Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 28, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Take your time: Neurobiology sheds light on the superiority of spaced vs. massed learning- 'Lucy' lived among close cousins: Discovery of foot fossil confirms two human ancestor species co-existed
- Copper-based materials show strange spin states
- Physicists mix two lasers to create light at many frequencies
- Researchers discover new layer of genetic information that helps determine how fast proteins are produced
- Shoplifters hit up Chrome Store for Facebook data
- Cheap natural gas makes inroads as US vehicle fuel
- Fossil raindrop impressions imply greenhouse gases loaded early Earth's atmosphere
- First volume of the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia made public
- The path to personalized cancer treatment
- Neutrons uncover new density waves in fermion liquids
- Protein 'jailbreak' helps breast cancer cells live
- Swiss solar plane to attempt 48-hour flight to Morocco
- Google lets users monitor their online activity
- Imipramine blue: Novel compound halts tumor spread, improves brain cancer treatment in animal studies
Space & Earth news
Darpa chip-scale atomic clocks aboard International Space Station
Atomic clocks are the most accurate frequency standard and timing devices in the world. Their range of uses include being the international standard for timekeeping, managing broadcasts and satellite positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). Traditional atomic clocks are too large to be placed onboard small satellites so a downlink with Earth is needed for the accurate PNT required for space operations.
World scientists define united approach to tackling food insecurity
Nearly one billion people in the world are undernourished, while millions suffer from chronic disease due to excess food consumption. Global demand is growing for agricultural products and food prices are rising, yet roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Climate change threatens more frequent drought, flooding and pest outbreaks, and the world loses 12 million hectares of agricultural land each year to land degradation. Land clearing and inefficient practices make agriculture the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution on the planet.
Miner Xstrata wins Australia climate test case
Swiss mining giant Xstrata has won a test case against what is set to be Australia's largest open-cut coal mine, with a court ruling that the economic benefits outweighed its climate change impacts.
Atmospheric origin of Martian interior layered deposits: Links to climate change and the global sulfur cycle
Since the first photogeologic exploration of Mars, vast mounds of layered sediments found within the Valles Marineris troughs have remained unexplained.
Transient fluvial incision and active surface uplift in the Woodlark Rift of Eastern Papua New Guinea
The Woodlark Rift off-shore of eastern Papua New Guinea is the fastest extending continental crust on Earth.
Short-term episodicity of Archaean plate tectonics
Plate tectonics, the dominant process shaping Earth as we know it today, may not have existed throughout Earth's history.
Late Pleistocene structural evolution of the Camarillo fold belt
The Camarillo fold belt (CFB) in the Western Transverse Ranges poses a significant seismic hazard to nearly one million people living in Southern California, yet few published geologic or geochronological data from this fold belt exist.
Amazon CEO wants to raise sunken Apollo 11 engines
(AP) -- The huge engines that helped boost the Apollo 11 mission to the moon have been in the Atlantic for more than four decades.
Mapping galaxy formation in dual mode
A team of astronomers led by David Sobral (Leiden Observatory and Royal Observatory of Edinburgh) has explored the synergies between the Subaru Telescope and the United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT) to locate numerous distant galaxies in the ancient universe and investigate their star formation activity. By combining narrow-band filter observations from both the Subaru Telescope and the UKIRT, the team has been able to obtain clean panoramic maps of parts of the distant universe about 9 billion years ago. This dual mode of surveying faint galaxies provides a powerful technique for selecting and studying star-forming galaxies during their formation and evolution.
Soon more heat stress in cities?
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, scientists have conducted a global study of the effects persistent heatwaves can have on cities. The results reveal that the frequency of summer heat stress could increase more sharply in cities than in the surrounding rural areas.
Viral disease -- particularly from herpes -- gaining interest as possible cause of coral decline
As corals continue to decline in abundance around the world, researchers are turning their attention to a possible cause that's almost totally unexplored – viral disease.
Scientists identify new coupling mode between stratosphere and ionosphere
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory have identified a new mode of coupling between the stratosphere — which can drive variations at the summer mesopause — and the ionosphere, thereby establishing a new means where changes in the stratosphere can impact space weather. This research appeared in the January 6th, 2012 issue of Geophysical Research Letters.
Natural river networks are essential for biodiversity
To alter natural waterways is to take a serious risk of endangering species living on the entire length of a river. In a joint project, scientists from EPFL, EAWAG and Princeton University have modeled the flow of organisms living along river networks. Their research will be published this week in the journal PNAS.
Mumbai, Miami on list for big weather disasters
(AP) -- Global warming is leading to such severe storms, droughts and heat waves that nations should prepare for an unprecedented onslaught of deadly and costly weather disasters, an international panel of climate scientists says in a report issued Wednesday.
States keep up with ozone mandates: Study finds federal efforts most effective at cutting pollutants
States are doing an effective job of monitoring air quality, but the federal government remains the primary player in clearing the air, according to a new study by Rice University.
Oceanographers develop method for measuring the pace of life
(PhysOrg.com) -- Life deep in the seabed proceeds very slowly. But the slow-growing bacteria living many meters beneath the seafloor play an important role in the global storage of organic carbon and have a long-term effect on climate.
Many billions of rocky planets in the habitable zones around red dwarfs in the Milky Way
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new result from ESO’s HARPS planet finder shows that rocky planets not much bigger than Earth are very common in the habitable zones around faint red stars. The international team estimates that there are tens of billions of such planets in the Milky Way galaxy alone, and probably about one hundred in the Sun’s immediate neighbourhood. This is the first direct measurement of the frequency of super-Earths around red dwarfs, which account for 80% of the stars in the Milky Way.
Researchers recreating the past to predict the future of climate change
(PhysOrg.com) -- New findings published in Nature Climate Change, show that while current climate models have the ability to reproduce important features of the changing climate, including the greater warming experienced over land than over the ocean, comparisons against observations suggest that they tend to seriously underestimate the magnitude of the regional changes.
Flying formation - around the moon at 3,600 MPH
(PhysOrg.com) -- The act of two or more aircraft flying together in a disciplined, synchronized manner is one of the cornerstones of military aviation, as well as just about any organized air show. But as amazing as the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels or the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds are to behold, they remain essentially landlocked, anchored if you will, to our planet and its tenuous atmosphere. What if you could take the level of precision of these great aviators to, say, the moon?
TWINS/IBEX spacecraft observed impact of powerful solar storm from inside and outside Earth's magnetosphere
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, instrumentation aboard two NASA missions operating from complementary vantage points watched as a powerful solar storm spewed a two million-mile-per-hour stream of charged particles and interacted with the invisible magnetic field surrounding Earth, according to a paper published today in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
Is it snowing microbes on Enceladus?
There's a tiny moon orbiting beyond Saturn's rings that's full of promise, and maybe -- just maybe -- microbes.
Fossil raindrop impressions imply greenhouse gases loaded early Earth's atmosphere
In ancient Earth history, the sun burned as much as 30 percent dimmer than it does now. Theoretically that should have encased the planet in ice, but there is geologic evidence for rivers and ocean sediments between 2 billion and 4 billion years ago.
Technology news
Chinese buy paper iPads for ancestor worship
Paper replicas of Apple's iPad and iPhone are selling like hot cakes in China this year as millions prepare to honour their ancestors in an age-old annual festival that has taken on a modern twist.
Computer scientist drives for comprehensive traffic model
Traffic and transit information from smart phones, online maps, or radio and TV is not as timely or accurate as it could be, given all the untapped data that could provide a truly dynamic regional traffic picture.
U-M's first startup investment goes to next-generation semiconductor memory firm
A University of Michigan startup marketing next-generation computer memory that could write 1,000 times faster than Flash is the recipient of U-M's first investment in one of its own startup companies.
New invention could ease winter blues
A device invented by two Newcastle University graduates could help keep people warm next winter and save on their fuel bills at the same time.
Japan's mistakes: Head of disaster review panel says assurances led to complacency
Assurances of the absolute safety of Japanese nuclear plants lulled the public and government into a false sense of security that was shattered a year ago when an earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, causing the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Zuckerberg's China trip sparks Facebook frenzy
The sight of a vacationing Mark Zuckerberg in Shanghai has sparked a frenzy of online speculation over the possibility Facebook might return to China, even though the site remains firmly blocked.
Facebook knows your heart -- and it's complicated
For everything, there is a season. And for every relationship, it seems, there is a status update on Facebook.
Online dating scammers looking for money, not love
Online romance scams, a new form of cybercrime, is under-reported and increasing, and has victimized an estimated 230,000 people in England, costing them nearly $60 billion a year, according to an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Clear Channel to delay inserting ads into iHeart
(AP) -- Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman says that the radio company will keep part of its iHeart Radio online service ad-free for at least a few more months, explaining that a consumer backlash against ads on Pandora Media Inc.'s competing service serves as a "cautionary tale."
Aspiring Facebook investors warned of Yahoo! lawsuit
Facebook has warned potential investors that a patent lawsuit against the company by Internet pioneer Yahoo! could deliver a significant blow to its business.
Lulz Security 'reborn' with military dating site hack
A Lulz Security hacker group that bade farewell to the world last year appeared to make a comeback with a trove of data looted from a dating website for soldiers.
Taiwan's AU Optronics to raise new funds, may seek partners
Taiwan's leading flat panel maker AU Optronics plans to raise at least $370 million in new funds and may introduce strategic partners from China or Japan, officials said Wednesday.
Growing bones with Lego
A video produced for Google Science Fair shows how researchers at Cambridge making synthetic bone have turned to legendary children’s toy Lego for a helping hand.
EU Commission wants Cyber Crime Center
(AP) -- The European Commission wants to set up a special center to deal with cyber crime to protect citizens against illegal online activities.
Nokia launches China smartphone, hopes for rebound
(AP) -- Struggling cellphone maker Nokia launched its first smartphone design for China on Wednesday, looking to the world's biggest mobile market to help drive a turnaround.
Student's idea gives graphic details to visually impaired scientists
Whether it's a bar chart showing the debt of European countries, or a graph indicating the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, graphics are a powerful communications tool that many of us take for granted.
Predicting an electric future
Experts at Northumbria University have developed a formula to predict the impact that electric cars will have on the nation’s power supplies.
Facebook's Timeline change disrupts some businesses
Stephen Terrell expected a group of happy users when he updated his company's Facebook profile page to the new Timeline format, allowing his mostly senior-citizen customers to register for a contest to win a trip to Hollywood to meet nonagenarian actor Betty White.
Celebrities pile into tech startups
Robert DeNiro co-owns restaurants and Jennifer Lopez sells perfume and clothes, but the most coveted job for multihyphenate celebrities these days is something a bit less glitzy and a lot more geeky - tech entrepreneur.
Solar water heaters use 1/3 energy, Progress Energy study finds
Progress Energy customers saved an average of $235 a year by switching to solar thermal water heater, representing an average annual savings of 63 percent on the water heater portion of their power bill.
Voice analysis aims to spot phone scams
Nagoya University researchers and Fujitsu Ltd. have developed technology they say can analyze suspicious phone conversations and detect bank transfer scams with a high degree of accuracy.
Building lightweight trains
The less trains weigh, the more economical they are to run. A new material capable of withstanding even extreme stresses has now been developed. It is suitable for a variety of applications, not least diesel engine housings on trains - and it makes these components over 35 percent lighter than their steel and aluminum counterparts.
Japan, US, EU discuss rare earth supply security
(AP) -- Officials from the United States, the European Union and Japan are pledging to work closer together on ways to ensure secure supplies of strategically vital rare earths and other critical materials.
Yahoo shareholder blasts company for board snub
(AP) -- A major Yahoo shareholder passed over for a seat on the troubled Internet company's board is blasting the decision as "illogical."
Europeans to see roaming charges cut abroad
Europeans will pay less from July 1 to use their mobile phones in each other's countries following agreement Wednesday between the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU member states.
Free play meets console action in PlayStation Home
Sony on Wednesday brought together blockbuster console title action and popular free-to-play style gaming in its Home online community for PlayStation 3 users.
Electroactive polymer key to durable, affordable full-screen Braille displays
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of North Carolina State University researchers are one step closer to creating a workable, affordable full-screen Braille computer display that would allow the blind to scan Web pages in much the same way that sighted people do.
Transparent, flexible '3-D' memory chips may be the next big thing in small memory devices
New memory chips that are transparent, flexible enough to be folded like a sheet of paper, shrug off 1,000-degree Fahrenheit temperatures — twice as hot as the max in a kitchen oven — and survive other hostile conditions could usher in the development of next-generation flash-competitive memory for tomorrow’s keychain drives, cell phones and computers, a scientist reported today.
Review: Windows 8 a big misstep for Microsoft
The venerable PC is at a crossroads. Sales growth has slowed to a crawl. And consumers and developers are increasingly turning their time and attention to smartphones and tablets.
Cheap natural gas makes inroads as US vehicle fuel
Natural gas, whose price is at record lows thanks to a shale drilling boom, is gaining traction as an alternative energy in the United States, with automakers jumping on the bandwagon.
Google lets users monitor their online activity
Google on Wednesday began letting people get monthly reports summarizing what they have been up to at the Internet titan's free online services.
Swiss solar plane to attempt 48-hour flight to Morocco
The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse will attempt to fly from Switzerland to Morocco in coming weeks, in its longest flight to date, organisers said Wednesday.
Shoplifters hit up Chrome Store for Facebook data
(PhysOrg.com) -- A cash-for-Facebook’s-“likes” hustle hanging out in Google Chrome Web Store has been discovered by Kaspersky Lab. The researchers first discovered extensions leading to the wave of hijackings under an umbrella of assorted themes that were targeting users of Chrome and Facebook. They were rolling out malicious extensions for use to nab Facebook profile data. The lure was in the form of invitations for users to make changes on their profile or to see who was visiting their profile or to remove a virus from their Facebook profile.
Medicine & Health news
Court won't reconsider bone marrow payments ruling
(AP) -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday declined to reconsider a ruling that allows bone marrow donors to be paid for their donations like blood donors.
Study finds paramedics skilled in identifying strokes
(Medical Xpress) -- If a paramedic suspects a patient is having a stroke, the paramedic is probably right, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.
Unfortunately, prom prep often includes trip to tanning salon
(Medical Xpress) -- Prom season is right around the corner and with that comes dress shopping and trips to the local tanning booths for many girls. Nearly 70 percent of tanning salon patrons are Caucasian girls and women, primarily ages 16-29 years.
Pondering health, at home and abroad
The world is in the midst of a health care transition in which the primary threat increasingly comes from chronic diseases rather than infectious ones, and where the ailments of the elderly are supplanting the diseases of the young.
Expert: Babies can sleep safely next to mothers
(Medical Xpress) -- If practiced safely, co-sleeping with your baby is safe and beneficial, according to James McKenna, University of Notre Dame biological anthropologist and world-renowned expert on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Commentary takes issue with criticism of new Autism definition
(Medical Xpress) -- A commentary published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reviews the significant limitations of a study critical of the proposed diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The criteria are being proposed for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
New thinking needed on quad-bike deaths: Australian study
The current logic surrounding the effectiveness of crush protection devices in preventing deaths and injuries caused by quad-bikes on farms, is flawed, according to new research.
Researchers studying defective protein in search of cystic fibrosis treatment
(Medical Xpress) -- Cystic fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults, more than two children each and every week are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). New research at Ryerson University, in partnership with The Hospital for Sick Children, is examining the interaction between lab-tested drugs and the defective protein that causes CF to understand how and why the drugs work and to create stronger, more powerful second generation drugs to treat CF.
Study of 'khat' use reveals poor understanding of effects and regulation
Australian states need to clarify inconsistent regulation of the stimulant “khat”, and users need to know more about the negative health effects, a research study has found.
Hops compounds improve health of obese diabetic mice
A class of compounds found in hops, the crop generally known for its role in beer production, reduces weight gain in obese and diabetic mice, according to a study published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Does BMI affect post-surgical complications, survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma?
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., have found – contrary to previous studies linking inferior outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies to higher body mass index (BMI) – that in their study of BMI and negative outcomes, there was no such link. They concluded that BMI was not associated with either surgical complications or esophageal cancer patient survival.
IMRT reduces risk of side effects in breast cancer patients
Breast cancer patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) instead of standard whole breast irradiation (WBI) have a lower incidence of acute or chronic toxicities, according to a study in Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the official clinical practice journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Fish oil added to yogurt may help consumers meet daily nutritional requirements
Many consumers want to increase their intake of heart-healthy n-3 fatty acids, found naturally in fish and fish products, but find it difficult to consume the levels recommended by the American Heart Association. Scientists at Virginia Tech have demonstrated that it may be possible to achieve the suggested daily intake in a single serving of a savory-flavored yogurt, providing an easily incorporated dietary source for these valuable fatty acids. Their work is detailed in the April issue of the Journal of Dairy Science.
U-M Health and Retirement Study adds genetic data to NIH database
The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a 20-year nationwide survey of the health, economic and social status of older Americans conducted by the U-M Institute for Social Research, has added genetic information from 12,500 consenting participants to the online genetics database of the National Institutes of Health.
Final day of Supreme Court health law hearings
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday on whether President Barack Obama's landmark health care law should be struck down if its key requirement that all Americans buy insurance is declared unconstitutional.
GPs should advise drinkers to keep a daily record of their drinking
The new UK alcohol strategy includes a plan to ensure that General Practitioners (GPs) advise heavy drinkers to cut down. There is good evidence that this can reduce how much people drink. The big question is, what should GPs say to their patients?
Researchers call for a re-examination of transplant waitlist prioritization
Patients with end-stage liver disease complicated by the most common type of liver cancer – hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – are less likely to die or become too sick for a transplant while waiting for a new liver than those with other complications of end-stage liver disease, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The investigators say their findings should prompt a re-examination of the criteria used to prioritize liver transplant candidates. Only three percent of patients with this common form of cancer who had been on the wait list for six to nine months were removed within 90 days because of death or advanced illness, compared to 24 percent of non-HCC candidates who were considered to be at the same level of need for transplant. The results of the study are published in the April issue of Liver Transplantation.
Federal agencies should take advantage of opportunities to promote integration of primary care and public health
The traditional separation between primary health care providers and public health professionals is impeding greater success in meeting their shared goal of ensuring the health of populations, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Integration of these fields will require national leadership as well as substantial adaptation at the local level, said the committee that wrote the report.
Health care arguments: Can any portion survive?
(AP) -- The Supreme Court signaled Wednesday that it could throw out other key parts of President Barack Obama's health care law if it first finds the individual insurance requirement unconstitutional.
US top court wrestles with final health law hearings
Supreme Court justices battled Wednesday over the fate of US President Barack Obama's health care reforms, with liberals fighting to salvage the rest of the law if a key provision is declared unconstitutional.
Cervical disease sufferers could benefit from HPV vaccine
Women who are diagnosed with pre-cancerous cervical conditions after receiving the HPV vaccine can still benefit from a considerably reduced risk of reoccurring disease, a study published today in the British Medical Journal shows.
Malaria prevention saves children's lives
Malaria continues to be a major disease worldwide, but while funding projects are working hard to improve malaria prevention it is difficult to measure how effective these interventions are. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Malaria Journal has used a Lives Saved Tool (LiST) model to show that the increase in funding for the prevention of malaria has prevented 850,000 child deaths in the decade between 2001 and 2010 across Africa.
Reducing breath size/pressure from ICU ventilator increases survival in people with acute lung injury
Carefully adjusting mechanical ventilator settings in the intensive care unit to pump smaller breaths into very sick lungs can reduce the chances of dying by as much as 8 percent, according to a study by critical care experts at Johns Hopkins. Study participants were evaluated for two years after their acute lung injury.
'Resuscitating' antibiotics to overcome drug resistance
Combining common antibiotics with additional compounds could make previously resistant bacteria more susceptible to the same antibiotics. 'Resuscitation' of existing antibiotics has the potential to make infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria easier to control, reducing antibiotic usage and levels of antimicrobial resistance, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week.
Thyme may be better for acne than prescription creams
Herbal preparations of thyme could be more effective at treating skin acne than prescription creams, according to research presented at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Further clinical testing could lead to an effective, gentler treatment for the skin condition.
Elderly are almost 10 times more likely to die of malaria than younger tourists
Tourists who have visited a malaria-infected country and are over the age of 65 are almost 10 times more likely to die from the disease than those who are aged 18-35, reveals a study published in the British Medical Journal today. The death rate among tourists is particularly high when returning from a 'winter sun' holiday in the Gambia, West Africa.
Stopping statin therapy increases risk of death for rheumatoid arthritis patients
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who discontinue use of statin therapy are at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes. According to the findings of a population-based study now available in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), RA patients should be advised of the importance of compliance to their statin therapy to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk.
Researchers find new way to assess communication of people with severe disabilities
(Medical Xpress) -- A team of researchers led by University of Kansas scientist Nancy Brady has developed a new way to assess the communication capability of individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities who often communicate with gestures, body movements and vocalizations instead of spoken words. The study was published in the February 2012 American Journal of Speech Language Pathology.
Methodological Innovation: Science's Unsung Hero
(Medical Xpress) -- What’s more important to the progress of psychological science: theory or method? Both—and the synergy between the two, says University of Washington psychologist, Anthony G. Greenwald. But there’s a problem: “There’s too much pressure on psychological researchers to publish contributions to theory and not enough to develop more powerful methods,” he says, noting that the pressure is reflected not only in editorial decisions but also in university coursework and PhD programs. Now, in Perspectives in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science, Greenwald aims to gives method—often seen as the plodding, plain sibling of the creative, glamorous theory—the respect it deserves.
Continued smoking can spread cancer
(Medical Xpress) -- Cigarette smoke not only can cause cancer, but it's also responsible for the spread of it, according to research by UC Merced biochemistry professor Henry Jay Forman.
Can you die of a broken heart? Bereavement can weaken the body's ability to fight infections
(Medical Xpress) -- Immunity experts at the University of Birmingham have found biological evidence to suggest that bereavement lowers physical immunity, putting older people at risk of life-threatening infections..
Hospitals vary widely in ICU admissions
Hospitals vary widely in their admissions to intensive care units, which some experts believe are overused, costly and potentially dangerous. A new study in Health Services Research finds that the actions of hospitals - not the kinds of patients they attract - appear to be responsible for part of the difference in ICU use.
HPV vaccination reduces the risk of infection even after a previous case of the disease
The vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) reduces the risk of a renewed HPV-associated illness in patients who have already had diseases as a consequence of an HPV infection. That is the result of a study being led by Elmar Joura from the University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the MedUni Vienna and which has now been published in the British Medical Journal. It had previously been the view that the HPV vaccination had a purely preventative effect and was also only effective in young women and men.
Cutting through the 'bull' of high-energy, high-alcohol drinks
(Medical Xpress) -- Caffeinated-alcoholic beverages (CABs) were banned from the U.S. market in November 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which noted serious health incidents at university campuses. However, current manufacturers of Four Loko, Moonshot, Joose, Core High Gravity and others continue to tap into a primarily young-adult-male market with separate highly caffeinated drinks (also called energy drinks) and high-alcohol drinks.
Do you really need a colonoscopy? Other tests may be just as good
(Medical Xpress) -- Screening for colorectal cancer—that is, cancers of the colon (large intestine) and rectum—is a proven lifesaver. This is partly due to the fact that this is one cancer which screening can actually prevent, since it can lead to the detection and removal of polyps, some of which may progress to cancer.
Hot on the trail of metabolic diseases and resistance to antibiotics
Proteins belonging to the large and important family of ABC transporters have been associated with metabolic diseases and can cause resistance to antibiotics. Biochemists from the University of Zurich and the NCCR Structural Biology have succeeded in determining the atomic structure of a new ABC transporter. The insights gained could give rise to new therapies to treat multi-resistant bacteria, cystic fibrosis or gout, for instance.
New more-sensitive blood test catches recurring breast cancer a year earlier
A new blood test is twice as sensitive and can detect breast cancer recurrence a full year earlier than current blood tests, according to a scientist who reported here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Genome study confirms immune system link to disfiguring leg swelling
Genetic variants in a region of the genome linked to our immune response have been linked to increased risk of podoconiosis, a disfiguring and disabling leg swelling caused by an abnormal reaction to the minerals found in soil. An estimated 4 million people worldwide suffer from the condition.
Weight loss and increased fitness slow decline of mobility in adults
Weight loss and increased physical fitness nearly halved the risk of losing mobility in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes, according to four-year results from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial funded by the National Institutes of Health. The results are published in the March 29, 2012, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
No improvement in patient outcomes seen in hospitals with pay-for-performance programs
Paying hospitals to improve their quality of care, known as pay-for-performance, has gained wide acceptance in the U.S. and Medicare has spent tens of millions of dollars on bonuses and rewards for hospitals to improve. However, little is known about whether pay-for-performance actually improves patient outcomes over the long term. A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) finds no evidence that the largest hospital-based P4P program in the U.S. improved 30-day mortality rates, a measure of whether patients survive their hospitalization.
Taking some time off can help when learning a new language
When learning a new language, it doesn't hurt to take a break, according to surprising new research published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Sleep disturbances hurt memory consolidation
Sleep disturbance negatively impacts the memory consolidation and enhancement that usually occurs with a good night's sleep, according to a study published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Adjuvanted flu vaccine associated with child narcolepsy in Finland
A sudden increase in narcolepsy in Finnish children at the beginning of 2010 was likely related to the Pandemrix vaccine used in response to the H1N1 2009 flu pandemic, according to two reports published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Genetic abnormality offers diagnostic hope for children's cancer
A chromosomal abnormality in children with a deadly form of brain cancer is linked with a poorer chance of survival, clinician scientists at The University of Nottingham have discovered.
A new paradox on our plate? Knowing the nutritional content of foods doesn't equate to healthy eating
A study by Université Laval's Maurice Doyon and French and American researchers shows that U.S. consumers know surprisingly more about the fat content of the foods they buy than their French counterparts. Paradoxically, the obesity rate is nearly three times higher in the United States (35%) than it is in France (12%). In light of these results, published in a recent edition of the British Food Journal, the researchers cast doubt on the notion that providing nutritional information is an effective way to encourage healthy eating habits.
Study identifies the danger of grill brushes
Rhode Island Hospital physicians identified six cases of accidental ingestion of wire grill brush bristles that required endoscopic or surgical removal. The paper calls attention to the need for the public and physicians to be aware of this potential danger. It is published in the American Journal of Roentgenology and is now available online in advance of print.
FDA adds more warnings to antidepressant's label
(HealthDay) -- In a follow-up to a warning that high doses of the popular antidepressant Celexa can cause potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued new dosing and use recommendations.
Obesity rates rise among Mexican-Americans: report
(HealthDay) -- The obesity rate among Mexican-American adults aged 20 to 74 increased from about 21 percent to nearly 35 percent between 1982 and 2006, a new federal report reveals.
Majority of children affected by allergy-related diseases
(HealthDay) -- A majority of children have one or more allergy-related diseases, including eczema, asthma, and rhinitis, according to research published in the April issue of Allergy.
Extended-Release niacin raises fasting glucose levels
(HealthDay) -- The combination of extended-release niacin (N) with ezetimibe plus simvastatin (E/S) to treat hyperlipidemia is associated with increased fasting glucose (FG) levels compared with E/S alone, but these cases tend to be transient and remit without intervention, according to research published in the April issue of Diabetes Care.
UV photographs of 12-year-olds show skin cancer risk
Look at a middle school assembly – during their lifetime one in 50 of these kids will develop melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer that kills 48,000 people every year, worldwide. Now look at these kids again – which are at highest risk? You can't tell, but a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology shows that UV photography might provide important information about risk, not visible to the naked eye. The amount of sun damage in UV photographs taken of a large cohort of 12-year-old's correlated with known melanoma risk factors including freckles, fair skin, red hair and light eye color.
Researchers: Myeloid malignancies underreported in US
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues from the UF Shands Cancer Center in Gainesville, Fla., have found that cases of myeloid malignancies are being underreported since a change in registry protocols and laboratory practices starting in 2001.
US cancer death rates continue to decline, national report finds
A report from the nation's leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2004 and 2008. The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.
Om: Meditation a big help for emotional issues
Schoolteachers who underwent a short but intensive program of meditation were less depressed, anxious or stressed – and more compassionate and aware of others' feelings, according to a UCSF-led study that blended ancient meditation practices with the most current scientific methods for regulating emotions.
Study unravels health impact, interplay of diet soft drinks and overall diet
Are diet sodas good or bad for you? The jury is still out, but a new study sheds light on the impact that zero-calorie beverages may have on health, especially in the context of a person's overall dietary habits.
Treatments to reduce anesthesia-induced injury in children show promise in animal studies
Recent clinical studies have shown that general anesthesia can be harmful to infants, presenting a dilemma for both doctors and parents. But new research at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center may point the way to treatment options that protect very young children against the adverse effects of anesthesia.
Study reveals trigger that may speed melanoma growth
(HealthDay) -- Growth of the deadly skin cancer melanoma may be triggered by the immune system turning on itself, according to a new study that also identified the mechanism that causes this to happen.
Two experimental drugs could improve psoriasis treatment
(HealthDay) -- A new type of treatment may be on the horizon for people with moderate to severe cases of the chronic skin condition known as psoriasis.
Conditioning regimen beneficial for kidney recipients
(HealthDay) -- Following a conditioning regimen of lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG), the majority of HLA-matched kidney and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients can be withdrawn from immunosuppressive drugs, according to a small study published online March 8 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Alcohol in moderation reduces deaths in men who have survived a heart attack
Men who are moderate drinkers and who have survived a first heart attack have a lower risk of death from heart disease or any other cause than non-drinkers, according to the results of a study of nearly 2000 men in the USA.
People know more than they think they do, study finds
(Medical Xpress) -- The process of melding individuals into effective, problem-solving groups should involve empowering individuals to realize they have important ideas to share.
Inside the brains of jurors: Neuroscientists reveal brain activity associated with mitigating criminal sentences
(Medical Xpress) -- When jurors sentencing convicted criminals are instructed to weigh not only facts but also tricky emotional factors, they rely on parts of the brain associated with sympathy and making moral judgments, according to a new paper by a team of neuroscientists. Using brain-imaging techniques, the researchers, including Caltech's Colin Camerer, found that the most lenient jurors show heightened levels of activity in the insula, a brain region associated with discomfort and pain and with imagining the pain that others feel.
Researchers identify new regulator in allergic diseases
Researchers have taken a critical step in understanding how allergic reactions occur after identifying a genetic signature for regulation of a key immune hormone, interleukin (IL-13).
Imipramine blue: Novel compound halts tumor spread, improves brain cancer treatment in animal studies
Treating invasive brain tumors with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation has improved clinical outcomes, but few patients survive longer than two years after diagnosis. The effectiveness of the treatment is limited by the tumor's aggressive invasion of healthy brain tissue, which restricts chemotherapy access to the cancer cells and complicates surgical removal of the tumor.
Public health researchers: More than half of all cancer is preventable
More than half of all cancer is preventable, and society has the knowledge to act on this information today, according to Washington University public health researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis.
First volume of the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia made public
The goal of cancer treatment is to match the right drug to the right target in the right patient. But before such "personalized" drugs can be developed, more knowledge is needed about specific genomic alterations in cancers and their sensitivity to potential therapeutic agents.
The path to personalized cancer treatment
In the largest study of its kind, researchers have profiled genetic changes in cancer with drug sensitivity in order to develop a personalised approach to cancer treatments. The study is published in Nature on Thursday 29 March 2012.
In immersion foreign language learning, adults attain, retain native speaker brain pattern
A first-of-its kind series of brain studies shows how an adult learning a foreign language can come to use the same brain mechanisms as a native speaker. The research also demonstrates that the kind of exposure you have to the language can determine whether you achieve native-language brain processing, and that learning under immersion conditions may be more effective in reaching this goal than typical classroom training. The research also suggests that the brain consolidates knowledge of the foreign language as time goes on, much like it does when a person learns to ride a bike or play a musical instrument.
Scientists identify key mechanism involved in Type 2 diabetes
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered a key protein that regulates insulin resistance—the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin and which sets the stage for the development of the most common form of diabetes. This breakthrough points to a new way to potentially treat or forestall type 2 diabetes, a rapidly growing global health problem.
Take your time: Neurobiology sheds light on the superiority of spaced vs. massed learning
(Medical Xpress) -- College and cramming – often where’s there’s one, the other is not far behind. That said, however, it has been recognized since the late 1800s that repeated periodic exposure to the same material leads to better retention than does a single en masse session. Nevertheless, the phenomenon’s neurobiological processes have remained poorly understood, although activity-dependent synaptic plasticity – notably long-term potentiation (LTP) of glutamatergic transmission – is believed to enable rapid storage of new information. Recently, researchers at the University of California in Irvine and the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida determined that hippocampal activity can enhance LTP through theta burst stimulation (TBS) – but only when the affected synapses receive, after a long delay, a secondary TBS. The researchers describe mechanisms that maximize synaptic changes that optimally encode new memory by requiring l! ong delays learning-related TBS activity.
Biology news
Unsustainable harvesting of Prunus africana tree threatens prostate treatment
Responding to the dwindling abundance of Prunus africana in the wild, a tree listed as "vulnerable to extinction" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a recent study by the World Agroforestry Centre identifies possible locations in Kenya for developing tree farms.
How to save Europe's most threatened butterflies
New guidelines on how to save some of Europe's most threatened butterfly species have been published by a team of scientists co-ordinated by Butterfly Conservation Europe. The report covers 29 threatened species listed on the EU Habitats Directive. Each Member State has a responsibility to conserve these species. The new report will provide crucial information on how to achieve this goal and meet their international biodiversity targets.
New alfalfa variety could be big boost to dairy industry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Dairy farmers could see a boost in milk production, thanks to a new alfalfa variety to be released by Cornell's world-class plant breeders.
The acid test: 21st century pH meter
Modern methods for mass production of biological agents and fine chemicals require precise control of pH. However within these systems it is not always possible to use traditional methods for measuring acidity and alkalinity. Biomed Central's open access journal BMC Biotechnology describes a new and user friendly method for measuring pH, which uses luminescent dual life-time referencing (DLR), to provide real-time characteristics of enzyme reactions.
Bird ranges shift north, but not as fast as climate
(PhysOrg.com) -- As warmer winter temperatures become more common, one way for some animals to adjust is to shift their ranges northward. But a new study of 59 North American bird species indicates that doing so is not easy or quick -- it took about 35 years for many birds to move far enough north for winter temperatures to match where they historically lived.
Berry growers cautioned about new insect pest
(PhysOrg.com) -- Late last summer, a single fruit fly dropped into a vinegar trap in the Hudson Valley, alerting extension specialists to spotted wing drosophila's (SWD) arrival to New York state. This tiny fruit fly may spark big changes for growers of berries and other soft-skinned fruits in the Northeast this summer.
Predicting how proteins will partner
Growing up with a father who taught at Cornell University, and surrounded by friends whose parents were also on Cornell faculty, Amy Keating had little doubt that she would follow the same path.
Warm winters mean more pine beetles, tree damage
(PhysOrg.com) -- Some populations of mountain pine beetles now produce two generations of tree-killing offspring annually, dramatically increasing the potential for bugs to kill lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees, CU-Boulder researchers have found.
Indonesia land clearance 'wiping out' orangutans
Critically-endangered orangutans in a protected area of Indonesia will be wiped out by the end of the year if land clearing is not stopped, a coalition of environmental groups warned Wednesday.
Major networking opportunity: The IMEx Consortium brings interactomes to light
A new service makes it simple to find solid, experimental data about protein interactions. Writing in the journal Nature Methods, the IMEx consortium describes how a non-redundant experimental dataset will make it much easier for researchers to understand the complex set of protein interactions in cells.
Study finds circle hooks lower catch rate for offshore anglers
Anglers are required to use circle hooks in some fishing tournaments because they are less likely to cause lethal injuries in billfish, such as marlin. However, research from North Carolina State University shows that broadening circle hook requirements could adversely impact charter and recreational fishing, since they make it more difficult to catch non-billfish.
Testosterone low, but responsive to competition, in Amazonian tribe
(PhysOrg.com) -- It's a rough life for the Tsimane, an isolated indigenous group in Bolivia. They make a living by hunting and foraging in forests, fishing in streams and clearing land by hand to grow crops. Their rugged lifestyle might imply that Tsimane men have elevated testosterone to maintain the physical activity required to survive each day.
Male dolphins build complex teams for social success
(PhysOrg.com) -- Male dolphins not only form a series of complex alliances based on their close relatives and friends but these alliances also form a shifting mosaic of overlapping geographic ranges within in an open social network, says a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Autonomous sea gliders record sounds of fish emptying buoyancy bladders
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers attempting to map the various types of fish living in the eastern Gulf of Mexico have been using an automated sea glider, which is a small autonomous submarine outfitted with a hydrophone. The sea glider zigs and zags its way around underwater at different depths recording noises from nearby fish. Recently the team came across some noises on the recordings that it wasn’t able to identify right away. Resembling a cricket chirp, the team now believes, as they write in their paper published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, it’s due to certain types of fish voiding their buoyancy bladders as they change depth.
With you in the room, bacteria counts spike
A person's mere presence in a room can add 37 million bacteria to the air every hour -- material largely left behind by previous occupants and stirred up from the floor -- according to new research by Yale University engineers.
Researchers discover new layer of genetic information that helps determine how fast proteins are produced
A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) thanks to a technique developed at UCSF called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells — including the speed with which proteins are made.
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