Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 3, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Water desalination system works up to several times faster than others- Apple tablet patent reveals Smart Cover's Second Coming
- Elephants sing low the same way humans do
- 'Spray-on skin' could revolutionize treatment of venous leg ulcers
- Exposing valence-bond model inadequacies
- Towards 'unbreakable' message exchange
- People with allergies may have lower risk of brain tumors
- Predatory beetles eavesdrop on ants' chemical conversations to find best egg-laying sites
- Supernova progenitor found?
- Study finds cannibalism helps some spiders produce more offspring
- Glowing fingerprints: Researchers make latent fingerprints visible with help from electrochemiluminescence
- Aurka-to-p53 signaling: A link between stem cell regulation and cancer
- Birds that live with varying weather sing more versatile songs: study
- Researchers track nanoparticle dynamics in three dimensions
- Physicist explains why quantum mechanics says a black hole should be able to let some things out
Space & Earth news
5 things you may not know about the planet Mars
Mars is set to get its latest visitor Sunday night when NASA's new robotic rover, named Curiosity, attempts to land there. Mars has been a prime target for space exploration for decades, in part because its climate 3.5 billion years ago is believed to have been warm and wet, like early Earth.
Warming and melting on top of the Greenland ice sheet
On top of the approximately 3 km thick ice sheet in Greenland the temperature is normally around minus 10-15 degrees C in the summer and about minus 60 degrees in the winter. This year, researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute observed temperatures above zero and a significant warming and melting of the upper 1 1/2 meter layer of snow at the NEEM ice core drilling project in northwestern Greenland.
Ariane rocket with two telecom satellites lifts off
An Ariane 5 rocket carrying two telecommunication satellites launched from the Kourou space centre in French Guiana on Thursday, an Internet broadcast by European operator Arianespace showed.
MSL, EDL, huh? Guide to NASA's Mars mission lingo
Fascinated by NASA's latest Mars mission and planning to tune in? Well, good luck understanding the space agency's everyday lingo, which resembles a sort of Martian alphabet soup.
Taking a robotic geologist to Mars
(Phys.org) -- As Mars rover Curiosity makes its final approach to the Red Planet, two UA geoscientists are getting ready to help solve some of the mysteries of its geologic past.
Mars: The fractured features of Ladon basin
(Phys.org) -- ESA's Mars Express has observed the southern part of a partially buried approx. 440-km wide crater, informally named Ladon basin.
Research update: SPHERES to get powerful magnets and goggles
Robots may be the handymen of future space missions, according to researchers at MIT. Instead of sending astronauts out to examine and repair broken satellites and spacecraft, robots may be dispatched as intelligent fix-it swarms, communicating with each other as they circle and inspect a target.
Ancient coral reefs at risk from deforestation and land use practices
(Phys.org) -- A team of international scientists, including a researcher from The University of Western Australia, has found that soil erosion, land degradation and climate change pose a mounting threat to coastal reefs and their ecosystems in the western Indian Ocean.The study examined sediment and freshwater discharge over recent decades in two catchments in Madagascar's Antongil Bay and the island nation's Great Barrier Reef of Tulear, and the climatic processes that drive them.
Curiosity's first daredevil stunt
(Phys.org) -- When Curiosity enters the Martian atmosphere on August 6th, setting in motion "the seven minutes of terror" that people around the world have anticipated since launch a year ago, the intrepid rover will actually be performing the mission's second daredevil stunt.
Dust dominates foreign aerosol imports to North America
(Phys.org) -- NASA and university scientists have made the first measurement-based estimate of the amount and composition of tiny airborne particles that arrive in the air over North America each year. With a 3-D view of the atmosphere now possible from satellites, the scientists calculated that dust, not pollution, is the main ingredient of these imports.
Carbon-eaters on the Black sea
(Phys.org) -- This brilliant cyan pattern scattered across the surface of the Black Sea is a bloom of microscopic phytoplankton. The multitude of single-celled algae in this image are most likely coccolithophores, one of Earth’s champions of carbon pumping. Coccolithophores constantly remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slowly send it down to the seafloor, an action that helps to stabilize the Earth's climate.
Subaru telescope reveals 3D structure of supernovae
A research group led by Dr. Masaomi Tanaka (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Dr. Koji Kawabata (Hiroshima University), Dr. Takashi Hattori (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), and Dr. Keiichi Maeda (University of Tokyo, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe) used the Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph (FOCAS) on the Subaru Telescope to conduct observations that revealed a clumpy 3D structure of supernovae (Figure 1). This finding supports a clumpy 3D scenario of supernovae explosions rather than the widely accepted bipolar explosion scenario. It advances our understanding of how supernovae explode, a process that has been a persistent mystery.
Stars in the making: Research may sharpen view of developing universe
For decades, scientists have sought to develop newer and more powerful ways to peer into the far reaches of the cosmos and into the early days of the universe, both with optical telescopes and powerful radio telescopes.
HiRISE camera to attempt imaging Curiosity's descent to Mars
The HiRISE camera crew on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will attempt an audacious repeat performance of the image above, where the team was able to capture an amazing shot of the Phoenix lander descending on a parachute to land on Mars’ north polar region. Only this time it will try to focus on the Mars Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover descending to touch down in Gale Crater. It will be all or nothing for the HiRISE team, as they get only one shot at taking what would likely be one of the most memorable images of the entire mission for MRO.
Take a virtual visit to Kennedy Space Center via Google maps
From experience, I can attest to what an amazing experience it is to be at Kennedy Space Center, home of where NASA launches many of its spacecraft. But if you can’t get there in person, you can now take a virtual trip – and see many views the public can’t normally see – thanks to a new partnership between KSC and Google Maps Street View. Using the interactive 360-degree views from the Street View, you can take a walk through the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building or stand at the top of Launch Pad 39A.
NASA picks 3 private firms to develop space taxis
(AP) — NASA has picked three aerospace companies to build small rocketships to take astronauts to the International Space Station.
Ancient records shed light on Italian earthquakes (Aquila area)
When a damaging earthquake struck the area of L'Aquila in central Italy in 2009, it was the latest in the region's long history of strong and persistent quakes. The rich recorded history of settlement in the area, along with oral traditions, archaeological excavations, inscriptions and medieval texts, and offer insight into how often the region might expect destructive earthquakes. But according to a new study by Emanuela Guidoboni and colleagues, the historical record on ancient and medieval earthquakes comes with its own shortcomings that must be addressed before the seismic history of L'Aquila can be useful in assessing the current seismic hazard in this area.
NASA confident ahead of nail-biter Mars landing
NASA said Thursday all was well ahead of its nail-biting mission to Mars, with its most advanced robotic rover poised to hunt for clues about past life and water on Earth's nearest planetary neighbor.
Curiosity's search for organics
Soon the rover Curiosity will land on Mars. By design it won't involve life-detection, but it was assembled to look for the carbon-based building blocks of Martian life and to explore the possible habitats where life might once have existed.
Physicist explains why quantum mechanics says a black hole should be able to let some things out
(Phys.org) -- The journal Science is running a series of Reviews and Perspectives on the current state of knowledge and theories regarding black holes, written by leaders in the field. Some discuss what is believed to happen if two black holes collide, others describe what happens as binary stars are sucked up by black holes and whether intermediate size black holes really exist as new evidence is indicating. Yet another by doctoral fellow Rubens Reis, discusses a lucky break that allowed scientists to listen to the “cry” of the last bits of some matter just before being consumed by another black hole. But generating the most interest perhaps, is an article by Edward Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, a theoretical physicist, who argues that one of the most basic beliefs about black holes, namely, that nothing can ever escape it’s gravitational pull, is wrong, but only sort of.
Supernova progenitor found?
(Phys.org) -- Type Ia supernovae are violent stellar explosions. Observations of their brightness are used to determine distances in the universe and have shown scientists that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. But there is still too little known about the specifics of the processes by which these supernovae form. New research led by Carnegie's Stella Kafka identifies a star, prior to explosion, which will possibly become a type Ia supernova. The work will be published by the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available online.
Technology news
Amadeus quarterly profit soars 30 percent
Spain's Amadeus, the world's biggest processor of travel bookings, on Friday announced second-quarter net profits of 164.6 million euros ($200.9 million), up 30.3 percent on the same period last year.
Minimally invasive building renovation
Renovation projects to improve the energy performance of residential buildings involve a lot of messy construction work. Researchers have come up with a new modernization concept that reduces on-site installation times. Prefabricated multifunctional window modules offer a more convenient alternative to the usual renovation methods.
Internet research to level the playing field
Short delays on the Internet can have serious consequences for share-traders or players of online computer games. Norwegian ICT researchers intend to do something about it.
Computer scientist seeks to improve portability of mobile device applications
Mobile computing devices will probably overtake the personal computer as the most common means for accessing the Internet worldwide sometime in 2013 and it may not be a seamless transition, according to Eli Tilevich, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech.
Oracle agrees to $306 mn settlement in SAP case
US business software giant Oracle said Thursday it agreed to accept a $306 million settlement from German rival SAP to shortcut the appeals process in a suit over massive copyright infringement.
Wind farms: A danger to ultra-light aircraft?
Airfields for ultra-light aircraft are typically constructed on level ground – and so are wind farms. However, do wind power plantsgenerate turbulence that could endanger lightweight planes? A simulation can compute how these power plants influence aircraft at various wind speeds and wind directions.
Lasers on planes to prevent fatal crashes
(Phys.org) -- A low-cost laser sensor that can quickly and accurately measure the velocity of commercial passenger aircrafts could complement existing sensors and help prevent fatal aeroplane crashes, say University of New South Wales engineers.
Using wastewater as fertilizer
Sewage sludge, wastewater and liquid manure are valuable sources of fertilizer for food production. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a chemical-free, eco-friendly process that enables the recovered salts to be converted directly into organic food for crop plants.
Radar renewal: Phased array technology could improve reliability, capabilities of air traffic control system
(Phys.org) -- Aircraft operating in U.S. airspace rely on several different types of ground-based radars to help them fly safely. Yet these radars, based on older technologies that use many mechanical components, require frequent repairs as well as costly periodic maintenance programs.
Smartphone maker HTC posts 58 percent profit drop
(AP) — Taiwan smartphone maker HTC Corp. reported Friday a 58 percent drop in second quarter profit year-on-year, its third consecutive quarterly decline as intensifying competition from Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. hurt sales.
Decline of entrepreneurship blamed for Japan woes
(AP) — Worn out and resigned to its dwindling status, Japan Inc. is said to be quietly shuffling off the world stage. But don't tell that to Kenji Hasegawa, who is ready to conquer the global auto market with his nifty innovation, a bolt that doesn't need a nut. Or Chiaki Hayashi, who makes millions teaching big-name companies to be creative again.
Vehicle fuel economy stays the same in July
(Phys.org) -- After a three-month drop, fuel economy of all new vehicles sold in the United States remained unchanged in July, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
California feeling fallout from Facebook's stock plunge
Facebook stock plunged to an all-time low of nearly half its IPO price Thursday, but it's not just investors feeling the pinch: The state of California stands to lose "hundreds of millions of dollars" in the fallout, state analysts say.
Google+ chief sides with developer, pounces on Facebook
In a not-very-subtle jab against Facebook, Google+ head Vic Gundotra says he's not opening up the social network's app development platform yet in part to avoid "screwing over developers."
Suit says Zynga copied 'Sims Social' game
US videogames giant Electronic Arts said Friday it had filed suit claiming Zynga's game "The Ville" illegally copied the life simulator "The Sims Social."
Is your news article tweetworthy? Algorithm can predict that
(Phys.org) -- Reporters, bloggers and other media trying to boost their Twitter presence can learn a few tips from an unexpected discipline: electrical engineering.
Judge scolds Samsung, lets patent trial proceed
The judge in a massive smartphone patent case reprimanded Samsung for releasing excluded evidence on Friday but rejected a bid by Apple to order a verdict in the case.
Apple tablet patent reveals Smart Cover's Second Coming
(Phys.org) -- A patent made public on Thursday shows Apple seeking a patent for something called “Cover attachment with flexible display.” The patent news is sending Apple watchers in one specific direction, all suggesting that the release of Smart Cover for the iPad may be in for a Second Coming that will send it far beyond providing an all in one screen protector and tablet stand. The patent suggests Apple intends to inject Smart Cover with more functionality.
Water desalination system works up to several times faster than others
(Phys.org) -- As the world population increases and fresh water sources become scarcer, many people will likely rely on technologies that convert salt water to fresh water to meet their most basic needs. Currently, the most common method of water desalination is reverse osmosis, a process that removes water molecules from salt water, leaving salt ions (sodium and chlorine) in the leftover brine. But an alternative method called capacitive desalination (CD), also known as capacitive deionization (CDI), has the potential to operate with greater energy efficiency, lower pressures, and no membrane components compared to reverse osmosis.
Medicine & Health news
Breast cancer charity under fire for overstating the benefits of screening
Professors Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the Center for Medicine and the Media at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice argue that last year's breast cancer awareness month campaign by Susan G Komen for the Cure "overstates the benefit of mammography and ignores harms altogether."
Ultrasound software spin-out to save NHS millions
A new spin-out from Oxford University will improve the quality and diagnostic power of the most widely used diagnostic imaging tool, ultrasound imaging.
UBC project examines the LGBT experience with breast and gynecological cancers
Researchers at the University of British Columbia are leading the first nationwide project on how sexual and gender minorities experience cancer, highlighting previously overlooked communities’ perspectives on cancer care.
Quick physical exam can reduce wait for a transplant by half a year
(Medical Xpress) -- A one-day coordinated evaluation can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to be put on a kidney transplant waitlist, according to a new study from Yale School of Medicine. The study appears in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Special nurse-pharmacist teams might dramatically reduce conflicts in patient medication lists
(Medical Xpress) -- A study of more than 500 patients admitted to, and discharged from, a big-city medical center suggests that nurse-pharmacist teams trained to track down discrepancies between lists of drugs patients are taking at home and those they are scheduled to take in the hospital might substantially reduce such potentially harmful conflicts.
Killer infections targeted by hospital study
A major international study led by University of Adelaide researchers aims to prevent death and serious illness caused by one of the most common infections contracted by patients in hospitals.
Keep your kids safe this summer: Beware of dogs
Children may be more comfortable with seeing dogs outside in the summer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the dogs are comfortable with them. Dog bites are a serious issue, especially in the summer. More than 130 children were treated in the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department for dog bite-related injuries in 2011.
WHO official: Ebola under control in Uganda
(AP) — Doctors were slow to respond to an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda because symptoms weren't always typical, but a World Health Organization official said Friday that authorities are halting the spread of the deadly disease.
Cardiac catheterizations cause small risk of stroke and other neurological complications
(Medical Xpress) -- When a patient undergoes a cardiac catheterization procedure such as a balloon angioplasty, there's a slight risk of a stroke or other neurological complications.
Urologist warns iced tea can contribute to painful kidney stones
(Medical Xpress) -- This is the peak season for drinking iced tea, but a Loyola University Medical Center urologist is warning the popular drink can contribute to painful kidney stones.
Researchers develop new approach to treat acute liver failure
Acute liver failure is a life-threatening disease, characterized by a sudden, massive death of liver cells. Unfortunately, few treatment options exist, especially for advanced-stage liver failure. As a last resort a liver transplant may be the only remaining option. Now the physician Dr. Junfeng An of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and Dr. Stefan Donath, a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology, also of the MDC and Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch, have developed a new treatment approach based on a mouse model. In their current study published in Hepatology, the liver failure was reversed and the mice recovered completely. The researchers hope to soon be able to test their new approach in clinical trials with patients.
1st case of cholera hits Congo refugee camp
(AP) — The first case of cholera has emerged among thousands of people in an impromptu refugee camp in eastern Congo who fled fighting between a new rebel group and government forces backed by U.N. peacekeepers, Doctors Without Borders reported on Friday.
3Qs: When painkillers kill
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently introduced a series of safety measures designed to reduce the risk of extended-release and long-acting opioid medications, the abuse of which led to nearly 16,000 deaths in 2008. Northeastern University news office asked drug policy expert Leo Beletsky, an assistant professor of law and health sciences at Northeastern University, to expound upon the threat posed by opioid analgesics, 22.9 million prescriptions of which were dispensed last year.
Dangerous experiment in fetal engineering
(Medical Xpress) -- A new paper just published in the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry uses extensive Freedom of Information Act findings to detail an extremely troubling off-label medical intervention employed in the U.S. on pregnant women to intentionally engineer the development of their fetuses for sex normalization purposes.
The morality of human subject research
(Medical Xpress) -- The federal government is in the process of revising the regulations that govern most human subject research in the United States.
Tackling knee pain
(Medical Xpress) -- Running backwards can provide important insights on forces in the knee joint which can help people struggling with knee pain, a University study has found.
China: Significant disparities in disease from unsafe water and sanitation, study shows
(Medical Xpress) -- While the global community has struggled to meet the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals regarding provision of safe water and sanitation, China is rightfully held up as a model, having dramatically expanded access to both over the past few decades.
Target for potent first-strike influenza drugs identified
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have reported details of how certain drugs can precisely target and inhibit an enzyme essential for the influenza virus’ replication. Since all strains of the virus require the same functioning enzyme, researchers believe their findings will yield drugs that can effectively treat new strains of the virus, which may be resistant to current antiviral treatments.
New hope for eyes damaged by Parkinson's disease
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists have discovered a new avenue for the treatment of vision loss, one of the complications of Parkinson's disease.
New obesity measure predicts early death better than BMI
(Medical Xpress) -- A new measure of obesity developed by a City College of New York researcher and a physician predicts early death better than BMI.
New drug shows promise for kidney disease
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have demonstrated in the laboratory that a new drug is effective in treating a very common kidney disease –– although it will be a few years before it becomes available for clinical testing. The findings resulted from a collaboration between UCSB and a biotech firm based in Indiana. The study is published in this week's Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Eating salmon while pregnant affects contents of mother's milk
(Medical Xpress) -- Mothers who eat more salmon before giving birth boost levels of a vital nutrient in their breast milk, but could lower levels of disease-fighting antibodies they pass on while feeding their baby, researchers have found.
Students with strong hearts and lungs may make better grades, study finds
Having a healthy heart and lungs may be one of the most important factors for middle school students to make good grades in math and reading, according to findings presented at the American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention.
Parents get physical with unruly kids, study finds
Parents get physical with their misbehaving children in public much more than they show in laboratory experiments and acknowledge in surveys, according to one of the first real-world studies of caregiver discipline.
Clinicians can unintentionally prompt nocebo effect
(HealthDay) -- The nocebo effect, or induction of a symptom perceived as negative by sham treatment and/or the suggestion of negative expectation, may arise from suggestions by doctors and nurses, according to a study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.
Some improvement in heart risk factors for Americans: CDC
(HealthDay) -- About 47 percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, according to a new report released Friday.
Options increasing for coping with kids' food allergies
(HealthDay) -- Kids with a serious food allergy generally have to steer clear of the offending food, but methods now under development could change that common scenario.
For Colorado family, it's allergies all around
(HealthDay) -- Emily Kloser wasn't too concerned when her son's doctor first told her he had signs that pointed to a future with allergies.
New statistical method provides way to analyze synchronized neural activity in animals
Researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have developed a new method of statistical analysis that can estimate the extent to which the activity of multiple neurons is group-wise synchronized.
Unsung heroes of antibody production
B cells are the body’s antibody factories, standing by to churn out molecules that selectively target foreign threats as a component of the humoral immune response. However, this process also requires T cells to secrete a protein known as interleukin-4 (IL-4), which promotes a mechanism called ‘class switching’ that enables production of functionally specialized antibody subtypes.
Unexpected variation in immune genes poses difficulties for transplantation
the genes that allow our immune system to tell the difference between our own cells and foreign invaders – are evolving much more rapidly than previously thought, according to an article online on August 3 in Trends in Genetics. The resulting degree of variation improves our ability to fight off disease, but could also present challenges to current worldwide efforts aimed at identifying potential donors for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.
Fragile X and Down syndromes share signalling pathway for intellectual disability
Intellectual disability due to Fragile X and Down syndromes involves similar molecular pathways report researchers in The EMBO Journal. The two disorders share disturbances in the molecular events that regulate the way nerve cells develop dendritic spines, the small extensions found on the surface of nerve cells that are crucial for communication in the brain.
Thigh muscle density linked to physical functioning in RA
(HealthDay) -- Thigh muscle density (TMD), as derived from computed tomography (CT), appears to be a strong indicator of physical functioning and disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Epicardial fat tissue thickness predicts coronary artery disease
(HealthDay) -- Asymptomatic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have significantly more epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) than those without CAD, with an average EAT thickness of 2.4 mm or higher predictive of significant CAD, according to a study published online in the August issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Allergies may plague renters more than homeowners
(HealthDay) -- People with common indoor allergies who rent their home are much less likely than homeowners to make changes that would ease their allergy symptoms, researchers have found.
Could compact fluorescent bulbs pose skin cancer risk?
(HealthDay) -- As the United States bakes under the summer sun, dermatologists often warn of cancer risks posed by ultraviolet (UV) sunlight. But research now points to a new and ubiquitous indoor source of these harmful rays: eco-friendly compact fluorescent light bulbs.
College students who use tanning beds often burn: study
(HealthDay) -- Sunburn is a common consequence of using indoor tanning beds, according to a new study.
Improvements in technology help manage asthma
Inhalers count puffs. Peak-flow meters are read digitally. Nebulizers have shrunk to half their old size.
Some drugs are going generic this year and next
Dozens of brand-name prescription drugs are losing their patent protection, allowing generic versions to enter the market and consumers to save 30 to 80 percent on those medications, said David Belian, director of media relations for the Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
Irony seen through the eye of MRI
In the cognitive sciences, the capacity to interpret the intentions of others is called “Theory of Mind” (ToM). This faculty is involved in the understanding of language, in particular by bridging the gap between the meaning of the words that make up a statement and the meaning of the statement as a whole. In recent years, researchers have identified the neural network dedicated to ToM, but no one had yet demonstrated that this set of neurons is specifically activated by the process of understanding of an utterance.
What you don't know can hurt you: Report addresses widespread gaps in health literacy, shows how to bridge them
Is it possible for a health care system to redesign its services to better educate patients to deal with their immediate health issues and also become more savvy consumers of medicine in the long run?
New generation of virtual humans helping to train psychologists
New technology has led to the creation of virtual humans who can interact with therapists via a computer screen and realistically mimic the symptoms of a patient with clinical psychological disorders, according to new research presented at the American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention.
Bilingualism 'can increase mental agility'
Bilingual children outperform children who speak only one language in problem-solving skills and creative thinking, according to research led at the University of Strathclyde.
Report: Mad cow in California was isolated case
(AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a California Holstein discovered in April with mad cow disease was an isolated case and posed no threat to the food supply.
'Spray-on skin' could revolutionize treatment of venous leg ulcers
The treatment, which consists of skin cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) suspended in a mixture of different types of proteins associated with blood clotting, was tested on a group of 228 patients suffering from venous leg ulcers, the most common type of leg ulcer. All patients who took part in the trial were also treated with compression bandages, the most common treatment currently available for leg ulcers.
New ways viruses affect human immune response discovered
(Medical Xpress) -- New ways that viruses manipulate the human immune response have been revealed in a research paper just published in Nature involving TCD scientists. Dr Orla Mulhern and Professor Andrew Bowie, School of Biochemistry and Immunology based in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute were part of the multi-disciplinary, multi-centre study comprising immunologists, virologists, biochemists and bioinformaticians from across Europe.
'Inattention blindness' due to brain load
(Medical Xpress) -- When we focus intently on one task, we often fail to see other things in plain sight - a phenomenon known as ‘inattention blindness’. Scientists already know that performing a task involving high information load - a ‘high load’ task - reduces our visual cortex response to incoming stimuli. Now researchers from UCL have examined the brain mechanisms behind this, further explaining why our brain becomes ‘blind’ under high load.
People with allergies may have lower risk of brain tumors
(Medical Xpress) -- New research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that there's a link between allergies and reduced risk of a serious type of cancer that starts in the brain. This study suggests the reduced risk is stronger among women than men, although men with certain allergy profiles also have a lower tumor risk.
Aurka-to-p53 signaling: A link between stem cell regulation and cancer
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the University of Manchester, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center have found a new role for an oncogenic signaling pathway in embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal and in reprogramming adult cells into an ESC-state, which will aid in the development of future cancer therapies.
Biology news
Invasive insects cause staggering impact on native tree
The beautiful, endemic and endangered cycad, Cycas micronesica was once a dominant forest tree on the island of Guam, but recent plant mortality predicts extirpation from Guam habitats by 2019. This dire prediction by scientists at the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center (WPTRC), University of Guam is validated by the research of Thomas E. Marler and John H. Lawrence, which has concluded that Cycas micronesica is the only native host for the invasive scale insect Aulacaspis yasumatsui. "The potential cascading ecosystem responses are yet to be completely understood," says WPTRC research scientist Marler.
Diarrhoea in lamb flocks linked to dams
A Murdoch University study has examined the frequency and on-farm risk factors for diarrhoea in meat lamb flocks.
Queen's researcher finds situation dire for threatened rhino species
Peter de Groot hopes his recent finding confirming the extinction of the Javan rhinoceros in Vietnam pushes the public to protect the last remaining group of these prehistoric creatures living in Indonesia.
World's oldest hippo dies at 62
Donna, believed to be the world's oldest hippo, has died at the age of 62 after living more than two decades beyond the massive mammal's usual life expectancy, zoo officials said.
Researchers build a toolbox for synthetic biology
For about a dozen years, synthetic biologists have been working on ways to design genetic circuits to perform novel functions such as manufacturing new drugs, producing fuel or even programming the suicide of cancer cells.
Bears, scavengers count on all-you-can-eat salmon buffet lasting for months
Salmon conservation shouldn't narrowly focus on managing flows in streams and rivers or on preserving only places that currently have strong salmon runs.
3D movie at 'ultraresolution' shows how cell's machinery bends membrane inwards
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells 'swallow' nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study, published today in Cell, is the first to follow changes in the shape of the cell's membrane and track proteins thought to influence those changes. It also provides ample data to investigate this essential process further.
NUS researchers identify a novel double-stranded DNA structure
By way of mechanical stretching, National University of Singapore researchers identify a novel double-stranded DNA structure, thus successfully resolving a 16-year-old scientific debate over the existence of a double-stranded DNA structure.
Quality-control mechanism found in bacteria
(Phys.org) -- Like quality-control managers in factories, bacteria possess built-in machinery that track the shape and quality of proteins trying to pass through their cytoplasmic membranes, Cornell biomolecular engineers have shown.
Bacterial community inside the plant root
(Phys.org) -- Soil is the most species-rich microbial ecosystem in the world. From this incredible diversity, plants specifically choose certain species, give them access to the root and so host a unique, carefully selected bacterial community from which they then benefit in a variety of ways. To achieve this, the plant's immune system must be able to tell which of these bacteria are friends and which foes. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen have now discovered that the model plant Arabidopsis preferentially takes up three bacterial phyla into its roots: Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. This community of microbes is dependent on soil type and plant genotype.
Predatory beetles eavesdrop on ants' chemical conversations to find best egg-laying sites
Predatory beetles can detect the unique alarm signal released by ants that are under attack by parasitic flies, and the beetles use those overheard conversations to guide their search for safe egg-laying sites on coffee bushes.
Study finds cannibalism helps some spiders produce more offspring
(Phys.org) -- Researchers have known for years that many female spiders kill their mates, either before or after mating and some even eat them, and while many theories have arisen as to why this occurs, this newest instance appears to be the most bizarre yet. A team of biologists from the University of Pittsburgh have found, as they describe in their paper published in the journal Animal Behavior, that females of one species of spider that eat males, tend to produce thicker egg cases out of which emerge more hatchlings, than those that don’t.
Birds that live with varying weather sing more versatile songs: study
A new study of North American songbirds reveals that birds that live with fluctuating weather are more flexible singers.
Elephants sing low the same way humans do
(Phys.org) -- Mammals produce sounds in two ways, either via the flow of air over vocal folds (vocal chords), as in humans and many other mammals, or via active muscular contractions as in the cat’s purr. Until now no one has been sure how elephants produce their lowest tones, but a new study has solved the mystery.
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