Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 18, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Adam's rib, revisited: Evolutionary divergence of mammalian sex chromosomes- Nature's billion-year-old battery key to storing energy
- Great Unconformity: Evidence for a geologic trigger of the Cambrian explosion
- Brain-activated muscle stimulation restores monkeys' hand movement after paralysis
- Where do the highest-energy cosmic rays come from? Not from gamma-ray bursts, says IceCube study
- Serious blow to dark matter theories? New study finds mysterious lack of dark matter in Sun's neighborhood
- Long predicted but never observed: A new kind of quantum junction
- In breakthrough study damaged mouse hearts regenerated by transforming scar tissue into beating heart muscle
- Scientists find new breast cancer genes, rewrite rulebook
- NASA satellite movie shows Great Plains tornado outbreak from space
- Photoreceptor transplant restores vision in mice
- Crime and punishment: The neurobiological roots of modern justice
- Verizon to auction spectrum worth billions
- Google CEO Page gets grilled in Oracle trial (Update)
- Nanodot-based memory sets new world speed record
Space & Earth news
Tim gets his feet wet
ESA astronaut Timothy Peake will soon dive to the bottom of the sea to learn more about exploring space. A permanent underwater base almost 20 m below the waves off the coast of Florida will be Tim’s home for more than a week in June.
NASA selects science instrument upgrade for flying observatory
NASA has selected a science instrument upgrade to the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) airborne observatory. The instrument, the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC), will provide a sensitive, versatile and reliable imaging capability to the SOFIA user community. The upgrade involves two proposals that will allow the observatory to measure the structure and strength of magnetic fields in diverse objects throughout the universe, such as star-forming clouds and galaxies. This will help astronomers better understand how stars, planets and galaxies form and evolve.
BP seals $7.8 bn settlement in US oil spill
Oil giant BP said Wednesday it has finalized a $7.8 billion deal to settle thousands of claims from fishermen and others affected by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Improved loblolly pines better for the environment, study finds
(Phys.org) -- More than 50 years of genetics work to increase loblolly pine production in the Southeast has improved the trees' ability to act as carbon sinks that mitigate climate change, according to a new study by North Carolina State University researchers.
Dusty stellar nurseries from the dark side of a galaxy
(Phys.org) -- A new multi-million pound camera is producing its first detailed pictures of our neighboring galaxies, revealing vast, dusty stellar nurseries where the next generation of stars is being created. "This exquisite image from the galaxy M66 in the constellation Leo is exactly the promising start we were hoping for," said Dr. Stephen Serjeant, the team's co-leader from The Open University. "This is a wonderfully exciting taste of things to come."
NASA continues Orion parachute testing for future test flight
(Phys.org) -- NASA today successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry, descent and landing parachutes high above the Arizona desert in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test, Exploration Flight Test -1, in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.
Saving forests? Take a leaf from insurance industry's book
A group of environmental scientists say a problem-ridden economic model designed to slow deforestation can be improved by applying key concepts from the insurance industry.
Tokyo mega-quake 'would kill over 9,000'
More than 9,600 people would die with nearly 150,000 injured if a mega-quake struck Tokyo, a disaster that would also level large parts of the Japanese capital, a government projection said Wednesday.
Planned dams in Amazon may have largely negative ecosystem impact
The Andean Amazon is becoming a major frontier for new hydroelectric dams, but an analysis of the potential impacts of these planned projects suggests that there may be serious ecological concerns to take into account. The full report is published Apr. 18 in the open access journal PloS ONE.
CU research shows warming climate threatens ecology at mountain research site west of Boulder
A series of papers published this month on ecological changes at 26 global research sites -- including one administered by the University of Colorado Boulder in the high mountains west of the city -- indicates that ecosystems dependent on seasonal snow and ice are the most sensitive to changes in climate.
James Webb Telescope spinoff technologies already seen in some industries
A critical component of the James Webb Space Telescope is its new technology. Much of the technology for the Webb had to be conceived, designed and built specifically to enable it to see farther back in time. As with many NASA technological advances, some of the innovations are being used to benefit humankind in many other industries.
US report urges easing rules on satellite exports
Congress should ease restrictions on US satellite exports that are unnecessary and place US firms at a "disadvantage," the Pentagon and the State Department said Wednesday.
NASA satellite movie shows Great Plains tornado outbreak from space
Satellite data gives forecasters a leg up on severe weather. NASA has just released an animation of visible and infrared satellite data showing the development and movement of the Great Plains tornado outbreak, using data from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite. There were more than 135 reports of tornadoes and 124 different warnings over April 14-15, 2012.
The earth is not at rest
(Phys.org) -- The Earth is not at rest. It orbits the Sun, which in turn orbits the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, which in turn moves within the Local Group of Galaxies - a collection of about fifty four galaxies in our "neighborhood" (that is, within about ten million light-years of Earth). The Local Group itself is "falling" toward the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies, a set of over one thousand galaxies about fifty million lights years away in the direction of the constellation of Virgo, and whose gravity pulls the Milky Way. After the cosmic microwave background radiation was discovered in 1960, astronomers began searching for signs of these motions of Earth with respect to the background light. First hints came in the mid-1970s and 1980s, and signaled a serious problem: the measured motion of the Earth with respect to the cosmic background was considerably smaller than the sum of all the movements listed above. One possible solution was that our understanding of the distri! bution of galaxies was incorrect.
Analysis raises atmospheric, ecologic and economic doubts about forest bioenergy
A large, global move to produce more energy from forest biomass may be possible and already is beginning in some places, but scientists say in a new analysis that such large-scale bioenergy production from forest biomass is unsustainable and will increase greenhouse gas emissions.
Astronomers detect coolest radio star
(Phys.org) -- Astronomers using the world's largest radio telescope, at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, have discovered flaring radio emission from an ultra-cool star, not much warmer than the planet Jupiter, shattering the previous record for the lowest stellar temperature at which radio waves were detected.
Finding ET may require giant robotic leap
(Phys.org) -- Autonomous, self-replicating robots -- exobots -- are the way to explore the universe, find and identify extraterrestrial life and perhaps clean up space debris in the process, according to a Penn State engineer, who notes that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence -- SETI -- is in its 50th year.
Serious blow to dark matter theories? New study finds mysterious lack of dark matter in Sun's neighborhood
(Phys.org) -- The most accurate study so far of the motions of stars in the Milky Way has found no evidence for dark matter in a large volume around the Sun. According to widely accepted theories, the solar neighbourhood was expected to be filled with dark matter, a mysterious invisible substance that can only be detected indirectly by the gravitational force it exerts. But a new study by a team of astronomers in Chile has found that these theories just do not fit the observational facts. This may mean that attempts to directly detect dark matter particles on Earth are unlikely to be successful.
Great Unconformity: Evidence for a geologic trigger of the Cambrian explosion
The oceans teemed with life 600 million years ago, but the simple, soft-bodied creatures would have been hardly recognizable as the ancestors of nearly all animals on Earth today.
Technology news
Researchers let loo-se on unique project
University of Manchester researchers are beginning work on a prototype device for harvesting energy and clean drinking water from human waste.
Natural clothing with solar-power chargers being developed at Colorado State University
Colorado State University apparel design and production researchers and students are working to develop natural-fiber outdoor clothing that can charge MP3 devices, tablets, computers, GPS units and cell phones with built-in -- but comfortable to wear -- solar panels. The project is so impressive that it was recently selected to compete in a sustainability design competition in Washington, D.C., from April 21-23.
The Wall Street heretic who called Apple's swoon
(AP) -- He calls himself an "Apple fanboy," owns four iPads and two iPhones, follows the company obsessively and predicts it will keep turning blockbuster profits. But whether you should own the stock is another matter.
Use less water, producing energy and fertilizer at the same time
Clean drinking water and basic sanitation are human rights. Yet almost 780 million of the world's population still have no access to drinking water and some 2.6 billion people live without sanitary facilities. Water, though, is also an important economic factor: Today, agricultural and manufacturing businesses already use up more than four fifths of this precious commodity. And the demand for water continues to rise. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is expecting that by 2050, global water consumption will have risen by more than half. Some 40 percent of the world‘s population will then be living in regions with extreme water shortages - 2.3 billion people more than today.
NIST proposes update to digital signature standard
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced proposed changes to a standard that specifies how to implement digital signatures, which can be used to ensure the integrity of electronic documents, such as wills and contracts, as well as the identity of the signer.
Vestas to install research wind turbine at Sandia facility in Texas
The initial phase of Sandia National Laboratories' Scaled Wind Farm Technology facility (SWIFT), currently being constructed in partnership with Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, will be a little bigger than originally planned. Leading wind turbine manufacturer Vestas will add its own 300-kilowatt, V27 research turbine to the two Sandia V27 research turbines.
Should teachers and students be Facebook friends?
(AP) -- Should students and teachers ever be friends on Facebook? School districts across the country, including the nation's largest, are weighing that question as they seek to balance the risks of inappropriate contact with the academic benefits of social networking.
Review: Baseball scores big with At Bat mobile app
(AP) -- Baseball is back, which means die-hard fans like me are hungry for updates and highlights when we're not near our televisions or computers.
Nearly 100 mn computers in use in Brazil: study
About 99 million computers are currently in use in Brazil, or one for every two of the country's inhabitants, according to a study by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (GVF) released Wednesday.
Yahoo's 1Q results show progress under new CEO (Update)
(AP) -- Yahoo's first-quarter results showed signs of progress that may help boost the credibility of recently hired CEO Scott Thompson as he tries to turn around the long-sputtering Internet company.
IBM reports higher 1Q earnings, flat revenue
(AP) -- IBM Corp.'s stock fell after the company reported flat revenue, even as net income grew 7 percent in the first three months of the year, thanks to strong profit margins in its services business.
Intel 1Q earnings fall 13 percent, revenue steady
(AP) -- First-quarter earnings at Intel Corp. fell 13 percent as spending on research and marketing rose while revenue was flat, the world's largest chipmaker said Tuesday.
Apple, Samsung chiefs to meet on patent disputes
The chiefs of iPhone-maker Apple and smartphone giant Samsung have agreed to meet in the coming months to try to resolve patent disputes before the matters go to trial, legal filings showed.
Yahoo! dumping products in turn-around plan
Yahoo! is dumping products along with workers in a quest to return the faded Internet star to glory.
S. Korea seeks ways to disable 'silent camera' apps
South Korea is seeking ways to disable smartphone apps that allow users to silently snap photos in a bid to prevent Peeping Toms from secretly photographing women, an official said Wednesday.
Dutch high-tech group ASML reports Q1 profits slump
The Dutch company ASML, a supplier of computer chip-making systems and a global high-tech bellwether, posted on Wednesday a 28 percent drop in first-quarter profit owing to weaker demand.
Iris recognition report evaluates 'needle in haystack' search capability
Identifying people by acquiring pictures of their eyes is becoming easier, according to a new report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST researchers evaluated the performance of iris recognition software from 11 different organizations and found that some techniques produced very rapid results—though this speed was often at the cost of accuracy.
Bridges get a quick check-up with new imaging technique
Swiss engineers have developed a new imaging technique that lets them see the insides of massive concrete bridges. Much like a sonogram, this technique provides quick, easy-to-interpret images, so that the health of these expensive structures can be assessed and monitored.
Rivers flowing into the sea offer vast potential as electricity source
A new genre of electric power-generating stations could supply electricity for more than a half billion people by tapping just one-tenth of the global potential of a little-known energy source that exists where rivers flow into the ocean, a new analysis has concluded. A report on the process — which requires no fuel, is sustainable and releases no carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) — appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Internet ad revenue hits record $31B in US in 2011
Revenue from Internet advertising in the U.S. hit a record $31 billion last year, according to a study released Wednesday.
Russian charged by US in $1 mn hacking scheme
A Russian national living in New York has been charged in connection with hacking into customer brokerage accounts and stealing $1 million, officials said.
Web inventor warns UK on surveillance plans
(AP) -- The scientist credited with inventing the World Wide Web says he's warned Britain's government to ditch plans to extend surveillance of Internet activity.
California city approves deal with Facebook
(AP) -- A Silicon Valley city where Facebook recently opened its new headquarters approved a deal that will allow the company to bring in thousands more employees.
EBay posts higher 1Q net income and revenue
(AP) -- EBay's first-quarter net income grew 20 percent thanks to higher revenue from its PayPal business and brisk sales at its e-commerce websites. The results beat Wall Street's expectations and investors sent the company's stock higher in after-hours trading.
Students invent device for the perfect bicep curl
To achieve buff biceps, proper form for strength-training exercises is key, and people often turn to professional trainers to correct them and prevent injury. Cornell student engineers have developed an alternative: A simple electronic device that guides the user through a proper bicep curl.
Australian scientists report breakthrough in solar cell efficiency
(Phys.org) -- Low cost solar cells suitable for rooftop panels could reach a record-breaking 40 percent efficiency following an early stage breakthrough by a University of Sydney researcher and his German partners.
Nanodot-based memory sets new world speed record
Record speed, low-voltage, and ultra-small size make nanodots a "triple threat" for electronic memory in computers and other electronic devices.
Verizon to auction spectrum worth billions
Verizon Wireless on Wednesday said it will auction a parcel of radio frequencies, which could be worth billions of dollars in an industry scrambling to offer consumers more cellular broadband.
Google CEO Page gets grilled in Oracle trial (Update)
(AP) -- Google CEO Larry Page spent nearly an hour in a federal courtroom Wednesday deflecting questions about his role in a copyright dispute over some of the technology in his company's Android software for smartphones.
Medicine & Health news
Spinal surgeries more successful than reflected in public reported statistics: UCSF
The odds that someone undergoing spinal surgery at a particular hospital will have to be readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days is an important measure of the quality of care patients receive. That's because these "hospital readmission rates" often reflect problems like hospital-acquired infections or complications from surgery.
Only clinically qualified medical physicists should be allowed to work in hospitals to avoid dangerous errors
In a Comment linked to The Lancet Physics Series, Dr Ahmed Meghzifene (Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria) cautions that only physicists with the correct clinical training should be allowed to work in hospitals, in order to avoid dangerous and fatal mistakes. He adds that "much needs to be done to ensure full recognition of medical physics as a profession, especially in some regions of the world."
Better methods and estimates of infectious disease burden
Better estimates of infectious disease burden are needed for effective planning and prioritizing of limited public health resources. These are the conclusions of a new Policy Forum article in this week's PLoS Medicine, in which Mirjam Kretzschmar from the Centre for Infectious Disease Control, RIVM in Bilthoven, The Netherlands and colleagues describe the Burden of Communicable Diseases in Europe (BCoDE) study that uses a pathogen-based incidence approach to generate infectious disease burden estimates in Europe taking into full account all chronic and long-term sequelae that can be causally related to an infectious agent.
Aptitude test may be fairer way of selecting medical school candidates
Medical schools that use the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) as part of their admissions process reduce the relative disadvantage faced by certain socioeconomic groups, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Balancing trastuzumab's survival benefits and heart risks for women with breast cancer
Adding trastuzumab (trade name Herceptin) to the treatment offered to women who have HER2-positive breast cancer, significantly increases the chance of life being prolonged, and reduces the chance of tumours reappearing once therapy stops. This is important, because about one-fifth of women who develop early breast cancer have HER2-positive tumours that, if untreated, are associated with a worse outlook than HER2-negative tumours. At the same time, however, women given trastuzumab have a higher risk of experiencing problems with their heart. These findings are the key conclusions of a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library.
Investment in proton beam therapy for cancer may be premature
Both the US and UK are pouring money into building proton accelerators to treat cancer. They have been described as the world's "most costly medical devices" but in an article published in the British Medical Journal today, journalist Keith Epstein reports that "no clear evidence of better effectiveness exists" and asks whether the investment is premature.
Personalized interventions work best for people with multiple, chronic illnesses
People with multiple chronic medical conditions are helped by medical interventions that target personal risk factors and/or their ability to perform daily activities. Interventions aimed at general case management or enhancing teamwork among a patient’s care providers are not as effective, finds a new review in The Cochrane Library.
Advances in personalized medicine for lung cancer
Several new studies that may help doctors tailor lung cancer treatment to the characteristics of individual patients and of their tumors are being presented at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva.
New analysis helps guide use of erlotinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer should only receive treatment with the drug erlotinib before receiving standard chemotherapy if their tumor is known to harbor EGFR mutations, researchers report at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Early detection techniques offer hope for improved outcomes in lung cancer patients
New techniques for identifying lung cancer earlier –including a new type of chest screening, a nanotech 'nose' and a method to examine the cells of the cheek-- are showing substantial promise, according to presentations at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva.
Promising developments in early diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma
New results presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland show important steps being made to improve the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the outer lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure.
Gene signature helps identify risk of relapse in lung cancer patients
A new genetic signature identified by Spanish researchers may provide doctors with robust and objective information about which patients with early stage lung cancer are at low or high risk of relapse following surgery, investigators report at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva. Their work also opens new avenues for immunotherapy for lung cancer.
Problems in cancer care are not uncommon
Cancer care is increasingly complex, and as many as one in five cancer patients may experience "breakdowns" in their care, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Such breakdowns include communication problems between patients and their care providers, as well as more traditional medical errors; both types of problems can create significant harms. In the study, communication problems outnumbered problems with medical care.
Breast cancer patients choosing surgery without learning their options
Surgeons are not always including radiation oncologists early enough in a patient's treatment decision-making process, leaving some patients uninformed of all of their treatment options and potentially leading to more mastectomies over breast-conserving therapy, according to a study in the April issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Not by DNA alone: How the epigenetics revolution is fostering new medicines
Scientific insights that expand on the teachings of Mendel, Watson and Crick, and underpinnings of the Human Genome Project are moving drug companies along the path to development of new medicines based on deeper insights into how factors other than the genetic code influence health and disease. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.
Autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell transplants can reduce diabetic amputations
Autologous (self-donated) mononuclear cells derived from bone marrow (BMMNCs) have been found to significantly induce vascular growth when transplanted into patients with diabetes who are suffering from critical limb ischemia caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD), a complication of diabetes. The team of researchers in Seville, Spain who carried out the study published their results in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (20:10), now freely available on-line.
Researchers across North America team up to find genetic markers for autism
A medical researcher at the University of Alberta is working with scientists from across North America to find out if there are genetic markers for autism. More than 15 scientists will examine DNA samples from children with autism and their infant siblings to see if the siblings are at high risk.
Scientists show lab-made heart cells ideal for disease research, drug testing
Heart-like cells made in the laboratory from the skin of patients with a common cardiac condition contract less strongly than similarly created cells from unaffected family members, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The cells also exhibit abnormal structure and respond only dully to the wave of calcium signals that initiate each heartbeat.
ICD-9 codes underestimate statin-linked rhabdomyolysis
(HealthDay) -- Use of diagnostic codes, such as International Classification of Diseases -- Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, may result in misclassification of rare, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), including the risk of rhabdomyolysis from high-dose simvastatin, according to a research letter published in the April 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on comparative effectiveness research.
Brain scans can predict weight gain and sexual activity: study
At a time when obesity has become epidemic in American society, Dartmouth scientists have found that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans may be able to predict weight gain. In a study published April 18, 2012, in The Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers demonstrated a connection between fMRI brain responses to appetite-driven cues and future behavior.
Minimum alcohol pricing shows 'significant impacts,' says expert
Government plans to impose a minimum price of 40p per unit of alcohol will have "significant impacts" including a 38,900 reduction in hospital admissions, a 1,149 reduction in deaths and a cut in alcohol consumption by 2.4%, says John Appleby, Chief Economist at the King's Fund, in an article published in the British Medical Journal today.
Social factors better indicate early death risk than skin color, geography
In a novel study of health disparities in the United States, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have identified 22 socioeconomic and environmental variables that together are better indicators of early death than are race or geography. The findings upend long-held beliefs that where you live and the color of your skin are the best markers for how long you may live.
Biostatistics research could improve resource use in AIDS treatment in poor nations
In wealthy countries, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed AIDS into an often-manageable chronic condition, as patients can receive both the therapeutics and the constant monitoring that ensures the therapies remain effective. Developing nations, however, frequently need to balance expansion of treatment access versus the economic resources to sustain the routine blood testing that ART requires. At a time when global funding commitments for AIDS therapy programs are being cut, there is a great need to find new strategies to maximize available resources.
Long-term exposure to silica dust increases risk of death in industrial workers
Industrial workers who have been chronically exposed to silica dust are at substantially higher risk of death from all causes than workers who have not been exposed. Furthermore, the risk of death, especially from lung and cardiovascular diseases increases with increasing exposure, according to a study from Chinese researchers published in this week's PLoS Medicine.
Opium use linked to almost double the risk of death from any cause
Long term opium use, even in relatively low doses, is associated with almost double the risk of death from many causes, particularly circulatory diseases, respiratory conditions and cancer, concludes a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Pre-operative statins can help patients who undergo heart surgery
Pre-operative statin therapy can reduce the chance of post-operative atrial fibrillation and shortens the stay on the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the hospital in patients who undergo cardiac surgery, according to a new systematic review by Cochrane researchers. However, statin pre-treatment had no influence on the risk of dying, stroke, heart attack or kidney failure around the time of the operation.
Supreme Court ruling supports generic drug makers
The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that generic drug makers can challenge big-name pharmaceutical firms in court to stop them from broadening the scope of their patent descriptions.
Women face a higher risk of care home admission due to their partner's age
New research published today in the journal Age and Aging has investigated why women are 40% more likely to be admitted in to a care home than men. The study found that women were often married to older partners who cannot provide care for them due to their age-related frailty. The study, entitled 'Gender differences in care home admission risk: Partner's age explains the higher risk for women', used data from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) derived from the Northern Ireland Health Card registration system, to which the 2001 Census return is linked. The research focused on NILS members aged 65 or over at the time, and living in a household with two people as a couple.
Hypertension study proves treatment with RAAS inhibitors saves lives
Treatment with an ACE inhibitor for lowering high blood pressure showed a significant mortality reduction in patients with a high prevalence of hypertension, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal, the flagship journal of the European Society of Cardiology.
Big doses of vitamin C may lower blood pressure
(Medical Xpress) -- Taking large doses of vitamin C may moderately reduce blood pressure, according to an analysis of years of research by Johns Hopkins scientists. But the researchers stopped short of suggesting people load up on supplements.
Chew on this: study finds additional chewing reduces food intake in young adults
(Medical Xpress) -- A new Iowa State University study confirms your mom was right, you should chew your food thoroughly. Mom's logic was that proper chewing would ease digestion, but the ISU research found that chewing food thoroughly -- 40 times before swallowing -- also reduces food intake in healthy young adults.
Greater blood clot risk for heavier middle-aged women, especially after surgery
(Medical Xpress) -- A major study by researchers from the Universities of Otago and Oxford has found that overweight and obese middle-aged women are at much higher risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots than women who are a healthy weight.
UNC scientists describe protein that protects against colon cancer
A family of proteins is yielding new information about how it contributes to the development of gastrointestinal disease and cancer. A team of UNC scientists reports that in pre-clinical models, the absence of a protein called NLRP12 significantly increases susceptibility to colitis-associated colon cancer.
Teens who check the scale frequently may have an unhealthy preoccupation with weight
Teens who weigh themselves several times per week may be at risk for unhealthy weight control practices and poor psychological well-being, according to a new study.
Cervical stitch has risks, decreases pre-term births for few women
Cerclage is a well-known medical procedure which places stitches around the cervix. These stitches are intended to provide support to the cervix in the hopes of reducing preterm birth in women at risk for early labor. Premature labor occurs in about 12 percent of pregnancies and is caused by many factors including a shortened cervix, which can be determined by transvaginal ultrasound.
Worm therapy for hay fever? More research is needed
Purposely infecting patients with hookworms or whipworms to treat hay fever and other immune-related diseases has been experimented with since the 1970s. A new review by The Cochrane Library concludes that current evidence doesn’t yet support the use of this therapy. However, worm therapy does appear to be safe, the review’s lead author says.
Research identifies protein that regulates creation of fat cells
Biological sciences major Adam Reese may have found the key to keep fat cells from forming.
New smartphone scans could prevent needless oral cancer deaths
Thousands of people die needlessly each year in developing countries from oral cancers that could have been detected early with regular dental checkups. But with fewer than one dentist per 100,000 people in many of the world’s rural areas, these checkups are not an option. Now an ultra-low-cost smartphone device being developed at Stanford may enable early diagnosis of these preventable deaths, with no dentist visits required.
China reports bird flu outbreak
Agricultural authorities in northwest China have culled about 95,000 chickens after an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus, state press reported Wednesday.
Curbing college binge drinking: What role do 'alcohol expectancies' play?
Researchers at The Miriam Hospital say interventions targeting what college students often see as the pleasurable effects of alcohol – including loosened inhibitions and feeling more bold and outgoing – may be one way to stem the tide of dangerous and widespread binge drinking on college campuses.
Researchers find joint failures potentially linked to oral bacteria
The culprit behind a failed hip or knee replacements might be found in the mouth. DNA testing of bacteria from the fluid that lubricates hip and knee joints had bacteria with the same DNA as the plaque from patients with gum disease and in need of a joint replacement.
Carrot but no stick for a healthy child
Obesity among children has long been a rising problem in large parts of the world. Parents play a crucial role in shaping good childhood eating habits, according to new research from the University of Stavanger.
Voice disorder productivity losses comparable to chronic diseases
Patients with voice problems have nearly as many days of short-term disability claim and work productivity losses as those with chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease and depression, according to new findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers. Per claim, voice disorders account for up to 40 lost workdays and about $3,400 in short-term disability payments annually.
Over-the-counter test for vaginal infection just as good as the doctor's
For women with symptoms of the most common vaginal infection, a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health finds that an over-the-counter diagnostic test may be just as accurate as having a test performed by a clinician.
UK public underestimating sugar levels in popular drinks
(Medical Xpress) -- People in the UK are significantly misjudging the amount of sugar in popular drinks, particularly those perceived as “healthy” options according to research revealed today by the University of Glasgow.
Researchers discover non-surgical test for brain cancer
In a breakthrough for the way brain cancer is diagnosed and monitored, a team of researchers, lead by Anna M. Krichevsky, PhD, of the Center of Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston and Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, director of Neuro-Oncology at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, have demonstrated that brain tumors can be reliably diagnosed and monitored without surgery. Previously, an accurate non-surgical test to detect brain tumors was unavailable and methods of monitoring a brain tumor's progression or response to treatment were not reliable. The results from this pilot study are published in the online edition of Neuro-Oncology.
New medication offers hope to patients with frequent, uncontrollable seizures
A new type of anti-epilepsy medication that selectively targets proteins in the brain that control excitability may significantly reduce seizure frequency in people whose recurrent seizures have been resistant to even the latest medications, new Johns Hopkins-led research suggests.
Scientists discover window of opportunity to prevent cerebral palsy
Researchers at the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institutes of Health, located at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center, have demonstrated that a nanotechnology-based drug treatment in newborn rabbits with cerebral palsy (CP) enabled dramatic improvement of movement disorders and the inflammatory process of the brain that causes many cases of CP. The findings strongly suggest that there may be an opportunity immediately after birth for drug treatment that could minimize CP.
Naturopathic care can improve blood sugar, mood in diabetes
A new joint study by Group Health Research Institute and Bastyr University Research Institute found that type 2 diabetes patients who received naturopathic care (as an adjunct to conventional care) had lower blood-sugar levels, better eating and exercise habits, improved moods, and a stronger sense of control over their condition than did patients receiving only conventional care.
New treatment offers benefit for hypoxic laryngeal tumors
(HealthDay) -- For patients with squamous cell laryngeal cancer, regional control rates are improved with accelerated radiotherapy (AR) plus carbogen inhalation and nicotinamide (ARCON) treatment compared with AR-alone, with the improvement seen in patients with hypoxic tumors, according to research published online April 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Basal cell carcinoma on ear significantly more aggressive
(HealthDay) -- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the ear is significantly more likely to be aggressive, and occurs more frequently in men, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Am I crazy? Talking to yourself has cognitive benefits, study says
"One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody's listening." - Franklin P. Jones
Groundbreaking device improves laser accuracy in surgeries
A Queen's physicist and a PhD student have developed a groundbreaking device that controls the depth of a laser cut, laying groundwork to provide pinpoint accuracy during surgeries. This new laser control technology is valuable in all surgeries where cutting too deeply could lead to serious complications.
No proof that gum disease causes heart disease or stroke: statement
Despite popular belief, gum disease hasn't been proven to cause atherosclerotic heart disease or stroke, and treating gum disease hasn't been proven to prevent heart disease or stroke, according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
Breaking point: When does head trauma in sports lead to memory loss?
A new study suggests there may be a starting point at which blows to the head or other head trauma suffered in combat sports start to affect memory and thinking abilities and can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in the brain. The research was released today and will be presented as part of the Emerging Science (formerly known as Late-Breaking Science) program at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012.
Daily physical activity may reduce Alzheimer's disease risk at any age
Daily physical activity may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline, even in people over the age of 80, according to a new study by neurological researchers from Rush University Medical Center that will be published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology on April 18.
Yeast cell reaction to Zoloft suggests depression cause, drug target beyond serotonin
A reaction to the antidepressant Zoloft that Princeton University researchers observed in yeast cells could help provide new answers to lingering questions among scientists about how antidepressants work, as well as support the idea that depression is not solely linked to the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Hormone levels higher for soccer fans watching a game, but not upon win
Soccer fans' testosterone and cortisol levels go up when watching a game, but don't further increase after a victory, according to a study published Apr. 18 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Kidney stone mystery solved
Kidney stones strike an estimated 1 million Americans each year, and those who have experienced the excruciating pain say it is among the worst known to man (or woman).
Killing in war linked with suicidal thoughts among Vietnam veterans, study finds
The experience of killing in war was strongly associated with thoughts of suicide, in a study of Vietnam-era veterans led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Reminders of secular authority reduce believers' distrust of atheists
What's the group that least agrees with Americans' vision of their country? It's not Muslims, gays, feminists, or recent immigrants. It's atheists, according to many sociological surveys. In one survey conducted in 2006 by sociologist Penny Edgell and her colleagues, nearly half of respondents said they would disapprove if their child wanted to marry an atheist, and a majority would not vote for an atheist president of their preferred political party, the lowest social acceptance rates of any group that Americans are asked about.
Kids get more active when given more toy choices, studies show
In an age when even preschoolers have electronic toys and devices, many parents wonder how to get their children to be more physically active. Now, two studies published by University at Buffalo researchers provide some answers.
Football helmet sensors help researchers demystify concussion in young athletes
Even two years later, Sarah Clark grimaces sheepishly and insists she mishandled the concussion her oldest son sustained in ninth-grade football.
Effect of chronic exposure to chemicals used as weapons, pesticides under study
Soldiers in war zones and farmers tending their fields can have in common chronic exposure to chemicals that impact their nerves.
Long-term exposure to air pollution increases risk of hospitalization for lung, heart disease
Older adults may be at increased risk of being hospitalized for lung and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes following long-term exposure to fine-particle air pollution, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). It is the first study to look at the link between long-term effects of exposure to fine particles in the air and rates of hospital admissions.
Changing brains for the better; article documents benefits of multiple practices
(Medical Xpress) -- Practices like physical exercise, certain forms of psychological counseling and meditation can all change brains for the better, and these changes can be measured with the tools of modern neuroscience, according to a review article now online at Nature Neuroscience.
Japan study raises hopes of cure for baldness
Japanese researchers have successfully grown hair on hairless mice by implanting follicles created from stem cells, they announced Wednesday, sparking new hopes of a cure for baldness.
New findings contradict current views on cancer stem cells
New findings in breast cancer research by an international team of scientists contradict the prevailing belief that only basal-like cells with stem cell qualities can form invasive tumors. Research led by Ole William Petersen at the University of Copenhagen (CU) and Mina Bissell of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and has shown that luminal-like cells with no detectable stem cell qualities can generate larger tumors than their basal-like counterparts. This may hold important implications for the diagnosis and the treatment of breast cancer as well as future personalized cancer medicine.
Antidote for cocaine overdose shows promise in lab tests
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have shown that an injectable solution can protect mice from an otherwise lethal overdose of cocaine. The findings could lead to human clinical trials of a treatment designed to reverse the effects of cocaine in case of emergency. Cocaine is involved in more than 400,000 emergency-room visits and about 5,000 overdose deaths each year in the United States.
In breakthrough study damaged mouse hearts regenerated by transforming scar tissue into beating heart muscle
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes today are announcing a research breakthrough in mice that one day may help doctors restore hearts damaged by heart attacks—by converting scar-forming cardiac cells into beating heart muscle.
New study sheds light on how selective hearing works in the brain
The longstanding mystery of how selective hearing works – how people can tune in to a single speaker while tuning out their crowded, noisy environs – is solved this week in the journal Nature by two scientists from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Scientists find new breast cancer genes, rewrite rulebook
Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency and University of British Columbia have identified new breast cancer genes that could change the way the disease is diagnosed and form the basis of next-generation treatments.
Photoreceptor transplant restores vision in mice
Scientists funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) have shown for the first time that transplanting light-sensitive photoreceptors into the eyes of visually impaired mice can restore their vision.
Crime and punishment: The neurobiological roots of modern justice
A pair of neuroscientists from Vanderbilt and Harvard Universities has proposed the first neurobiological model for third-party punishment. It outlines a collection of potential cognitive and brain processes that evolutionary pressures could have re-purposed to make this behavior possible.
Brain-activated muscle stimulation restores monkeys' hand movement after paralysis
An artificial connection between the brain and muscles can restore complex hand movements in monkeys following paralysis, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Biology news
As deadly cat disease spreads nationally, MU veterinarian finds effective treatment
Lone Star ticks, which are notorious carriers of many diseases including cytauxzoonosis, or "bobcat fever," have been spreading across the nation in recent years. As a result, cats across much of the country are now exposed to the deadly disease. University of Missouri veterinarian Leah Cohn, a small animal disease expert, and Adam Birkenheuer from North Carolina State University, have found an effective treatment for the dangerous disease.
Scientists discover 'switch' in plants to create flowers
Flowering is the most crucial act that plants undergo, as the fruits of such labor include crops on which the world depends, and seeds from which the next generation grows.
New shrimp-like species found in New Mexico cave
Scientists have discovered a new tiny shrimp-like species in a gypsum cave in southeastern New Mexico, only a few dozen miles from the famous caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Where's a Yellowstone bear? Look on your phone
(AP) -- Pretty soon, the best place to be on the lookout for wolves, grizzly bears, bison and other wildlife in Yellowstone National Park could be your phone.
Green-glowing fish provides new insights into health impacts of pollution
Understanding the damage that pollution causes to both wildlife and human health is set to become much easier thanks to a new green-glowing zebrafish. Created by a team from the University of Exeter, the fish makes it easier than ever before to see where in the body environmental chemicals act and how they affect health.
NASA showcases method to grow algae-based biofuels
NASA recently showcased the latest research and technology development a method to grow algae, clean wastewater, capture carbon dioxide and ultimately produce feedstock for refining biofuels without competing with agriculture for water, fertilizer, or land.
Plant species living in urban backyards are closer related to each other and live shorter than species in the countrysid
Cities in both, the US and Europe harbour more plant species than rural areas. However, plant species of urban areas are closer related to each other and often share similar functions. Consequently, urban ecosystems should be more sensitive towards environmental impacts than rural ecosystems. This is concluded by German and US scientists based on a field study in Minneapolis (Minnesota) led by Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota. The new study confirms results obtained by Dr. Sonja Knapp and colleagues of Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in a study on the German flora in 2008. The new results have been published as a preprint in Ecology and have been highlighted in the renowned science magazine Nature.
A new approach to molecular plant breeding
(Phys.org) -- A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist has shown researchers and plant breeders a better way to handle the massive amounts of data being generated by plant molecular studies, using an approach that should help speed up development of improved crop varieties.
Unique adaptations to a symbiotic lifestyle reveal novel targets for aphid insecticides
Aphids are pests that cause millions of pounds of damage to crops in the UK, but new research led by biologists at the University of York reveals potential new targets for aphid-specific insecticides.
Cod has a key role in the whole Baltic Sea
A new investigation put in evidence the key role of cod as regulator of the whole Baltic Sea ecosystem. The study shows that when the cod population in the central Baltic increases, it spreads into larger areas and spills over into adjacent marginal systems where it usually does not occur, as for example the Gulf of Riga.
Jellyfish on the rise: study
Jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world's coastal ecosystems, according to the first global study of jellyfish abundance by University of British Columbia researchers.
50 years of bird poop links DDT with changing bird menus
New research findings highlight how deposits of animal droppings are scientifically important for determining the impact of environmental change on threatened species.
Lactating tsetse flies models for lactating mammals?
An unprecedented study of intra-uterine lactation in the tsetse fly, published 18 April 2012 in Biology of Reproduction's Papers-in-Press, reveals that an enzyme found in the fly's milk functions similarly in mammals, making the tsetse a potential model for lipid metabolism during mammalian lactation.
Tasmanian tiger suffered low genomic diversity
The enigmatic Tasmanian tiger, known also as the thylacine, was hunted to extinction in the wild at the turn of the 20th century, and the last one died in a Tasmanian zoo in 1936.
Meat eating led to earlier weaning, helped humans spread across globe
When early humans became carnivores, their higher-quality diet allowed mothers to wean babies earlier and have more children, with potentially profound effects on population dynamics and the course of human evolution, according to a study published Apr. 18 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Adam's rib, revisited: Evolutionary divergence of mammalian sex chromosomes
(Phys.org) -- Males and females... Mars and Venus... XY and XX chromosomes -- all are common memes. At the same time, the evolution of therian (placental and marsupial) sex chromosomes is less widely understood. More to the point, these arose some 150 million years ago from a pair of autosomes, or non-sex chromosomes. Having appeared, the X and Y chromosomes – both with the same ancestral genes – began diverging, with the Y chromosome evolving into a state in which (except for two small autosomal regions) it never recombines. As a result, the Y chromosome has degenerated, losing most of its genes in the process. On the other hand, the X chromosome does recombine, retains many ancestral genes – and has gained new genes, and evolved new expression patterns, as well. The increased imbalance of X/Y chromosomal loci led to the emergence of loci-specific X chromosome inactivation, which has been seen as compensating for differential gene dosage (the number of c! opies of a given gene present in a cell or nucleus) by making expression of X-linked genes similar in males and females. Recently, using RNA sequencing, or RNA-seq, data (more precise than previously-analyzed microarray data), scientists in the Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, in Villeurbanne, France, found support for the hypothesis that XCI acts as a dosage-compensation mechanism. At the same time, the scientists explored the contribution of dosage-sensitive genes to phenotype expression in X aneuploidy – a condition, relatively common in humans, in which one or more extra or missing chromosomes leads to an unbalanced chromosome complement, resulting in conditions such as Turner (X0) and Klinefelter (XXY) syndromes.
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