Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 16, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Crystals from chaos: Physicists observe new form of carbon- CERN physicists break record for hottest manmade material
- Hubble watches star clusters on a collision course
- Nature-inspired systems give 'soft robots' ability to camouflage themselves
- AIST group measures objects in 3-D with camera, projector (w/ Video)
- Why are elderly duped? Researchers explain why
- NASA is tracking electron beams from the Sun
- Turmeric spices up virus study: New research shows curcumin stops virus cells
- Poxviruses defeat antiviral defenses by duplicating a gene
- Psychopaths get a break from biology
- Warming causes more extreme shifts of the Southern Hemisphere's largest rain band
- Democracy works for Endangered Species Act, study finds
- Genes carried by E. coli bacteria linked to colon cancer
- Evolutionary increase in size of the human brain explained
- The Sun's almost perfectly round shape baffles scientists
Space & Earth news
NASA goes green: NASA selects green propellant technology demonstration mission
NASA has selected a team led by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation of Boulder, Colo., for a technology demonstration of a high performance "green" propellant alternative to the highly toxic fuel hydrazine. With this award, NASA opens a new era of innovative and non-toxic green fuels that are less harmful to our environment, have fewer operational hazards, and decrease the complexity and cost of launch processing.
Invasive brittle star species hits Atlantic Ocean
Coral Reefs, the Journal of the International Society for Reef Studies, has published online a study co-written by Dr. Gordon Hendler of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) about an invasive species of brittle star, Ophiothela mirabilis. The species was previously restricted to Pacific waters, but surprisingly, growing populations have established themselves at distant points in the Atlantic. Its presence near Brazilian and Caribbean ports indicates that O. mirabilis could have been spread by shipping.
Russian space official resigns after failed launch
(AP) — The head of Russia's leading rocket manufacturer has stepped down after a failed launch, the nation's space chief said Thusrday.
Exoplanet hosting stars give further insights on planet formation
An international team, led by EXOEarths researchers (Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto), proposes that metals like magnesium might have an important role in the formation of low mass planets.
Landslide fatalities are greater than previously thought
Landslides kill ten times more people across the world than was previously thought, according to research by Durham University, UK.
Carbon rush 'could harm wildlife'
The rush to plant trees to offset carbon emissions could have a harmful impact on Australia’s native environment if it is not very carefully managed, some of the nation’s leading ecologists have warned.
Viewing choices through a sustainable lens
Sustainability is a human decision — a responsibility that relies on good information and how we choose to use it — according to George Basile, a senior sustainability scientist at Arizona State University, who made that point in this month's cover story in Sustainability: The Journal of Record.
Ohioans love their lakes, but are concerned for their future
Almost 41 percent of Ohioans have visited a lake, pond, river or creek in the state in the past year, and of those, nearly one-half usually spend their water-related recreational time at Lake Erie, according to preliminary findings in a new report.
NASA sees System 93L explode into Tropical Storm Gordon
NASA has been watching the low pressure system called System 93L for the last week, and late on August 15 it organized into Tropical Depression 8, then Tropical Storm Gordon. NOAA's GOES-13 satellite captured a visible image of tiny Tropical Storm Gordon after sunrise on August 16.
Townsfolk sickened after Peru toxic spill
(AP) — It began with a loud pop like a tire bursting. A toxic cocktail of copper concentrate laced with a periodic-table's mix of volatile compounds then shot skyward.
Skydiver's supersonic plunge stalled by rough test
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner will have to wait until fall before attempting a supersonic jump from 23 miles (37 kilometers) above the Earth.
Earthworms soak up heavy metal
Earthworms could be used to extract toxic heavy metals, including cadmium and lead, from solid waste from domestic refuse collection and waste from vegetable and flower markets, according to researchers writing in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management.
Report card shows Australia's oceans are changing
The 2012 Marine Climate Change in Australia Report Card shows climate change is having significant impacts on Australia's marine ecosystems.
CO2 emissions in US drop to 20-year low
(AP) — The amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere in the U.S. has fallen dramatically to its lowest level in 20 years, and government officials say the biggest reason is that cheap and plentiful natural gas has led many power plant operators to switch from dirtier-burning coal.
A stellar setting for stargazing
The summer sunset has painted a vivid watercolor of orange, coral and violet over the Pacific, just past the pier in Seal Beach. But Michael Beckage already has his telescope trained on the moon.
ORNL researchers improve soil carbon cycling models
A new carbon cycling model developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory better accounts for the carbon dioxide-releasing activity of microbes in the ground, improving scientists' understanding of the role soil will play in future climate change.
Warming causes more extreme shifts of the Southern Hemisphere's largest rain band
South Pacific countries will experience more extreme floods and droughts, in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a paper out today in the journal Nature.
UNL discovery has implications for finding life on Earth, Mars
(Phys.org) -- Moqui marbles, unusual balls of rock that can be found rolling around the southwestern U.S. sandstone regions, were formed roughly 2 million years ago with the help of microorganisms. This discovery by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln research team has implications for finding life on Mars and for better understanding Earth's past.
Tibetan Plateau may be older than previously thought
(Phys.org) -- The growth of high topography on the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan, China, began much earlier than previously thought, according to an international team of geologists who looked at mountain ranges along the eastern edge of the plateau.
Climate and drought lessons from ancient Egypt
Ancient pollen and charcoal preserved in deeply buried sediments in Egypt's Nile Delta document the region's ancient droughts and fires, including a huge drought 4,200 years ago associated with the demise of Egypt's Old Kingdom, the era known as the pyramid-building time.
NASA is tracking electron beams from the Sun
(Phys.org) -- In the quest to understand how the world's weather moves around the globe, scientists have had to tease apart different kinds of atmospheric movement, such as the great jet streams that can move across a whole hemisphere versus more intricate, localized flows. Much the same must currently be done to understand the various motions at work in the great space weather system that links the sun and Earth as the sun shoots material out in all directions, creating its own version of a particle sea to fill up the solar system.
The Sun's almost perfectly round shape baffles scientists
(Phys.org) -- The sun is nearly the roundest object ever measured. If scaled to the size of a beach ball, it would be so round that the difference between the widest and narrow diameters would be much less than the width of a human hair.
Hubble watches star clusters on a collision course
(Phys.org) -- Astronomers using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have caught two clusters full of massive stars that may be in the early stages of merging. The clusters are 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy to our Milky Way.
Technology news
Sina says quarterly profit triples
(AP) — Sina Corp., which operates a popular Chinese Internet portal, said Thursday its quarterly earnings tripled but cautioned that its fast-growing Weibo microblog service is unlikely to produce significant operating profit this year.
Toshiba develops dysprosium-free samarium-cobalt magnet to replace heat-resistant neodymium magnet
Toshiba Corporation announced today that the company has developed a high-iron concentration samarium-cobalt magnet that is free of dysprosium, a rare earth mineral that is in extremely short supply and increasingly expensive. At typical operating temperatures, the samarium-cobalt magnet has superior magnetic properties to the heat-resistant neodymium magnets currently used in motors.
Wedding digital with traditional: Event showcases imaginative metaLAB efforts to display data
During a crowded reception at Harvard’s Arts @ 29 Garden, Travis K. Bost, M.Des.S. ’12, reached toward a small shelf of books and removed a green volume.
Cranfield to develop innovative waterless toilet
Cranfield University is to develop a waterless, hygienic toilet with the potential to transform the lives of the 2.5 billion people worldwide without access to basic sanitation, thanks to $800,000 funding from the ‘Reinvent the Toilet Challenge’ of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiative.
Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks' Assange
(AP) — He's won asylum in Ecuador, but Julian Assange is no closer to getting there.
Intel, Apple praised for clean mineral efforts
(AP) — Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Intel have become "pioneers of progress" through their efforts to avoid purchasing minerals that fund armed groups in Central Africa, an advocacy group said Thursday.
Belgium consults other countries on reactor flaw
(AP) — The Belgian nuclear regulatory agency has updated other countries on possible hairline cracks found in the steel vessel housing the reactor at a nuclear plant near Antwerp.
Megaupload boss wins right to see US evidence
The boss of file-sharing site Megaupload has the right to see US evidence against him so he can defend a bid to extradite him from New Zealand on online piracy charges, an Auckland court ruled Thursday.
Researchers hope to transform software engineering training
Ten percent of software projects are abandoned, one-third are not successful and more than half end up late or over budget. But technology isn't to blame. People are. Now, researchers led by a San Francisco State University professor hope to improve the effectiveness of software engineering teams by learning what causes them to fail.
Pressure sensor array made with polyamino acid
Japanese researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), have developed an all-printed flexible pressure sensor in collaboration with Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Zucker Burg: Facebook campus gets its own Main Street
Mark Zuckerberg wired together nearly 1 billion people on the Web.
Companies spring up to manage online images, reputations
A South Florida doctor wanted to bury a bad online rating of his services.
Nokia to unveil Windows 8 smartphone in Sept: report
Finnish telecom giant Nokia and Microsoft plan to unveil a smartphone equipped with the US software giant's Windows 8 operating system in New York on September 5, a report said Wednesday.
WikiLeaks says British raid threat 'hostile, extreme'
Whistleblowing website WikiLeaks on Thursday condemned a British threat to raid the Ecuador embassy in London where its founder is holed up as a "hostile and extreme" assault on asylum-seekers.
Lenovo profit up 30 percent but growth slows
(AP) — Lenovo Group said Thursday its quarterly profit rose 30 percent on strong sales in developing markets but growth slowed amid global economic weakness.
Judge: Kim Dotcom can review US case against him
(AP) — A New Zealand judge has upheld a ruling that allows Kim Dotcom to review details of the U.S. federal case against him ahead of an extradition hearing.
China Mobile interim profit disappoints investors
Telecom giant China Mobile posted a worse-than-forecast rise in first-half net profit of 1.5 percent on Thursday, citing intensive competition and the spread of new mobile technologies.
Fighting back against click-spam
Remember that time, a decade or so ago, when spam was the scourge of the Internet, when the sheer volume of junk email threatened to engulf legitimate correspondence and short-circuit the promise of the digital revolution?
Bamboo: The new super construction material
Researchers from the University’s BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials, in collaboration with a team from Coventry University and the University of Cambridge, are exploring the use of bamboo for the widespread construction of homes.
Advance algorithms used to detect online behaviour trends
Money laundering and other suspicious behaviours will become more detectable with the refinement of a 2D graphic visualisation tool currently under development at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies.
Some universities require students to use e-textbooks
Students don't seem to want to buy e-textbooks. So some schools are simply forcing them.
Facebook tries to get into TV game
World-class athletes aren't the only ones with Olympic hopes. Facebook Inc. participated in a different kind of trial in London: whether it can extend its online popularity to the television airwaves and compete with Twitter Inc. for airtime.
Facebook shares tumble under $20
Facebook shares sunk over six percent by the midway point of trade on Thursday after a freeze on insiders selling shares was lifted.
Taiwan, China get first undersea cable link
The first undersea telecommunications cables linking Taiwanese and mainland Chinese territory have been completed, a company official said Thursday, amid fast warming ties between Taipei and Beijing.
US curbs Verizon's wireless entertainment push
The US Justice Department announced tough limits Thursday on Verizon's effort to expand its wireless entertainment footprint, amid worries the cellphone and cable giant was building a monopoly.
Search technology that can gauge opinion and predict the future
Inspired by a system for categorising books proposed by an Indian librarian more than 50 years ago, a team of European researchers have developed a new kind of internet search that takes into account factors such as opinion, bias, context, time and location. The new technology, which could soon be in use commercially, can display trends in public opinion about a topic, company or person over time - and it can even be used to predict the future.
Oracle fined $2 mn for off-books payments in India
Software and systems giant Oracle was fined $2 million Thursday to resolve charges that its India subsidiary kept a multi-million dollar off-books slush fund.
IBM buys flash memory firm
IBM on Thursday announced a deal to buy a US firm specializing in high-performance solid state memory, which is fast replacing spinning disks used to store data in computer hard drives.
Facebook experiments with putting more ads in users' News Feeds
Facebook is testing a new advertising service that lets marketers drop more messages into users' news feeds.
Sunflowers inspire more efficient solar power system
(Phys.org) -- A field of young sunflowers will slowly rotate from east to west during the course of a sunny day, each leaf seeking out as much sunlight as possible as the sun moves across the sky through an adaptation called heliotropism.
AIST group measures objects in 3-D with camera, projector (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) -- Got camera? Got projector? Then you can measure objects in 3-D. A group at the Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute (AIST) has had no problem doing that. The researchers have demonstrated their method for measuring objects in 3-D, using only a camera and projector. Patterned light is projected on to the object and pattern images captured by the camera are processed to measure its 3-D shape.
Medicine & Health news
Researchers validate molecular signature to predict radiation therapy benefit
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, working with colleagues in Sweden, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico, have validated a radiosensitivity molecular signature that can lead to better radiation therapy decisions for treating patients with breast cancer.
Big Tobacco crashes at first legal hurdle on plain packaging
Australia's High Court dismissed the plain tobacco packaging case brought against the Australian government by the world's largest tobacco companies. The companies had challenged the government's new law - due to be fully implemented from December 1 this year.
Researchers enable real-time reporting of public health cases
IBM scientists are collaborating with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC) to further standardize the exchange and use of public health information to improve healthcare quality and coordination of care.
Diagnosing cancer, pregnancy complications
Based on their previous discovery of progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF), European scientists have developed a diagnostic assay that could be used to detect pregnancy complications or cancer.
Lack of support for 'ring-fencing' cancer drugs fund revealed
The public oppose the cancer drugs fund but support the new pricing system for branded medicines, according to a new study.
Added benefit of eribulin in breast cancer is not proven
Eribulin (trade name: Halaven) was approved in March 2011 for women with locally advanced or metastasizing breast cancer in whom the disease has progressed despite prior drug therapy.
IDRI and Medicago announce authorization to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial for an H5N1 vaccine
The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), a Seattle-based non-profit research organization that is a leading developer of adjuvants used in vaccines combating infectious disease, and Medicago Inc. (TSX: MDG; OTCQX: MDCGF), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), announce that they have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial for an H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine candidate ("H5N1 vaccine"). This is an important step toward development of an influenza vaccine that could be rapidly and widely administered in case of a pandemic flu outbreak. The trial is focused on evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the H5N1 vaccine, combined with IDRI's Glucopyranosyl Lipid A ("GLA") adjuvant, which will be administered intramuscularly or intradermally. Each study participant in the tria! l will receive two doses of a given formulation in order to collect and compare data.
UK denies right-to-die legal challenge (Update)
(AP) — Britain's High Court on Thursday rejected an attempt by a man who has locked-in syndrome to overturn the country's euthanasia law by refusing to legally allow doctors to end his life.
Use of PMP may increase demand for drug treatment, reduce painkiller abuse
A Rhode Island Hospital researcher has found that the use of electronic prescription drug monitoring programs (PMPs) may have a significant impact on the demand for drug treatment programs and how prescribers detect and respond to abuse of painkillers. The study by Traci C. Green, Ph.D., MSc, research scientist in Rhode Island Hospital's department of general internal medicine, is published online in advance of print in the journal Pain Medicine.
New CDC recommendations on hepatitis C screening
Without other risk factors, all Americans born between 1945 and 1965 should have a one-time screening for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) according to new recommendations being published early online today in Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that all persons identified with HCV should receive a brief alcohol screening and intervention and be referred to appropriate care and treatment services for HCV and related conditions.
Sierra Leone declares cholera an emergency, 176 dead
Sierra Leone's government on Thursday declared a cholera outbreak a national emergency after 176 deaths and 10,800 reported cases since January, health ministry sources said.
Blood markers reveal severity of common kidney disease
Increasing blood levels of particular proteins may act as warning signs for patients with one of the most common diseases of the kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings could lead to better diagnosis and management of patients with the disease, called IgA nephropathy.
What's your lifetime risk of developing kidney failure?
How likely are middle-aged adults to develop kidney failure during their lifetime? A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) provides some insights, which may be used to help set priorities related to kidney care and to increase public interest in the prevention of kidney disease.
Use of retail medical clinics continues to grow, study finds
Fast-growing retail medical clinics are attracting more older patients and delivering more preventive care, particularly flu shots and other vaccinations, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation.
Cuba issues warning about dengue mosquitos
Cuban health officials warned Thursday about an increased number of mosquitoes in the country's urban areas that can spread diseases such as dengue fever.
Non-invasive treatment for children with obstructive sleep apnea suggested by new study
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers revealed that a majority of children suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) treated with montelukast, a drug approved for asthma or hay fever, showed significant improvement in respiratory disturbance and adenoid size, according to a new study published in Pediatrics journal.
Mexico achieves universal health coverage in less than a decade
Mexico has achieved universal health coverage in less than ten years, with more than 50 million previously uninsured Mexicans enrolling on a public medical insurance scheme since 2004.
Chemotherapy during pregnancy does not appear to increase complications for newborn infants
The study examined a group of more than 400 women from across Europe who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer while pregnant. 197 (48%) of the women underwent chemotherapy during pregnancy, and the authors assessed whether their newborn babies suffered any ill effects that could be attributable to the cancer drugs.
Study finds high rates of sleep apnea in women
New research has found high rates of sleep apnoea in women, despite the condition usually being regarded as a disorder predominantly of males.
Children's self-control is associated with their body mass index as adults
As adults, we know that self-control and delaying gratification are important for making healthful eating choices, portion control, and maintaining a healthy weight. However, exhibiting these skills at a young age actually may affect weight later in life. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that delaying gratification longer at 4 years of age is associated with having a lower body mass index (BMI) 30 years later.
Deep brain stimulation powerful in treating Tourette's
Ten out of 11 patients with severe Tourette’s Syndrome have reported improvement after receiving deep brain stimulation surgery, according to University of New South Wales research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Inflammation drives Crohn's disease, says study
Inflammation -- not genetic susceptibility -- drives the growth of intestinal bacteria and invasive E. coli linked to Crohn's disease (CD), reports a new Cornell study.
UCLA uses new device to replace aortic valve in patients who can't have open-heart surgery
(Medical Xpress) -- UCLA has performed its first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), using a new device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to replace an aortic valve in a patient who was not a candidate for open-heart surgery. The procedure took place on Aug. 9.
Neighbourhood links to health and wellbeing
(Medical Xpress) -- People who live in safer, cleaner and friendly neighbourhoods experience higher levels of health and wellbeing as they age, a new Flinders University study shows.
Women may be at increased health risk due to PTSD
(Medical Xpress) -- Research has shown that women are at greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men. Now, scientists based at the UCSF-affiliated San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) have found that women with the condition might be more likely to experience faster aging at the cellular level and increased risk for diseases of aging than men with PTSD.
EU also studying plain-packaging law for tobacco
The European Commission said on Thursday it too could shortly make legislative proposals that would force manufacturers to distribute tobacco products across Europe in plain packaging.
US city declares West Nile outbreak emergency
(AP) — Ten deaths and more than 200 cases of the West Nile virus in northern Texas have become the worst U.S. outbreak this year, leading the Dallas mayor to order the city's first aerial spraying of insecticide in more than 45 years.
Yoga: A cost-effective treatment for back pain sufferers?
Specialised group yoga classes could provide a cost-effective way of treating patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain, according to the UK's largest ever study of the benefits of yoga.
Study underscores need to improve communication with moms of critically ill infants
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once described England and America as two countries separated by a common language.
B cell survival holds key to chronic graft vs. host disease
Leukemia and lymphoma patients who receive life-saving stem cell or bone marrow transplants often experience chronic side effects that significantly decrease quality of life, can last a lifetime, and ultimately affect their long-term survival.
Enzalutamide adds five months survival in late-stage prostate cancer
Results of a phase III clinical trial of the drug Enzalutamide, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, show the drug extends life by an average five months in the most advanced stages of prostate cancer.
Could FastStitch device be the future of suture?
After a surgeon stitches up a patient's abdomen, costly complications -- some life-threatening -- can occur. To cut down on these postoperative problems, Johns Hopkins undergraduates have invented a disposable suturing tool to guide the placement of stitches and guard against the accidental puncture of internal organs.
Chronic kidney disease increases stroke risk in A-fib
(HealthDay) -- Patients with atrial fibrillation who have chronic kidney disease are at higher risk of stroke or systemic thromboembolism and bleeding, according to a study published in the Aug. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Benefit of PSA reduced by loss of quality-adjusted life-years
(HealthDay) -- Although the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) has reported a 29 percent reduction in prostate-cancer mortality for men who undergo prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, the benefit is attenuated by loss of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) due to post-diagnosis effects, according to a study published in the Aug. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Two-thirds of U.S. youth have had oral sex, CDC reports
(HealthDay) -- Two-thirds of Americans aged 15 to 24 have engaged in oral sex, according to a broad new survey of young people's sexual habits.
Discovery of immune cells that protect against multiple sclerosis offers hope for new treatment
In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing movement problems, muscle weakness and loss of vision. Immune cells called dendritic cells, which were previously thought to contribute to the onset and development of multiple sclerosis, actually protect against the disease in a mouse model, according to a study published by Cell Press in the August issue of the journal Immunity. These new insights change our fundamental understanding of the origins of multiple sclerosis and could lead to the development of more effective treatments for the disease.
Metabolic protein wields phosphate group to activate cancer-promoting genes
A metabolic protein that nourishes cancer cells also activates tumor-promoting genes by loosening part of the packaging that entwines DNA to make up chromosomes, a team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Aug. 16 issue of Cell.
Black stroke survivors face greater risk from high blood pressure
Black people who survived strokes caused by bleeding in the brain were more likely than whites to have high blood pressure a year later – increasing their risk of another stroke, according to a study in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
Less commonly prescribed antibiotic may be better
The antibiotic most commonly prescribed to treat bloodstream infections in dialysis patients may not always be the best choice, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Researchers show long-term consequences of chronic virus infection
The cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family. Although most people carry CMV for life, it hardly ever makes them sick. Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and from the USA have now unveiled long term consequences of the on-going presence of CMV: Later in life, more and more cells of the immune system concentrate on CMV, and as a result, the response against other viruses is weakened. These research results help to explain why the elderly are often more prone to infectious diseases than young people.
Is too much brain activity connected to Alzheimer's disease?
High baseline levels of neuronal activity in the best connected parts of the brain may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. This is the main conclusion of a new study appearing in PLoS Computational Biology from a group at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Molecular and protein markers discovered for liver transplant failure from hepatitis C
Researchers have discovered molecular and protein signatures that predict rapid onset of liver damage in hepatitis C patients following a liver transplant. The markers appeared soon after transplant and well before clinical evidence of liver damage.
Combination peptide therapies might offer more effective, less toxic cancer treatment
Two studies suggest that two peptide agents used either together or individually with a low-dose of a standard chemotherapy drug might offer more effective cancer therapy than current standard single-drug treatments.
Pan-fried meat increases risk of prostate cancer, new study finds
Research from the University of Southern California (USC) and Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) found that cooking red meats at high temperatures, especially pan-fried red meats, may increase the risk of advanced prostate cancer by as much as 40 percent.
Catastrophizing doesn't predict low back pain evolution
(HealthDay) -- For adult patients with acute or chronic low back pain (LBP), assessing the baseline score for catastrophizing does not help clinicians in routine clinical practice predict the evolution of LBP or the patient's disability at three months, according to a study published online July 23 in The Spine Journal.
Vitreolytic ocriplasmin resolves vitreomacular traction
(HealthDay) -- Intravitreal injection of the vitreolytic agent ocriplasmin resolves vitreomacular traction and closes macular holes significantly better than placebo, but with a higher incidence of adverse events, according to a study published in the Aug. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Carbon monoxide poisoning: an underestimated threat
(HealthDay) -- Every year in the United States, nearly 450 people die and more than 2,000 people are hospitalized following accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, a new study shows.
Chickenpox cases fall 80% over decade: CDC
(HealthDay) -- Chickenpox cases in the United States dropped almost 80 percent between 2000 and 2010 in 31 states following routine use of the varicella vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Combination therapy delivers one-two punch to skin cancer, boosting anti-tumor activity
(Medical Xpress) -- Treating metastatic melanoma by combining immunotherapy with a drug that inhibits the cancer-spreading activity of a common gene mutation significantly increased survival times in an animal model, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Depression may go overlooked when physicians use electronic medical records, researchers find
(Medical Xpress) -- Patients who have three or more chronic medical conditions are half as likely to receive depression treatment in primary care practices that use electronic medical records as they are in practices that use paper-based records, a new University of Florida study has found.
New hope for trauma sufferers with addictions
(Medical Xpress) -- A world-first study of an integrated treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use, led by researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, has found significant reductions in PTSD symptoms compared with usual treatment for substance use.
A GPS in your DNA: Research says genetics can reveal your geographic ancestral origin
While your DNA is unique, it also tells the tale of your family line. It carries the genetic history of your ancestors down through the generations. Now, says a Tel Aviv University researcher, it's also possible to use it as a map to your family's past.
Scientists find an important molecular trigger for wound-healing
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have made a breakthrough in understanding a class of cells that help wounds in skin and other epithelial tissues heal, uncovering a molecular mechanism that pushes the body into wound-repair mode.
Finally: A male contraceptive pill in the making?
The development of a male contraceptive pill has long proven to be elusive, but findings from a new study may point scientists in the right direction to making oral birth control for men a reality.
Brain scans don't lie about age: Timing of brain maturation is more tightly controlled than previously known
A national team of researchers led by investigators at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have developed a multidimensional set of brain measurements that, when taken together, can accurately assess a child's age with 92 percent accuracy.
Why are elderly duped? Researchers explain why
(Medical Xpress) -- Everyone knows the adage: "If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is." Why, then, do some people fall for scams and why are older folks especially prone to being duped?
Genes carried by E. coli bacteria linked to colon cancer
What if a key factor ultimately behind a cancer was not a genetic defect but ecological?
Psychopaths get a break from biology
A University of Utah survey of judges in 19 states found that if a convicted criminal is a psychopath, judges consider it an aggravating factor in sentencing, but if judges also hear biological explanations for the disorder, they reduce the sentence by about a year on average.
Evolutionary increase in size of the human brain explained
Researchers have found what they believe is the key to understanding why the human brain is larger and more complex than that of other animals.
Toxoplasma gondii parasite may trigger suicide attempts
A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts.
Immune system uses heart channel to select powerful defenders
(Medical Xpress) -- When the body makes immune T cells, it relies on a molecular channel more commonly seen in nerves and heart muscles to ensure that the powerful T cells have the right mixture of aggressiveness and restraint, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered.
Biology news
Warmer, faster, stronger: Research reveals unexpected benefits of living in a changing climate
(Phys.org) -- New research by McMaster biologist Graham Scott suggests that growing up at warmer temperatures helps some aquatic animals cope with climate change, raising questions about the limits of adaptation.
Unravelling the function of small RNAs
Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a hitherto unrecognised role in regulation of gene expression. To broaden knowledge on the function and evolution of these molecules, a EU project investigated various classes of regulatory RNAs in different kingdoms.
60 million years in the making and in need of protection
More marine sanctuaries are the best way to protect Western Australia's unique marine biodiversity, according to an international collaboration led by The University of Western Australia.
Some like it hot: Tropical species 'not as vulnerable' to climate change extinction
In the face of a changing climate many species must adapt or perish. Ecologists studying evolutionary responses to climate change forecast that cold-blooded tropical species are not as vulnerable to extinction as previously thought. The study, published in the British Ecological Society's Functional Ecology, considers how fast species can evolve and adapt to compensate for a rise in temperature.
Organisms cope with environmental uncertainty by guessing the future
In uncertain environments, organisms not only react to signals, but also use molecular processes to make guesses about the future, according to a study by Markus Arnoldini et al. from ETH Zurich and Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. The authors report in PLoS Computational Biology that if environmental signals are unreliable, organisms are expected to evolve the ability to take random decisions about adapting to cope with adverse situations.
Warm water shark runs aground on English channel coastline
Specialists were surprised Thursday after a sand tiger shark ran aground on the French coastline of the English Channel, even though it is normally found in deeper and warmer waters.
Viruses jumping species and zoo polar bear disease
Zoos bring together different animal species that would never encounter each other in the wild. On occasion, this can have unforeseen consequences. When in 2010 at the Wuppertal Zoo one polar bear died and another fell severely ill, zoo veterinarians were at a loss as to the cause of the symptoms. It has now been shown that the bears were infected with a recombinant zebra-derived virus that had jumped into other species, as reported today by an international team of researchers led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in the journal Current Biology. Such species-jumping viruses, if not detected, may threaten the conservation mission of zoos.
Triage for plants: Scientists develop and test rapid species conservation assessment technique
To speed up the process of identifying threatened and endangered plant species, a team of New York Botanical Garden scientists has developed a streamlined method for evaluating the conservation status of large numbers of plant species, using information from plant research collections and Geographic Information Systems technology.
Coordinated protein breakdown and synthesis: a key to healthy growth of cells
The cells in our bodies are involved in a continuous process of breakdown and re-growth that is essential to life itself. During a process that can be likened to self-cannibalism, the proteins within the cells are broken down into their component amino acids, which then act as the building blocks for the growth and renewal of cells. Serious diseases may result from a disruption of this process. This is the case with cancer, where cancerous cells grow quickly, but the ability of the cells to digest themselves is compromised.
Studies shed light on why species stay or go in response to climate change
(Phys.org) -- Two new studies by scientists at UC Berkeley provide a clearer picture of why some species move in response to climate change, and where they go.
Study shows increased aggression between evenly matched teams
(Phys.org) -- Over the years, research has shown that when two people, or animals, are evenly matched opponents, both tend to resort to more savagery to win than if one is clearly superior to the other. Now new research by a team in the Netherlands has shown that the same appears to be true for groups, or teams of people engaged in sports. In a study, the researchers found, as they describe in their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, when two teams are evenly matched, they tend to resort to more illegal tactics resulting in more penalties, than do players on teams that are not so evenly matched.
Researchers find bacteria causes a single celled organism to form colonies
(Phys.org) -- Researchers working at a lab at Berkeley University, led by Nicole King, have uncovered the first example of a kind of bacteria that causes a single celled organism to form a colony, a finding that has implications for researchers looking into the origins of multi-celled organisms in general. The team has published their findings on the lab’s web site and their paper will appear in the first edition of the new open source journal eLIFE.
Bird louse study shows how evolution sometimes repeats itself
Birds of a feather flock together and – according to a new analysis – so do their lice.
Poxviruses defeat antiviral defenses by duplicating a gene
Scientists have discovered that poxviruses, which are responsible for smallpox and other diseases, can adapt to defeat different host antiviral defenses by quickly and temporarily producing multiple copies of a gene that helps the viruses to counter host immunity. This discovery provides new insight into the ability of large double-stranded DNA viruses to undergo rapid evolution despite their low mutation rates, according to a study published by University of Utah researchers in the Aug. 17, 2012, issue of Cell.
Democracy works for Endangered Species Act, study finds
When it comes to protecting endangered species, the power of the people is key, an analysis of listings under the U.S. Endangered Species Act finds.
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