Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 3, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Bird-like robot perches on a human hand (w/ Video)- British police get 360 degree accident scene camera
- New robot butler "HERB" can microwave your dinner (w/ Video)
- Silkworm structures drive push for new materials
- Statistical analysis could predict bankrupt stocks
- Battle of the sexes offers evolutionary insights
- Email 'vacations' decrease stress, increase concentration, researchers say
- Bacteria discovery could lead to antibiotics alternatives
- Rats recall past to make daily decisions
- Earth history and evolution
- Plant diversity is key to maintaining productive vegetation
- Life-size 3-D hologram-like telepods may revolutionize videoconferencing in the future
- Tour on solar-powered boat to beat climate change
- Stem cells poised to self-destruct for the good of the embryo
- Study reveals dynamic changes in gene regulation in human stem cells
Space & Earth news
Green groups say Indonesia deforestation ban 'weak'
A coalition of green groups in Indonesia on Thursday criticised a moratorium on deforestation as "weak", saying the year-long ban still excludes large tracts of the country's carbon-rich forests.
'Ethical Adaptation to Climate Change' envisions the good life in a harsher world
Think like a planet - and reorganize society to reflect it, says Case Western Reserve University's environmental ethicist Jeremy Bendik-Keymer. That's a new way of thinking about reversing the tide of climate change.
Stable isotopes provide "signature" for researchers to study animals
Researchers have many tools available in studying and observing mammals. One is quite small—the stable isotope. Exploring ecological questions through analysis of stable isotopes is a rapidly developing area of research.
Unique insight into Chile's coastal ecosystem before and after 2010 earthquake
Natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis are expected to have substantial ecological effects, but if researchers don't have enough data about the environment before the disaster strikes, as is usually the case, it is difficult to quantify these repercussions.
Cassini, Saturn Moon Photographer
NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully flew by Saturn's moons Enceladus and Dione during close flybys on May 2, 2012, capturing these raw images. The flybys were the last close encounters of these icy moons that Cassini will make for three years.
W&M GIG takes transdisciplinary look at mercury pollution
Science alone cannot solve the pressing environmental problems threatening the world. Nor can the humanities. In order to make effective assaults against a wide range of ills, trans-disciplinary approaches are vital. Consider mercury. William and Mary did.
Huge scope to store water underground
There is potential to store large volumes of Australia’s precious fresh water underground, to offset climate change, avoid evaporation losses and meet national water needs into the future, leading water scientists say.
Enceladus on display in newest images from Cassini
The latest images are in from Saturn’s very own personal paparazzi, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, fresh from its early morning flyby of the ice-spewing moon Enceladus. And, being its last closeup for the next three years, the little moon didn’t disappoint!
Greenpeace activists arrested after Sweden protest
(AP) -- Swedish police on Thursday arrested six Greenpeace activists after they boarded an icebreaker off Sweden's southeast coast, forcing authorities to tow the ship it back into land.
TheSkyNet set to conquer more of our universe
In its ever-expanding quest to process astronomy data and discover much more of our Universe, theSkyNet has joined forces with the Pan-STARRS1 Science Consortium (PS1SC) to probe other galaxies beyond our own Milky Way.
Long-term monitoring shows 60 percent reduction in acidity of Delaware rain
Several decades ago, precipitation in Delaware was among the most acidic in the country. Pollutants in the air reacted with rainwater to sprinkle sulfuric, nitric and carbonic acids onto the ground below, affecting crops and ecosystems statewide.
Czech Republic approves EU Galileo agency move to Prague
Czech Republic politicians have approved the transfer to Prague of the EU agency in charge of Europe's Galileo geopositioning system, lawmakers said Thursday.
South Korea approves emissions trading scheme
South Korea's parliament has approved a long-delayed bill to start trading carbon dioxide emissions in 2015, joining the vanguard of countries battling climate change.
Goodbye La Nina: Will drought, hurricanes also go?
(AP) -- The La Nina weather phenomenon is over. Forecasters say that's good news for the drought in the South and hurricane areas along the coasts.
European climate change to hit Scandinavia and south hardest
Global warming in Europe this century will mostly affect Scandinavia and the Mediterranean basin, the European Environment Agency warned on Thursday.
Handful of heavyweight trees per acre are forest champs
Big trees three or more feet in diameter accounted for nearly half the biomass measured at a Yosemite National Park site, yet represented only one percent of the trees growing there.
JUICE is Europe's next large science mission
(Phys.org) -- Jupiter’s icy moons are the focus of Europe’s next large science mission.
Four white dwarf stars caught in the act of consuming 'earth-like' exoplanets
University of Warwick astrophysicists have pinpointed four white dwarf stars surrounded by dust from shattered planetary bodies which once bore striking similarities to the composition of the Earth. The scientists publish their results in a paper in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Mars Rover starts its 9th year
Eight years after landing on Mars for what was planned as a three-month mission, NASA's enduring Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is working on what essentially became a new mission five months ago.
Scientists core into California's Clear Lake to explore past climate change
(Phys.org) -- University of California, Berkeley, scientists are drilling into ancient sediments at the bottom of Northern California's Clear Lake for clues that could help them better predict how today's plants and animals will adapt to climate change and increasing population.
Researchers use stalagmites to study past climate change
There is an old trick for remembering the difference between stalactites and stalagmites in a cave: Stalactites hold tight to the ceiling while stalagmites might one day grow to reach the ceiling. Now, it seems, stalagmites might also fill a hole in our understanding of Earth's climate system and how that system is likely to respond to the rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since preindustrial times.
Increasing speed of Greenland glaciers gives new insight for rising sea level
Changes in the speed that ice travels in more than 200 outlet glaciers indicates that Greenland's contribution to rising sea level in the 21st century might be significantly less than the upper limits some scientists thought possible, a new study shows.
Technology news
Road phones safer than ever
New self-lighting and self monitoring telephones on road highways and other key locations can reduce the need for maintenance significantly and, more importantly, save lives.
Facebook sets $28 to $35 price range for IPO
(AP) -- Facebook has set a price range of $28 to $35 for its initial public offering of stock.
Nokia files patent suits against HTC, RIM, ViewSonic
Nokia, one of the world's leading mobile phone makers, said Wednesday it had filed patent infringement lawsuits against mobile phone and electronics groups HTC, RIM and ViewSonic in the United States and Germany.
The secrets of the system
As the United States seeks to reinvigorate its job market and move past economic recession, MIT News examines manufacturing’s role in the country’s economic future through this series on work at the Institute around manufacturing.
New protocol enables wireless and secure biometric acquisition with web service (w/ Video)
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and published a new protocol for communicating with biometric sensors over wired and wireless networks—using some of the same technologies that underpin the web.
Review: Using files made easy with online storage
(AP) -- Moving digital files between your work and home computers can be a pain. Add smartphones and tablet computers to the mix, and you've got yourself a giant headache.
Indictment returned in NYC computer hacking case
(AP) -- The name of a Chicago man already charged in a computer hacking case aimed at taking out key players in the worldwide group Anonymous was added to an indictment Wednesday, boosting the accusations against him by including him in much of the wider conspiracy to hack into corporations and government agencies worldwide.
British crime-fighting agency's website hit by hackers
The website of Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has been taken offline after an attack by hackers, the agency said on Thursday.
Many Facebook users unaware of privacy risks: report
Many users of Facebook are unaware of the privacy risks from the massive social network site or fail to take adequate precautions, a report by Consumers Reports said Thursday.
YouTube promotes channels, pledges $200 mil in ads
(AP) -- In a flashy presentation to advertisers, YouTube promoted its new channels of original programming, while pledging to spend $200 million to help market them.
NRL charges Marine Corps expeditionary power requirements
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Electronic Science and Technology Division are working to help the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) reduce expeditionary energy supply needs and risks and increase the effectiveness of forward deployed forces.
Northrop grumman fires up rugged solid-state laser weapon
Northrop Grumman Corporation has test fired the first product in its next-generation FIRESTRIKE family of high-energy, solid-state lasers that meet goals for size and weight reduction and ruggedization for operational applications.
Google wants authors group out of NY library case
(AP) -- Google Inc. urged a judge Thursday to toss The Authors Guild and an organization representing photographers out of 6-year-old litigation over the future of the world's largest digital library, a move that would force authors and photographers to individually fight the online search engine giant.
Facebook becomes observer at Web freedom group
Facebook has become an official observer at the Global Network Initiative, a non-government organization dedicated to promoting Internet freedom and privacy rights.
US teens quick to join online video: survey
US teenagers are leading the way in adopting online video including chat services, a survey showed Thursday.
I more than 'like' you: Company diversifies Facebook buttons
Sure, you can "like" a store on Facebook, but you can't easily tell all your friends you "want" that new pair of jeans, "love" that handbag or "own" that sleek electric guitar.
'Game-powered machine learning' opens door to Google for music
Can a computer be taught to automatically label every song on the Internet using sets of examples provided by unpaid music fans? University of California, San Diego engineers have found that the answer is yes, and the results are as accurate as using paid music experts to provide the examples, saving considerable time and money. In results published in the April 24 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that their solution, called “game-powered machine learning,” would enable music lovers to search every song on the web well beyond popular hits, with a simple text search using key words like “funky” or “spooky electronica.”
Testing vintage US bridges for vulnerability -- and finding ways to protect them
It took only 13 seconds for the bridge to collapse into the Mississippi River in a thunderous rain of concrete and steel. When the Minneapolis I-35W bridge – an eight-lane, steel truss arch bridge – cracked and plummeted in 2007, one of the first thoughts was: SABOTAGE?
Tour on solar-powered boat to beat climate change
Scanning the horizon on his solar-powered catamaran, Swiss electrical engineer Raphael Domjan counts down the hours to the completion of his record-breaking world tour.
Email 'vacations' decrease stress, increase concentration, researchers say
Being cut off from work email significantly reduces stress and allows employees to focus far better, according to a new study by UC Irvine and U.S. Army researchers.
Life-size 3-D hologram-like telepods may revolutionize videoconferencing in the future
A Queen's University researcher has created a Star Trek-like human-scale 3D videoconferencing pod that allows people in different locations to video conference as if they are standing in front of each other. "Why Skype when you can talk to a life-size 3D holographic image of another person?" says professor Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab.
Medicine & Health news
Lower all-Cause, cardio mortality in obese with RA
(HealthDay) -- Overweight and obese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but have substantially increased risks of comorbidities, medical costs, and reduced quality of life compared with normal-weight RA patients, according to a study published online April 18 in Arthritis Care & Research.
'No family history' not a good reason for women 40-49 to stop yearly screening mammograms
More than half the women aged 40-49 diagnosed with breast cancer on screening mammography report no family history, a new study shows.
Simple assault and ground level fall do not require cervical spine CT
Cervical spine CT examinations are unnecessary for emergency department (ED) patients who are a victim of "simple assault" or who have a "ground-level fall", unless the patient has a condition that predisposes the patient to spine fracture, a new study finds.
Digital breast tomosynthesis cuts recall rates by 40 percent
Adding digital breast tomosynthesis to 2D mammography screening results in a 40% reduction in patient recall rates compared to routine screening mammography alone, a new study shows.
Surgical excision unnecessary in some patients with benign papillomas
Imaging surveillance is an acceptable alternative to surgical excision in patients with benign papilloma, diagnosed at breast core biopsy without cell abnormalities, a new study shows.
Automated breast ultrasound dramatically reduces physician interpretation time
Automated breast ultrasound takes an average three minutes of physician time, allowing for quick and more complete breast cancer screening of asymptomatic women with dense breast tissue, a new study shows.
US spends far more for health care than 12 industrialized nations, but quality varies
The United States spends more on health care than 12 other industrialized countries yet does not provide "notably superior" care, according to a new study from The Commonwealth Fund. The U.S. spent nearly $8,000 per person in 2009 on health care services, while other countries in the study spent between one-third (Japan and New Zealand) and two-thirds (Norway and Switzerland) as much. While the U.S. performs well on breast and colorectal cancer survival rates, it has among the highest rates of potentially preventable deaths from asthma and amputations due to diabetes, and rates that are no better than average for in-hospital deaths from heart attack and stroke.
Breast cancer patients with positive ultrasound guided axillary node biopsy need dissection
Contrary to a trend in treatment, breast cancer patients with suspicious lymph nodes should have an ultrasound-guided axillary node biopsy, and if that biopsy is positive these patients should undergo an axillary dissection, a new study shows.
Study finds HIV/AIDS funding does not undermine health care services for other diseases
While the battle against HIV/AIDS attracts more donor funding globally than all other diseases combined, it has not diverted attention from fighting unrelated afflictions -- such as malaria, measles and malnutrition -- and may be improving health services overall in targeted countries, according to a study on Rwanda published today in the May 2012 edition of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Weight-loss surgery provides benefit to high-risk, severely obese patients
Among surgeries for obesity, a newer, increasingly popular procedure called sleeve gastrectomy provides more weight loss to high-risk, severely obese patients than adjustable gastric banding, a new study suggests.
Reduction in mental health discrimination
Findings from a new study led by King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) show improvements in behaviour towards people with mental health problems in England, during the first year of the national anti-stigma programme, Time to Change.
Implants: A better fit through mathematics
Individuals with implants may soon be able to feel the benefit of basic scientific knowledge in their own bodies. This is one of the findings of a translational research project conducted by the Austrian Science Fund FWF. The project demonstrated how 3D models and special mathematical methods could be used to improve the design and integration of implants in the body on a patient-specific basis. Data was gathered from computer and magnetic resonance tomography and used to generate 3D models specifically for shoulder joints and their replacements. The data was analysed in a procedure known as the finite element method, and possible individual optimisations were calculated. The project exemplifies the acute benefit of research findings from the Translational Research Programme, which ended at the close of the first quarter of 2012.
Light dynamics for cancer treatment
Research is delving into refinement of a revolutionary cancer treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT). Using light, reactive oxygen and photosensitisers linked to specially designed antibodies, scientists are on the threshold of a highly specific cancer therapy.
Girl with deformed face learns to navigate world
(AP) -- What if you knew, even before your child was born, that she wouldn't look like everyone else?
New guidelines deliver concise messages for implementing cardiovascular prevention
The latest cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention guidelines have been overhauled to produce a user friendly document with concise messages that awards greater weight than ever before to evidence from clinical trials and observational population studies. The "European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (version 2012)" were launched at the EuroPRevent2012 meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
Identifying patients who benefit most from immune suppressant
A new analysis may help doctors identify breast cancer patients who will benefit from treatment with the immune suppressant drug everolimus, say French researchers at the 4th IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference in Brussels, Belgium.
Researchers unveil new assessment for diagnosing malnutrition
A new systematic assessment of malnutrition, created by researchers at Penn State, will aid dietitians and other health care providers in diagnosis and treatment.
New data improve understanding of breast cancer's multiple varieties
New findings presented at Europe's leading breast cancer translational research conference this year shed new light on the many biological differences between individual breast cancers.
A study proves the positive effects of heart rehabilitation programs on patients
A research conducted at the University of Granada has demonstrated the efficiency of a heart rehabilitation program aimed at patients suffering from heart disease. The authors of this study affirm that it is essential that heart rehabilitation programs aimed at cardiac patients are established. In Spain, a low percentage of cardiac patients participate in this type of programs, as compared to the rest of Europe.
Living in the countryside
How do changed living conditions in rural regions affect people's health and lifestyles? This is the question that Thomas Elkeles and colleagues from the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences investigate, using rural communities in north-eastern Germany as their study populations. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, the authors present the results of their Landesgesundheitsstudie (LGS, Rural Health Study) (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109(16): 285-92).
The American College of Rheumatology issues guidelines for management of lupus nephritis
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has issued newly created guidelines for the screening, treatment, and management of lupus nephritis—a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) where the disease attacks the kidneys. Previously, only general guidelines for SLE existed for clinicians. The guidelines, available today in Arthritis Care & Research, are specific to lupus nephritis and include methods for identifying renal disease, newer therapies, and treatment of pregnant SLE patients with kidney involvement.
Study says screening accounts for much of black/white disparity in colorectal cancer
A new study finds differences in screening account for more than 40 percent of the disparity in colorectal cancer incidence and nearly 20 percent of colorectal cancer mortality between blacks and whites. Differences in stage-specific survival, which likely reflect differences in treatment account for additional 35% of the black-white disparity in colorectal cancer mortality rates. The study, appearing early online in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, concludes that equal access to care could substantially reduce the racial disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) rates.
Clinical trial targets acute respiratory distress syndrome with cholesterol drug
Queen's University and NUI Galway and are leading a clinical trial to investigate the possibility that statins, a drug commonly used to combat cholesterol, might help patients with acute severe respiratory failure.
Trial seeks improved lung-cancer screening by combining imaging and biomarkers
National Jewish Health is seeking to refine and improve lung-cancer screening by combining a blood test with CT imaging to detect disease earlier and more effectively. The trial combines a CT chest scan and the EarlyCDT-Lung blood test to screen for cancer, and seeks to build on recent research demonstrating that CT screening alone can reduce lung-cancer mortality.
Staging and risk stratification of thyroid cancer improved with SPECT/CT
The use of single positron emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) has been reported to change clinical management in a significant number of thyroid cancer patients according to research presented in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Information obtained from these scans not only helps determine the need for radioiodine therapy or alterative options, but also impacts the long-term follow-up strategy.
Perioperative interruptions lead to miscommunication
(HealthDay) -- The number of miscommunications that occur during surgery is inversely associated with the length of time a team has worked together, and positively associated with the number of interruptions during surgery, according to a study published in the May issue of the AORN Journal.
Recent improvement in 3D ECHO accuracy for LV mass
(HealthDay) -- In the past decade there has been an improvement in the accuracy of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) for measurement of left ventricular (LV) mass, according to a meta-analysis published online April 30 in The American Journal of Cardiology.
Migraines more likely for people with celiac disease, study says
(HealthDay) -- Migraine headaches are more likely to plague people with celiac disease than those without it, according to new research.
Blacks and Hispanics at higher risk for precancerous colorectal polyps
Blacks and Hispanics have a significantly higher risk of developing precancerous colorectal polyps compared with whites, according to a study by researchers at NewYork – Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The findings appeared in the online edition of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
CDC links eye infections to troubled Fla. pharmacy
(AP) -- Federal health officials confirmed 33 cases of a rare fungal eye infection across seven states on Thursday, stemming from products mixed in a Florida pharmacy that also mixed supplements that killed 21 elite polo horses in 2009.
First blind patients in the UK has retina implant
Retina Implant AG, the developer of subretinal implants for patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), announced that the first UK patients participating in the Company's multi-centre trial have been successfully implanted. The UK trial is set to include 12 patients in total and is being led in London by Mr. Tim Jackson, a consultant retinal surgeon at King's College Hospital and Senior Clinical Lecturer at King's College London, and in Oxford by Professor Robert MacLaren, professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford and a consultant retinal surgeon at the Oxford Eye Hospital.
New study of NIH funding allocations suggests potential efficiency gains
Researchers suggest that application of Nobel-prize-winning portfolio theory could provide objective funding allocations that would improve risk/reward trade-off in years of life lost.
Alzheimer's drug fails to reduce significant agitation
A drug prescribed for Alzheimer's disease does not ease clinically significant agitation in patients, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the U.K., U.S. and Norway. This is the first randomized controlled trial designed to assess the effectiveness of the drug (generic name memantine) for significant agitation in Alzheimer's patients.
Aspirin and warfarin equally effective for most heart failure patients
Neither aspirin nor warfarin is superior for preventing a combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to a landmark clinical trial published in today's New England Journal of Medicine.
Invasive bladder testing before incontinence surgery may be unnecessary
Invasive and costly tests commonly performed on women before surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may not be necessary, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine and the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network. The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is published online May 2 by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Study finds emotion reversed in left-handers' brains
The way we use our hands may determine how emotions are organized in our brains, according to a recent study published in PLoS ONE by psychologists Geoffrey Brookshire and Daniel Casasanto of The New School for Social Research in New York.
Post-term children have higher behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood
We already know there are long-term health problems associated with pre-term birth, but what about babies born post-term? New research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has found that post-term birth, defined as a birth after a pregnancy of 42 weeks, is associated with more behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood, especially Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) problems.
Biosynthetic grape-derived compound prevents progression of Alzheimer's disease in mice
Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have succeeded in developing a biosynthetic polyphenol that improves cognitive function in mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings, published in a recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, provide insight in determining the feasibility of biosynthetic polyphenols as a possible therapy for AD in humans, a progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no cure.
Some women may be genetically predisposed to smoking-related hot flashes
Women who smoke and carry specific variations in the genes that impact their metabolism are at higher risk of developing hot flashes in comparison with smokers who do not carry these gene variants, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).
Hormone may help predict tubal ectopic pregnancy
Tubal ectopic pregnancy (TEP) is currently the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths during the first trimester and a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) shows that the hormone adrenomedullin (ADM) may help predict this condition.
New study finds dengue fever costing nearly $40 million in US territory of Puerto Rico
As public health experts warn that the spread of dengue fever could prove more costly globally and cause more sickness than even malaria, a new report published today in the May issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene finds each year dengue is inflicting a US$ 37.8 million burden on Puerto Rico and that every $1 invested in traditional surveillance and prevention could save $5 in costs of illness.
Pioneering study shows prenatal choline may 'program' healthier babies
Pregnant women may have added incentive to bulk up on broccoli and eggs now that a Cornell University study has found increased maternal intake of the nutrient choline could decrease their children's chances of developing hypertension and diabetes later in life.
Scientists around the world peer into Chicago microscope at same time
A scientist in Austria or elsewhere in the world can now peer into a Chicago collaborator’s microscope in real time while an experiment is being conducted at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Skin no barrier for cardiac charger
Heart-failure patients may someday get a life-saving charge from technology developed by students at Rice University.
Anti-smoking drug decreases alcohol consumption in heavy-drinking smokers
The smoking cessation drug varenicline significantly reduced alcohol consumption in a group of heavy-drinking smokers, in a study carried out by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Researchers to speed up recovery times
Elite athletes and recreational exercisers alike could soon be enjoying quicker recovery times thanks to research into exercise-induced fatigue.
New treatment for malaria tertiana
“Malaria tertiana is the form of malaria that science needs to focus on in more detail in future.” These are the words of Harald Noedl from the Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, spoken as part of World Malaria Day on Wednesday, 25th April. In a multi-centre study, the MedUni Vienna team, led by Harald Noedl, is working on an improved and more straightforward treatment of this form of malaria.
Childhood emotional maltreatment causes troubled romantic relationships
People who experience Childhood Emotional Maltreatment (CEM) are more likely to have troubled romantic relationships in adult years, according to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers.
Researchers use mathematics to fight cancer
Using mathematical models, researchers in the Integrated Mathematical Oncology (IMO) program at Moffitt Cancer Center are focusing their research on the interaction between the tumor and its microenvironment and the "selective forces" in that microenvironment that play a role in the growth and evolution of cancer.
Wash. mayors get started on weight-loss campaigns
(AP) -- Sean Guard watched other people exercising from the window of his car or his office in City Hall, as the pounds piled on slowly, a little bit at a time. The Washougal mayor left his city's bike trails and foot paths to those more inclined to exercise while he made short work of chicken-fried steaks.
Research group discovers genetic mutations that cause intestinal obstruction
A research group from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Soroka University Medical Center led by Prof. Ohad Birk has discovered genetic mutations that lead to intestinal blockages in newborns from two Bedouin tribes in Israel.
'Rank' of suffering may stop people seeking help for depression and anxiety
People's judgements about whether they are depressed depend on how they believe their own suffering "ranks" in relation to the suffering of friends and family and the wider world, according to a new study.
Researchers describe new functions of cohesin relevant for human disease
Cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex involved in the spatial organization of the genome and in mitotic chromosome structure. Vertebrate somatic cells have two versions of cohesin that contain either SA1 or SA2, but their functional specificity has been largely ignored. Researchers of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) under the direction of Ana Losada have identified new functions of cohesin SA1 that are relevant for two human diseases, cancer and Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS). These results are published in two papers that appear this week back-to-back in EMBO Journal.
Researchers discover that JAM-A protein keeps blood clots in check
those disc-shaped cells circulating in your blood -- rush to the scene, clumping together to plug the leak.
Regular jogging shows dramatic increase in life expectancy
Undertaking regular jogging increases the life expectancy of men by 6.2 years and women by 5.6 years, reveals the latest data from the Copenhagen City Heart study presented at the EuroPRevent2012 meeting. Reviewing the evidence of whether jogging is healthy or hazardous, Peter Schnohr told delegates that the study's most recent analysis (unpublished) shows that between one and two-and-a-half hours of jogging per week at a "slow or average" pace delivers optimum benefits for longevity. The EuroPRevent2012 meeting, held 3 May to 5 May 2012, in Dublin, Ireland, was organised by the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
A fish a day keeps the doctor away?
Most people, whether healthy or having cardiovascular disease (CVD), would benefit from regular consumption of oily fish, concluded speakers at the EuroPRevent 2012 meeting. While eating whole fish undoubtedly offers the optimum approach for increasing omega-3 intakes in both primary and secondary prevention, delegates heard, supplements have a major role to play in increasing omega-3 intakes for people who do not like fish. The EuroPRevent 2012 meeting, held 3 May to 5 May 2012 in Dublin, Ireland, was organised by the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Immune-response genes affecting breast tumor eradication
Breast cancer patients whose tumors express high levels of genes related to immune response are more likely to have their tumor completely eradicated by pre-operative chemotherapy compared to patients with low expression of these genes, Belgian researchers report at the 4th IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference in Brussels, Belgium.
Researchers show prebiotic can reduce severity of colitis
Researchers at Michigan State University have shown a prebiotic may help the body's own natural killer cells fight bacterial infection and reduce inflammation, greatly decreasing the risk of colon cancer.
Measuring progesterone receptor expression to improve hormone-receptor-positive cancer management
American and Spanish researchers have found potential ways for doctors to improve the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer even if they lack access to costly multi-gene tests, as they report at the 4th IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference.
Presence of fetal cells in women lowers risk of breast cancer but raises risk of colon cancer
For the first time, scientists have found what could be a causative link between the concentration of circulating Y-chromosome fetal cells in women who gave birth to children of either sex and their risk of later developing breast cancer and colon cancer. The findings show that the presence of fetal cells is a double-edged sword: Women with the lowest concentration of fetal cells were 70 percent less likely to have breast cancer, while women with the highest concentration of fetal cells had a four-fold increased risk for colon cancer when compared with healthy controls.
Jealousy and envy at work are different in men and women
A study carried out by researchers from Spain, the Netherlands and Argentina suggests that in a work environment, sexual competition affects women more than men. However, a rival's social skills provoke jealousy and professional envy equally in both sexes.
Double duty: Versatile immune cells play dual roles in human skin
A new study helps to resolve an ongoing controversy about whether Langerhans cells (LCs) in human skin function to suppress the immune response and promote tolerance to normal human skin and its "friendly" microbial flora or mobilize a lethal attack against harmful foreign invaders. The research, published online May 3rd in the journal Immunity by Cell Press, reveals that, depending on the situation, these versatile immune cells can perform either function.
Extra gene drove instant leap in human brain evolution
A partial, duplicate copy of a gene appears to be responsible for the critical features of the human brain that distinguish us from our closest primate kin. The momentous gene duplication event occurred about two or three million years ago, at a critical transition in the evolution of the human lineage, according to a pair of studies published early online in the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, on May 3rd.
Study shows how mitochondrial genes are passed from mother to child
Research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University helps answer some long-standing questions about how certain disease-causing gene mutations are inherited.
Are you a healthy grocery shopper?
Shop the perimeter and avoid center isles, don't buy anything at eye level, investigate the label. Grocery shopping can be a daunting task. Moreover, studies have shown that Americans obtain most of their food from grocery stores and their shopping habits are predictive of their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and sugared soft drinks. Many grocery stores are taking an active role in helping consumers make healthful food choices. You may have even seen your grocery store use a nutritional score placed right on the shelf's price label for a food item. The question asked in a study published in the May/June 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior is "who knows how to use these grocery store shelf signs?"
Study identifies possible protective blood factors against Type 2 diabetes
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in collaboration with Nurses' Health Study investigators have shown that levels of certain related proteins found in blood are associated with a greatly reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes up to a decade or more later. The findings, published today in the online edition of Diabetes, could open a new front in the war against diabetes.
Study discovers genetic pathway impacting the spread of cancer cells
In a new study from Lawson Health Research Institute, Dr. Joseph Torchia has identified a new genetic pathway influencing the spread of cancer cells. The discovery of this mechanism could lead to new avenues for treatment.
Aged hematopoietic stem cells rejuvenated to be functionally younger
Researchers have rejuvenated aged hematopoietic stem cells to be functionally younger, offering intriguing clues into how medicine might one day fend off some of the ailments of old age.
Researchers pinpoint genetic pathway of rare facial malformation in children
Researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute and their collaborators have discovered a pair of defective genes that cause a rare congenital malformation syndrome that can make it impossible for the child to breathe or eat properly without reparative surgery. In a study led by Michael L. Cunningham, MD, PhD, medical director of the Seattle Children's Hospital's Craniofacial Center, a research team pinpointed two genes known as PLCB4 and GNAI3 in a genetic pathway that affects children with auriculocondylar syndrome (ACS). ACS is a rare disorder in which a child's bottom jaw develops as an upper jaw and, in some cases, incorrectly fuses to the base of the skull.
Researchers discover first gene linked to missing spleen in newborns
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and Rockefeller University have identified the first gene to be linked to a rare condition in which babies are born without a spleen, putting those children at risk of dying from infections they cannot defend themselves against. The gene, Nkx2.5, was shown to regulate genesis of the spleen during early development in mice.
More US teens postponing sex: study
More US teenagers are postponing sex than in 1995, and hormonal contraceptive use is up among those who are sexually active, said US health authorities on Thursday.
Endotoxemia influenced by diet type
(HealthDay) -- A Western-style diet is associated with increased levels of endotoxin activity (endotoxemia), and a prudent-style diet (containing moderately greater amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and vitamin E than the Western-style diet) is linked to reduced endotoxemia, according to a study published in the May issue of Gastroenterology.
Antipsychotics do help many with schizophrenia, study finds
(HealthDay) -- A new study finds that antipsychotic drugs can help many people with schizophrenia, cutting patients' risk of relapse by 60 percent.
Researchers challenge post-marketing trial practices
Current research ethics focuses on protecting study participants, but according to bioethicists from Carnegie Mellon University and McGill University, these efforts fail to prevent problems that undermine the social value of research.
Scientists invent dental fillings that kill bacteria and remineralize the tooth
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists using nanotechology at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry have created the first cavity-filling composite that kills harmful bacteria and regenerates tooth structure lost to bacterial decay.
Genes may explain why some people turn their noses up at meat
If you don't like the taste of pork, the reason may be that your genes cause you to smell the meat more intensely, according to a new study.
Pleasure eating triggers body's reward system and may stimulate overeating
When eating is motivated by pleasure, rather than hunger, endogenous rewarding chemical signals are activated which can lead to overeating, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The phenomenon ultimately affects body mass and may be a factor in the continuing rise of obesity.
Game on! Researchers use online crowd-sourcing to diagnose malaria
Online crowd-sourcing — in which a task is presented to the public, who respond, for free, with various solutions and suggestions — has been used to evaluate potential consumer products, develop software algorithms and solve vexing research-and-development challenges. But diagnosing infectious diseases?
Body clock genes unravelled
International travellers, shift workers and even people suffering from obesity-related conditions stand to benefit from a key discovery about the functioning of the body's internal clock.
Prototype bioreactor evaluates engineered tissue while creating it
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a prototype bioreactor—a device for culturing cells to create engineered tissues—that both stimulates and evaluates tissue as it grows, mimicking natural processes while eliminating the need to stop periodically to cut up samples for analysis. Tissue created this way might someday be used to replace, for example, damaged or diseased cartilage in the knee and hip.
Waking embryos before they are born
Under some conditions, the brains of embryonic chicks appear to be awake well before those chicks are ready to hatch out of their eggs. That's according to an imaging study published online on May 3 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, in which researchers woke chick embryos inside their eggs by playing loud, meaningful sounds to them. Playing meaningless sounds to the embryos wasn't enough to rouse their brains.
Rats recall past to make daily decisions
UCSF scientists have identified patterns of brain activity in the rat brain that play a role in the formation and recall of memories and decision-making. The discovery, which builds on the team's previous findings, offers a path for studying learning, decision-making and post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Solomon Islands 'blond' gene is found: study
Dark-skinned, blond-haired indigenous people on the Solomon Islands have a gene that is unique to the South Pacific nation and was not picked up from interbreeding with Europeans, scientists said Thursday.
Geisel researchers sift through 'junk' to find colorectal cancer clues
Two researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have helped to identify switches that can turn on or off genes associated with colorectal cancer. The finding offers clues about the development of colorectal cancer and could—potentially—provide targets for new therapies. Jason Moore, Third Century Professor of genetics and the director of the Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences, and Richard Cowper-Sal.lari, a graduate student in Moore's lab, were part of a team that included researchers from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. The team published its findings in Science Express, the online prepublication site for the journal Science, on April 12.
Biology news
Jockeying for genetic advantage
When you buy a racehorse, you pays your money and you takes your chances. Top yearlings at Keeneland's 2011 Thoroughbred auction, for instance, averaged nearly $350,000 and hadn't yet raced a step. Odds are that some of them never will. Now, thanks to a Binghamton University biologist, it's possible to boost the odds of getting a winner with a simple genetic test.
WWF Indonesia calls for probe into elephant death
Environmental organisation WWF called on the government Wednesday to investigate the death of a critically endangered Sumatran elephant allegedly poisoned at an Indonesian oil palm plantation.
Researchers find reducing fishmeal hinders growth of farmed fish
When it comes to the food used to raise fish in aquaculture "farms," it seems that you may get what you pay for. In a new study, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) looked at the health effects of raising farmed fish on a diet incorporating less than the usual amount of fishmeal—a key but expensive component of current commercial fish food products. They learned that reduced fishmeal diets may be cheaper, but the fish were less healthy.
PhD student grows bell pepper with a hint of chilli
Martijn Eggink is cultivating a new bell pepper variety with an exotic flavour. This is the basis for his PhD research at Wageningen UR, in which he will correlate the flavour of the bell pepper to sugars, acids and aroma substances produced by the plant. These flavour substances are different for each variety and location.
Gene expression reveals how potatoes are cultivated
Organically grown potatoes have a higher gene expression of starch production than conventional ones. This statement is put forward by RIKILT, part of Wageningen UR, researcher Jeroen van Dijk, who can tell organically grown potatoes from conventional ones by measuring the RNA in the plant cells. But he cannot say if organic potatoes are any healthier for this.
Insects master abstract concepts
An insect's brain is capable of constructing and handling abstract concepts. It can even use two different concepts simultaneously in order to make a decision when faced with a new situation.
Biophysics: Order in chaos
The process of skeletal muscle contraction is based around protein filaments sliding inside sarcomeres — the structural units of muscle fiber. Inside each sarcomere is a set of filament motors, which appear in different densities in different areas. Scientists previously thought that the motor force would change according to the filament load in the muscle, but recent studies have shown that the motor force actually maintains a constant level during the muscle contraction. Despite such breakthroughs, however, it remains unclear exactly how this constant force is maintained in an otherwise chaotic system.
A needle in a haystack: How does a broken DNA molecule get repaired?
Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology have discovered a key element in the mechanism of DNA repair. When the DNA double helix breaks, the broken end goes searching for the similar sequence and uses that as a template for repair.
The zombie-ant fungus is under attack, research reveals
A parasite that fights the zombie-ant fungus has yielded some of its secrets to an international research team led by David Hughes of Penn State University. The research reveals, for the first time, how an entire ant colony is able to survive infestations by the zombie-ant fungus, which invades an ant's brain and causes it to march to its death at a mass grave near the ant colony, where the fungus spores erupt out of the ant's head. "In a case where biology is stranger than fiction, the parasite of the zombie-ant fungus is itself a fungus -- a hyperparasitic fungus that specializes in attacking the parasite that turns the ants into zombies," Hughes said. The research will be published in the journal PLoS ONE.
Female cowbirds prefer less intense male courtship displays
In most species, females prefer the most intense courtship display males can muster, but a new study finds that female cowbirds actually prefer less intense displays. The full results are published May 2 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Bigger and brainier: did dingoes kill thylacines?
Direct attacks by introduced dingoes may have led to the extinction on the Australian mainland of the iconic marsupial predator, the thylacine, a new study suggests.
Male orangutans need quality forests
(Phys.org) -- Cardiff University researchers have discovered further proof that orangutans need large swaths of forests to survive.
Sharing landscapes with wildlife may be unrealistic
(Phys.org) -- Expecting wild animals to thrive in increasingly fragmented habitats alongside a growing human population may be unrealistic, say scientists.
Scientists discover way to detect low-level exposure to seafood toxin in marine animals
(Phys.org) -- NOAA scientists and their colleagues have discovered a biological marker in the blood of laboratory zebrafish and marine mammals that shows when they have been repeatedly exposed to low levels of domoic acid, which is potentially toxic at high levels.
Bacteria discovery could lead to antibiotics alternatives
Scientists have discovered an Achilles heel within our cells that bacteria are able to exploit to cause and spread infection.
Earth history and evolution
In classical mythology, the cypress tree is associated with death, the underworld and eternity. Indeed, the family to which cypresses belong, is an ancient lineage of conifers, and a new study of their evolution affords a unique insight into a turbulent era in the Earth's history.
Battle of the sexes offers evolutionary insights
In a paper published May 3, in the journal Evolution, University of Cincinnati graduate student Karl Grieshop and Michal Polak, associate professor of biological sciences at UC, examine the role of genital spines in the reproductive success of a species of fruit fly. Their investigation identifies the specific type of advantage these spines bestow in the competition to reproduce.
Stem cells poised to self-destruct for the good of the embryo
Embryonic stem cells — those revered cells that give rise to every cell type in the body — just got another badge of honor. If they suffer damage that makes them a threat to the developing embryo, they swiftly fall on their swords for the greater good, according to a study published online May 3, 2012 in the journal Molecular Cell.
Insect glands may illuminate human fertilization process
Insect glands are responsible for producing a host of secretions that allow bees to sting and ants to lay down trails to and from their nests. New research from Carnegie scientists focuses on secretions from glands in the reproductive tract that help sperm survive and guide the sperm on the trip to fertilize an egg. The gene that controls the development of these glands in fruit flies provides important information about gland development in all insects, as well as potential clues to similar human reproductive glands. Their work is published this month in Current Biology.
Better housing conditions for zebrafish could improve research results
Changing the conditions that zebrafish are kept in could have an impact on their behaviour in animal studies and the reliability of results, according to scientists from Queen Mary, University of London.
Study reveals dynamic changes in gene regulation in human stem cells
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California (UC) San Diego has discovered a new type of dynamic change in human stem cells.
Plant diversity is key to maintaining productive vegetation
Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, a new University of Minnesota study shows. The unprecedented long-term study of plant biodiversity found that each species plays a role in maintaining a productive ecosystem, especially when a long time horizon is considered. The study found that every additional species in a plot contributed to a gradual increase in both soil fertility and biomass production over a 14-year period.
Biologists turn back the clock to understand evolution of sex differences
Sex differences account for some of the most of the spectacular traits in nature: the wild colours of male guppies, the plumage of peacocks, tusks on walruses and antlers on moose. Sexual conflict – the battle between males and females over mating – is thought to be a particularly potent force in driving the evolution traits that differ in males and females.
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