume of ionized gas or plasma, which will be analyzed by spectrometers to identify the target's constituent elements. Future Mars rovers, however, will be able to do even more. Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), in collaboration with Applied Spectra, Inc., have developed an advanced version of this laser technology that can also analyze a target's constituent isotopes. This expanded capability will enable future rovers for the first time to precisely date the geological age of Martian samples.
Present ocean acidification rates are unprecedented: research
The world's oceans may be turning acidic faster today from human carbon emissions than they did during four major extinctions in the last 300 million years, when natural pulses of carbon sent global temperatures soaring, says a new study in Science. The study is the first of its kind to survey the geologic record for evidence of ocean acidification over this vast time period.
Research shows Scandinavian conifers survived Ice Age
Until now, it was presumed that the last glacial period denuded the Scandinavian landscape of trees until a gradual return of milder weather began and melted away the ice cover some 9000 years ago. That perspective is now disproved by research headed by Professor Eske Willerslev from the Centre for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Laura Parducci from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and Inger Greve Alsos from Tromsø University Museum, Norway. Their research teams show that some Scandinavian conifers survived the inhospitable ice age climate likely for several thousands of years. The result is to be published in the esteemed scientific journal, Science.
New study links dust to increased glacier melting, ocean productivity
A University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science-led study shows a link between large dust storms on Iceland and glacial melting. The dust is both accelerating glacial melting and contributing important nutrients to the surrounding North Atlantic Ocean. The results provide new insights on the role of dust in climate change and high-latitude ocean ecosystems.
Technology news
Kim Dotcom says he'll beat 'political' piracy case
(AP) -- In his first interviews since his January arrest in New Zealand, Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom says he will prevail in what he calls a "political" Internet piracy case against him.
They're mastering manufacturing
For millions of HIV-positive people in the developing world, accurate measurement of their medical condition is invaluable. So in recent years, Daktari Diagnostics, a Cambridge-based startup, has been developing a small, mobile diagnostic device that it believes can perform effective cell counts on such patients.
China steps up Internet controls in Tibet
China's top leader in Tibet has ordered increased controls over the Internet and mobile phones, state press said Thursday, ahead of upcoming sensitive anniversaries in the restive region.
Consumer groups urge Google to delay privacy revamp
A coalition of European and US consumer advocacy groups made a last-ditch appeal to Internet search and advertising giant Google on Wednesday to delay changes to its privacy policies.
Anonymous hackers claim they were infiltrated
People identifying themselves as activists in the Anonymous hacker movement said Wednesday it wasn't technical prowess but police infiltration that yielded 25 arrests in a sweep in Europe and South America.
Mobile fair takes aim at high roaming charges
The world's biggest mobile fair this week urged operators to convert "silent roamers" or travellers who stop using their phones once abroad for fear of a massive bill.
Wish for city of the future takes shape at TED
The innovation group TED has given its coveted annual prize for the first time to an idea -- the city of the future.
Generating electricity from vibrations in road surface works
A pilot research project into vibration energy on the N34 provincial motorway near Hardenberg in the eastern Netherlands has shown that vibration energy as a local energy source is a sustainable alternative for the batteries of roadside sensors and other applications. The trial project has provided valuable insights into this innovative form of energy production.
US tries its luck easing online gambling stand
Despite a new crackdown on Internet gambling this week, the US government appears to be easing its stand on many forms of online betting, prompting states to swing into action to tap a new revenue source.
Air France-KLM sells Amadeus stake for 467 mln euros
Air France-KLM sold half its stake in Spanish group Amadeus, a technology provider for the airline and travel industries, but will keep the rest for at least three months, the Franco-Dutch carrier said on Thursday.
Mobile industry eyes savings by recycling
More than a billion mobile phones are made every year but fewer than one percent are recycled, experts say, noting that billions of dollars could be saved if consumers go green.
Fears for safety at Fukushima one year on
To some of the men who earn as little as $100 a day to work inside Japan's Fukushima Daiichi, the plant at the centre of a year-old nuclear disaster is far from safe -- despite the official line.
AT&T relents on 'unlimited data' plan limits
(AP) -- AT&T Inc. caved to complaints that it's placing unreasonable limits on the "unlimited data" plans it offers smartphone subscribers.
Online sales in China up 66% year-on-year: report
Online sales in China in 2011 grew 66 percent from the previous year, with turnover totalling 780 billion yuan ($125 billion), according to a report cited by state news agency Xinhua Thursday.
Simulator computes evacuation scenarios for major events
Predicting how large numbers of visitors to major events will behave is difficult. To prevent disasters, however, the police, rescue services and event organizers have to be able to identify dangerous bottlenecks, hidden obstacles and unexpected escape routes in advance. A research group with scientists from Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany) has developed a simulator that can be used to compute different scenarios. The program can simulate the behavior of tens of thousands of people.
Peeing Frenchman sues Google for making him 'laughing stock'
A Frenchman is suing Google for making him the laughing stock of his village after the firm's Street View service put on the Internet a picture of him urinating in his garden, his lawyer said Thursday.
Mobile mayhem: Researchers harness Kraken to model explosions via transport
First, the bad news: all across America, trucks and tractor-trailers are transporting industrial explosives on nearly every artery of the country's interstate and highway system. That's right, volatile explosives, including munitions, rocket motors, and dynamite, are moving at a high rate of speed down a roadway not too far from you.
Facebook game star Zynga starts online playground
Facebook games star Zynga on Thursday unveiled an online playground where people can share passions for hit titles without having to visit the world's top social network.
Nearly half of US adults own smartphones: survey
More American adults now own smartphones than basic mobile phones, according to a survey released on Thursday.
Questions loom as Yelp looks to price IPO
(AP) -- Yelp's popular online reviews guide the hungry to the best restaurants, the thirsty to the friendliest bars and the flabby to the toughest personal trainers. But, on the eve of its initial public offering, the eight-year-old, still unprofitable company has yet to convince analysts of its long-term prospects.
Apple, Google most admired firms: Fortune
Apple topped the list of most admired companies for the fifth year in a row, based on a Fortune magazine survey released Thursday showing Google as number two and Amazon number three.
On the path to 1 terabit-per-second networks
As IP traffic continues to increase and the router interface rate extends beyond 100 gigabits-per-second (Gb/s), future optical networks—ones that would achieve unprecedented speeds of 1 terabit-per-second (Tb/s)—will be required to support the rapid growth of data services with different capacities and patterns on the same optical platform.
Telecoms groups fight back against free messaging
Just past the security gate for the world's largest cell phone trade show in Barcelona, executives of big mobile carriers can't avoid walking past a booth they would probably rather not see: It's for "Pinger," a small California company that offers free texting in the United States and Germany and has global expansion plans.
Google rolls out new privacy policy amid howls
Google rolled out a new privacy policy Thursday allowing the firm to track users across various services to develop targeted advertising, despite sharp criticism from US and European consumer advocacy groups.
Japan finishes 'Sky Tree' - world's tallest communications tower
Construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's tallest communications tower and second-highest building, finished Wednesday, two months late because of the quake and tsunami that struck Japan last March.
Unique salt allows energy production to move inland
Production of energy from the difference between salt water and fresh water is most convenient near the oceans, but now, using an ammonium bicarbonate salt solution, Penn State researchers can combine bacterial degradation of waste water with energy extracted from the salt-water fresh-water gradient to produce power anywhere.
Medicine & Health news
Medical School implements successful radiation protection program for undergraduate medical students
A medical school in Ireland has successfully implemented a radiation protection program, improving knowledge of radiation protection among medical undergraduates, according to a study in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Radiation, business and health care policy curricula for US radiation residents show need for improvement
Residency training requirements in competencies related to radiology business practice and health care policy have been in place for more than a decade. However, a recent study, published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, suggests curricula addressing these items still seem to be in a stage of acceptance and development.
Lifelong checks for metal hip implant patients
The UK government's health regulator has advised new checks for patients who have undergone large head metal-on-metal hip replacements, following a major investigation by Newcastle University engineers.
Confused by genetic tests? NIH's new online tool may help
An online tool launched today by the National Institutes of Health will make it easier to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of genetic tests. The free resource, called the Genetic Testing Registry (GTR), is available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gtr/ .
Faulty serotonin 1A receptor 'prevents' calm mental states
Researchers at the MedUni Vienna have, for the first time, investigated the influence of the serotonin system on the default mode network (DMN) in the human brain and discovered that, in people with depression, the inhibitory effect of the serotonin 1A receptor is extremely small. This means, says Siegfried Kasper, Head of the University Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, that affected patients “are virtually never able to be mentally calm”.
Patients with rare diseases to get DNA sequenced at no charge
Rare genetic diseases, long overlooked because they affect relatively few people, are getting new attention. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are reaching out to patient advocacy groups and offering to decode the DNA of 99 patients with rare diseases to help find the genetic alterations responsible for their illnesses.
Call your doctor if your child has these symptoms
(Medical Xpress) -- Unfortunately, kids get sick. Fighting a virus or common cold is good for a child’s immune system and can help build antibodies that protect them from dangerous illnesses. Still, there are times when that tummy ache or cough may require medical attention.
AAO-HNSF clinical practice guideline: Sudden hearing loss
On March 1, 2012, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation published a new Clinical Practice Guideline on Sudden Hearing Loss (SHL). This guideline is published as a supplement to Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.
Advertising for health products regularly infringes current legislation in Spain
Spanish consumers are defenceless against deceptive advertising broadcasted on the radio in areas that could affect their health, according to a study carried out by two lecturers at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. The project reports that this infringement of law takes place specifically in health-related advertisements.
New indicator diseases reveal hidden HIV
Today, heterosexuals in Europe are at particular risk of carrying HIV for so long that they remain undiagnosed until their immune system starts to fail and they become ill. An international study under the leadership of the HIV in Europe initiative has now revealed that a number of diseases, including herpes zoster and certain forms of cancer, should be on the list of indicators for having HIV - and thus serve to prompt health care professionals to suggest an HIV-test to their patients. The new results and guidelines are to be debated at a major international HIV conference in Copenhagen on 19th-20th March.
New method for stronger dental implants
Millions of people have bad teeth replaced with implants. Often following the procedure, they are unable to chew food for up to six months, until the implant has become fixated in the bone. Now, for the first time, a drug coating that has been tested on humans allows titanium screws to adhere to the bone better and faster. The Linköping researchers behind the method report that the results are good.
Robotic surgery proves successful, less invasive way to treat HPV-related oral cancer
Over the past few decades, doctors have noted a surprising trend in cancer of the tonsils and base of the tongue. Though oral cancer previously appeared predominantly in elderly patients with a history of tobacco and alcohol use, it's increasing in younger patients: 30- to 50-year-old nonsmokers with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Fortunately, the newer form of cancer tends to be less aggressive, and the latest approach to treating the tumors can avoid the debilitating consequences of open neck surgery or extensive radiation. Robotic surgery conducted through patients' mouths provides excellent results in removing squamous cell carcinoma at the back of the throat, especially in patients with HPV, a Mayo Clinic study published in the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings found.
New treatment may reduce opioid-induced constipation in critical care patients
Opioids are a mainstay of care in the critical care unit, but their use frequently causes constipation which can lead to adverse outcomes including delayed feeding and later discharge from the ICU. Researchers from London, UK, and Chicago, IL, have found that methylnaltrexone (MNTX), a peripheral opioid antagonist, may restore bowel function in critically ill patients. Their retrospective study appears in the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
PET tracer changes management plan for brain tumor patients
Imaging amino acid transporters with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been shown to significantly alter intended management plans for patients with brain tumors, according to research in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. As a result of imaging with the radiopharmaceutical 3,4-dihydroxy-6-F-18-fluoro-L-phenylalanine (F-18-DOPA), physicians changed the intended management plan for 41 percent of patients with brain tumors.
Immune suppression through cyclic plant peptides
A team of researchers at the MedUni Vienna, together with scientists from the University Hospital of Freiburg, has decoded a mechanism in cyclic plant peptides, known as cyclotides, from the family of coffee plants (Rubiaceae) that could open up new possibilities for immune suppression.
Brain-damaged Dutch prince Friso in hospital in London
Dutch Prince Johan Friso, brain-damaged and in a coman after being caught by an avalanche in Austria last month, was transferred to a London hospital Thursday, the palace said.
Potential new therapeutic target for a subset of aggressive breast cancers
The main cause of death in women with breast cancer is spread of the original tumor to distant sites, a process known as metastasis. New therapeutic targets are urgently needed.
Sensitizing tumor cells to radiotherapy
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Tumor resistance to radio- and/or chemotherapy remains a significant clinical problem.
UC San Diego among first in nation to treat brain cancer with novel viral vector
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers and surgeons are among the first in the nation to treat patients with recurrent brain cancer by directly injecting an investigational viral vector into their tumor. The treatment is being developed by a local San Diego Company, Tocagen Inc.
Cardiovascular societies release heart valve replacement credentialing recommendations
Four leading heart organizations representing cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons released initial recommendations today for creating and maintaining transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) programs. The recommendations are aimed at ensuring optimal care for patients with aortic stenosis, a form of valvular heart disease, as use of the new TAVR procedure grows.
US Senate rejects birth control amendment
The US Senate on Thursday rejected an attempt to exempt employers who cite moral objections to birth control measures from having to follow new health insurance rules proposed by President Barack Obama.
Weight-loss surgery seems safe for kidney disease patients
(HealthDay) -- Obese chronic kidney disease patients who undergo surgery to achieve weight loss do not face a particularly dangerous rate of complications as a result, a new study suggests.
Markers warn of progressive kidney problems after heart surgery
Blood and urine markers can indicate which patients with an abrupt kidney injury following heart surgery will experience progressive kidney problems, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Testing for these markers soon after surgery could help doctors protect the health of patients' kidneys.
Increased fertility rate for IVF patients achieved by new equipment design
A novel system for processing embryos during IVF treatment has been shown to significantly improve the chances of pregnancy – by more than a quarter.
Mitochondrial dysfunction present early in Alzheimer's, before memory loss
Mitochondria -- subunits inside cells that produce energy -- have long been thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease. Now Mayo Clinic researchers using genetic mouse models have discovered that mitochondria in the brain are dysfunctional early in the disease. The findings appear in the journal PLoS ONE.
Study: Sleep gets better with age, not worse
Aging does not appear to be a factor in poor sleep, a new survey of more than 150,000 Americans shows. In fact, subjective sleep quality seems to improve over a lifetime, with the fewest complaints coming from people in their 80s.
Osteoporosis experts urge bone density testing more frequently for women at risk
Although a recent study suggests that women with normal results on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans at ages 67 and older may wait up to 15 years for a second test, a Viewpoint article published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR) cautions that such a lengthy interval is inappropriate for many adults.
Nicotine patches may not help during pregnancy
(HealthDay) -- Nicotine patches don't seem to be of much use in helping pregnant women quit smoking, a new study finds.
WU researchers breakthrough with minimally conscious state patients
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from Western University have utilized their own game-changing technology – previously developed for use with patients in a vegetative state – to assess a more prevalent group of brain-injured patients, those in the minimally conscious state (MCS). Their findings were released today in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Food-safety expert warns, beware of Norovirus
The leading cause of foodborne disease is wreaking havoc this winter, according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who says people should try to limit their exposure to Norovirus and try to minimize its spread.
Salt iodization works
The world's population has never been so well supplied with iodine as today. Major progress in salt iodization is evident in a new global study in school children done by nutrition researchers at the ETH Zurich. But there is still room for improvement of the situation in Africa and South East Asia.
Online treatment reaps rewards for teenagers with chronic fatigue
A web-based therapeutic program for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome is at least three times more effective in reducing symptoms of the disorder than regular treatment, one study has found.
Understanding and treating the cognitive dysfunction of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder in live born children arising as a consequence of a chromosomal abnormality. It occurs as a result of having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. It causes substantial physical and behavioral abnormalities, including life-long cognitive dysfunction that can range from mild to severe but which further deteriorates as individuals with DS age.
Older adults who sleep poorly react to stress with increased inflammation
Older adults who sleep poorly have an altered immune system response to stress that may increase risk for mental and physical health problems, according to a study led by a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher.
Cirrhotic patients experience increased daytime sleepiness from higher ammonia levels
Italian and Swiss researchers confirm that induced hyperammonaemia significantly increases daytime sleepiness in patients with cirrhosis. The findings available in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that higher blood levels of ammonia reduced the ability of cirrhotic patients to produce restorative sleep.
Researchers discover way to block body's response to cold
Researchers at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, in collaboration with Amgen Inc. and several academic institutions, have discovered a way to block the body's response to cold using a drug. This finding could have significant implications in treating conditions such as stroke and cardiac arrest.
New drug, Vemurafenib, doubles survival of metastatic melanoma patients
A report published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the 50 percent of metastatic melanoma patients with a specific genetic mutation benefit from the drug Vemurafenib – increasing median survival from about 6 months to 15.9 months. In patients who responded, the drug stopped cancer progression for a median 6.7 months.
When one side does not know about the other one
Whenever we are doing something, one of our brain hemispheres is more active than the other one. However, some tasks are only solvable with both sides working together. PD Dr. Martina Manns and Juliane Römling of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany) are investigating, how such specializations and co-operations arise. Based on a pigeon-model, they are proving for the first time in an experimental way, that the ability to combine complex impressions from both hemispheres, depends on environmental factors in the embryonic stage.
Poor health literacy increases risk of medication side-effects
The risk of serious side-effects associated with a common blood-thinning medication are related to elderly patients misunderstanding medical instructions, according to new research.
Research shows significant health benefits for overweight adults in breaking up prolonged sitting
Overweight office workers, drivers and call centre staff who sit for long periods could improve their health by simply breaking up their sitting time with frequent activity breaks according to new research by Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, published online today in Diabetes Care – a publication of the American Diabetes Association.
Study reveals how anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains
The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may by caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced. In a study that will appear in Annals of Neurology and has received early online release, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that administration of isoflurane impaired the performance of mice on a standard test of learning and memory – a result not seen when another anesthetic, desflurane, was administered. They also found evidence that the two drugs have significantly different effects on mitochondrial function.
Researchers find sarcoma tumor immune response with combination therapy
A team of 18 researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., have found that treating high-risk, soft tissue sarcoma patients with a combination of implanted dendritic cells (immune system cells) and fractionated external beam radiation (EBRT) provided more than 50 percent of their trial patients with tumor-specific immune responses lasting from 11 to 42 weeks.
Molecule's role in cancer suggests new combination therapy
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have found that a molecule found at elevated levels in cancer cells seems to protect them from the "cell-suicide" that is usually triggered by chemotherapy or radiation.
Nutrient found in dark meat of poultry, some seafood, may have cardiovascular benefits
A nutrient found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease (CHD) in women with high cholesterol, according to a study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Japan's DSP to buy US cancer start-up for $2.6 bn
Japanese drugs giant Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma will buy US biotechnology cancer specialist Boston Biomedical for a price that could hit $2.6 billion, the companies announced Thursday.
Judge blocks plan for graphic cigarette warnings
(HealthDay) -- A federal judge on Wednesday blocked implementation of an FDA mandate that would have forced tobacco companies to place graphic anti-smoking images on packages of cigarettes.
How red blood cells get so big -- and the bad things that happen when they don't
Yale researchers have discovered how megakaryocytes — giant blood cells that produce wound-healing platelets — manage to grow 10 to 15 times larger than other blood cells.
Antibodies are not required for immunity against some viruses
A new study turns the well established theory that antibodies are required for antiviral immunity upside down and reveals that an unexpected partnership between the specific and non-specific divisions of the immune system is critical for fighting some types of viral infections. The research, published online on March 1st in the journal Immunity by Cell Press, may lead to a new understanding of the best way to help protect those exposed to potentially lethal viruses, such as the rabies virus.
How marijuana impairs memory
A major downside of the medical use of marijuana is the drug's ill effects on working memory, the ability to transiently hold and process information for reasoning, comprehension and learning. Researchers reporting in the March 2 print issue of the Cell Press journal Cell provide new insight into the source of those memory lapses. The answer comes as quite a surprise: Marijuana's major psychoactive ingredient (THC) impairs memory independently of its direct effects on neurons. The side effects stem instead from the drug's action on astroglia, passive support cells long believed to play second fiddle to active neurons.
Vitamin D shrinks fibroid tumors in rats
Treatment with vitamin D reduced the size of uterine fibroids in laboratory rats predisposed to developing the benign tumors, reported researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.
New pathway found for regulation of blood vessel growth in cancer
Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have identified a new function for a gene that normally prevents the development of cancer.
Hypoferremia predicts treatment response to IFN-α
(HealthDay) -- For patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepcidin, a regulator of iron homeostasis, is induced following a single dose of pegylated interferon-α (PEG-IFNα), and may be a surrogate marker of immediate efficacy of IFN-α, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Hepatology.
Thalidomide induces complete response in cutaneous lupus
(HealthDay) -- Low-dose thalidomide successfully induces complete response in a majority of patients with refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), according to research published in the March issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
Study shows increase in obesity among California school children slowed
After years of increases in the rates of childhood obesity, a new UC Davis study shows that the increase slowed from 2003 to 2008 among California school children.
Protein modified by researchers may reduce heart attack damage
Scientists modified a protein in the heart which dramatically reduced cell damage after heart attacks, according to new research published the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
Long-time diabetics have increased risk of stroke
The longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk for stroke, according to a study in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal.
Where pain lives: Managing chronic pain tougher in poor neighborhoods
Living in a poor neighborhood was linked with worse chronic pain for young adults, according to a study by the University of Michigan Health System, but young black patients faced difficulties with pain management no matter where they lived.
Should we play hide-and-go-seek with our children's vegetables?
Pass the peas please! How often do we hear our children say this? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey of adolescents, only 21% of our children eat the recommended 5 or more fruits and vegetables per day. So not very many children are asking their parents to "pass the peas," and parents are resorting to other methods to get their children to eat their vegetables.
Cardiologists identify mechanism that makes heart disease worse in diabetics
UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists have uncovered how a specific protein's previously unsuspected role contributes to the deterioration of heart muscle in patients with diabetes. Investigators in the mouse study also have found a way to reverse the damage caused by this protein.
Training can improve memory and increase brain activity in mild cognitive impairment
If someone has trouble remembering where the car keys or the cheese grater are, new research shows that a memory training strategy can help. Memory training can even re-engage the hippocampus, part of the brain critical for memory formation, the results suggest.
Researchers find five novel gene mutations linked to platelet counts in African Americans
Researchers, led by scientists from Johns Hopkins, have found five previously unknown gene mutations believed to be associated with elevated blood platelet counts in African-Americans, findings they say could someday lead to the development of new drugs to help prevent coronary artery disease.
Aspirin may counteract potential trans fat-related stroke risk in older women
Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows.
Telomere stress reveals insight into ageing
Scientists at Newcastle University have unlocked clues that give us a greater understanding of the ageing process.
Depression could be evolutionary byproduct of immune system
Depression is common enough – afflicting one in ten adults in the United States – that it seems the possibility of depression must be "hard-wired" into our brains. This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage.
Scientists identify crucial cell and signaling pathway in placental blood stem cell niche
UCLA stem cell researchers have discovered a critical placental niche cell and signaling pathway that prevent blood precursors from premature differentiation in the placenta, a process necessary for ensuring proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.
Solving mystery of how sulfa drugs kill bacteria yields 21st century drug development target
More than 70 years after the first sulfa drugs helped to revolutionize medical care and save millions of lives, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have determined at an atomic level the mechanism these medications use to kill bacteria. The discovery provides the basis for a new generation of antibiotics that would likely be harder for bacteria to resist and cause fewer side effects.
Researchers develop oxygen-generating biomaterial
Scientists at the Diabetes Research Institute have developed a revolutionary technique to provide critical oxygen for maintaining the survival of insulin-producing cells. This is the first time that scientists have been able to successfully deliver oxygen locally to beta cells using a biomaterial. The results of the study, which represents a major step toward the goal of developing an alternative site to house insulin-producing cells, were just published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Biology news
Melioidosis found in stormwater
During Northern Queensland’s wet season, many people know to avoid driving or walking through floodwater for safety reasons, but researchers have found they should also avoid it to protect their health.
Discovering common fungi
Fungi are among the most diverse and understudied organisms, so major evolutionary branches composed of hundreds of species are still being discovered.
Yield from organically grown crops globally 20% lower than in conventional farming
Globally speaking, the yield from crops from organic farming is on average twenty percent lower than from crops grown according to conventional farming methods. This is the finding of a so-called meta-study carried out by researchers at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR. The study involved comparing 362 pieces of scientific research published over the past 25 years to ascertain the yield gap between organic and conventional crops. The researchers stress that the study in no way forms a basis for arguments for or against organic or conventional farming, as differences in the burden on the environment, for example, were not taken into account.
Skrei fever hits Norway as Arctic cod spawn
Grabbing a cod head, Alexander Leirvold expertly threads it onto a long spike on a wooden pole before cutting out the pearly-white tongue, considered a culinary delicacy.
Australian birds status declining faster than elsewhere in world
A newly published study shows Australians must work with international partners if they are to save all of Australia's birds.
Scientists make groundbreaking discovery on stem cell regulation
A*STAR scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal – the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely – and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation and was published in the journal Genes & Development on March 1 by the team of scientists from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
Sailing in a sea of microbes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers led by Matt Sullivan at the University of Arizona are among the first to dive into the world of viruses drifting through the world's oceans.
Leatherback turtle migration study identifies Pacific danger zones for endangered species
The majestic leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle in the world, growing to more than 6 feet in length. It is also one of the most threatened. A major new study of migration patterns has identified high-use areas—potential danger zones—in the Pacific Ocean for this critically endangered species. This new understanding could help inform decisions about fishing practices to help reduce further deaths of this fragile species.
Planarian genes that control stem cell biology identified
Despite their unassuming appearance, the planarian flatworms in Whitehead Institute Member Peter Reddien's lab are revealing powerful new insights into the biology of stem cells—insights that may eventually help such cells deliver on a promising role in regenerative medicine.
Overfishing leaves swaths of Mediterranean barren
Centuries of overexploitation of fish and other marine resources — as well as invasion of fish from the Red Sea — have turned some formerly healthy ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea into barren places, an unprecedented study of the Mediterranean concludes.
Chimp populations show great genetic diversity, with implications for conservation
Chimpanzee populations living in close proximity are substantially more different genetically than humans living on different continents, according to a study published in PLoS Genetics. Research conducted by scientists from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, and the Biomedical Primate Research Centre suggests that genomics can provide a valuable tool for chimpanzee conservation, with the potential to identify the population of origin of an individual chimpanzee or the provenance of a sample of bush meat.
Investigators predict, confirm how E. coli bacteria hijack cells' directional mechanism
Working in the emerging field of systems biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers mathematically predicted how bacteria that cause food poisoning hijack a cell's sense of direction and then confirmed those predictions in living cells.
Bacteria tend leafcutter ants' gardens
Leafcutter ants, the tiny red dots known for carrying green leaves as they march through tropical forests, are also talented farmers that cultivate gardens of fungi and bacteria. Ants eat fungi from the so-called fungal gardens, but the bacteria's role has been unclear until now.
Why spiders do not stick to their own sticky web sites
Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and University of Costa Rica asked why spiders do not stick to their own sticky webs. Repeating old, widely quoted but poorly documented studies with modern equipment and techniques, they discovered that spiders' legs are protected by a covering of branching hairs and by a non-stick chemical coating.
Researchers suggests that bacteria communicate by touch
What if bacteria could talk to each other? What if they had a sense of touch? A new study by researchers at UC Santa Barbara suggests both, and theorizes that such cells may, in fact, need to communicate in order to perform certain functions. The findings appear today in the journal Genes & Development.
Biologists offer clearer picture of how protein machine systems tweak gene expression
Indiana University biologists have found that specific types of RNA polymerase enzymes, the molecular machines that convert DNA into RNA, can differ in function based on variation in the parts -- in this case protein subunits -- used to assemble those machines.
New study reveals basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells
Despite the promise associated with the therapeutic use of human stem cells, a complete understanding of the mechanisms that control the fundamental question of whether a stem cell becomes a specific cell type within the body or remains a stem cell has—until now—eluded scientists.
Protein complex affects cells' ability to move, respond to external cues
In a paper published today in the journal, Cell, a team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has explained for the first time how a long-studied protein complex affects cell migration and how external cues affect cell's ability to migrate.
Coral embryos clone themselves
Forming a unique part of the animal kingdom, corals have built the only living entity visible from space; the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have recently discovered a previously unknown reproductive strategy in corals, adding another dimension to our understanding of their complex life cycles.
Scientists present first model of how buds grow into leaves
Leaves come in all shapes and sizes. Scientists have discovered simple rules that control leaf shape during growth. Using this 'recipe', they have developed the first computer model able to accurately emulate leaf growth from a bud.
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