Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 15, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Cyborg snail produces electricity- Research team finds way to simulate graphene Dirac points
- Cost-cutting drives solar cell process at Twin Creeks
- Scientists map hotspots for genetic exchange in chimpanzees
- Sex-deprived fruit flies drink more alcohol: New study could uncover answers for human addictions
- Researchers develop graphene supercapacitor holding promise for portable electronics
- Basketball-sized eyes help squids play defense
- Ice giant planets have more water volume than believed
- NASA develops Augmented Reality headset for commercial pilots
- New evidence to solve the mystery of the 'eclipse wind'
- Stem cells hint at potential treatment for Huntington's disease
- Astronomers using Hubble discover quasars acting as gravitational lenses
- Last entry for Encyclopaedia Britannica book form
- Scientists call for fundamental governance overhaul to ensure Earth's sustainability
- PayPal lets shops take payments on smartphones (Update)
Space & Earth news
Beach replenishment a tough issue in Florida
(AP) -- The St. Joseph Peninsula is picture-perfect Florida: 17 miles of sugar sand beach interrupted by a few clusters of homes, each with a million-dollar view of the Gulf of Mexico.
UN emission market needs urgent reform
The United Nations (UN) global carbon market requires substantial reform because it too often fails to support the projects and people it is meant to help, according to new research from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Aerial survey reveals Exmoor's rare peatlands as never seen before
An unmanned aircraft has captured hundreds of images of Exmoor’s peatlands, revealing the condition of this rare environment as never seen before. Flying 300 metres above the ground, the state-of-the art remote-controlled vehicle captured very detailed photographs of two five-hectare study sites.
Space image: Compact planetary system
(PhysOrg.com) -- This artist's concept depicts a planetary system so compact that it's more like Jupiter and its moons than a star and its planets. Astronomers using data from NASA's Kepler mission and ground-based telescopes recently confirmed that the system, called KOI-961, hosts the three smallest exoplanets currently known to orbit a star other than our sun. An exoplanet is a planet that resides outside of our solar system.
Environmental crunch 'worse than thought': OECD
Pressures on Earth's ecosystem are now so great that future generations could be doomed to falling living standards, the OECD said on Thursday in a report looking to the mid-century.
Large Binocular Telescope brings the Universe into sharper focus
(PhysOrg.com) -- Today astronomers from the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) released the first series of scientific results showing its best-in-the-world performance in canceling the blur of the Earth’s atmosphere. Included in these first findings are previously impossible discoveries about extrasolar planets and their environments and new insights into how stars are formed.
Spring flooding? Not this year, US forecasters say
At least it's a dry heat. The federal government's spring weather forecast offers no respite from warmer weather, but the country should get a break from the spring flooding that's hit the last four years.
Lawsuits against EPA target nutrients in US waters
(AP) -- Environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency to force the federal government to curb an overdose of nutrients from farms and cities that end up in the nation's rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The groups say the nutrients cause toxic algae blooms and the massive low-oxygen "dead zone" that crops up every summer in the Gulf of Mexico.
Lung doctors expect respiratory diseases will worsen with global climate change
Worldwide increases in the incidences of asthma, allergies, infectious and cardiovascular diseases will result from a variety of impacts of global climate change, including rising temperatures, worsening ozone levels in urban areas, the spread of desertification, and expansions of the ranges of communicable diseases as the planet heats up, the professional organization representing respiratory and airway physicians stated in a new position paper released today.
Africa research explores the complex influence of changes in climate upon migration
(PhysOrg.com) -- Governments need to take multiple factors into account if they are to plan effectively for population displacement as a result of drought, new research from the University of Sussex reveals.
NASA sub-scale solid-rocket motor tests material for space launch system
(PhysOrg.com) -- A sub-scale solid rocket motor designed to mimic NASA's Space Launch System, or SLS, booster design successfully was tested today by engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The 20-second firing tested new insulation materials on the 24-inch-diameter, 109-inch-long motor. The motor is a scaled down, low-cost replica of the solid rocket motors that will boost SLS off the launch pad.
James Cameron, others to explore the real abyss
(AP) -- Earth's lost frontier is about to be explored firsthand after more than half a century. It's a mission to the deepest part of the ocean, so deep that the pressure is the equivalent of three SUVs sitting on your toe.
Rising ocean temperatures harm protected coral reefs
Special conservation zones known as marine protected areas provide many direct benefits to fisheries and coral reefs.
Africa to generate more e-waste than Europe by 2017
Better known as a dumping ground for used electronic goods from developed countries, Africa is set to outstrip Europe in the volumes of e-waste it generates within five years, experts said Thursday.
Skydiver makes test jump for record (Update)
Skydiving daredevil Felix Baumgartner is more than halfway toward his goal of setting a world record for the highest jump.
First atomic hydrogen spectral line images of a nearby galaxy
South Africa’s KAT-7 telescope, a seven-dish array which is a precursor to the much larger MeerKAT telescope in the Karoo and to the Square Kilometre Array, has reached another major milestone by observing the radio emission from the neutral hydrogen gas (HI) in a nearby galaxy. Hydrogen gas emits radio emission in a spectral line at a very specific frequency of 1420 MHz.
NASA's IceBridge 2012 Arctic campaign takes to the skies
Researchers and flight crew with NASA's Operation IceBridge, an airborne mission to study changes in polar ice, began another season of science activity with the start of the 2012 Arctic campaign on March 13. From mid-March through mid-May, a modified P-3 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va., will conduct daily missions out of Thule and Kangerlussuaq, Greenland —with one flight to Fairbanks, Alaska and back—to measure sea and land ice. The campaign will also feature instrument tests, continued international collaboration and educational activities.
Now a cyclone, NASA sees Lua closer to a landfall in northern Australia
Warnings are in effect and evacuations have taken place along the northern Australia coast near Port Hedland. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Lau as it strengthened into a Cyclone today, March 15, 2012.
New WISE mission catalog of entire infrared sky released
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA unveiled a new atlas and catalog of the entire infrared sky today showing more than a half billion stars, galaxies and other objects captured by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.
Study links past changes in monsoon to major shifts in Indian civilizations
(PhysOrg.com) -- A fundamental shift in the Indian monsoon has occurred over the last few millennia, from a steady humid monsoon that favored lush vegetation to extended periods of drought, reports a new study led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The study has implications for our understanding of the monsoon’s response to climate change.
Stars made from galactic recycling material
(PhysOrg.com) -- Ordinary galaxies such as our own Milky Way contain a plethora of gas and dust. Nevertheless, there is not nearly enough matter to explain how galaxies produce new stars at the observed rates for long. As a solution, a matter cycle on gigantic scales has been proposed, for which concrete traces exist in our local galactic neighbourhood. Now, a study led by Kate Rubin of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has found the first direct evidence of such a key part of "galactic recycling" also in distant galaxies gas flowing back into distant galaxies.
New evidence to solve the mystery of the 'eclipse wind'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Solar eclipses are not only amazing celestial spectacles - they also cause subtle changes to the weather here on Planet Earth, according to meteorologists.
Scientists call for fundamental governance overhaul to ensure Earth's sustainability
A group of the world's leading environmental scholars are sounding the alarm that human societies need to transform their national and international environmental institutions into a more coherent and robust planetary stewardship model in order to steer away from rapid and irreversible changes to the Earth's subsystems.
Ice giant planets have more water volume than believed
(PhysOrg.com) -- The idea of compressing water is foreign to our daily experience. Nevertheless, an accurate estimate of water’s shrinking volume under the huge gravitational pressures of large planets is essential to astrophysicists trying to model the evolution of the universe. They need to assume how much space is taken up by water trapped under high density and pressure, deep inside a planet, to calculate how much is needed of other elements to flesh out the planet’s astronomical image.
Astronomers using Hubble discover quasars acting as gravitational lenses
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found several examples of galaxies containing quasars, which act as gravitational lenses, amplifying and distorting images of galaxies aligned behind them.
Сap and trade programs do not provide sufficient incentives for innovation: research
Cap and trade programs to reduce emissions do not inherently provide incentives to induce the private sector to develop innovative technologies to address climate change, according to a new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Technology news
Australians concerned for online privacy: study
Australians have a high level of internet use but are wary of websites that collect too much information about their visitors, a large-scale University of Queensland survey has revealed.
Mini-CT scanner developed as a teaching tool
Biophysics professors at Western University, in London, Canada, have developed a CT (Computed Tomography) scanner small enough to sit on a desk. Jerry Battista, Chair of the Department of Medical Biophysics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Kevin Jordan of the London Regional Cancer Program at London Health Sciences Centre invented the DeskCAT Multi-slice CT Scanner as a novel and interactive way to teach CT imaging techniques to a wide range of students. DeskCAT is now being manufactured, and distributed to other universities by Modus Medical Devices in London, Ontario.
Leicester partnering world sidecar champions
The Department of Engineering at the University of Leicester is collaborating with Ben and Tom Birchall, former World Sidecar Champions, to improve the performance of their F2 sidecar at this year's Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races.
US soldier accused in Wikileaks case due in court
(AP) -- A U.S. Army private accused of leaking classified material to the anti-secrecy website Wikileaks could soon learn when his trial will start.
Review: `The Show' still swinging for the fences
(AP) -- No video game can duplicate the drama of the end of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. You remember: The historic collapse of the Red Sox. The Rays' late-inning recovery from a seven-run deficit on the last day of the season. The Cardinals coming back twice in game six of the World Series and eventually winning the trophy.
Bulgaria moves to regulate online gambling
Bulgaria's parliament adopted on Thursday a new law to regulate online gambling for the first time, its press office said.
Is Facebook part of your estate? New laws debated
(AP) -- When Karen Williams' son died in a motorcycle crash, the Oregon woman turned to his Facebook account in hopes of learning more about the young man she had lost.
Study: LinkedIn resumes more honest -- in some ways
A new study says people are less likely to lie about big things on resumes they post on the professional network LinkedIn compared with traditional resumes.
Yahoo board battle may begin within the next week
(AP) -- A potentially nasty battle to reshape Yahoo's board of directors will begin within the next week unless the troubled Internet company submits to the demands of a major shareholder.
AU Optronics to appeal US price-fixing verdict
Taiwan's AU Optronics (AUO) will appeal a guilty verdict in the United States for price-fixing, its chairman was quoted as saying Thursday.
Dutch 'Repair Cafe' give trash a new lease of life
A broken-down vacuum cleaner, an old bicycle, a torn shirt ... almost nothing is impossible to fix for a group of crafty Dutch volunteers dedicated to giving potential trash a second lease of life.
Use a laser, save a tree
(PhysOrg.com) -- Laser un-printers that can remove toner from scrap paper so that it can be used again may be coming to an office near you in the future, results from a new Cambridge study show.
Device for harvesting energy and water from human waste gets green light
Work on a prototype device for harvesting energy and clean drinking water from human waste gets the go ahead this month.
Cisco to buy video tech company NDS for about $4B
(AP) -- Cisco Systems Inc. is buying digital video technology company NDS Group Ltd. for about $4 billion to enhance its video offerings to pay-TV providers and expand in emerging markets.
Estonia to extradite high flying cyber crime suspect to US
Estonia on Thursday said it would extradite Estonian citizen Anton Ivanov to the United States over alleged cyber crimes involving such popular websites as iTunes, Netflix and the US tax service.
Apple stock tops $600 day before new iPad release
Apple Inc.'s stock touched $600 for the first time, the day before the company's latest iPad goes on sale.
UCLA professor wins $250K computing prize for AI
A University of California, Los Angeles professor is the winner of a $250,000 computing prize for his work in artificial intelligence.
Slovenia freezes ACTA ratification
Slovenia's centre-right government on Thursday froze the ratification of the controversial anti-online piracy pact ACTA until the European Union reaches a common position on the issue.
Last entry for Encyclopaedia Britannica book form
Hours after Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. announced it will stop publishing print editions of its flagship encyclopedia for the first time in more than 200 years, someone among the editing minions of free online rival Wikipedia made an irony-free note of that fact.
Review: 5 ways to control your privacy on Google
Like it or not, your relationship with Google is becoming a lot more intimate. The company recently expanded its ability to combine data from its various services to create a highly detailed profile on you.
Guiding robot planes with hand gestures
Aircraft-carrier crew use a set of standard hand gestures to guide planes on the carrier deck. But as robot planes are increasingly used for routine air missions, researchers at MIT are working on a system that would enable them to follow the same types of gestures.
NASA develops Augmented Reality headset for commercial pilots
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia has been hard at work developing an Augmented Reality headset for use by commercial pilots to help reduce airline accidents due to poor weather and overcrowding at airports. The results of that effort have now become known as NASA has recently begun searching for a company to make and market the headset which thus far, doesn’t have an official name.
PayPal lets shops take payments on smartphones (Update)
Online financial transactions titan PayPal on Thursday began letting merchants worldwide take payments using smartphones in a direct challenge to startup Square.
Cost-cutting drives solar cell process at Twin Creeks
(PhysOrg.com) -- A San Jose, California, startup company, Twin Creeks Technologies, says it has figured out a way to substantially cut the cost of making silicon solar cells. The company’s technology reduces both the amount of silicon needed and the cost of the manufacturing equipment. The company can produce solar cells for about 40 cents per watt, half the present-day price of the cheapest cells at 80 cents.
Medicine & Health news
Schools getting choice on beef: Pink slime or no?
(AP) -- "Pink slime" just went from a simmer to a boil.
Gates Foundation gives $220 mln for TB research
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and his wife are to give $220 million over five years to the non-profit biotech firm Aeras to develop vaccines to fight tuberculosis, a company statement said Thursday.
Singapore invests $100 mn in Indian medical group
One of Singapore's two investment funds said Thursday it had paid $100 million for a minority stake in an Indian medical group, as part of its plan to shifts focus to emerging markets.
Reducing drug overdose for ex-prisoners -- the view from outside the prison gates
Prison inmates frequently have a strong history of drug use and misuse, especially during the time prior to incarceration, and drugs often are the driving force behind the offense itself. New research, published in BioMed Central's newly launched open access journal Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, shows that ex-offenders struggle to remain drug free after release from prison and identifies factors that can help them succeed. Interviews with former inmates show that they themselves recognize that returning to former living environments (former friends and an easy access to drugs) is a strong trigger for drug use and overdose.
Epigenetics and epidemiology -- hip, hype and science
Epigenetics is the new hip science. Time Magazine's front cover and article, 'Why your DNA isn't your Destiny' from January 2010 explains why. Its more explicit subtitle provided the hook - 'The new science of epigenetics reveals how the choices you make can change your genes - and those of your kids'. Who wouldn't be interested in this?
Spotting mental illness in new mothers
A new on-line tool and DVD developed by University experts to help midwives identify and treat new mothers at risk of severe mental illness has been officially launched by the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales and Honorary Visiting University Professor, Jean White.
New and comprehensive study of diabetes care in Trinidad and Tobago released
The most current and comprehensive study in almost a decade of people with diabetes and the health care services they receive in Trinidad and Tobago has been completed by a team of experts from the Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative’s (TTHSI) Diabetes Outreach Program. The survey focused on the South-West region.
Long work hours linked to alcohol risk for nurses and midwives
It is well known that nurses and midwives work schedules are often irregular and involve shifts, now new research from the University of Otago, Christchurch in association with the University of Queensland has also shown that long hours and harmful alcohol use are linked.
Food stamp customers buy more at farmers' markets when point-of-sale system is available
Record numbers of Americans are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, as food stamps are now known, and many SNAP participants live in neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food. A study conducted at the Clark Park Farmers' Market, in Philadelphia, PA, has found that making it easier for vendors to collect SNAP payments with electronic point-of-sale systems increased fresh produce sales to SNAP recipients by 38%. However, the costs associated with such systems may put them out of reach for farmers. The study, by researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars Program and The Food Trust, is published online today in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Some NHS trusts consistently outperform others on patient experience
Some NHS trusts consistently outperform others on a range of measures of patient experience, finds research published online in BMJ Quality & Safety.
EASL-EORTC publish joint clinical practice guidelines on hepatocellular carcinoma management
The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) today publish their first joint Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The EASL-EORTC guidelines define the use of surveillance, diagnosis and therapeutic strategies recommended for patients with HCC.
Gen Y's to become Gen D (Generation Diabetes)
A new Australian diabetes assessment released today reinforces a legacy of pandemic proportions being left for future generations – with one in three of today’s Gen Ys joining the ranks of ‘Generation D’ (Generation Diabetes) during their lifetime.
Glaxo sells key European brands to Belgium's Omega Pharma
British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday that it would sell a stable of well-known European over-the-counter brands, including Nytol sleep aid, to Belgium's Omega Pharma.
Fitness tests for British police after half found overweight
British police officers should undertake an annual fitness test and face a pay cut if they repeatedly fail, a report said Thursday, after finding that half of London policemen were overweight.
Good nutrition starts with the basics
March brings another National Nutrition Month. We Americans have unlimited sources of dietary information and frequent reminders about weight, diets, nutrition and food. Look at the magazine rack at the supermarket, the large sections devoted to cooking and food in bookstores and on Amazon.com, or search for “nutrition” on the Web and it’s all there. Yet two-thirds of us are too heavy, heart disease remains a major disease and diabetes is increasing. One part of the problem is the quantity of food we eat. Portions are bigger at restaurants, and there are far more fast food choices than a generation ago. But even at home we are not choosing healthy foods. Nutrition professionals can be very valuable in helping people plan healthy diets, but you do not need a degree in nutrition science to know how to eat. Start with: Vegetables and fruits
Assessing innovative intervention for children with cerebral palsy
Five-year-old Lauren's cerebral palsy used to make eating meals an ordeal, going to bed a challenge, and crawling an impossibility.
Researchers find better way to save sight
People who are losing their eyesight through aged-related macular degeneration (AMD) may soon be able to find out if a commonly used drug can help save their vision.
Natural killer cell deficiency investigated
Medical scientists at Trinity College Dublin in conjunction with researchers in Paris have investigated the consequence of natural killer cell deficiency in six related patients and identified a new genetic disorder which is responsible for this immune defect. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
A study confirms the correlation between premature alopecia and prostate conditions
Spanish scientists have confirmed that there is a clear relationship between androgenetic alopecia (common premature baldness) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a benign enlargement of the prostate that appears in aging men and is associated with certain hormones as dihydrotestosterone. This condition appears in 50% of men over 60 year old and causes voiding syndrome i.e. urinary frequency.
Asian breast cancer survivors suffer cognitive impairments associated with chemotherapy
A recent study by National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers revealed that Asian breast cancer patients who had received or were undergoing chemotherapy treatment showed symptoms of "chemobrain", in which they encounter memory loss, difficulty in decision making and speech problems.
Pleurectomy/decortication proposed preferred surgical procedure
Patients with early stage malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, may be eligible for aggressive multi-modality therapy involving surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are two main approaches, and controversy has existed about which approach is superior. One is called extrapleural pnemonectomy (EPP), a very extensive surgery where surgeons remove the entire diseased lung, lung lining (pleura), part of the membrane covering the heart (pericardium) and part of the diaphragm. Another approach involves a less extensive surgery called pleurectomy/decortication (P/D), where surgeons remove part of the lining around the lungs, potentially part, but not all of the lung, and potentially part of the diaphragm and/or membrane around the heart. Research presented in the April 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology concludes that the P/D method had better re! sults for patients in a recent analysis.
Panel of serum biomarkers may reduce number of lung biopsies needed
A panel of serum biomarkers could help predict the level of lung cancer risk in high-risk patients, offering doctors an option before proceeding with a biopsy. Research presented in the April 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows that a panel of 10 serum protein biomarkers could help in the lung cancer diagnosis. The biomarkers include: prolactin, transthyretin, thrombospondin-1, E-selectin, C-C motif chemokine 5, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2, Cyfra 21.1 and serum amyloid A. Further work is necessary to validate these exciting results.
CYFRA21-1 might be predictive marker in advanced NSCLC
Researchers found that CYFRA and change in levels of CYFRA were found to be reliable markers for response to chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a study of 88 patients. Research presented in the April 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows that this marker can be used to determine whether or not a patient should continue a particular chemotherapy regimen.
Menopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer risk
In the past decade, results from large prospective cohort studies and the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized placebo-controlled hormone therapy trials have substantially changed thoughts about how estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin influence the risk of breast cancer, according to a review published March 15 in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute.
Childhood trauma exposure is very common among alcohol-dependent inpatients
Accumulating evidence indicates that childhood trauma experience (CTE) may be an environmental susceptibility factor for a variety of psychiatric disorders, including alcohol dependence (AD). CTE can include sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as physical or emotional neglect. New research on single and multiple CTE among AD individuals undergoing inpatient detoxification and treatment has found significant rates of reported CTE among these individuals.
Children in low-income neighborhood with special walking/bike trail exercised more
Children living in a neighborhood designed with a special bike trail were three times as likely as those in a traditional neighborhood to engage in vigorous physical activity, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.
7,000 more women in Britain received suspect implants
Around 7,000 more women than first thought in Britain have received potentially faulty PIP breast implants, the government said on Thursday.
Dutch recommend removal of PIP implants done before 2001
Dutch health authorities on Thursday recommended the removal of breast implants manufactured by French company Poly Implant Prothese that were done before 2001.
Syringe exchange programs -- a critical public health strategy without federal funding
A study from Rhode Island Hospital examined the two-year period when the current ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs (SEPs) was lifted in order to learn whether SEPs received or anticipated pursuing federal funding during that time. Only three of the 187 SEPs that responded had received funding at the time of the survey, and early experiences cited many barriers to accessing the federal funds. With the ban reinstated, the researchers state that the effect of federal SEP funding can therefore not realize its full public health potential. The findings are published in the American Journal of Public Health.
More is not always better: Frequent dialysis does not markedly improve physical health
Some recent observational studies suggest that more frequent hemodialysis may prolong kidney failure patients' lives compared with conventional dialysis. If it does, what's the quality of that extra life? The additional treatments—which are time-consuming and take a considerable toll on patients—do not markedly improve patients' physical health, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).
CDC launching graphic anti-smoking ad campaign
(AP) -- Tobacco taxes and smoking bans haven't budged the U.S. smoking rate in years. Now the government is trying to shock smokers into quitting with a graphic nationwide advertising campaign.
Advice to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months may be 'unhelpful' and too idealistic
Advising women to breastfeed exclusively for six months may be "unhelpful" and far too idealistic, suggests a qualitative study of new mothers, their partners, and close relatives, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Heavy rucksacks storing up back problems for many school-kids
Significant numbers of teens regularly carry rucksacks for school which top 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight and risk back pain and other related disorders, finds research published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Monitoring antibiotic use cuts millions in wasteful spending, study finds
Curbing unnecessary use of antibiotics is our best defense against the spread of drug-resistant infections. A new study suggests another benefit to antimicrobial stewardship: a potential cost savings of millions of dollars now wasted on therapies that don't help patients.
Social disapproval not fear helps smokers quit
Researchers from Canterbury Christ Church University have found that smokers are more likely to stop because of anti-social attitudes towards them than from fear of ill-health.
Dietary cadmium may be linked with breast cancer risk
Dietary cadmium, a toxic metal widely dispersed in the environment and found in many farm fertilizers, may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Social networking shortcut to finding medical experts
It can be difficult for someone outside of a specialist field to identify subject experts and the ever increasing amount of available data can be bewildering. New research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal, Journal of Biomedical Semantics, describes a method of social network analysis, similar to finding friends on Facebook, able to sift through scientific literature and news articles to identify opinion leaders and media experts.
Taking another shot at RAGE to tame Alzheimer's
Researchers have taken another crack at a promising approach to stopping Alzheimer's disease that encountered a major hurdle last year. In research published this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, scientists have developed a compound that targets a molecular actor known as RAGE, which plays a central role in mucking up the brain tissue of people with the disease.
Suppressing feelings of compassion makes people feel less moral: study
(Medical Xpress) -- It’s normal to not always act on your sense of compassion—for example, by walking past a beggar on the street without giving them any money. Maybe you want to save your money or avoid engaging with a homeless person. But even if suppressing compassion avoids these costs, it may carry a personal cost of its own, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. After people suppress compassionate feelings, an experiment shows, they lose a bit of their commitment to morality.
Rainforest remedy could spell end of dental pain
(Medical Xpress) -- An ancient Incan toothache remedy – for centuries handed down among an indigenous people in the rainforests of Peru – could be on the cusp of revolutionising worldwide dental practice.
Magnesium lowers blood pressure
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire have found that magnesium supplements may offer small but clinically significant reductions in blood pressure. In a paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers also discovered that the size of the effect increased in line with increased dosage.
PCP genetic pathway acts as stop sign for cell growth
The genetic pathway that regulates the way cells align themselves relative to each other has been found to act as a "stop sign" that signals organisms when to halt cell growth, according to new research published by biologists at the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology in Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences.
Computer simulations help explain why HIV cure remains elusive
A new research report appearing in the March 2012 issue of the journal Genetics shows why the development of a cure and new treatments for HIV has been so difficult. In the report, an Australian scientist explains how he used computer simulations to discover that a population starting from a single human immunodeficiency virus can evolve fast enough to escape immune defenses. These results are novel because the discovery runs counter to the commonly held belief that evolution under these circumstances is very slow.
Smartphones can aid people with schizophrenia
Psychiatry is employing smartphone technology as an innovative tool in the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia and other serious mental illness. Prominent in this endeavor is Dror Ben-Zeev, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School and director of the Thresholds-Dartmouth Research Center in Chicago.
Too much exercise delays pregnancy in normal-weight women: study
(HealthDay) -- Exercise is a plus for women trying to become pregnant, but overdoing workouts might make it harder to conceive -- unless you're overweight, researchers report.
Very few low-income moms meet breastfeeding recommendations
Less than 2 percent of low-income mothers met breastfeeding recommendations in a recent study – a drastic decline compared with a more affluent population – and a lack of support and available resources appears to play a key role.
Children exposed to cigarette smoke have increased risk of COPD in adulthood
A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that children who are exposed to passive smoke have almost double the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood compared with non-exposed children.
Is it a peanut or a tree nut? Half of those with allergies aren't sure
Adults and children in a recent study could correctly identify, on average, fewer than half of an assortment of the peanuts and tree nuts that are among the most common food allergens in the United States.
Bilingual immigrants are healthier, according to new study
Bilingual immigrants are healthier than immigrants who speak only one language, according to new research from sociologists at Rice University.
What the doctor didn't order: Exploring incidental findings in clinical genome sequencing
With whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing declining in price and improving in accuracy, these technologies are rapidly being integrated into clinical medicine. However, one of the most difficult obstacles to this integration is the uncertainty about searching for and reporting genetic results that are "incidental" or unrelated to the reasons the test was initially ordered.
BRG1 mutations confer resistance to hormones in lung cancer
Retinoic acid (vitamin A) and steroids are hormones found in our body that protect against oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and are involved in cellular differentiation processes. One of the characteristics of tumours is that their cells have lost the ability to differentiate; therefore these hormones have useful properties to prevent cancer. Currently, retinoic acid and steroids are being used to treat some types of leukaemia.
Bright future ahead for antibody cancer therapy
Antibodies, once touted as the "magic bullets" of cancer care, are now fulfilling that promise and more advances are on the way, say cancer researchers at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
First-ever integrative 'Omics' profile lets scientist discover, track his diabetes onset
Geneticist Michael Snyder, PhD, has almost no privacy. For more than two years, he and his lab members at the Stanford University School of Medicine pored over his body's most intimate secrets: the sequence of his DNA, the RNA and proteins produced by his cells, the metabolites and signaling molecules wafting through his blood. They spied on his immune system as it battled viral infections.
Researcher watches the start of his own disease with unprecedented detail
These days, most of us don't head to the doctor until we are already ill. What if you could see disease approaching just as it starts to head your way? A study in a special March 16th issue of Cell focused on human biology shows that this futuristic notion is already in reach. Scientists have combined a complete personal genome sequence with analyses of disease risks and an array of dynamic molecular measures, capturing important changes in the way the human body works. The study is the first to apply "integrative Personal Omics Profiling" (iPOP for short) to observe healthy and diseased states, the researchers say.
'Unconscious' racial bias among doctors linked to poor communication with patients
New evidence that physician attitudes and stereotypes about race, even if unconscious, affect the doctor-patient relationship in ways that may contribute to racial disparities in health care
Alcohol-dependent individuals have problems transferring new knowledge to new contexts
Chronic and excessive drinking is associated with structural, physiological, and functional changes in multiple regions of the human brain, including the prefrontal cortex, the medial temporal lobe (MTL), as well as structures of the brain's reward system. This study of the ability of alcohol-dependent (AD) individuals to learn new reward-related contingencies and then transfer this knowledge to new contexts found the AD patients had transfer deficits.
Some people may be more susceptible to alcohol-induced fragmentary blackouts
Alcohol's effects on memory range from mild deficits to alcohol-induced blackouts. That said, very little research has been carried out on memory impairments among individuals who have experienced alcohol-induced blackouts. A new study of neural activation during a contextual-memory task among individuals with and without a history of alcohol-induced fragmentary blackouts demonstrates individual differences in how alcohol impacts memory.
Overweight, obese adults use electronic device to stick to diet, exercise
Overweight and obese adults who used an electronic diary program on a personal digital assistant did better at staying on diet and physical activity programs, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.
With climate change, US could face risk from Chagas disease
In the spring of 1835, Charles Darwin was bitten in Argentina by a "great wingless black bug," he wrote in his diary.
Low-income mothers risk obesity to feed children
Mothers who financially struggle to provide food for their families tend to put themselves at risk for obesity while trying to feed their children, according to Penn State sociologists.
Disabling cancer cells' defenses against radiation
Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute are developing a technique to remove cancer cells' defenses against radiation.
Combination treatment in mice shows promise for fatal neurological disorder in kids
Infants with Batten disease, a rare but fatal neurological disorder, appear healthy at birth. But within a few short years, the illness takes a heavy toll, leaving children blind, speechless and paralyzed. Most die by age 5.
Cancer cells send out the alarm on tumor-killing virus
Brain-tumor cells that are infected with a cancer-killing virus release a protein "alarm bell" that warns other tumor cells of the impending infection and enables them to mount a defense against the virus, according to a study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
NYC suicide rate 29 percent higher at economy's nadir vs. peak
New evidence on the link between suicide and the economy shows that the monthly suicide rate in New York City from 1990 to 2006 was 29% higher at the economic low point in 1992 than at the peak of economic growth in 2000.
Study looks at discrimination's impact on smoking
Smoking, the leading preventable cause of mortality in the United States, continues to disproportionately impact lower income members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
Cancer paradigm shift: Biomarker links clinical outcome with new model of lethal tumor metabolism
Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have demonstrated for the first time that the metabolic biomarker MCT4 directly links clinical outcomes with a new model of tumor metabolism that has patients "feeding" their cancer cells. Their findings were published online March 15 in Cell Cycle.
Diet or DNA: are we fated to be fat?
(Medical Xpress) -- Marks on the genetic ‘code’ that babies have at birth are different for children who go on to be obese or overweight compared to those who do not, new research from the universities of Newcastle and Bristol has found.
When it comes to intergroup conflict, the group with less power benefits more from sharing its perspective
To help promote peace in the Middle East, many organizations have established "peace camps" or similar conflict-resolution programs that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to foster greater understanding of the opposing group.
Cell phone use in pregnancy may cause behavioral disorders in offspring: new study
Exposure to radiation from cell phones during pregnancy affects the brain development of offspring, potentially leading to hyperactivity, Yale School of Medicine researchers have determined.
Stem cells hint at potential treatment for Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease, the debilitating congenital neurological disorder that progressively robs patients of muscle coordination and cognitive ability, is a condition without effective treatment, a slow death sentence.
A wandering mind reveals mental processes and priorities
Odds are, you're not going to make it all the way through this article without thinking about something else.
Biology news
Feds say Wyo. tribe's bald eagle permit a first
(AP) -- A federal permit allowing the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming to kill up to two bald eagles for religious purposes is the first of its kind ever issued to an American Indian tribe, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official said Wednesday.
Wild plants threatened by collection for sale could be grown commercially providing new income streams, report finds
Exotic palm leaves in your Mother’s Day bouquet may have come from forests in Belize or Guatemala, central America. Export for the flower arranging industry threatens the survival of some of these palms in the wild
Research uncovers genetic marker that could help control, eliminate PRRS virus
A collaborative discovery involving Kansas State University researchers may improve animal health and save the U.S. pork industry millions of dollars each year.
US appeals court allows wolf hunts
A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit from conservation groups that want to block wolf hunting and trapping that have killed more than 500 of the predators across the Northern Rockies in recent months.
Scientists develop novel technique to map protein interactions leading to better understanding of disease mechanisms
Scientists have developed a powerful new technique, named BioID, to screen for both interacting and neighboring proteins in their native cellular environment. Elucidating protein interactions is key to better understanding disease mechanisms and developing therapies. This work, headed by Dr Brian Burke, Principle Investigator at the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) under the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Dr Kyle Roux, Associate Scientist at the Sanford Children’s Health Research Centre, was published in the Journal of Cell Biology on March 12.
An early spring drives butterfly population declines
Early snow melt in the Colorado Rocky Mountains initiates two chains of events resulting in population decline in the mormon fritillary butterfly, Speyeria mormonia. One effect of snow melt date was readily detectable, but the second, cryptic effect required an understanding of the butterfly's biology.
Kashmir scientists clone rare cashmere goat
Scientists in Indian-controlled Kashmir have cloned a rare Himalayan goat in hopes of boosting the number of animals famed for their coats of pashmina wool, used to make cashmere.
Discovery of pine beetles breeding twice in a year helps explain increasing damage, researchers say
(PhysOrg.com) -- Long thought to produce only one generation of tree-killing offspring annually, some populations of mountain pine beetles now produce two generations per year, dramatically increasing the potential for the bugs to kill lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees, University of Colorado Boulder researchers have found.
Cells: The body's ultimate sports car
(PhysOrg.com) -- Anand Asthagiri can think of several reasons why a scientist would want to get behind the wheel of a cell — which he calls the “ultimate driving machine.” Having the ability to move a cell from Point A to Point B, he said, could revolutionize tissue engineering and transform the understanding of various diseases, including cancer.
Sympatric speciation contributes to island biodiversity
Scientists discover at least 11 examples of sympatric speciation on Lord Howe Island.
Diverse catches are better for fishery ecosystems
Fishing for a 'balanced harvest' can achieve productive fisheries as well as environmental conservation, an international scientific team reports today in the journal Science.
Clash of the crayfish: Why the Americans are winning
Aggressive American signal crayfish are threatening Britain's native white-clawed crayfish populations because they have better resistance to parasites and are less fussy about what they eat.
Protein researchers unravel the molecular dance of DNA repair
Using state-of-the-art technology, scientists at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research at the University of Copenhagen and their international collaborators have successfully obtained "molecular snapshots" of tens of thousands processes involved in DNA damage repair. On a daily basis this restoration keeps cells healthy and prevents the development of cancer. The results of this study will help unravel exactly how cells repair their broken DNA, how chemotherapy affects cells´ workings and will assist in the discovery of new drugs with fewer side effects.
Wild orangutans stressed by eco-tourists, but not for long, study out of Borneo finds
Wild orangutans that have come into contact with eco-tourists over a period of years show an immediate stress response but no signs of chronic stress, unlike other species in which permanent alterations in stress responses have been documented, new research from an Indiana University anthropologist has found.
Birds evolved compass 'head up display'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Certain birds may have compass information mapped directly onto their vision, much as fighter pilots have ‘head up displays’ overlaying flight information on their view of the skies.
Research duo finds crayfish use deception to ward off other males
(PhysOrg.com) -- Because we’re so smart compared to other species that live on this planet, people tend to ascribe certain abilities as innately human. One of these traits is the ability to lie or cheat. This is because doing so seems to imply a high order of intelligence. Unfortunately, as with many other traits that have once been thought uniquely human, lying, or bluffing appears to occur in other species as well, or at least in one, the lowly male crayfish. In a recent study, Michael Angilletta from Arizona State University and Robbie Wilson of the University of Queensland, found that male crayfish use claw size to bluff their way out of fights with other males. They have published their observations in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters.
Basketball-sized eyes help squids play defense
Giant and colossal squids have eyes as big as basketballs, and a Duke scientist thinks he knows why.
Plants can 'remember' drought and change responses to survive
(PhysOrg.com) -- Plants subjected to a previous period of drought learn to deal with the stress thanks to their memories of the experience, new research has found.
Scientists map hotspots for genetic exchange in chimpanzees
Scientists at the University of Oxford and the University of Chicago have constructed the world's first genetic map in chimpanzees of recombination – the exchange of genetic material within a chromosome that makes us all unique. The study, published today in Science Express, shows surprising differences compared to how the process occurs in the human genome.
Sex-deprived fruit flies drink more alcohol: New study could uncover answers for human addictions
Sexually deprived male fruit flies exhibit a pattern of behavior that seems ripped from the pages of a sad-sack Raymond Carver story: when female fruit flies reject their sexual advances, the males are driven to excessive alcohol consumption, drinking far more than comparable, sexually satisfied male flies.
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