Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 28, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Branching out: A mathematical law of dendritic connectivity- Communication scheme makes popular applications 'gracefully mobile'
- Study on fungi helps explain coal formation and may advance future biofuels production
- Saturn moon Titan may harbor ocean below surface (Update)
- Maya archaeologists unearth new 2012 monument
- Researchers synthesize printable, electrically conductive gel
- Study resets date of earliest animal life by 30 million years
- Understanding what's up with the Higgs boson
- Researchers develop paintable battery: Technique could turn any surface into lithium-ion battery (w/ Video)
- Discovery may lead to new tomato varieties with vintage flavor and quality
- Gene discovery helps explain how flu can cause severe infections
- Has the speediest pulsar been found?
- Scientists discover that Milky Way was struck some 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell
- Google releases Chrome browser for iPhone, iPad
- Earth's oldest known impact crater found in Greenland
Space & Earth news
Americans favor Obama to defend against space aliens: poll
Nearly two in three Americans think President Barack Obama is better suited than Republican rival Mitt Romney to deal with an alien invasion, according to a survey released Wednesday.
NASA cancels climate study project in Thailand
(AP) — The United States says it won't be able to carry out a climate study this year because Thailand has postponed granting NASA permission to use a key naval air base.
Urgent need for climate change adaptation in Lake Eyre region
(Phys.org) -- The first stage of University of Adelaide research released today shows that South Australia's Arabunna country, which includes Lake Eyre in the far north, is likely to get both drier and hotter in decades to come.
Students building satellite to help NASA learn more about solar flares
Solar flares are nothing to be ignored. They can be signs of the formation of gigantic solar storms that could propel powerful electromagnetic bursts of charged particles from the Sun to collide with our planet’s magnetic field.
Adventures in microgravity: Students experiment in simulated space-flight conditions
Six Arizona State University students spent a week in June conducting airborne research in low gravity under the guidance of scientists and engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
3Qs: Hot, hot heat
A record-breaking heat wave hit the East Coast last week, followed by a spate of rain and thunderstorms. Northeastern University news office asked Auroop Ganguly, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering whose expertise lies in understanding climate change and extreme weather, to explain the relationship between heat waves and global warming.
Image: Atlantis replica gets processed
(Phys.org) -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians sitting on the Hyster forklift monitor the progress as technicians in the aft portion of space shuttle Atlantis connect replica shuttle main engine RSME number 2.
UC Berkeley chemists installing first carbon dioxide sensor network in Oakland
The City of Oakland will be ground zero for the first urban sensor network to provide real-time, neighborhood-by-neighborhood measurements of carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming – and other air pollutants.
Scientists warn Brazil's environmental leadership at risk
Scientists convening at the largest-ever meeting of tropical biologists congratulated Brazil for its global leadership on environment and science, but warned that recent developments could jeopardize that position, undermining progress on reducing deforestation, protecting indigenous lands, and safeguarding ecosystems outside the Amazon rainforest.
Tropical Depression Dokuri weaker, but still potent
Tropical Storm Dokuri weakened into a tropical depression today, but NASA infrared satellite imagery is still showing some areas of strong convection and thunderstorms in the storm and they're being pushed away from the center.
Race against time: When a minute lasts 61 seconds
Horologists around the world on Saturday will carry out one of the weirdest operations of their profession: they will hold back time.
China spacecraft set to return to Earth Friday
A Chinese spacecraft with three astronauts aboard will return to Earth Friday after a nearly two-week mission that included the country's first manual docking in orbit, state media said.
Mars Odyssey Orbiter is back in service
(Phys.org) -- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has resumed its science observations and its role as a Mars rover's relay, thanks to a spare part that had been waiting 11 years to be put to use.
Getting a feel for the terrain
A team is developing a rover-based computer system that can identify geologically relevant elements in a camera scene.
NASA observes the Waldo Canyon Fire, Colorado
NASA satellites continue to provide coverage of the smoke and heat signatures generated from wildfires raging in the western United States. The Waldo Canyon Fire is threatening populated areas, and is located near Colorado Springs, Colo.
Debby now exiting Florida's east coast, disorganized on satellite imagery
Debby has tracked across Florida from the Gulf coast to the Atlantic coast, and the interaction with land has taken its toll on the storm's organization. In GOES-13 satellite imagery today, June 27, the bulk of clouds and showers associated with Debby are now over the Atlantic Ocean and Debby's circulation center is seen exiting the state and moving into the Atlantic Ocean.
A "DisasterCam" for the ISS
Of all the hundreds of spacecraft and satellites in Earth orbit, few can match the International Space Station for its view of the big blue marble below. Scientists would like to put that spectacular view to good use – by having the ISS photograph disasters, both natural and manmade, in progress on the Earth below.
Saving the Baltic Sea: Geoengineering efforts to mix oxygen into the Deep Baltic should be abandoned
Over the last decade, an average of 60,000 km2 of the Baltic Sea bottom has suffered from hypoxia without enough oxygen to support its normal ecosystem. Several large-scale geo-engineering interventions are currently on the table as proposed solutions to this problem. Researchers from Lund University are calling for geo-engineering efforts that mix oxygen into the Deep Baltic to be abandoned.
8000-year quake record improves understanding of Alpine Fault
(Phys.org) -- A geological study of the southern section of the New Zealand's Alpine Fault spanning the past 8000 years has given scientists an improved understanding of the behaviour of this major plate boundary fault.
TRMM Satellite measures Debby's drenching Florida rains
NASA's TRMM satellite provided data that allowed scientists to calculate Tropical Storm Debby's rainfall totals across Florida. The highest rainfall totals from June 20-27 topped 380 mm (~15 inches) in a wide patch of central Florida from around Titusville on the east coast.
Accreting black holes in galaxies
(Phys.org) -- Seyfert galaxies are like normal galaxies, our own Milky Way included, except in one critical respect: their nuclei are fantastically bright. In some instances they are as luminous as 100 billion Suns, though even the weakest Seyfert nuclei are as luminous as a million Suns. Scientists believe that these huge energies are being generated by a massive black hole in the nucleus, not an ensemble of stars. Matter, as it falls in towards the vicinity of the black hole, heats up and glows intensely. Astronomers think our Milky Way also has a massive black hole at its center, but (for reasons that are not yet entirely understood) our galactic center is not particularly bright.
Searching for oxygen in space
(Phys.org) -- Searches for interstellar molecular oxygen, O2,have a long history, and the motivation for these searches has evolved. Prior to the late 1990’s, efforts to detect O2 were driven by a desire to confirm its predicted role as a major reservoir of elemental oxygen within dense molecular clouds and as the most important gas coolant of typical clouds after carbon monoxide (CO). But O2 was never found. The SAO-led Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) in 1998 and the Odin satellite in 2001 both failed to detect O2 toward a large number of sources at levels of a few percent of the abundances predicted by equilibrium gas-phase chemical models. Something in the chemical models was wrong, but what?
Exhumed rocks reveal Mars water ran deep
(Phys.org) -- By studying rocks blasted out of impact craters, ESA’s Mars Express has found evidence that underground water persisted at depth for prolonged periods during the first billion years of the Red Planet’s existence.
Asteroid hunters want to launch private telescope (Update)
(AP) — Who will protect us from a killer asteroid? A team of ex-NASA astronauts and scientists thinks it's up to them.
Rising CO2 levels likely to change vegetation locally more so than globally: study
(Phys.org) -- In all the talk about global warming as a result of human created CO2 emissions, it seems other impacts of higher levels of carbon dioxide on the environment tend to get overlooked. One of those impacts, argue German researchers Steven Higgins and Simon Scheiter, who have been building models showing what impact such levels might have on vegetation, is a likely shift away from deserts and grasslands to more woody areas and forests. The two have written a paper describing their findings which has been published in the journal Nature.
Dramatic changes spotted in HD 189733b exoplanet atmosphere
(Phys.org) -- Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have seen dramatic changes in the upper atmosphere of a faraway planet. Just after a violent flare on its parent star bathed it in intense X-ray radiation, the planet's atmosphere gave off a powerful burst of evaporation. The observations give a tantalizing glimpse of the changing climates and weather on planets outside our solar system.
Scientists discover that Milky Way was struck some 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell
(Phys.org) -- Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is a large spiral galaxy surrounded by dozens of smaller satellite galaxies. Scientists have long theorized that occasionally these satellites will pass through the disk of the Milky Way, perturbing both the satellite and the disk. A team of astronomers from Canada and the United States have discovered what may well be the smoking gun of such an encounter, one that occurred close to our position in the galaxy and relatively recently, at least in the cosmological sense.
Earth's oldest known impact crater found in Greenland
A 100 kilometre-wide crater has been found in Greenland, the result of a massive asteroid or comet impact a billion years before any other known collision on Earth.
Has the speediest pulsar been found?
(Phys.org) -- NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton in space, and the Parkes radio telescope in Australia -- may have found the fastest moving pulsar ever seen.
Saturn moon Titan may harbor ocean below surface (Update)
(Phys.org) -- Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed Saturn's moon Titan likely harbors a layer of liquid water under its ice shell.
Technology news
Software identifies censored China microblog posts
Hong Kong researchers have developed software able to identify censored posts on China's main microblog, they said Thursday.
Facebook slides as underwriters give mixed ratings
(AP) — The Wall Street analysts who know Facebook best are giving the company's stock a mixed review. Think: like, not love.
NYTimes starts Chinese site; microblogs go offline
(AP) — The New York Times started a Chinese-language website Thursday that generated so much interest in China two of its microblog accounts drew thousands of followers and then were apparently taken offline for several hours.
New apps redefine poetry
Poetry has been following the rules for centuries. From the strict structure of the haiku to the rhythmic rhyme of the ballad, verse can be daunting to both professional poets and amateur auteurs. But poems are also media for the masses and one Concordia researcher is using mass media to put them back in the hands of the people.
Tracking the wave of success for Team GB's swimmers
Training sessions for Team GB's swimmers have been getting a helping hand from a new system incorporating cutting-edge movement tracking and sensor technologies.
French police, tax authorities search Microsoft offices
French authorities conducted a search of the offices of Microsoft's French division near Paris on Thursday, a police source said without specifying the motives for the raid.
France pulls plug on Internet forerunner Minitel
Three decades after it launched, the Minitel -- a made in France forerunner to the Internet that at its height was installed in nine million homes -- will shut down for good on Saturday.
UTC exported software used in Chinese helicopter
(AP) — A division of United Technologies Corp. pleaded guilty on Thursday to crimes related to the illegal export of software that U.S. officials say was used by China to develop the country's first modern military attack helicopter.
How consumer-electronics makers are faring
A look at how selected makers of phones and other consumer-electronic gadgets are faring.
New Zealand court rules Megaupload raid was illegal
New Zealand police acted illegally when armed officers raided Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom's Auckland mansion earlier this year, a High Court judge ruled on Thursday.
Thermal scout finds trouble at solar plants
(Phys.org) -- At a 20-megawatt concentrating solar power (CSP) plant, some 10,000 mirrors reflect sunlight onto 10,000 receiver tubes, each of which must operate efficiently to get the maximum impact from the sun.
Fears, hopes grow for Sony under new president
(AP) — The record 9,000 shareholders that packed Sony's annual meeting was no cause for celebration. After four years of losses and a halving of the share price, some angry investors doubt even a new CEO can pull the entertainment and electronics giant out of its slump.
RIM posts big Q1 loss, to cut 5,000 jobs (Update)
(AP) — Struggling BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. revealed Thursday that its business is crumbling faster than thought.
AOL launches $400 mn share buyback
AOL on Thursday launched a $400 million stock buyback in the latest move aimed at improving shareholder value at the Internet and media group.
A look at RIM's much-delayed BlackBerry 10
On Thursday, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. announced yet another delay to its upcoming BlackBerry 10 system, which the company considers crucial to its future. It's now expected in the first quarter of next year, rather than late this year.
Looking for the elevator? There's an app for that
(Phys.org) -- GPS has been a tremendously successful technology for positioning users in outdoor environments. But attaining GPS-like accuracy indoors has eluded telecommunication researchers for years.
Google releases Chrome browser for iPhone, iPad
Google's Chrome browser can now be used to surf the Web on the iPhone and iPad.
Ford explores call turnoffs for stressed-out drivers
(Phys.org) -- No calls for you. That is the word from a new technology experiment by Ford, for stressed-out drivers who risk accidents by distractions from incoming calls, playing music, and other vehicle infotainment sources. Having to maneuver the vehicle in heavy traffic places demands on focused safe driving. Risks are compounded by distractions when coping with tricky ramp-merging scenarios or blind-spot monitoring or coping with other vehicles that are frequently changing lanes, for example. Ford this week performed a demo of its “Driver Workload Estimator” that will limit phone and text distractions when deciding that the driver’s stress levels call for safety intervention.
Communication scheme makes popular applications 'gracefully mobile'
The Secure Shell, or SSH, is a popular program that lets computer users log onto remote machines. Software developers use it for large collaborative projects, students use it to work from university servers, customers of commercial cloud-computing services use it access their accounts, and system administrators use it to manage computers on their networks.
Researchers develop paintable battery: Technique could turn any surface into lithium-ion battery (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) -- Researchers at Rice University have developed a lithium-ion battery that can be painted on virtually any surface.
Medicine & Health news
Top US court to announce fate of Obama health plan
(AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court was expected to decide the fate Thursday morning of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, a ruling that could touch the lives of virtually every American and mark a pivotal point in the U.S. presidential election.
Spain cuts subsidies for more than 450 medicines
Spain's cash-strapped government is eliminating state subsidies for more than 450 medicines, ranging from cough remedies to the pain-killer codeine.
Study looks at links between smoking and prostate cancer screening
(Medical Xpress) -- Smokers are more likely to develop prostate cancer but only half as likely to get themselves tested for the condition, a study has shown.
Australians work too hard: expert
(Medical Xpress) -- Overwork is significantly impacting the mental health and wellbeing of Australians, a Flinders University labour studies expert warns.
IU expert: Current HIV testing approach 'not doing the job'
Beth Meyerson, co-chair of the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at Indiana University, said expanding HIV testing is critical.
No cure in sight for US health care costs
"Every time I see what I pay for me and my family's health it makes me sick," says Fiona, a 46-year-old mother of two who -- unlike some 50 million Americans -- actually has health insurance.
Giant raft of data to help us understand disease
Scientists at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research at the University of Copenhagen have used a new method to assemble a massive catalogue of data on proteins. This gives them unprecedented insight into a process called protein phosphorylation. The research was recently published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
Scientists proved that 'blindsight' is used in everyday life scenes
The visual information from eyes is sent into the brain unconsciously even if you are not aware. One of examples of unconscious seeing is a phenomenon of "blindsight" [Subjects have no awareness, but their brains can see ] in subjects with visual impairment, caused by the damage of a part of the brain called the visual cortex. Although it is already reported that the patients with damage in the visual cortex, who were not aware of seeing, can walk and avoid obstacles, it was not proved whether this was really blindsight. In this new study, the international collaborative research team including Assistant Professor Masatoshi Yoshiday and Professor Tadashi Isa from The National Institute for Physiological Sciences, The National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan and Professor Laurent Itti from the University of Southern California demonstrated that blindsight in monkeys is available not only under the specific conditions of the laboratory, but also in everyday environment! s. This research result will appear in Current Biology as an electronic version on June 28, 2012.
European court urged not to accredit Down's syndrome tests
Groups supporting people with Down's syndrome on Thursday called on the European Court of Human Rights not to recognise the right to tests that would detect the condition before birth.
College athlete deaths in workouts spur new guidelines
(HealthDay) -- The sudden death of a growing number of college athletes during conditioning sessions has prompted a task force, led by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), to issue new safety recommendations for these workouts.
Under right conditions, fertility treatment can equal natural conception rates: study
(HealthDay) -- With enough cycles and the right egg and age of a woman, the chances of in vitro fertilization resulting in a baby approaches that of natural conception, a large new study finds.
Study shows treating diabetes early, intensively is best strategy
Intensive early treatment of type 2 diabetes slows down progression of the disease by preserving the body's insulin-producing capacity, a UT Southwestern study has shown.
Patient care by residents is as good as by fully qualified doctors
Medical residents are an essential part of the hospital workforce. Although still in training the take on much of the day to day care of patients. A systematic review published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that patient by properly supervised residents care is safe and of equal quality to that of fully trained doctors.
Unemployed Americans face greater risk of mortality: study
Employment policy is also health policy according to a University of British Columbia study that found that workers experienced higher mortality rates if they didn't have access to social protections like employment insurance and unemployment benefits.
Ringer's acetate better for patients with severe sepsis
(HealthDay) -- Fluid resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 for patients with severe sepsis leads to an increased risk of death at day 90 and an increased likelihood of requiring renal-replacement therapy, compared with Ringer's acetate, according to a study published online June 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Early surgery ups outcomes in infective endocarditis
(HealthDay) -- For patients with infective endocarditis and large vegetations, early surgery reduces death from any cause and embolic events, compared with conventional treatment, according to a study published in the June 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
ART live-birth rates can approach natural fecundity
(HealthDay) -- During assisted reproductive technology, increasing maternal age and number of cycles is linked to lower live-birth rates with the use of autologous oocytes, but not donor oocytes, according to a study published in the June 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Study tests new therapy for treatment-resistant hypertension
(Medical Xpress) -- Treatment-resistant hypertension affects nearly 6 million Americans and another 94 million people worldwide and is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, including stroke and heart attack, as well as heart failure and kidney disease. To help provide patients an effective alternative for effective disease management, the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute is participating in a clinical trial to test renal denervation, a new, minimally invasive catheter-based procedure for treatment-resistant hypertension.
Debilitating eyesight problems are on the decline for older Americans
(Medical Xpress) -- Today’s senior citizens are reporting fewer visual impairment problems than their counterparts from a generation ago, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. Improved techniques for cataract surgery and a reduction in the prevalence of macular degeneration may be the driving forces behind this change, the researchers said.
Epilepsy drugs increase risk of fractures and falls
(Medical Xpress) -- New research has shed light on the high risk of fractures, falls, and osteoporosis among epilepsy patients using antiepileptic drugs with most patients unaware of the risks associated with taking the drugs.
Life span of ovarian grafts longer than expected
Transplanting previously frozen ovarian tissue back into female cancer survivors can lead to long-term hormonal function and preservation of fertility, according to a new study by Samuel Kim from the University of Kansas Medical Center in the US. His work, which shows that hormonal function was restored in five women 12-20 weeks after transplantation, and in one case lasted for more than seven years, appears online in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.
New device will advance cancer treatment
(Medical Xpress) -- The future of prostate cancer therapy may lie in a tiny, "sticky" silicon chip dubbed GEDI (Geometrically Enhanced Differential Immunocapture, pronounced like the "Star Wars" forces of good) that can identify and collect cancer cells from a patient's bloodstream.
New information about the causes of 'floppy baby' syndrome discovered
(Medical Xpress) -- New information on the potential cause of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), known as “floppy baby syndrome”, has been discovered by cell biology experts at the University of St Andrews.
Going gluten-free: Is the diet a good fit for everyone?
(Medical Xpress) -- One of the latest trends in the food market and among celebrities is going gluten-free. Snack giant Frito-Lay has announced it will introduce new gluten-free labels and products, and Miley Cyrus has credited her recent weight loss to a gluten-free diet.
Junk-food diets spur inflammation more than saturated fats alone
(Medical Xpress) -- A diet based on American junk food could lead to more obesity-induced inflammation than a diet high in animal fat, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mayo Clinic uses new approach to reverse multiple sclerosis in mice models
Mayo Clinic researchers have successfully used smaller, folded DNA molecules to stimulate regeneration and repair of nerve coatings in mice that mimic multiple sclerosis (MS). They say the finding, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, suggests new possible therapies for MS patients.
Concerns over cost of dengue vaccine lessened with new study
Research funded by the Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI) involving an economic analysis of producing a tetravalent dengue vaccine shows that the cost could be as low as $0.20 per dose with an annual production level of 60 million doses packaged in ten-dose vials. The study used data on a vaccine developed by US NIH and the facilities of the Instituto Butantan in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
New animal model for rheumatoid arthritis
Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have created the first animal model that spontaneously develops rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is predisposed towards atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
Parasite infection has sting in the tail
(Medical Xpress) -- Infections from certain parasites can compromise the immune system, leaving it less able to fight other diseases.
Taking the fate of stem cells in hand: Researchers generate immature nerve cells
German biologists have deliberately transformed stem cells from the spinal cord of mice into immature nerve cells. This was achieved by changing the cellular environment, known as the extracellular matrix, using the substance sodium chlorate. Via sugar side chains, the extracellular matrix determines which cell type a stem cell can generate.
Study calls for drug trial patients to receive more information about effects of placebos
Research carried out at the University of Southampton has concluded that participants in drug trials should be better informed about the potential significant benefits and possible side-effects of placebos.
US High court upholds key part of Obama health law
(AP) — The US Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the individual insurance requirement at the heart of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
Study suggests Tasers don't cause cardiac complications
Taser shots to the chest are no more dangerous than those delivered to other body locations, according to a new study by one of the country's leading experts on the devices.
Flu immunity is affected by how many viruses actually cause the infection
Not only does the type of flu virus affect a patient's outcome, but a new research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that the number of viruses involved in the initial infection may be important too. Scientists from Canada found that when mice were infected by relatively high concentrations of the flu virus, they not only developed immunity against the virus that infected them, but this also promoted the generation of a type of immune cell in the lungs poised to rapidly react against infections with other strains of the flu, as well. Mice that were infected with a relatively low concentration of the virus developed weaker immunity against the strain that infected them, did not build up this crucial population of immune cells in the lungs, and showed only delayed immunity toward other flu strains. This discovery could pave the way for new prophylactic strategies to fight flu infections and provides a novel basis for vaccine design.
Study finds genes associated with hippocampal atrophy
In a genome-wide association (GWA) study, researchers from Boston University Schools of Medicine (BUSM) and Public Health (BUSPH) have identified several genes which influence degeneration of the hippocampus, the part of the brain most associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). The study, which currently appears online as a Rapid Communication in the Annals of Neurology, demonstrates the efficacy of endophenotypes for broadening the understanding of the genetic basis of and pathways leading to AD.
Health interventions for clergy must counteract need to put others first
Clergy's practice of putting others first can be detrimental to their own health, say researchers at Duke University.
Researchers discover potential explanation for why a diet high in DHA improves memory
We've all heard that eating fish is good for our brains and memory. But what is it about DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, that makes our memory sharper?
Study offers new insights into the effects of stress on pregnancy
Expectant mothers who dealt with the strain of a hurricane or major tropical storm passing nearby during their pregnancy had children who were at elevated risk for abnormal health conditions at birth, according to a study led by a Princeton University researcher that offers new insights into the effects of stress on pregnancy.
'Recruitment by genotype' for genetic research poses ethical challenges, study finds
(Garrison, NY) A potentially powerful strategy for studying the significance of human genetic variants is to recruit people identified by previous genetic research as having particular variants. But that strategy poses ethical challenges to informed consent, as well as potential risks to the people recruited, and it is unlikely that there is a "one-size-fits-all" solution, concludes an article in IRB: Ethics & Human Research.
Lymph node roundabout: Researchers probe origin of optimized antibodies against infections
An organism's ability to make new antibodies and use them to optimize its own immune defenses is of central importance in the fight against pathogens. In the case of severe infections, the overall relative speed with which an immune response proceeds could mean the difference between life and death. An international team of scientists, among them systems immunologist Prof. Michael Meyer-Hermann of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) of Braunschweig, Germany, has now found that asymmetric division of antibody-producing B cells speeds up the body's immune defenses. Early on, one daughter cell starts making antibodies while the other works at refining its own antibodies. The researchers' findings are due to be published in the upcoming issue of the scientific journal, Cell Reports.
Research finds cognitive-behavioral therapy effective in combatting anxiety disorders
Whether it is a phobia like a fear of flying, public speaking or spiders, or a diagnosis such as obsessive compulsive disorder, new research finds patients suffering from anxiety disorders showed the most improvement when treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with a "transdiagnostic" approach – a model that allows therapists to apply one set of principles across anxiety disorders.
Both innate and adaptive immune responses are critical to the control of influenza
Both innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in controlling influenza virus infection, according to a study, published in the Open Access journal PLoS Computational Biology, by researchers from Oakland University, Michigan, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA.
Linagliptin noninferior to glimepiride in type 2 diabetes
(HealthDay) -- A new drug for type 2 diabetes causes significantly less weight gain and may carry lower risks for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), heart attack and stroke than standard medications, a new study indicates.
Probing the roots of depression by tracking serotonin regulation at a new level
In a process akin to belling an infinitesimal cat, scientists have managed to tag a protein that regulates the neurotransmitter serotonin with tiny fluorescent beads, allowing them to track the movements of single molecules for the first time.
TB treatment paradox: Mouse studies show body's own response helps TB bacteria survive
Inhibiting a key immune response in mice during initial multi-drug treatment for tuberculosis could — paradoxically — shorten treatment time for the highly contagious lung infection according to new research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the Center for TB Research.
Scientists correct Huntington's disease mutation in induced pluripotent stem cells
Johns Hopkins researchers, working with an international consortium, say they have generated stem cells from skin cells from a person with a severe, early-onset form of Huntington's disease (HD), and turned them into neurons that degenerate just like those affected by the fatal inherited disorder.
Gene discovery helps explain how flu can cause severe infections
Scientists have discovered a new gene in the influenza virus that helps the virus control the body's response to infection.
With mind-reading speller, free-for-all conversations that are silent and still
Researchers have come up with a device that may enable people who are completely unable to speak or move at all to nevertheless manage unscripted back-and-forth conversation. The key to such silent and still communication is the first real-time, brain-scanning speller, according to the report published online on June 28 in Current Biology.
Branching out: A mathematical law of dendritic connectivity
(Medical Xpress) -- That the brain is evolution at its finest is perhaps best demonstrated by the beauty, complexity and diversity of dendrites – tree-like structures that form neural circuits by connecting a neuron to its synaptic inputs. Recently, neuroscientists studying the tree-like branching of these diverse structures at Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, and the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, at University College London, have derived a surprisingly simple and general equation that directly relates dendrite length with the number of branch points, dendrite spanning volume, and number of synapses. More specifically, they’ve shown that optimal dendritic wiring successfully predicts a 2/3 power law between these three factors. (A power law is a mathematical relationship between two quantities – found throughout the natural world – in which one quantity varies as a power of the other, often identifying simple r! ules underlying complex structures.) Their theory is both consistent with data gleaned from many types of neurons from a wide range of species yet specific to dendritic trees, leading them to conclude that their findings suggest that there are distinct design principles for dendritic arbors compared with vascular, bronchial, and botanical trees.
Biology news
Picking the pig with the perfect pins
Move over Elle Macpherson – the search is now on for the pig with the best legs as part of a new research project to improve the health and welfare of pigs on farms across the UK.
Improved selection of seed potatoes gives thirty percent more spuds
Farmers in East Africa can increase potato yields by 30 percent by improving their selection of seed potatoes. Wageningen University PhD student Peter Gildemacher says that a substantial reduction in disease pressure is possible if they only use seed potatoes from healthy parent plants.
Funky gibbons championed on Indonesian radio
With Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Katy Perry on heavy rotation, there seems at first little to distinguish Indonesia's Radio Kalaweit from any other pop station.
Extinction threat due to habitat loss may be greater than believed
(Phys.org) -- As human encroachment continues to shrink the habitable area for other animal species, a new study suggests that associated extinctions may be more severe than previously thought.
Pollutants could pose health risks for five sea turtle species
(Phys.org) -- Researchers at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) and four partner organizations have measured for the first time concentrations of 13 perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in five different endangered species of sea turtles. While PFC toxicology studies have not yet been conducted on turtles, the levels of the compounds seen in all five species approach the amounts known to cause adverse health effects in other animals.
Sensitive test helps improve vaccine safety
Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) is the causative agent of typhoid fever, a serious health threat resulting in some 22 million new cases yearly and approximately 217,000 fatalities. A number of novel vaccine candidates using live attenuated strains of Salmonella are being developed, but care must be taken to ensure the bacteria are not excreted into the environment following vaccination.
Searching for the origin of muscles
Ulrich Technau from the University of Vienna has addressed the origin of musculature. His analysis reveals for the first time that some central components of muscles of higher animals are much older than previously assumed. These results, now published in the renowned journal Nature, indicate that muscle-like cell contraction originated already very early during animal evolution, while the specialization of basal muscle cell types, such as striated muscles, occurred only later and several times independently.
Looking for the next American hyrax?
If popular karaoke bars and the long audition lines for American Idol demonstrate anything, it's that people like to express themselves through song — and the bigger the audience, the better. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found the same trait in small, rodent-like mammals called hyraxes, indigenous to Africa and the Middle East.
Spanish researchers recover part of the genome of two hunter-gatherer individuals from 7,000 years ago
A team of scientists, led by researcher Carles Lalueza-Fox from CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), has recovered - for the first time in history - part of the genome of two individuals living in the Mesolithic Period, 7000 years ago. Remains have been found at La Braña-Arintero site, located at Valdelugueros (León), Spain. The study results, published in the Current Biology magazine, indicate that current Iberian populations don't come from these groups genetically.
Screening horticultural imports: New models assess plant risk through better analysis
Weedy plants, many introduced to the U.S. for sale through plant nurseries, are responsible for extensive environmental damage and economic costs. Although legislation restricts the introduction of certain species, the procedures used to select species for inclusion on the restricted list are haphazard and out of date.
Scientists discover cell surface 'docking stations' play important function in membrane protein trafficking
(Phys.org) -- Ion channel proteins – teeny batteries in cells that are the basis for all thought and muscle contraction, among other things – also serve as important docking stations for other proteins that need help figuring out where to go, according to groundbreaking new research by a team of Colorado State University scientists.
Study: Hawkmoths use humidity to sense nectar
(Phys.org) -- People assume that a flower's scent, color and shape attract insects to settle on a flower to sip nectar and, thereby, pollinate the plant. But new research shows that a more relevant sensory apparatus may help some insects hunt for a flower's sweet juice: hygroreceptors that sense humidity.
Interacting mutations promote diversity
Genetic diversity arises through the interplay of mutation, selection and genetic drift. In most scientific models, mutants have a fitness value which remains constant throughout. Based on this value, they compete with other types in the population and either die out or become established. However, evolutionary game theory considers constant fitness values to be a special case. It holds that the fitness of a mutation also depends on the frequency of the mutation.
A new source of maize hybrid vigor
Steve Moose, an associate professor of maize functional genomics at the University of Illinois and his graduate student Wes Barber think they may have discovered a new source of heterosis, or hybrid vigor, in maize. They have been looking at small RNAs (sRNAs), a class of double-stranded RNA molecules that are 20 to 25 nucleotides in length.
Study provides first evidence of coevolution between invasive, native species
Invasive species such as kudzu, privet and garlic mustard can devastate ecosystems, and, until now, scientists had little reason to believe that native plants could mount a successful defense.
Discovery may lead to new tomato varieties with vintage flavor and quality
A new discovery could make more tomatoes taste like heirlooms, reports an international research team headed by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist.
Programmable DNA scissors found for bacterial immune system
(Phys.org) -- Genetic engineers and genomics researchers should welcome the news from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) where an international team of scientists has discovered a new and possibly more effective means of editing genomes. This discovery holds potentially big implications for advanced biofuels and therapeutic drugs, as genetically modified microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are expected to play a key role in the green chemistry production of these and other valuable chemical products.
Adoption of advanced techniques could propel crop improvement
(Phys.org) -- Scientists could take greater strides toward crop improvement if there were wider adoption of advanced techniques used to understand the mechanisms that allow plants to adapt to their environments, current and former Purdue University researchers say.
Study on fungi helps explain coal formation and may advance future biofuels production
A new study--which includes the first large-scale comparison of fungi that cause rot decay--suggests that the evolution of a type of fungi known as white rot may have brought an end to a 60-million-year-long period of coal deposition known as the Carboniferous period. Coal deposits that accumulated during the Carboniferous, which ended about 300 million years ago, have historically fueled about 50 percent of U.S. electric power generation.
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