Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for April 4, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Quantum control protocols could lead to more accurate, larger scale quantum computations- Warm and fuzzy T. rex? New evidence surprises
- No-photon laser: Physicists demonstrate 'superradiant' laser design
- Quantum computer built inside a diamond
- Thawing permafrost 50 million years ago led to extreme global warming events
- Complex role of genes in autism revealed
- Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation
- Unique garden experiment changes understanding of behavioral mechanisms
- Evolution in action: Genetic study may answer why we have plenty of fish in the sea
- Carbon nanotubes can double growth of cell cultures important in industry
- Treatment hope for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Researchers uncover multiple faces of deadly breast cancer
- Enzyme in saliva helps regulate blood glucose
- Income inequality and distrust foster academic dishonesty
- Scientists observe reproductive seasonality in male giant pandas
Space & Earth news
Space Image: Aurora Borealis seen from the Space Station
Flying at an altitude of about 240 miles over the eastern North Atlantic, the Expedition 30 crew aboard the International Space Station photographed this nighttime scene.
Handover of Japan-built radar to NASA
On March 30, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officially handed off a new satellite instrument to NASA at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) was designed and built by JAXA and Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
US forecasters see drop in 2012 Atlantic hurricanes
The number of 2012 Atlantic hurricanes will be below average this season due to a cooling of tropical waters and the potential development of El Nino conditions, US forecasters said Wednesday.
Chilean court approves huge Patagonia dam
Chile's Supreme Court Wednesday removed the last legal obstacle to building a giant $2.9 billion hydroelectric complex in the Patagonian wilderness, rejecting a bid by environmentalists to block it.
Rocket with secret payload launches from Calif.
(AP) -- A rocket carrying a top-secret payload blasted off Tuesday from the California coast.
Safer air-conditioner refrigerant helps reverse rapid ozone-layer losses of past decades
If the approaching summer has you calling for an air-conditioning repair, you'll have a personal experience with one of the world's most successful global environmental efforts.
Kepler Mission extended to 2016
With NASA’s tight budget, there were concerns that some of the agency’s most successful astrophysics missions might not be able to continue. Anxieties were rampant about one mission in particular, the very fruitful exoplanet-hunting Kepler mission, as several years of observations are required in order for Kepler to confirm a repeated orbit as a planet transits its star. But today, after a long awaited Senior Review of nine astrophysics missions, surprisingly all have received funding to continue at least through 2014, with several mission extensions, including Kepler.
Space savings for station science samples
Efficiency is the name of the game when talking about packing things into small spaces. Anyone who has ever tried to compress an overstuffed suitcase knows that one of the greatest updates to carry-on luggage was the expandable zipper feature. Little design changes like this can make a big difference in usability. This is true whether packing for vacation or, in NASA's case, when stowing research samples for travel to and from the International Space Station.
STAR TRAK for April
Saturn will gleam at its biggest and brightest for the year during April, remaining near its peak of visibility for most of the night throughout the month.
Korean connection makes an 8,000-km telescope
Australian and Korean radio telescopes have been linked for the first time, forming a system that acts as a telescope 8000 km across.Australian and Korean radio telescopes have been linked together for the first time, forming a system acting as a gigantic telescope more than 8000 kilometres across and with 100 times the resolving power of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Is rainfall a greater threat to China's agriculture than warming?
New research into the impact of climate change on Chinese cereal crops has found rainfall has a greater impact than rising temperature. The research, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that while maize is sensitive to warming increases in temperature from 1980 onwards correlated with both higher and lower yields of rice and wheat.
Some 'improved cookstoves' may emit more pollution than traditional mud cookstoves
The first real-world, head-to-head comparison of "improved cookstoves" (ICs) and traditional mud stoves has found that some ICs may at times emit more of the worrisome "black carbon," or soot, particles that are linked to serious health and environmental concerns than traditional mud stoves or open-cook fires. The report, which raises concerns about the leading hope as a clean cooking technology in the developing world, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science &Technology.
A cannibalistic galaxy with a powerful heart
Observations by the two of the European Space Agency's space observatories have provided a multi-wavelength view of the mysterious galaxy Centaurus A. The new images, from the Herschel Space Observatory and the XMM-Newton x-ray satellite, are revealing further hints about its cannibalistic past and energetic processes going on in its core.
Further delays signalled in super-telescope plan
The international consortium behind a plan to build the world's most powerful radio telescope on Wednesday signalled further delays in deciding whether it should be hosted by South Africa or Australia.
GOES satellite movie tracked tornadic Texas trouble
A powerful weather system moved through eastern Texas and dropped at least 15 tornadoes in the Dallas suburbs. NASA created an animation of data from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite that shows the frontal system moving through the region yesterday.
Now Extra-Tropical Daphne, left flooding behind in Fuji on NASA satellite imagery
Tropical Storm Daphne has become an extra-tropical storm and is fading fast in the South Pacific Ocean, but not before making its mark on the Fuji Islands. NASA's TRMM satellite compiled rainfall data that revealed flooding rains fell in Fiji.
Kepler Explorer app puts distant planets at your fingertips
(PhysOrg.com) -- Armchair explorers of the cosmos can now have at their fingertips the nearly 2,000 distant planetary systems discovered by NASA's Kepler Mission. Kepler Explorer, an innovative app for iPads and iPhones developed by a team at the University of California, Santa Cruz, provides interactive displays of newly discovered planetary systems based on Kepler data.
Earth's other moons
(PhysOrg.com) -- Earth usually has more than one moon, according to a team of astronomers from the University of Helsinki, the Paris Observatory and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
A glow in the Martian night throws light on atmospheric circulation
(PhysOrg.com) -- A faint, infrared glow above the winter poles of Mars is giving new insights into seasonal changes in the planet's atmospheric circulation. The tell-tale night emission was first detected in 2004 in observations made by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on ESA's Mars Express orbiter.
Cosmic 'leaf blower' robs galaxy of star-making fuel
(PhysOrg.com) -- Supernova explosions and the jets of a monstrous black hole are scattering a galaxy's star-making gas like a cosmic leaf blower, a new study finds. The findings, which relied on ultraviolet observations from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and a host of other instruments, fill an important gap in the current understanding of galactic evolution.
Thawing permafrost 50 million years ago led to extreme global warming events
In a new study reported in Nature, climate scientist Rob DeConto of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleagues elsewhere propose a simple new mechanism to explain the source of carbon that fed a series of extreme warming events about 55 million years ago, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and a sequence of similar, smaller warming events afterward.
Technology news
'Anywhere, anytime' 3D motion capture technology is child's play in Edinburgh
Revolutionary technology that creates 3D computer animations from real-life movements without the need for expensive 3D cameras will be tested by children visiting this year's Edinburgh International Science Festival.
iHome for smart elderly
The first smart home, "iHome", has newly opened in Yau Ma Tei in Hong Kong revealing the future of home care for the elderly. Established by PolyU in collaboration with the Hong Kong Housing Society and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute with the support from Innovation and Technology Commission, iHome is a high-tech elderly resources centre featuring smart innovations that support independent living. As age takes its toll, we may experience lose of health, physical ability and independence, that leads to inconvenience and discomfort in our daily lives. Smart healthcare technology designed by PolyU allows people to age well by keeping them at home, safe and comfortable, despite mental and physical limitations.
CWRU raises wind-energy labs over Cleveland area
Case Western Reserve University and its partners have erected their third and largest research wind turbine — and begun the process of tying into the grid.
Best marketing for renewable energies
Transmission system operators must assess precisely the supply of electricity from renewable energies for the next day in order to market this electricity on the European Power Exchange as effectively as possible. The sharply fluctuating supply of solar and wind energy makes reliable forecasts even more difficult. For this reason, Fraunhofer researchers, working jointly with TenneT TSO GmbH, developed a high-performance software that takes multiple forecasts and combines them with each other to generate one single, highly reliable projection.
Small phone companies to sell iPhone at discount
(AP) -- A group of small, regional cellphone companies announced Wednesday that they're going to start selling the iPhone, at prices that undercut the big carriers.
Developing countries face digital divide: study
The World Economic Forum said Wednesday that the BRICS countries, despite their booming economies, are lagging behind their rivals when it comes to capitalizing on Internet technologies.
New IBM software accelerates decision making in the era of big data
IBM today announced new software to provide clients with a sophisticated way to tame the data deluge and speed up business processes, making it easier for decision makers to gain insights from data. Based on innovations from IBM labs, the new software continuously accesses, compresses, and analyzes data, freeing up IT staff to work on higher value tasks such as big data and business analytics.
Google announces expansion at Okla. data center
(AP) -- Google says it will double its server capacity in Oklahoma and add 50 jobs when it builds a new facility in the state.
Tesco's blinkbox starts carrying Disney movies
(AP) -- British online movie service blinkbox will start carrying Disney movies, many of them for rent on the same day they are released for sale.
Expedia and TripAdvisor file EU complaint against Google
The travel websites Expedia and TripAdvisor have filed complaints as part of a probe into whether Google is abusing its position on the Internet, a European Commission spokesman said on Tuesday.
Flat-panel TV shipments predicted to fall
U.S. flat-panel television shipments are expected to dip for the first time on an annual basis this year, ending an unbroken string of growth since the segment was created.
Groupon stock closes at lowest level since IPO
(AP) -- Groupon's stock has closed at its lowest level ever amid growing scrutiny over its business just five months after it went public.
'Smart City' ambitions for quake-struck Italian town
Three years after a quake devastated L'Aquila, the Italian town has launched a bid to become a hi-tech European city -- to the scepticism of thousands of people still living in temporary housing.
New Yahoo CEO sweeps out 2,000 employees in purge
(AP) -- Yahoo's turnaround attempt is going to be messy. In his first three months on the job, CEO Scott Thompson has imposed the largest layoffs in the company's 17-year history, reshaped the board of directors, picked a potentially disruptive fight with a major shareholder and sued Facebook for patent infringement.
Novel solar reactor may enable clean fuel derived from sunlight
Producing hydrogen from non-fossil fuel sources is a problem that continues to elude many scientists but University of Delaware’s Erik Koepf thinks he may have discovered a solution.
Paramount to add 500 films to YouTube rentals
(AP) -- YouTube and Paramount Pictures have reached a deal to make nearly 500 films available to rent online, even while their parent companies continue to feud over a $1 billion lawsuit.
EU Commission urges Euro MPs to hold off ACTA vote
The European Commission urged the EU Parliament on Wednesday to hold off on voting on a controversial global anti-online piracy pact until judges rule on its legality.
Facebook focus guides Google CEO's 1st year on job
Google co-founder Larry Page has a Facebook fixation. When he replaced his mentor Eric Schmidt as Google's CEO last April, Page insisted that the company had to be more aggressive about countering the threat posed by Facebook's ever-growing popularity.
Scientists develop ultra-thin solar cells
Austrian and Japanese researchers on Wednesday unveiled solar cells thinner than a thread of spider silk that are flexible enough to be wrapped around a single human hair.
Breakthrough could slash R&D time for next generation of hydrogen fuel cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- It took Thomas Edison two years and over 3,000 experiments to develop a marketable light bulb. It has taken 10 times that long and who-knows-how-many experiments to develop a system that is far more complicated: the inner workings of a reliable, marketable hydrogen fuel cell.
Cornell researchers striving to understand memorable movie quotes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Why do some movie quotes stand out and stick not just in our minds, but in the minds of many? “I’ll be back,” spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Terminator movie, for example, or “Make my day,” whispered by Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. Such phrases become part of our collective culture, used by many long after the movie itself has become old news. But why, that’s what Cristian Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil and colleagues at Cornell want to know, so much so that they’ve undertaken a serious study of the matter, and have, oddly enough, come up with some interesting ideas, as they describe in their paper pre-published on arXiv, to help explain in a general sense, what happens when say, Renée Zellweger offers the line “You had me at hello,” in the otherwise forgettable movie Jerry Maguire.
Free apps drain smartphone energy on 'advertising modules'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have shown that popular free smartphone apps spend up to 75 percent of their energy tracking the user's geographical location, sending information about the user to advertisers and downloading ads.
Google gives glimpse of Internet glasses
Google on Wednesday gave the world a glimpse of its vision for letting people look at life through Internet-tinted glasses.
Medicine & Health news
Obese white women less likely to seek colon cancer screening
A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers shows that obese white women may be less likely than normal-weight counterparts and African-Americans of any weight or gender to seek potentially lifesaving colon cancer screening tests.
Changing old attitudes to aging and making aging well a global priority
This year's WHO World Health Day will be on healthy ageing, with the official launch on April 4 ahead of the actual World Health Day on April 7. Correspondence published Online First by The Lancet shows that not only must old attitudes to ageing be transformed, but attention must be shifted to dealing with non-communicable diseases in the elderly, which represent by far the largest burden of disease in this age group. The letter is by Dr Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, School of International Development, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK, and colleagues.
Significant improvement in neonatal care in England over 10 years
Neonatal services in England have seen a considerable improvement since the introduction of new guidelines in 2003, a study published on bmj.com claims.
Less intense chemotherapy more effective and less toxic for patients with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma
A study published Online First by The Lancet has found that patients with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma (a cancer affecting lymph tissue) can be treated more effectively with lower doses of chemotherapy. The study is by Dr Andreas Engert, University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, and colleagues.
Targeted therapeutics for colon cancer to be presented at AACR meeting
Anurag Singh, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Boston University School of Medicine has been invited to present his recent work on targeted therapeutics for colon cancer at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. Singh's seminar, scheduled for Tuesday April 3rd, will be featured in the "Late-Breaking Abstracts Mini-Symposium". This highlights recent and provocative groundbreaking research in cancer biology.
Legal review concerning the use of health impact assessments in non-health sectors
A report released today finds that a wide variety of existing laws offer important opportunities to improve Americans' health. The first comprehensive study of its kind found an unexpectedly large number of laws that facilitate the consideration of health effects, in fields such as transportation, energy, and agriculture. Many of these legal requirements may be satisfied by conducting health impact assessments (HIAs), a type of study that helps decision makers identify and address the potential and often unrecognized health risks and benefits of their decisions. Most HIAs are done without any formal legal or regulatory requirement. This review highlights laws that may require or support their use.
Indonesian district offers cash for vasectomies
A district in Indonesia is handing out cash to civil servants who volunteer for vasectomies -- but the initiative has upset women who fear their sterilised husbands will be more likely to have affairs.
Researchers present new findings for glioblastoma at American Association for Cancer Research
Physician-scientists from University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine presented new research findings in 24 presentations this week at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Chicago, Illinois.
Novel respiratory monitor for premature babies ready for FDA review
Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a novel device to continuously and systematically monitor the dynamics of premature babies' breathing. The small, noninvasive device dubbed "Pneumonitor," makes possible the early detection of respiratory problems, allowing for preventative care before the onset of complications. The findings were published in the January issue of Intensive Care Medicine. Dr. Danny Waisman of the Technion Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Carmel Medical Center and Prof. Amir Landesberg of the Technion Department of Biomedical Engineering, the device’s developers, say the device has been already been tested on animals in different disease models – including asthma and respiratory tract disorders.
Could cabbage hold the key to preventing diseases?
(Medical Xpress) -- Experts from the University of Aberdeen's Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health are calling for volunteers to take part in a study into the potential health benefits of different varieties of the vegetable.
Orthopaedic surgeons see epidemic of thumb arthritis
(Medical Xpress) -- As baby boomers age, orthopaedic surgeons are seeing more and more patients, especially women, who suffer from debilitating arthritis of the thumb.
Quality of cartilage repair tissue can also be determined without a surgery
A team at the MedUni Vienna, headed by Sebastian Apprich of the University Department of Radiodiagnostics at the High-Field Magnetic Resonance Centre of Excellence, has now discovered in collaboration with the University Department of Orthopaedics that the quality of cartilage tissue can also be determined without an invasive procedure: with the assistance of diffusion weighted imaging in a 3-Tesla scanner cartilage quality can be assessed in a much less invasive way.
Don't send your recycled glasses to developing countries, it costs twice as much as giving them ready-made glasses
You might feel good sending your old reading glasses to a developing country. But a recent international study, led by the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE), a collaborating partner in the Vision CRC, in Sydney, suggests it is far better to give $10 for an eye examination and a new pair of glasses if you want to help someone in desperate need, and it is far better for building capacity in these communities.
Vaccine yielded encouraging long-term survival rates in certain patients with NSCLC
Long-term follow-up of a phase II clinical trial showed encouraging survival in some patients with stage 3B/4 non-small cell lung cancer treated with belagenpumatucel-L, a therapeutic vaccine. The findings were presented here at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held March 31 - April 4.
BIND presents late-breaker clinical data at AACR on BIND-014's promising antitumor effects
BIND Biosciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of highly selective targeted therapeutics called AccurinsTM, announced today the presentation of late-breaker clinical data for BIND-014, the lead drug candidate within a new class of targeted therapeutics that are programmed to concentrate at tumors, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2012 Annual Meeting. BIND presented data from the ongoing Phase 1 clinical study of BIND-014, its targeted docetaxel Accurin, in patients with solid tumors that strongly translated from preclinical data, demonstrated safety and tolerability, and showed evidence of anti-tumor activity with six of 17 patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumor cancers. The preliminary Phase 1 data demonstrated partial response or stable disease in this heavily pretreated patient population with durable responses of up to six months in some cases. In addition, BIND-014 demonstrated evidence of anti-tumor activity in tumors for which conventional docetaxel is known to have minimal activity.
Community-onset Clostridium difficile linked to higher risk of surgery
Patients whose symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) start outside of the hospital setting have a higher risk of colectomy due to severe infection, according to a large multicenter study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Improving equine health: Research studies vaccinations to protect newborn foals
A Kansas State University veterinary medicine student is investigating ways to improve horse vaccinations and defend them against pathogen challenges at an early age.
Why don't more women take a daily aspirin to prevent heart disease?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, and evidence-based national guidelines promote the use of daily aspirin for women at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. However, less than half of the women who could benefit from aspirin are taking it, according to an article in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online at the Journal of Women's Health website.
Single baby boomers facing increased challenges as they age
Nick and Bobbi Ercoline, the couple depicted on the "Woodstock" soundtrack album cover, have now been happily married for over 40 years. However, a new special issue of The Gerontologist showing the Ercolines as they look today — a portrait of successful aging — finds that their unmarried baby boomer counterparts generally fare much poorer in terms of economic, health, and social outcomes.
How fat are your lab mice?
Researchers are increasingly aware that fat in some parts of the body is more harmful than fat in other places. To help determine how obesity works, scientists turn to animal models and now, they are able to visualize how much fat their lab rats are carrying and where they are storing it. The method will be published in the April issue of the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE).
Food science poised to help address needs of aging population
The aging baby boomers and subsequent generations will be looking to the food industry to provide products that can help them live longer, healthier and more active lives than previous generations, according to research presented at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting.
Beans, pulses and legumes have important role in nutrition
Beans, pulses and legumes can be classified as either vegetables or proteins under the new USDA dietary guidelines, giving them an important role in a person's daily diet, an expert panel said at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting.
Consumers need simple, concise messages about benefits of phytonutrients
An expert panel at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting urged the food industry to find simple yet powerful language to tell consumers about the many benefits of a diet rich in phytonutrients.
FDA probes salmonella that has sickened 90 people
(AP) -- Federal health officials are investigating a growing outbreak of salmonella that has sickened 90 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia, according to a Food and Drug Administration memo.
Mutations in 3 genes linked to autism spectrum disorders
Mutations in three new genes have been linked to autism, according to new studies including one with investigators at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. All three studies include lead investigators of the Autism Sequencing Consortium (ASC). The findings, in a trio of papers revealing new genetic targets in autism, are published in the April 4th online issue of the journal Nature. The studies provide new insights into important genetic changes and the many biological pathways that lead to autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Metal-on-metal hip replacement patients at no more risk of developing cancer
Patients who have had metal-on-metal hip replacements are no more likely to develop cancer in the first seven years after surgery than the general population, although a longer-term study is required, a study published in the British Medical Journal today claims.
Older subjects who regularly practice Tai Chi found to have better arterial compliance
Exercise which can achieve both cardiovascular function and muscle strength "would be a preferred mode of training for older persons", say investigators
Scientists discover link between estrogen and tobacco smoke
The hormone estrogen may help promote lung cancer— including compounding the effects of tobacco smoke on the disease—pointing towards potential new therapies that target the hormone metabolism, according to new research presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Tuesday, April 3 by scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Exercise can help when chronic illness gets you down, study finds
Suffering from a chronic illness can drain a person's quality of life, but add in depression, and the results are debilitating. A new study from University of Georgia researchers shows that exercise training can reduce depression symptoms in patients with a chronic illness.
Study finds bronchiolitis severity depends on the virus, and questions the practice of rooming children together
A 16-hospital study, led by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, is challenging common wisdom about bronchiolitis, a respiratory illness and the leading cause of hospitalization in infants. Currently, clinicians treating babies with severe bronchiolitis generally don’t test for pathogens, assuming the specific infectious cause to be irrelevant to the child’s care. The new study, the largest prospective, multicenter study of U.S. children hospitalized with bronchiolitis, suggests it should be viewed as more than one disease, especially when considering treatments.
New imaging technique could speed cancer detection
(Medical Xpress) -- A new imaging technique relies on light and sound to create detailed, color pictures of tumors deep inside the body. The technology, called photoacoustic tomography, may eventually help doctors diagnose cancer earlier than is now possible and to more precisely monitor the effects of cancer treatment — all without the radiation involved in X-rays and CT scans or the expense of MRIs.
Detectable pancreatic lesions common in people at high risk for hereditary pancreatic cancer
(Medical Xpress) -- A team of scientists led by Johns Hopkins researchers have found that more than four in 10 people considered at high risk for hereditary pancreatic cancer have small pancreatic lesions long before they have any symptoms of the deadly disease.
Seven minutes of physician counseling can curtail drinking and save lives
Problem drinkers who end up in hospital emergency departments are more likely to curtail their binge drinking and overall alcohol consumption if they receive physician counseling on the spot — even just seven minutes of it — and are less likely to drive under the influence. The study by physicians at Yale School of Medicine appears in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Arsenic turns stem cells cancerous, spurring tumor growth
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered how exposure to arsenic can turn normal stem cells into cancer stem cells and spur tumor growth. Inorganic arsenic, which affects the drinking water of millions of people worldwide, has been previously shown to be a human carcinogen. A growing body of evidence suggests that cancer is a stem-cell based disease. Normal stem cells are essential to normal tissue regeneration, and to the stability of organisms and processes. But cancer stem cells are thought to be the driving force for the formation, growth, and spread of tumors.
One compound detects and treats malignant tumors, certain cancer stem cells
(Medical Xpress) -- More than a decade of laboratory research at the University of Wisconsin has proven that a single chemical compound may both detect and treat malignant tumors and certain cancer stem cells.
Hematologic malignancies rapidly increasing and unaddressed in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Medical Xpress) -- Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a growing cancer burden, and hematologic malignancies account for almost 10 percent of cancer deaths in the region. In the United States and other resource-rich settings, patients with diseases such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma have benefited from treatment advances that have resulted in unprecedented rates of long-term control.
Mobile technology helps explore nicotine addiction
(Medical Xpress) -- Some people quit smoking on the first try while others have to quit repeatedly. Using such mobile technology as hand-held computers and smartphones, a team of researchers from Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh is trying to find out why.
Early-life exposure to BPA affects adult learning
In testing the effects of the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on zebrafish, UWM scientist Daniel Weber found himself in familiar territory.
135 states agree anti-tobacco trafficking deal: WHO
Negotiators from 135 nations sealed Wednesday a global deal to stem the illegal tobacco trade that could net governments $50 billion more annually in tax revenues, the World Health Organisation said.
Researchers develop a new cell and animal model of inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive, often misunderstood type of cancer that is diagnosed more frequently in younger women compared with other types of breast cancer. The five-year survival rate is between 25 and 50 percent—significantly lower than the survival rate for other types of breast cancer. The reason for the poor prognosis is that IBC usually grows rapidly and often spreads quickly to other parts of the body, including the brain, bone and lymph nodes. In an effort to better understand the biology of IBC, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have developed a new cell and animal model that holds promise for providing a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and for developing effective interventions.
62 percent of men and 37 percent of women over the age of 65 are sexually active: Spanish study
A study based on the National Health and Sexuality Survey, involving nearly 2000 people, describes the sexual practices of senior citizens in Spain. The most common are kisses, caresses and vaginal penetration. The main causes of sexual inactivity are physical illness and widowerhood.
KRAS gene mutation and amplification status affects sensitivity to antifolate therapy
Testing patients with non-small cell lung cancer for both mutations and amplifications of the KRAS gene prior to therapy may help to predict response to treatment with antifolates, according to the updated results of a preclinical study presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4.
Researchers uncover a viable way for colorectal cancer patients to overcome drug resistance
When combined with other treatments, the drug cetuximab—which works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells—has been shown to extend survival in certain types of cancer, including metastatic colorectal cancers. Unfortunately, about 40 percent of colorectal cancer patients—specifically those who carry a mutated form of a gene called KRAS—do not respond to the drug. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, however, have been working on a way to overcome this resistance to cetuximab by unleashing a second cetuximab driven mechanism using a novel drug called ARI-4175. The researchers from Fox Chase will present their findings at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Wednesday, April 4.
Four works better than three: An enhanced flu vaccine does the trick
An intranasal vaccine that includes four weakened strains of influenza could do a better job in protecting children from the flu than current vaccines, Saint Louis University research shows.
The long arm of the dendritic cell: A link between atherosclerosis and autoimmunity
Patients with autoimmune diseases often show a predisposition to develop "hardening of the arteries" or atherosclerosis. LMU researchers have now uncovered a mechanism that establishes a causal link between the two disorders.
Asthma: A vaccination that works using intramuscular injection
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory and respiratory disease caused by an abnormal reactivity to allergens in the environment. Of the several avenues of exploration that are currently being developed, vaccination appears to be the most promising approach. In a publication soon to appear in the review Human Gene Therapy, the research scientists at Inserm and CNRS ( Institut du thorax, CNRS, France) reveal an innovatory vaccine against one of the allergens most frequently encountered in asthma patients. After vaccine was directly injected into the muscle of an asthmatic mouse, a nanovector significantly reduced both the hypersensitivity to the allergen and the associated inflammatory response.
A new gene thought to be the cause in early-onset forms of Alzheimer's disease
A new gene that causes early-onset of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by the research team of Dominique Campion at the Insert unit 1079 "Genetics of cancer and neuropsychiatric diseases" in Rouen. The research scientists showed that in the families of 5 of 14 patients suffering from the disease, mutations were detected on the gene SORL1. This gene regulates the production of a peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. The results of this study have been published in the review Molecular Psychiatry issued April 3rd.
In-school tests suggest overweight boys and girls benefit from being fit
Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children reach a healthy weight, reports a new study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Researchers analyzed four years of data from in-school fitness tests and body mass index (BMI) measurements of students in grades 1-7 in the city of Cambridge, Mass.
Reducing hospital admissions for asthmatics
Children with moderate or severe asthma attacks who are treated with systemic corticosteroids during the first 75 minutes of triage in the Emergency Department (ED) were 16% less likely to be admitted to hospital. This highlights the importance of adopting a strategy to rapidly identify and begin treating children with moderate or severe asthma attacks directly after triage, according to a team of investigators working at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center (UHC), the University of Montreal, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC).
FDA finds more vials of fake cancer drug
(AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors that a second counterfeit version of the best-selling cancer drug Avastin has been found in the U.S., packaged as the Turkish brand of the medication.
Research demonstrates bacterial contamination in pharmacy robots
Drug dispensing robots designed to quickly prepare intravenous medications in a sterile environment can harbor dangerous bacteria, according to a report in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Physician groups call for fewer medical tests
(HealthDay) -- Nine physician specialty groups have created lists of common tests or procedures that they believe are often overused or unnecessary, to help doctors and patients make wiser decisions about care.
Keep aging brains sharp: Brain games, exercise and diet help prevent cognitive slide
Exercising, eating a healthy diet and playing brain games may help you keep your wits about you well into your 80s and even 90s, advises a new book by researchers at George Mason University.
Therapeutic approach for patients with severe depression
Brain pacemakers have a long-term effect in patients with the most severe depression. This has now been proven by scientists from the Bonn University Medical Center. Eleven patients took part in the study over a period of two to five years. A lasting reduction in symptoms of more than 50 percent was seen in nearly half of the subjects. The results are now being presented in the current edition of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Sexually abused boys at risk for more unsafe sex: research
Young males who have been sexually abused are five times more likely to cause teen pregnancy compared to those with no abuse history, according to University of British Columbia research. Sexually abused boys are also three times more likely to have multiple sexual partners and twice as likely to engage in unprotected sex.
Childhood cancer survivors at risk for cardiac events
(HealthDay) -- Childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) treated with anthracyclines and/or cardiac irradiation have a higher risk of developing symptomatic cardiac events (CEs) in the long term, according to a study published online April 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Importance of diabetes genetic variants unclear
(HealthDay) -- Genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes that affect glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) are not associated with GLP-1 levels or GLP-1-induced insulin secretion in healthy individuals, according to a study published online March 28 in Diabetes.
Good long-term outcomes for drug-eluting stents
(HealthDay) -- Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) suggests that drug-eluting stents (DESs) significantly reduce repeat revascularizations, with no increase in stent thrombosis (ST), mortality, or recurrent myocardial infarction, but data from observational studies indicate an increased risk of ST with DES use, according to research published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Study finds link between injectable contraceptives and breast cancer risk in younger women
The first large-scale U.S.-based study to evaluate the link between an injectable form of progestin-only birth control and breast cancer risk in young women has found that recent use of a year or more doubles the risk. The results of the study, led by breast cancer epidemiologist Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, are published online ahead of the April 15 print issue of Cancer Research.
New cancer drug delivery system shows promise
A new method of delivering cancer drugs that could cut down on chemotherapy's side effects and boost the strength of the tumor-fighting medicine has shown promise, US researchers said Wednesday.
Studies: Memory declines faster in years closest to death
Two new studies published in the April 4 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggest that a person's memory declines at a faster rate in the last two-and-a-half years of life than at any other time after memory problems first begin. The second study shows that keeping mentally fit through board games or reading may be the best way to preserve memory during late life. Both studies were conducted by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.
Eating flavonoids protects men against Parkinson's disease
Men who eat flavonoid-rich foods such as berries, tea, apples and red wine significantly reduce their risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to new research by Harvard University and the University of East Anglia (UEA).
New fractionated dosing regimen for anticancer drug significantly improves outcomes for older leukemia patients
Using fractionated doses of the targeted anticancer drug gemtuzumab ozogamicin allows for safer delivery of the drug into patients aged 50-70 years with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and substantially improves their outcomes. These are the conclusions of an Article published Online First by The Lancet, written by Professor Sylvie Castaigne, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, France, and colleagues.
Possible clues found to why HIV vaccine showed modest protection
Insights into how the first vaccine ever reported to modestly prevent HIV infection in people might have worked were published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Scientists have found that among adults who received the experimental HIV vaccine during the landmark RV144 clinical trial, those who produced relatively high levels of a specific antibody after vaccination were less likely to get infected with the virus than those who did not. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, co-funded the research.
First targeted nanomedicine to enter human clinical studies
A team of scientists, engineers and physicians from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Harvard Medical School (HMS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), BIND Biosciences, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Wayne State University Karmanos Cancer Institute, and Weill Cornell Medical College have found promising effects of a first-in-class targeted cancer drug called BIND-014 in treating solid tumors.
Antibody therapy prevents gastrointestinal damage following radiation exposure in mice
A new study offers the first evidence of a drug capable of preventing lethal damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as those occurring during a nuclear incident. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments or prophylactics available to manage the condition, known as radiation gastrointestinal syndrome (RGS), which is associated with weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, systemic infection, and – in extreme cases – septic shock and death.
Spontaneous gene glitches linked to autism risk with older dads
Researchers have turned up a new clue to the workings of a possible environmental factor in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs): fathers were four times more likely than mothers to transmit tiny, spontaneous mutations to their children with the disorders. Moreover, the number of such transmitted genetic glitches increased with paternal age. The discovery may help to explain earlier evidence linking autism risk to older fathers.
Glycemic index foods at breakfast can control blood sugar throughout the day
Eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar throughout the morning and after the next meal of the day, researchers said at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting.
Antipsychotic drug may be helpful treatment for anorexia nervosa
Low doses of a commonly used atypical antipsychotic drug improved survival in a mouse model of anorexia nervosa, University of Chicago researchers report this month. The result offers promise for a common and occasionally fatal eating disorder that currently lacks approved drugs for treatment.
Sports take brain as well as brawn
Elite soccer players have superior executive functions relative to non-players, and there is a significant correlation between their cognitive function and number of goals and assists, according to a new study published Apr. 4 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Children with Down syndrome faced with implicit stereotyping based on facial features
Photographs of children with Down syndrome elicit less positive attitudes than photographs of typically developing children do, reports new research published Apr. 4 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. This effect was strongest for photographs of children with features that are "strongly typical" of Down syndrome, and somewhat weaker for images that were more "weakly typical."
Your supermarket may affect your weight
Your supermarket may affect your weight, according to a report published Apr. 4 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Soy may alleviate hot flashes in menopause, large-scale study finds
In the most comprehensive study to date to examine the effects of soy on menopause, researchers have found that two daily servings of soy can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes by up to 26 percent, compared to a placebo.
Coordinating the circadian clock: Researchers find that molecular pair controls time-keeping and fat metabolism
(PhysOrg.com) -- The 24-hour internal clock controls many aspects of human behavior and physiology, including sleep, blood pressure, and metabolism. Disruption in circadian rhythms leads to increased incidence of many diseases, including metabolic disease and cancer. Each cell of the body has its own internal timing mechanism, which is controlled by proteins that keep one another in check.
Clinical insight improves treatment with new lung cancer drug
Men experience a marked drop in their testosterone levels when taking a targeted therapy to control a specific type of lung cancer. That's according to a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the April issue of Cancer, the official journal of the American Cancer Society.
New effort by MDs to cut wasteful medical spending
(AP) -- Old checklist for doctors: order that test, write that prescription. New checklist for doctors: first ask yourself if the patient really needs it.
Once considered mainly 'brain glue,' astrocytes' power revealed
A type of cell plentiful in the brain, long considered mainly the stuff that holds the brain together and oft-overlooked by scientists more interested in flashier cells known as neurons, wields more power in the brain than has been realized, according to new research published in Science Signaling.
Brain stores objects by color, too
(Medical Xpress) -- How do we know what a lemon is, or a baseball? “Theories that explain how our brains store knowledge say that similar knowledge is stored in similar places. So things that are related – in how they look, how they smell, and so on – should overlap in the brain,” says Eiling Yee of the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain, & Language. In other words, the same part of your brain might store the information that both lemons and canaries are yellow.
Autophagy: When 'self-eating' is good for you
(Medical Xpress) -- New discoveries by Cambridge scientists about a molecular waste-disposal process that ‘eats’ bacteria are influencing the clinical management of cystic fibrosis, and could be the basis of innovative new treatments to fight off bacteria.
Primitive consciousness emerges first as you awaken from anesthesia
Awakening from anesthesia is often associated with an initial phase of delirious struggle before the full restoration of awareness and orientation to one's surroundings. Scientists now know why this may occur: primitive consciousness emerges first. Using brain imaging techniques in healthy volunteers, a team of scientists led by Adjunct Professor Harry Scheinin, M.D. from the University of Turku, Finland in collaboration with investigators from the University of California, Irvine, have now imaged the process of returning consciousness after general anesthesia. The emergence of consciousness was found to be associated with activations of deep, primitive brain structures rather than the evolutionary younger neocortex.
Light switch added to gene tool opens new view of cell development
University of Oregon scientists collaborating with an Oregon company that synthesizes antisense Morpholinos for genetic research have developed a UV light-activated on-off switch for the vital gene-blocking molecule. Based on initial testing in zebra-fish embryos, the enhanced molecule promises to deliver new insights for developmental biologists and brain researchers.
Complex role of genes in autism revealed
University of Washington researchers announced their findings from a major study looking into the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with an approach piloted at the UW. Their results are reported in the April 4 advanced online edition of the journal Nature.
Researchers uncover multiple faces of deadly breast cancer
An international team of scientists, including four at Simon Fraser University, has made a discovery that will change the way the most deadly form of breast cancer is treated.
Treatment hope for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
An international team led by the University of Melbourne Australia, has found that increasing a specific protein in muscles could help treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a severe and progressive muscle wasting disease that affects young boys.
Enzyme in saliva helps regulate blood glucose
Scientists from the Monell Center report that blood glucose levels following starch ingestion are influenced by genetically-determined differences in salivary amylase, an enzyme that breaks down dietary starches. Specifically, higher salivary amylase activity is related to lower blood glucose.
Biology news
17th century Dutch explorers help the Atlas reach a major milestone -- 30 million records
The Atlas of Living Australia added its 30 millionth species occurrence record last week, making it the largest collection of rich information on Australia's plants, animals and fungi.
Scientists developing poison pill for Asian carp
Biologist Jon Amberg has spent the last two years obsessed with fish guts, laboring over a singular challenge: Develop a poison pill that will kill Asian carp and leave other fish unscathed.
Fire ant colonies seem to be down dramatically
The red imported fire ant, one of the most horrifying of the foreign species that have established themselves in the United States, appears to be in retreat.
Disarming disease-causing bacteria
(PhysOrg.com) -- New treatments that combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by disarming rather than killing bacteria may be on the horizon, according to a new study.
New forage plant prepares farmers for climate changes
Sorghum, or durra, is an important forage crop in many countries, for example the USA, Africa, China and Australia.
Researchers develop glowing probes to detect germs via RNA
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of researchers from the Boston area have developed a “glowing probe” molecule that is able to detect the presence of many common types of bacteria, viruses and even fungi. The results of their work, which they describe in their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that the molecular probes can be used to help diagnose diseases.
Professor's hypothesis may be game changer for evolutionary theory
A new hypothesis posed by a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, associate professor and colleagues could be a game changer in the evolution arena. The hypothesis suggests some species are surviving by discarding genes and depending on other species to play their hand.
Unique garden experiment changes understanding of behavioral mechanisms
A unique experiment carried out in a Leicester garden, and concurrently in a garden in Italy, has yielded surprising results that has changed scientific knowledge and is published in one of the world's foremost science journals.
Evolution in action: Genetic study may answer why we have plenty of fish in the sea
Three-spine sticklebacks aren't as pretty as many aquarium fish, and anglers don't fantasize about hooking one. But biologists treasure these small fish for what they are revealing about the genetic changes that drive evolution. Now, researchers have sequenced the stickleback genome for the first time, and they have discovered that as fish in different parts of the world adapted to live in fresh water, the same sites in the genome were changed time and again.
Scientists observe reproductive seasonality in male giant pandas
A three-year study of giant pandas published today in Biology of Reproduction's Papers-in-Press reveals that reproductive seasonality exists not only in female pandas, but in male pandas as well.
Drawing connections between food webs
Ecosystems today face various threats, from climate change to invasive species to encroaching civilization. If we hope to protect these systems and the species that live in them, we must understand them — an extremely difficult and time-consuming task, given the world's seemingly endless number of ecosystems, each with its own complex dynamics and relationships.
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