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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 20, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Into the breach: Transporting molecular cargo through algal cell walls- Patterning defect-free nanocrystal films with nanometer resolution
- Curiosity rover's laser instrument zaps first martian rock
- Lao skull earliest example of modern human fossil in Southeast Asia
- Psychologists link emotion to vividness of perception and creation of vivid memories
- Study unlocks link between sex and female brain
- Teaching a microbe to make fuel
- Genetically engineered algae for biofuel pose potential risks that should be studied: ecologist
- Why do the Caribbean Islands arc?
- Experiment would test cloud geoengineering as way to slow warming
- Neural interface for prosthesis can restore function in motor control brain areas
- Study details power of new chip to diagnose disease, analyze protein interactions
- Researchers elucidate cause of death of photoreceptor cells in retinitis pigmentosa
- New model shows dramatic global decline in ratio of workers to retired people
- NASA picks another Mars flight to explore its core
Space & Earth news
Houston Clean Air Network offering real-time online ozone report
The extreme Texas heat often keeps Houstonians from heading to the park or taking an afternoon jog. Sometimes, however, they're dissuaded from outdoor activities due to poor air quality.
CU-Boulder researchers gear up for NASA radiation belt space mission
The University of Colorado Boulder will play a key role in a NASA mission launching this week to study how space weather affects Earth's two giant radiation belts known to be hazardous to satellites, astronauts and electronics systems on Earth.
NASA watches as Tropical Storm Bolaven develops
Tropical Storm Bolaven was born over the weekend of August 18-19 in the western North Pacific, and NASA captured infrared satellite imagery of its birth and growth.
Malawi banks on history to cling to Lake Malawi
A long-dormant border dispute between Malawi and Tanzania has reignited as oil companies push their exploration work deeper into the continent, giving enormous value to regions once ignored.
Nasa Curiosity team pinpoints site for first drive
(Phys.org) -- The scientists and engineers of NASA's Curiosity rover mission have selected the first driving destination for their one-ton, six-wheeled mobile Mars laboratory. The target area, named Glenelg, is a natural intersection of three kinds of terrain. The choice was described by Curiosity Project Scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology during a media teleconference on Aug. 17.
Seeking the deadly roots of the dinosaurs' ascent
Over the past 450 million years, life on earth has undergone at least five great extinctions, when biological activity nosedived and dominant groups of creatures disappeared. The final one (so far) was 65 million years ago, when it appears that a giant meteorite brought fires, shock waves and tsunamis, then drastically altered the climate. That killed off the dinosaurs, setting the stage for mammals–and eventually us–to evolve. Many scientists are now starting to think we are on the edge of a sixth extinction—this one driven by human destruction of other species and their habitats, and our quickening releases of carbon dioxide into the air, which threatens to bring another round of rapid climate change.
Using evolution to understand pollution
Life evolved in a toxic world long before humans began polluting it, according to a University of Massachusetts environmental toxicologist, who added that understanding life’s evolutionary response to environmental poisons can help people to fight destructive effects.
Canada's 'dynamic duo' for Webb telescope
(Phys.org) -- A "Dynamic Duo" from Canada is the latest topic of the "Behind the Webb" series of videos, which goes behind the scenes to highlight technology in NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Emerging sunspot releases mid-level solar flare
(Phys.org) -- On August 17, the sun emitted a mid-level flare, peaking at 9:02 PM EDT. Solar flares are gigantic bursts of radiation that cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, however when strong enough they can disrupt GPS and communications signals.
NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes to launch, UNH components aboard
At 4:08 a.m. Thursday, August 23, NASA's twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes are scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on a two-year mission to investigate Earth's hazardous radiation belt environment as never before. On board both spacecraft will be a host of scientific hardware and software from teams at the University of New Hampshire's Space Science Center (SSC).
Nobel prize-winning scientist cites evidence of link between extreme weather, global warming
New scientific analysis strengthens the view that record-breaking summer heat, crop-withering drought and other extreme weather events in recent years do, indeed, result from human activity and global warming, Nobel Laureate Mario J. Molina, Ph.D., said here today.
What prevents stars from forming at faster rates?
Boston University undergraduate researcher Rob Marchwinski and his colleagues in BU’s Astronomy Department may have found the answer to a universal question: Why aren’t there more stars?
NASA satellites capture 3 days of Hurricane Gordon's Atlantic track
NASA's Terra and Aqua satellite have captured Hurricane Gordon over three days as it neared the Azores Islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Gordon weakened to a tropical storm on August 20.
Tidal motion found to influence Antarctic sub-glacial seismicity
(Phys.org) -- An American team of researchers has concluded that a period of rapid-succession small earthquakes in Antarctica over a several month span back in 2002-2003 was likely due to a glacier passing over some rough terrain and its periodic nature likely came about because of the impact of ocean tides. The team has published a paper describing their observations and conclusions in the journal Nature Geoscience.
New tactics needed to save oceans from CO2 emissions
(Phys.org) -- A University of Queensland scientist is involved in an international collaboration that has proposed a new strategy for marine conservation, which involves unconventional, proactive tactics, in a paper published in Nature Climate Change today.
Hubble sees a lonely galactic island
(Phys.org) -- In terms of intergalactic real estate, our solar system has a plum location as part of a big, spiral galaxy, the Milky Way. Numerous, less glamorous dwarf galaxies keep the Milky Way company. Many galaxies, however, are comparatively isolated, without close neighbors. One such example is the small galaxy known as DDO 190, snapped here in a new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. (“DDO" stands for the David Dunlap Observatory, now managed by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, where the catalog was created).
Bacteria in tap water can be traced to the water treatment process
(Phys.org) -- Most of the bacteria that remain in drinking water when it gets to the tap can be traced to filters used in the water treatment process, rather than to the aquifers or rivers where it originated, University of Michigan researchers discovered.
Astronauts go spacewalking to hang station shields (Update)
Spacewalking astronauts improved the safety of their orbiting home Monday by installing shields to protect against zooming pieces of junk.
Experiment would test cloud geoengineering as way to slow warming
Even though it sounds like science fiction, researchers are taking a second look at a controversial idea that uses futuristic ships to shoot salt water high into the sky over the oceans, creating clouds that reflect sunlight and thus counter global warming.
Why do the Caribbean Islands arc?
The Caribbean islands have been pushed east over the last 50 million years, driven by the movement of the Earth's viscous mantle against the more rooted South American continent, reveals new research by geophysicists from USC.
Scientists examine effects of manufactured nanoparticles on soybean crops
Sunscreens, lotions, and cosmetics contain tiny metal nanoparticles that wash down the drain at the end of the day, or are discharged after manufacturing. Those nanoparticles eventually end up in agricultural soil, which is a cause for concern, according to a group of environmental scientists that recently carried out the first major study of soybeans grown in soil contaminated by two manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs).
NASA picks another Mars flight to explore its core
NASA wants to look deep into the guts of Mars.
First evidence discovered of planet's destruction by its star
(Phys.org) -- The first evidence of a planet's destruction by its aging star has been discovered by an international team of astronomers. The evidence indicates that the missing planet was devoured as the star began expanding into a "red giant" -- the stellar equivalent of advanced age. "A similar fate may await the inner planets in our solar system, when the Sun becomes a red giant and expands all the way out to Earth's orbit some five-billion years from now," said Alexander Wolszczan, Evan Pugh Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State University, who is one of the members of the research team. Wolszczan also is the discoverer of the first planet ever found outside our solar system.
Curiosity rover's laser instrument zaps first martian rock
(Phys.org) -- Today, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity fired its laser for the first time on Mars, using the beam from a science instrument to interrogate a fist-size rock called "Coronation."
Technology news
Fueling the future with renewable gasoline and diesel
A new process for converting municipal waste, algae, corn stalks and similar material to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is showing the same promise in larger plants as it did in laboratory-scale devices, the developers reported here today. It was part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, which continues through Thursday.
Pakistan mobile networks suspended on security fears
Pakistan shut down mobile phone networks overnight in major cities to prevent Taliban and Al-Qaeda attacks as celebrations began for the biggest Muslim festival of the year.
Russia's MTS set to return to Turkmenistan
(AP) — Russian mobile communications provider MTS said Monday that it will resume services in the Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan at the end of August after 20 months offline.
Ramgen simulates shock waves, makes shock waves across energy spectrum
One of the most pressing scientific challenges facing the United States and the world is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Compounding that challenge is the fact that power plants burning fossil fuels account for more than 40 percent of the world's energy-related CO2 emissions and will continue to dominate the supply of electricity until the middle of the century. There is an urgent need for cost-effective methods to capture and store their carbon emissions.
Female crash test dummy can reduce injuries
Women are twice as likely as men to suffer whiplash injuries when hit from behind. Nevertheless, the crash test dummy used for testing is based on the average male. Chalmers researcher Anna Carlsson has now produced a prototype for the first crash test dummy in the world to represent the average female.
Britain and Ireland tuning into Netflix
Netflix on Monday announced that one million people in Britain and Ireland signed up for the film and TV show streaming Internet service in the seven months after its debut there.
Patent trial over iPhone technology wraps up
(AP) — The multibillion dollar patent dispute between the world's biggest smartphone makers is wrapping up.
Home wifi could be used for emergency responders
Wireless routers for homes and offices could be knitted together to provide a communications system for emergency responders if the mobile phone network fails, German scientists reported on Monday.
Apple sets record for company value at $624B (Update)
Apple is Wall Street's all-time MVP —that's Most Valuable Property.
Security experts warn of risky attacks on tech-loaded cars
(Phys.org) -- Now that tiny computers and electronic communications systems are being designed into cars, hackers can look toward the car, like the PC, as potential roadkill. If cars are to become computers on wheels, a number of security experts are expanding their focus on car security systems and sources of security threats. U.S. computer scientists from California and Washington state have already identified ways in which computer worms and Trojans are carried over to automobiles. Conduits include onboard diagnostics systems, wireless connections and even tainted CDs played on radios systems.
Medicine & Health news
Dogs give emotional boost to sick kids in Quito
(AP) — Every Wednesday, Lancelot and Juci scamper into a special mission: nudging and pawing youngsters into smiles at the only hospital in Ecuador's capital that treats children with cancer.
Experimental learning paying off
Through the use of the Online Health Program Planner, a tool created by Public Health Ontario, a soon-to-be-implemented peer nutrition education program by and for university students looks to help enhance critical thinking skills.
Insurer Aetna to buy Coventry in $5.7 billion deal (Update)
Aetna, one of the biggest U.S. health insurers, claimed a bigger stake in the burgeoning market for government-funded coverage Monday when it announced plans to buy a leading provider of Medicaid and Medicare coverage for $5.7 billion.
Brain wave-reading robot might help stroke patients
(Medical Xpress) -- What comes naturally to most people – to think and then do – is difficult for stroke patients who have lost the full use of their limbs. New research by Rice University, the University of Houston (UH) and TIRR Memorial Hermann aims to help victims recover that ability to the fullest extent possible with a $1.17 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the President’s National Robotics Initiative (NRI).
Alzheimer's data show value of finding early interventions
Researchers and clinicians are looking for new and better ways to understand the aging human brain and to intervene to prevent its decline.
Canada needs national approach to protect against drug shortages
Canada needs a national approach to managing its supply of pharmaceutical drugs, starting with a mandatory reporting system for drug shortages, argues an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) and CPJ (Canadian Pharmacists Journal).
American Indian spiritual beliefs influential in spurring youth to avoid drugs and alcohol
New research indicates that urban American Indian youth who follow American Indian traditional spiritual beliefs are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Arizona State University social scientists will present their findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
How well is depression in women being diagnosed and treated?
Major depression affects as many as 16% of reproductive-aged women in the U.S. Yet pregnant women have a higher rate of undiagnosed depression than nonpregnant women, according to a study published in Journal of Women's Health.
Breast density does not influence breast cancer death among breast cancer patients
The risk of dying from breast cancer was not related to high mammographic breast density in breast cancer patients, according to a study published August 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Secondhand smoke impairs vital cough reflex in kids
New research from the Monell Center reveals that exposure to secondhand smoke decreases sensitivity to cough-eliciting respiratory irritants in otherwise healthy children and adolescents. The findings may help to explain why children of smokers are more likely to develop pneumonia, bronchitis and other diseases and also are more likely to experiment with smoking during adolescence.
Binge drinking college students are happier than their non-binge drinking peers: study
Why do some colleges have persistently high levels of binge drinking? It may be because, at these schools, binge drinking is associated with high status and binge drinkers are happier with their college social experience than their non-binge drinking peers, suggests new research to be presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Real time optical detection of medical biomarkers shows real promise
Through the efforts and successes of University of Cincinnati researchers, we will one day live in a world with inexpensive, portable detection devices for home use. The application of direct concern now is a device to detect diabetes without drawing a single drop of blood. Thanks to Anastasios Angelopoulos, associate professor in the School of Energy, Environmental, Biological, and Medical Engineering (SEEBME), and his team of colleagues and students at UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science, one day soon, diabetics will simply exhale into a small, hand-held device that detects and measures acetone in their breath. Acetone is proving itself to be a positive indicator of blood glucose levels.
Genetic roulette in a new world
In 2003 it was a sensation. No really – it’s probably true that in medicine only the first human heart transplant operation back in 1967 has generated as much publicity. That was in the pre-web dark age but, nevertheless, the South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard was immortalized as a global hero: even the patient’s name was on everyone’s lips (Louis Washkansky if you’re struggling to recall) and you can re-live the whole event at the Groote Schuur Hospital museum in Capetown. But, although 2003 was just a decade ago, in today’s world sensations fade almost with the following dawn, whether they are pop groups or life-changing scientific advances.
Designing better prostheses through gait analysis
Our ability to put one foot in front of the other is the result of a subtle coordination between the brain and the spinal cord. Understanding this mechanism was the goal of Life Science student Steve Berger’s Master’s thesis. He hopes to help create prostheses that are better adapted to the needs of handicapped individuals.
Preschool children at risk for stress after seeing domestic violence and another traumatic event
(Medical Xpress) -- Preschool children exposed to domestic violence and additional traumatic events are at increased risk for developing traumatic stress disorder, a new University of Michigan study shows.
Evidence that new biomimetic controlled-release capsules may help in gum disease
Scientists are trying to open a new front in the battle against gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and sometimes termed the most serious oral health problem of the 21st century. They described another treatment approach for the condition in a report here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
Researchers interview pro-anorexic bloggers for groundbreaking new study
A groundbreaking new research study from Indiana University suggests there may be benefits to the controversial activities of "pro-ana" bloggers, the online community for people with eating disorders.
Making sense out of the biological matrix of bipolar disorder
The more that we understand the brain, the more complex it becomes. The same can be said about the genetics and neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. For "Mendelian" disorders, like Huntington disease, mutation of a single gene predictably produces a single clinical disorder, following relatively simple genetic principals. Compared to Mendelian disorders, understanding bipolar disorder has been extremely challenging. Its biology is not well understood and its genetics are complex.
Heart failure decreasing in Ontario, especially in people over age 85
The number of new cases of heart failure in Ontario decreased 33% over a decade, suggesting preventive efforts may be working. However, mortality rates remain high for people with the disease, states a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Coconut water is an excellent sports drink -- for light exercise
Coconut water really does deserve its popular reputation as Mother Nature's own sports drink, a new scientific analysis of the much-hyped natural beverage concluded here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Spirituality correlates to better mental health regardless of religion: researchers
Despite differences in rituals and beliefs among the world's major religions, spirituality often enhances health regardless of a person's faith, according to University of Missouri researchers. The MU researchers believe that health care providers could take advantage of this correlation between health – particularly mental health – and spirituality by tailoring treatments and rehabilitation programs to accommodate an individual's spiritual inclinations.
Couch-potato kids are biggest child health problem in the US, adults say
Adults across the U.S. rate not getting enough exercise as the top health concern for children in 2012, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.
HIV home testing kits prove their worth
Thirty years into the HIV epidemic, many people who are at high risk of HIV infection cannot or will not adopt safer sexual practices, such as abstinence and condom use. This means there is room in the market for alternative methods to reduce either exposure to or transmission of HIV among these individuals. One such strategy, HIV home testing (HT), is the subject of a recent study by Alex Carballo-Dieguez and his colleagues at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York. Their work appears online in the journal AIDS and Behavior.
Scientists report promising new direction for cognitive rehabilitation in the elderly
Research has found that declines in temporal information processing (TIP), the rate at which auditory information is processed, underlies the progressive loss of function across multiple cognitive systems in the elderly, including new learning, memory, perception, attention, thinking, motor control, problem solving, and concept formation. In a new study, scientists have found that elderly subjects who underwent temporal training improved not only the rate at which they processed auditory information, but also in other cognitive areas. The study is published in the current issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
No evidence that drug used for preventing life-threatening bleeding in women during labor works
There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of a drug that is being used increasingly to prevent life-threatening bleeding in women after giving birth in community settings in low income countries, according to a review of all the available research published today (Monday) in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Prevalence of TB, hepatitis C, HIV high among homeless
(HealthDay) -- The global prevalence of tuberculosis, hepatitis C virus infection, and HIV is high among homeless people, although significant heterogeneity is seen in prevalence estimates, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Soy linked to exacerbated congenital hypothyroidism
(HealthDay) -- Soy products appear to interfere with levothyroxine absorption and can exacerbate congenital hypothyroidism in infants and young children, according to a case report published online Aug. 20 in Pediatrics.
Cognitive deficits seen for infants exposed to anesthesia
(HealthDay) -- Anesthesia exposure before the age of 3 years is associated with deficits in language and abstract reasoning in children at age 10, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in Pediatrics.
Vaccinations belong on parents' back-to-school checklists
(HealthDay) -- Vaccinations among school-aged children can save lives and parents should be sure their children are fully immunized as part of their back-to-school preparations, according to a pediatric infectious disease specialist.
Vitamin D supplementation can decrease risk of respiratory infections in children
A study conducted in Mongolian schoolchildren supports the possibility that daily vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of respiratory infections in winter. In a report that will appear in the journal Pediatrics and has received early online release, an international research team found that vitamin D supplementation decreased the risk of respiratory infections among children who had low blood levels of vitamin D at the start of the study.
Cardiologists dramatically cut patient radiation exposure from X-rays
Each year, hundreds of thousands of X-rays are performed across the country to help detect and treat common cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, valve disease and other heart problems. However, concern is growing within the medical community about the potential risks of radiation exposure from this imaging technology. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic have been able to dramatically cut the amount of radiation that patients and medical personnel are exposed to during invasive cardiovascular procedures. The solution: targeted modifications to the use of standard X-ray equipment, coupled with intensive radiation safety training. The efforts are detailed in a paper published online Aug. 20 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions.
Declining rates of US infant male circumcision could add billions to health care costs
A team of disease experts and health economists at Johns Hopkins warns that steadily declining rates of U.S. infant male circumcision could add more than $4.4 billion in avoidable health care costs if rates over the next decade drop to levels now seen in Europe.
Study links delirium and long-term cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients
Patients with Alzheimer's disease who suffered episodes of delirium while hospitalized had a sharply increased rate of mental decline for up to five years after being hospitalized compared to those who did not have any such episodes, according to a study by researchers at The Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
New tool for clinicians proves effective predictor of lung cancer risk
A lung cancer risk prediction model developed by scientists at the University of Liverpool has been shown to be a viable tool for selecting high risk individuals for prevention and control programmes.
A material to rejuvenate aging and diseased human vocal cords
A new made-in-the-lab material designed to rejuvenate the human voice, restoring the flexibility that vocal cords lose with age and disease, is emerging from a collaboration between scientists and physicians, a scientist heading the development team said here today.
Obesity, metabolic factors linked to faster cognitive decline
People who are obese and also have high blood pressure and other risk factors called metabolic abnormalities may experience a faster decline in their cognitive skills over time than others, according to a study published in the August 21, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers identify evidence-based public health interventions for policy makers
Government policies that make healthy foods more affordable, improved sidewalk, street and land-use design to encourage physical activity, and bans on public, workplace or residence smoking are among 43 effective public health strategies identified in an American Heart Association statement.
Survey finds symptoms of burnout common among US physicians
A national survey of 7,288 physicians (26.7 percent participation rate) finds that 45.8 percent of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine.
Study examines risk of heart attack associated with various psoriasis treatments
Use of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors for treatment of psoriasis is associated with a significantly reduced risk for heart attack (myocardial infarction) compared to other forms of treatment, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Dermatology.
Toward a portable emergency treatment for stopping life-threatening internal bleeding
Progress toward a new emergency treatment for internal bleeding ― counterpart to the tourniquets, pressure bandages and Quick Clot products that keep people from bleeding to death from external wounds ― was reported here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
Acupuncture offers low cost alternative to knee surgery for osteoarthritis
The researchers base their findings on 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis, who were referred for group acupuncture to two knee pain clinics in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 2008 and subsequently monitored for two years.
Cholera emergency declared in Sierra Leone
(AP) — An outbreak of cholera in West Africa has infected more than 13,000 people and killed at least 258 people in Sierra Leone and Guinea, authorities said as they appealed for international assistance.
Down's syndrome testing hits several European markets
A new prenatal test for Down's syndrome hit the market in Germany and several other European countries Monday, the manufacturer said, amid a controversy over whether it could lead to more abortions.
Mammograms and dense breasts — questions abound
More American women are getting the word that they may have breasts too dense for mammograms to give a good picture. What's not so clear is what to make of that information.
Taking a break makes practice perfect
(Medical Xpress) -- Trying to learn a piano piece or master a new dance step? Make sure you take good breaks while training because you'll learn more effectively than if you push yourself and practice non-stop, a new study suggests.
A story that doesn't hold up: Research casts doubt on key aspect of dissociative identity disorder
It’s one of the most common plot twists in Hollywood — caught red-handed, the murderer claims to suffer from multiple personality disorder, says he has no memory of the crime, and points the finger at an alternate personality.
Brain enzyme is double whammy for Alzheimer's disease
The underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease are not fully understood, but a good deal of evidence points to the accumulation of β-amyloid, a protein that's toxic to nerve cells. β-amyloid is formed by the activity of several enzymes, including one called BACE1. Most Alzheimer's disease patients have elevated levels of BACE1, which in turn leads to more brain-damaging β-amyloid protein.
Researchers elucidate cause of death of photoreceptor cells in retinitis pigmentosa
Research conducted at the Angiogenesis Laboratory at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, has for the first time, identified the mode of death of cone photoreceptor cells in an animal model of retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Savvy tots to grown-ups: 'Don't be such a crybaby'
Children as young as three apparently can tell the difference between whining and when someone has good reason to be upset, and they will respond with sympathy usually only when it is truly deserved, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Study details power of new chip to diagnose disease, analyze protein interactions
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Intel Corp. have collaborated to synthesize and study a grid-like array of short pieces of a disease-associated protein on silicon chips normally used in computer microprocessors. They used this chip, which was created through a process used to make semiconductors, to identify patients with a particularly severe form of the autoimmune disease lupus.
Neural interface for prosthesis can restore function in motor control brain areas
Amputation disrupts not only the peripheral nervous system but also central structures of the brain. While the brain is able to adapt and compensate for injury in certain conditions, in amputees the traumatic event prevents adaptive cortical changes. A group of scientists reports adaptive plastic changes in an amputee's brain following implantation of multielectrode arrays inside peripheral nerves. Their results are available in the current issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
Dual action polyclonal antibody may offer more effective, safer protection against osteoporosis
A new study suggests that a polyclonal antibody that blocks follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mice without ovaries might offer a more effective way to prevent or arrest osteoporosis than currently available treatments.
Specific toxic byproduct of heat-processed food may lead to increased body weight and diabetes
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a common compound in the modern diet that could play a major role in the development of abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The findings are published in the August 20, 2012 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Stroke disrupts how brain controls muscle synergies
(Medical Xpress) -- The simple act of picking up a pencil requires the coordination of dozens of muscles: The eyes and head must turn toward the object as the hand reaches forward and the fingers grasp it. To make this job more manageable, the brain’s motor cortex has implemented a system of shortcuts. Instead of controlling each muscle independently, the cortex is believed to activate muscles in groups, known as “muscle synergies.” These synergies can be combined in different ways to achieve a wide range of movements.
Psychologists link emotion to vividness of perception and creation of vivid memories
Have you ever wondered why you can remember things from long ago as if they happened yesterday, yet sometimes can't recall what you ate for dinner last night? According to a new study led by psychologists at the University of Toronto, it's because how much something means to you actually influences how you see it as well as how vividly you can recall it later.
Biology news
Meddling with male malaria mosquito 'mating plug' to control an epidemic
Using information about the unique mating practices of the male malaria mosquito ― which, unlike any other insect, inserts a plug to seal its sperm inside the female ― scientists are zeroing in on a birth-control drug for Anopheles mosquitoes, deadly carriers of the disease that threatens 3 billion people, has infected more than 215 million and kills 655,000 annually.
From lake to land, in a land of lakes
(Phys.org) -- What animal can see only a limited distance, has no top front teeth, and prefers shady, wet areas such as bogs and marshes?
Electrifying success in raising antioxidant levels in sweet potatoes
Already ranked by some as number one in nutrition among all vegetables, the traditional sweet potato can be nutritionally supercharged ― literally ― with a simple, inexpensive electric current treatment that increases its content of healthful polyphenols or antioxidants by 60 percent, scientists said here today.
Anthrax targets
A trawl of the genome of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis has revealed a clutch of targets for new drugs to combat an epidemic of anthrax or a biological weapons attack. The targets are all proteins that are found in the bacteria but not in humans and are involved in diverse bacterial processes such as metabolism, cell wall synthesis and bacterial persistence. The discovery of a range of targets might bode well for creating a drug cocktail that could preclude the emergence of drug resistance.
Canine tail chasing resembles human obsessive compulsive disorders
A new research led by Professor Hannes Lohi at the University of Helsinki, Finland, revealed several similarities between compulsive behavior in dogs and humans: Early onset, recurrent compulsive behaviors, increased risk for developing different types of compulsions, compulsive freezing, the beneficial effect of nutritional supplements, the effects of early life experiences and sex hormones and genetic risk.
New search tools give scientists better ways of managing data
Botany is plagued by the same problem as the rest of science and society: our ability to generate data quickly and cheaply is surpassing our ability to access and analyze it. In this age of big data, scientists facing too much information rely on computers to search large data sets for patterns that are beyond the capability of humans to recognize—but computers can only interpret data based on the strict set of rules in their programming.
The wasp that never cries wolf
European paper wasps (Polistes dominula) advertise the size of their poison glands to potential predators, finds a new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Frontiers in Zoology. The brighter the colour, the larger the poison gland.
PayPal founder bankrolls 3-D printed meat
(Phys.org) -- A Missouri-based company may have an impact on environmental issues raised by nations of meat-eaters and populations bearing the brunt of world hunger with an alternative, bioprinted meat. According to the company, Modern Meadow, creating “a strip of edible porcine tissue using print-based tissue engineering approach” is “scaffold-free,” in that it does not rely on artificial material to form the desired structure. The company founders aspire to develop lab-grown meat as a source of animal protein and to benefit from a technology with great market potential. The company, aptly named Modern Meadow, is founded by Gabor Forgacs and Andras Forgacs.
New research reveals bats evolved more than one way to drink nectar
(Phys.org) -- A team of evolutionary biologists compared the anatomy and genes of bats to help solve a persistent question in evolution: Why do analyses of different features of an organism result in conflicting patterns of evolutionary relationships?
Researchers discover how fruit flies learn to bypass already mated females
(Phys.org) -- Researchers have known for some time that young male fruit flies learn over time to bypass females that have already mated with someone else, but until now, no one really understood the mechanism involved. Now a team from Austria has discovered, as they write in their paper published in the journal Nature, that the when male fruit flies mate with females, they leave behind a bit of pheromone that serves as a signal to other males letting them know that further mating is futile.
Genetically engineered algae for biofuel pose potential risks that should be studied: ecologist
(Phys.org) -- Algae are high on the genetic engineering agenda as a potential source for biofuel, and they should be subjected to independent studies of any environmental risks that could be linked to cultivating algae for this purpose, two prominent researchers say.
Study unlocks link between sex and female brain
An international team of scientists led by Gregg Adams at the University of Saskatchewan has discovered that a protein in semen acts on the female brain to prompt ovulation, and is the same molecule that regulates the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells.
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