Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 28, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- 'Substitutional reality' system plays head games to explore delusions (w/ Video)- Magnetic vortex reveals key to spintronic speed limit
- Space-warping white dwarfs produce gravitational waves
- Research experiment suggests chimps don't punish third party bad behavior
- US automakers wake up to clean cars
- Study of tribe could help find East Asian skin color genes
- Apple's victory means soul-searching for Samsung
- Latest Java poison romps on as ok.XXX4.net
- Researchers set record for detecting smallest virus, opening new possibilities for early disease detection
- Research finds gene that predicts happiness in women
- The beat goes in the brain: Visual system can be entrained to future events
- Metabolism in the brain fluctuates with circadian rhythm
- Why are there so many species of beetles and so few crocodiles?
- Beliefs drive investors more than preferences, study finds
- Male snails babysit for other dads
Space & Earth news
Evaporating exoplanet stirs up dust
Dutch astronomers have found clear evidence that a faraway exoplanet is falling apart. New analysis of data from NASA's Kepler satellite shows that this exoplanet, which orbits its host star every 16 hours, has a massive dust tail originating from its surface, similar to a comet's tail. The study will be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Australia to link with EU carbon scheme from 2015
Australia announced Tuesday it would link its deeply contested emissions trading scheme with the European Union's from mid-2015 in an effort to combat climate change.
Forest management for a changing world
When it comes to devising a forest management strategy, recommendations for rotation lengths, thinning years and thinning intensities are usually made. However, a new EU-funded study from Finnish researchers now suggests that in light of uncertain growth and economic conditions, these methods may no longer be the most effective.
Astronauts searching for life—underground
Astronauts dream of finding new life and for a select crew that dream might be within reach this week—albeit deep underground instead of in outer space.
Americans worry about water use in energy production, survey says
Many Americans are concerned about the amount of water being used in energy production as much of the country continues to struggle with drought, according to a new survey.
Earthquake swarm puts California areas on edge
(AP)—A magnitude-4.2 earthquake rattled communities 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of San Diego on Monday night, despite observations from earthquake experts that a series of small to moderate earthquakes seemed to be slowing down and getting smaller in magnitude.
Can Curiosity Mars mission inspire like Apollo?
(AP)—Neil Armstrong inspired millions with his moonwalk. Can a feisty robotic rover exploring Mars do the same for another generation? With manned missions beyond the International Space Station on hold, the spotlight has turned on machines.
Brazil Supreme Court approves work on Amazon dam
Brazil's Supreme Court has approved the resumption of work on the huge Belo Monte dam in the Amazon, which was halted earlier this month after protests from indigenous groups.
The shock of separation
The BepiColombo mission to Mercury has undergone a series of shock tests at ESA's test facilities to replicate conditions it will experience during its intense ride into space. This video shows tests to mimic the moment it separates from the launch vehicle. The spacecraft will be connected to the upper stage of an Ariane 5 rocket when it blasts off from Earth in 2015. Once the upper stage and its cargo have reached orbit, the pair will separate.
NASA's IceBridge seeking new view of changing sea ice
This year scientists working on NASA's Operation IceBridge, a multi-year airborne science mission to study changing ice conditions at both poles, debuted a new data product with the potential to improve Arctic sea ice forecasts.
Curiosity in it for the long haul
In recent days, Curiosity has accomplished a number of firsts, including the first use of its laser to zap a nearby rock and its first short drive. Many more such firsts lie ahead. But as the rover prepares to head off on a journey of discovery across previously unexplored territory, it seems like a good time to pause and remind ourselves just what it was that Curiosity was sent to Mars to do.
All about dust
(Phys.org)—The space between stars is not empty—it contains copious amounts of gas and dust. Astronomers estimate that about 5-10% of the total mass of our Milky Way galaxy is contained in the interstellar gas and dust, and about 1% is in the form of tiny dust grains made predominantly of silicates, rather like fine sand. Some grains are also composed of carbon and other elements.
Inflexibility of coral host leads to higher resistance to environmental stresses
Manoa (UHM) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) made a discovery that challenges a major theory in the field of coral reef ecology. The general assumption has been that the more flexible corals are, regarding which species of single celled algae (Symbiodinium) they host in coral tissues, the greater ability corals will have to survive environmental stress. In their paper published August 29, 2012, however, scientists at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at SOEST and colleagues documented that the more flexible corals are, the more sensitive to environment disturbances they are.
NASA watching Issac's approach to US Gulf Coast (Update)
NASA satellites have been providing valuable data to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center watching the development and progression of powerful Tropical Storm Isaac as it heads for landfall.
Researchers observe bright Arctic clouds formed by exhaust from final Space Shuttle launch
(Phys.org)—Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientist Dr. Michael Stevens is leading an international consortium of scientists in tracking the rapid transport of the exhaust plume from the final launch of the space shuttle in July 2011. The team has found that the plume moved quickly to the Arctic, forming unusually bright polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) there a day after launch.
NASA sees Tropical Storm Bolaven making landfall in North Korea
Tropical Storm Bolaven weakened as it moved north through the cooler waters of the Yellow Sea in the last day, which is good news for North Korea and southeastern China where it is making landfall today, Aug. 28.
Curiosity beams new will.i.am song from Mars
(AP)—Will.i.am has premiered his new single—from Mars.
Curiosity rover returns voice and telephoto views from Mars
(Phys.org)—NASA's Mars Curiosity has debuted the first recorded human voice that traveled from Earth to another planet and back.
Friday's Blue Moon and lunar size-shifting explained
(Phys.org)—A lunar event that occurs once in a blue moon will happen this Friday night, August 31.
A super cluster of galaxies
(Phys.org)—Most galaxies lie in clusters, groupings of several to many thousands of galaxies. Our Milky Way galaxy itself is a member of the "Local Group," a band of about fifty galaxies whose other large member is the Andromeda Galaxy about 2.3 million light-years away. The closest large cluster of galaxies to us is the Virgo Cluster, with about 2000 members, whose center is about 50 million light-years away. The space between all these galaxies is not empty, but is filled with hot gas whose temperature is of order ten million kelvin, or even higher.
Study provides first direct evidence of heat-trapping effects of wildfire smoke particles
(Phys.org)—When the Fourmile Canyon Fire erupted west of Boulder in 2010, smoke from the wildfire poured into parts of the city including a site housing scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NASA sees Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern Gulf Coast (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)—NASA and NOAA satellites continue to provide detailed information on Hurricane Isaac as the storm bears down on the U.S. Gulf coast. NASA's TRMM and Terra satellites captured imagery, and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provided animations of Isaac's march toward the coast today, Aug. 28.
Space-warping white dwarfs produce gravitational waves
(Phys.org)—Gravitational waves, much like the recently discovered Higgs boson, are notoriously difficult to observe. Scientists first detected these ripples in the fabric of space-time indirectly, using radio signals from a pulsar-neutron star binary system. The find, which required exquisitely accurate timing of the radio signals, garnered its discoverers a Nobel Prize. Now a team of astronomers has detected the same effect at optical wavelengths, in light from a pair of eclipsing white dwarf stars.
Kepler finds first multi-planet system around a binary star
NASA's Kepler mission has found the first multi-planet solar system orbiting a binary star, characterized in large part by University of Texas at Austin astronomers using two telescopes at the university's McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The finding, which proves that whole planetary systems can form in a disk around a binary star, is published in the August 28 issue of the journal Science.
Technology news
ICC making progress on tests for suspect bowling
(AP)—The International Cricket Council is a step closer to introducing biomechanical testing for bowlers with suspect delivery actions in match conditions.
Samsung takes wraps off of Windows 8 desktop PCs
(AP)—Samsung will offer three different choices to people interested in buying a desktop computer equipped with the redesigned version of Windows going on sale.
Samsung vows 'all measures' to keep products in US
South Korea's Samsung Electronics vowed on Tuesday to take "all necessary measures" to keep its products on US store shelves, in response to Apple's request for a ban on sales of some smartphones.
Sesame seed-sized antenna increases WIFI speed by 200 times
Researchers from A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have developed the first compact high performance silicon-based cavity-backed slot (CBS) antenna that operates at 135 GHz. The antenna demonstrated a 30 times stronger signal transmission over on-chip antennas at 135 GHz. At just 1.6mm x 1.2mm, approximately the size of a sesame seed, it is the smallest silicon-based CBS antenna reported to date for ready integration with active circuits.
Lexmark to jettison inkjet printers, 1,700 workers
(AP)—Lexmark is jettisoning its inkjet printers and laying off 1,700 workers as paper becomes increasingly passe in an age of ever-sleeker digital devices and online photo albums on Internet hangouts like Facebook.
How chips, PCs, services companies are faring
Personal computer makers have been scrambling to adapt to a technological upheaval unleashed by Apple Inc.'s line of sleek devices such as the iPhone and iPad and by a shift toward Internet-based software services instead of programs installed on individual machines.
Brazil bids to become world's third IT market by 2022
Brazil hopes to capitalize on the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics to advance its goal of becoming the world's third largest information technology and communications (ITC) market, a top industry official says.
US automakers wake up to clean cars
Clean cars create jobs. The Big Three automakers, addicted to the profits they made off big SUVs, saw economic ruin in subcompacts, hybrids and battery-powered electric vehicles. But now they're all building them.
NYTimes leads group defense in mobile patent suit
The New York Times Co. is girding for a legal battle that many larger organizations have avoided. The Times is leading the defense of a diverse group of companies that use technology they assumed was free: sending text messages with Web links to mobile phones.
Capturing movements of actors and athletes in real time with conventional video cameras
Within milliseconds, and just with the help of mathematics, computing power and conventional video cameras, computer scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken can automatically capture the movements of several people. The new approach helps not only animation specialists in Hollywood movies but also medical scientists and athletes.
Apple's victory means soul-searching for Samsung
A U.S. jury's $1 billion verdict against Samsung for what rival Apple claimed was the illegal copying of its iPhone and iPad designs signals a turning point for the South Korean electronics giant known for its prowess in adapting the innovations of others and nimbly executing production.
Latest Java poison romps on as ok.XXX4.net
(Phys.org)—Yet another Java-related computer threat, cross-platform, has been nailed by security researchers. An exploit was seen by FireEye researchers on Sunday, being hosted on a domain ok.XXX4.net. When successful, the exploit downloads and executes a malicious binary, which calls to another IP address/domain. The Java threat was reported by FireEye's security researcher Atif Mushtaq, who said on August 26 that the initial exploit "is hosted on a domain named ok.XXX4.net. Currently this domain is resolving to an IP address in China." Subsequent reports are that it was discovered on a server with a domain name that resolved to an IP address located in China, and that the malware once installed on systems attempted to connect to a command-and-control server believed to be in Singapore.
'Substitutional reality' system plays head games to explore delusions (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)—Take a commercially available panoramic video camera used for recording, add a computer for storing recorded footage, and a head-mounted visual display that can switch seamlessly between the footage and a live feed captured by a camera and attached microphone. The result of all this is what Japanese researchers are using in their explorations of "substitutional reality," or SR. This is a purposeful new direction from virtual reality. The SR system delivers a "conviction" of being in the real world, which is absent in VR technologies.
Medicine & Health news
Pharmacists provide additional line of defense for detecting knee osteoarthritis
Canadian researchers have determined that community-based pharmacists could provide an added resource in identifying knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study, published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), represents the first evidence supporting a collaborative approach to managing knee OA. Findings suggest that involving pharmacists, physiotherapists, and primary care physicians in caring for OA patients improves the quality of care, along with patient function, pain, and quality of life.
General surgeons identify postoperative complications posing strongest readmission risk
Postoperative complications are the most significant independent risk factor leading to 30-day hospital readmissions among general surgery patients, according to a new exploratory study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Pioneering doctor remembered for Paralympic idea
(AP)—The Olympics have Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern games. The Paralympics have Sir Ludwig Guttmann.
Cook Islands plants show regenerative properties
A skin care product based on plants used in traditional Cook Islands remedies has been created by UNSW researchers who are also investigating the regenerative properties of the plants for use in wound and bone healing.
Single hospital rooms ensure a good death? Think again
Over recent decades, we have seen a growing tendency for including more single rooms in hospital ward design. Single rooms are often favoured by patients, are highly sought after and rarely empty. Infection control guidelines mandate single rooms for patients who are infectious to others or immune-compromised, and the deeply ingrained cultural norms in hospitals result in nurses also lobbying for single rooms for particular patient groups, such as those who are dying.
CRT consensus set to standardize and improve care for patients worldwide
Recommendations for the practical management of CRT patients have been set out for the first time in an international consensus statement on cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in heart failure.
Tokyo Tech researchers develop the WalkMate System for improving the quality of life of Parkinson's disease patients
Tokyo Tech's Yoshihiro Miyake and colleagues have developed an innovative, non-invasive therapeutic intervention that may improve the mobility, stability, and quality of life of Parkinson's disease patients.
Anders Breivik is guilty: the fine line between bad and mad
One of the most high profile court decisions on "madness" and crime has concluded. In a unanimous decision, the Oslo District Court in Norway has convicted Anders Behring Breivik of the murder of 77 people in the streets of central Oslo and on the island of Utoya in July 2011.
Treatment of heart attacks with APOSEC: further mechanism unravelled
The protein concentrate APOSEC, obtained from white blood cells, when given intravenously 40 minutes after an acute myocardial infarction, largely prevents scarring of the cardiac muscle. These were the findings of Hendrik Jan Ankersmit, Head of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration in Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases at the MedUni Vienna, which were unveiled back in the autumn of 2011. A study by a team of researchers led by Ankersmit has now unravelled further mechanisms responsible for how APOSEC works.
Neuroscientist David Sulzer turns brain waves into music
Columbia neurophysiologist David Sulzer took his first piano lessons at the age of 11 and was playing his violin and guitar in bars by age 15. Later he gained a national following as a founder of the Soldier String Quartet and the Thai Elephant Orchestra—an actual orchestra of elephants in northern Thailand—and for playing with the likes of Bo Diddley, the Velvet Underground's John Cale and the jazz great Tony Williams.
Double attack on SARS
After the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) outbreak in 2003, academia experts in immunology and molecular biology joined forces with industrial vaccine production experts in order to develop preventive and therapeutic measures for SARS.
New study notes disparities in periodontal disease
A new article by Dr. Luisa N. Borrell, the chair of Lehman College's Department of Health Sciences, explores the disparities in periodontal disease (gum disease) among U.S. adults along age, sex, racial/ethnic and socioeconomic lines over a ten-year period. The article appears in the September-October issue of Public Health Reports.
CT angiography and perfusion to assess coronary artery disease: The CORE320 study
A non-invasive imaging strategy which integrates non-invasive CT angiography (CTA) and CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CTP) has robust diagnostic accuracy for identifying patients with flow-limiting coronary artery disease in need of myocardial revascularisation, according to results of the CORE320 study presented here today by Dr Joao AC Lima from Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA.
PCI guided by fractional flow reserve versus medical therapy alone in stable coronary disease
Patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) had a lower need for urgent revascularisation when receiving fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided PCI plus the best available medical therapy (MT) than when receiving MT alone. The results, from a final analysis of the FAME 2 trial, were presented today during a Hot Line session of ESC Congress 2012 in Munich. Treatment guided by fractional flow reserve assessment helped reduce the risk of urgent revascularisation by a factor of eight.
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Results from the first European registry
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (Afib) is safe and suppresses arrhythmia recurrences in 74% of patients after a single procedure, according to results from the one-year follow-up of the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Pilot Study, the first European registry to evaluate the real-life epidemiology of catheter ablation for AFib. The survey also showed that arrhythmia-related symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue or dizziness - present in 86% of patients before the ablation - were significantly reduced.
Omission of aspirin from antiplatelet regimen: The WOEST study
Lifelong anticoagulation is necessary for the prevention of stroke in patients with rhythm disturbances and with mechanical valves. Patients who have a coronary stent implanted also need the antiplatelet drugs aspirin and clopidogrel to prevent the rare but lethal complication of stent thrombosis. For patients taking oral anticoagulant drugs (for atrial fibrillation or mechanical valve) who also have to undergo coronary stenting, the optimal antithrombotic treatment is still unknown, even though the use of all three drugs (oral anticoagulants, aspirin and clopidogrel) seems logical for the prevention of stroke and stent thrombosis. However, treatment with all three drugs often causes serious bleeding complications and the frequent need to discontinue the aspirin and clopidogrel.
TAVI improves quality of life in patients with severe aortic stenosis for at least 1 year
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) leads to meaningful improvements in health-related quality of life in patients with severe aortic stenosis that are maintained for at least 1 year, according to a study presented at ESC Congress 2012. The results from the German transcatheter aortic valve interventions registry were presented by Professor Till Neumann, MD, from Essen, Germany.
30-day mortality after AMI drops with improved treatment
The analysis of four French registries from 1995 to 2010 was presented by Professor Nicolas Danchin from the Hopital Européen Georges Pompidou.
Personalized antiplatelet treatment improves outcome after PCI
Personalized antiplatelet treatment leads to better outcomes than standard antiplatelet treatment in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation, according to results from the MADONNA study presented at ESC Congress 2012.
PRAGUE-12 trial: Randomized open multicenter study
The PRAGUE-12 trial is a randomized open multicenter study comparing cardiac surgery with MAZE versus cardiac surgery without MAZE in patients with coronary and/or valvular heart disease and with atrial fibrillation.
Global platelet reactivity and high risk ACS patients
Global platelet reactivity is more effective than responsiveness to clopidogrel in identifying acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients at high risk of ischemic events, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012.
Lifestyle changes could prevent 400 cardiac events and 200 deaths in Swedish PCI patients
Up to 400 cardiac events and 200 deaths in Swedish PCI patients could be avoided by following a heart healthy lifestyle, according to research from the SPICI study presented at ESC Congress 2012. The results were presented at ESC press conference by Professor Joep Perk from Linnaeus University and at the scientific session by Dr Roland CARLSSON.
African research identifies strong candidate for possible single-dose malaria cure
A recently discovered compound from the aminopyridine class not only has the potential to become part of a single-dose cure for all strains of malaria, but might also be able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person, according to a research collaboration involving the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), based in Switzerland, and the Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3-D) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. On the basis of initial results it was selected by MMV for further development – making it the first compound researched on African soil to enter preclinical development in partnership with MMV.
European court nixes Italy embryo screening ban
(AP)—Italy's ban on screening embryos for diseases before they are implanted in a womb violates the rights of a couple whose first child was born with cystic fibrosis, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday.
Adverse effects of mining industry provoke hard questions for medical humanitarian organizations
Increasingly humanitarian organizations will find themselves responding to health emergencies provoked by the adverse effects of mining and other extractive industries, setting up a potential clash to do with the core principles and values at the heart of humanitarian medicine, writes Philippe Calain from the humanitarian medical organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in this week's PLOS Medicine.
New PLOS collection: Child mortality estimation methods
Child mortality is a key indicator not only of child health and nutrition but also of the implementation of child survival interventions and, more broadly, of social and economic development. Millennium Development Goal 4 calls for a two thirds reduction in the under-five mortality rate between 1990 and 2015. With the renewed focus on child survival, tracking of progress in the reduction of child mortality is increasingly important. A sponsored collection of new articles on the methodology for estimation of child mortality was published today in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine, in conjunction with the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) and the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The collection contains seven peer reviewed articles and introduces the methodological innovations by the TAG and UN IGME in estimating child mortality which are critical to the monitoring of progress toward the MDG goal.
Add hurricane menu to your storm prep, experts say
(HealthDay)—As Isaac bears down on the U.S. Gulf Coast, nearby residents should think ahead and look beyond batteries and flashlights when making their hurricane emergency plans, experts say.
ESC Acute Cardiovascular Care Association launched
ACCA was previously the ESC Working Group on Acute Cardiac Care. Today it becomes one of six ESC Associations, whose presidents are invited to ESC Board meetings. "It will be easier to inform the ESC Board about the activities of the association," said Professor Christiaan Vrints (Belgium), outgoing chairman of the Working Group on Acute Cardiac Care. "We will also have a bigger impact on the policies and the development of the ESC as an organisation."
Evaluate children's stress after natural disasters
As Hurricane Isaac nears the Gulf Coast, one may wonder what the impact of natural disasters are on children. Who is most at risk for persistent stress reactions? How can such youth be identified and assisted in the aftermath of a destructive storm?
Exploring exercise benefits for breast cancer patients
Researchers in Edmonton and Calgary want to recruit 1,500 breast cancer patients over the next decade to find out how exercise and fitness affects cancer survival and recovery.
CA officials: 73 people sickened with salmonella
(AP)—California health officials say they are investigating a foodborne illness outbreak associated with salmonella-tainted mangoes that has sickened 73 people.
Drug trial offers hope to patients with advanced colorectal cancer
A new drug treatment could offer hope to patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were intolerant of or did not respond to standard treatments, according to an article published in the Lancet Oncology.
Widely used drug could offer substantial relief to people with chronic cough
New research published Online First in the Lancet is the first to show that gabapentin, a drug widely used to treat pain and seizures, substantially reduces the frequency and severity of coughing and other symptoms associated with the extremely common and difficult-to-treat problem of long-term chronic cough.
Yoga, deep breathing used to treat soldiers' stress
Rich Low dreamed of Iraq long after he returned home from the war.
Reducing the side effects of treatment for prostate cancer
New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine reassessing clinical data from trials, which investigate ways of treating side effects of therapy for prostate cancer, finds that tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen used to treat breast cancer, is also able to suppress gynecomastia and breast pain in men.
How a virus might make you diabetic later in life
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the viruses that most infected people carry without ill effects. Once infected you are infected for life and, although it normally is dormant, it can become active again at any point in time. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Immunity and Ageing shows that CMV infection is a significant risk factor for the type 2 diabetes in the elderly.
Is long-term weight loss possible after menopause?
Many people can drop pounds quickly in the early phases of a diet, but studies have found that it is difficult to keep the weight off in the long term. For post-menopausal women, natural declines in energy expenditure could make long-term weight loss even more challenging. A new study finds that in post-menopausal women, some behaviors that are related to weight loss in the short term are not effective or sustainable for the long term. Interventions targeting these behaviors could improve long-term obesity treatment outcomes. The research is published in the September issue of Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Early use of stents better than medical therapy alone for certain patients
For patients with stable coronary artery disease who have at least one narrowed blood vessel that compromises flow to the heart, medical therapy alone leads to a significantly higher risk of hospitalization and the urgent need for a coronary stent when compared with therapy that also includes initial placement of artery-opening stents.
2nd Yosemite visitor dies of rodent-borne illness
(AP)—About 1,700 people who stayed in tent cabins at Yosemite National Park this summer were warned Tuesday they may have been exposed to a deadly rodent-borne virus blamed for the deaths of two campers.
Images on health websites can lessen comprehension, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Photos of happy, smiling faces on patient education websites may engage readers, but they also may have a negative impact on older adults' comprehension of vital health information, especially those elderly patients who are the least knowledgeable about their medical condition to begin with, suggests a new study.
Anaesthetic linked to learning problems in children
(Medical Xpress)—Children who are given anaesthetic before the age of three may have an increased risk of developing learning difficulties, according to a new study involving researchers at The University of Western Australia.
UW–Madison researchers expanding study on human resilience
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Institute on Aging are studying how adults overcome social and economic challenges and whether it matters for their health, with a special focus on human resilience in the face of adversity.
Advanced CT scans accurately assess coronary blockages
An ultra-fast, 320-detector computed tomography (CT) scanner can accurately sort out which people with chest pain need – or don't need – an invasive procedure such as cardiac angioplasty or bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the heart, according to an international study. Results of the study, which involved 381 patients at 16 hospitals in eight countries, are scheduled to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany, on August 28.
Autism, development delay often missed in Hispanics
(Medical Xpress)—Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays and large numbers of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children who first were thought to have developmental delay actually had autism, researchers affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute have found.
Most people exposed to West Nile virus never have symptoms, but prevention is best defense
(Medical Xpress)—While the death toll from the West Nile virus cases in the U.S., currently 41, is alarming, most people exposed to it never develop symptoms, notes Tom Russo, MD, professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
HDL: Not so 'good' after all?
After years of having it drilled into their heads, most people now know that LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the "bad" cholesterol package that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the "good" type that helps reduce it by removing cholesterol from artery walls. So if your HDL number is high, you've probably patted yourself on the back; if it's low, you may have tried to raise it by, for instance, exercising more, losing weight, drinking a daily glass of wine, or even taking medication, such as high-dose niacin.
Neuromarketing
Marketers are using neuroscience to create advertising which speaks directly to your brain.
Monday's medical myth: You need eight hours of continuous sleep each night
We're often told by the popular press and well-meaning family and friends that, for good health, we should fall asleep quickly and sleep solidly for about eight hours—otherwise we're at risk of physical and psychological ill health.
New strain of hand, foot and mouth virus worries parents, pediatricians
(Medical Xpress)—Your child goes to bed in perfect health. The next morning she wakes up with high fever, malaise and bright red blisters erupting all over her body. Johns Hopkins Children's Center dermatologists say the disturbing scenario has become quite common in the last few months, sending scared parents to their pediatrician's office or straight to the emergency room.
WMS issues important new practice guidelines for prevention and treatment of lightning injuries
About 24,000 people are killed by lightning every year, with about 10 times as many people injured. The Wilderness Medical Society has issued important new practice guidelines for precautions that can lower the likelihood of being killed or injured and recommendations for effective medical treatments post-strike. These guidelines appear in the September issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.
Sperm precursor cells made in the lab could one day restore male fertility
(Medical Xpress)—Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be coaxed into becoming precursor sperm cells, suggesting that it might be possible one day to restore fertility for sterile males with an easily obtained skin sample, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings are available today in the online version of Cell Reports.
Better vaccines for tuberculosis could save millions of lives
Cases of one of the world's deadliest diseases—tuberculosis—are rising at an alarming rate, despite widespread vaccination. Reasons for the ineffectiveness of the vaccine, especially in regions where this infectious disease is endemic, as well as arguments for replacing the existing vaccine with novel synthetic vaccines, are presented in a review published online August 28th in Trends in Molecular Medicine.
Zebrafish study explains why the circadian rhythm affects your health
Disruptions to the circadian rhythm can affect the growth of blood vessels in the body, thus causing illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, according to a new study from Linköping University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
Women 40% less likely to die after TAVI than men
Women with severe aortic stenosis are 40% less likely to die after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) than men, reveals the latest data from the largest study to date of gender differences in outcomes after TAVI. The findings were presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Professor Karin Humphries from St. Paul's Hospital.
Ten year decline in ischemic stroke after AMI
The analysis of data from two Swedish registries was presented by Dr Anders Ulvenstam, and suggests that the reduction is due to improvements in AMI care.
Smoking after stroke increases death risk by three-fold
Patients who resume smoking after a stroke increase their risk of death by three-fold, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Professor Furio Colivicchi from San Filippo Neri Hospital. The researchers also found that the earlier patients resume smoking, the greater their risk of death with one year.
New method: Research team analyzes stress biology in babies
After waking up, the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva rises considerably; this is true not only for grown-ups but for babies as well. A research team from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and from Basel has reported this finding in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
How 'beige' fat makes the pounds melt away
Researchers from the University of Bonn and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried have decoded a signal path that could boost the burning of body fat. Mice that are missing a signal switch called VASP are clearly leaner and have more of the coveted brown and beige-colored fat cells that convert energy into heat. This might point the way to a new method for fighting obesity. The researchers presented their results in the current issue of the renowned journal Science Signaling.
Cuba declares cholera outbreak over
Cuba's health ministry said Tuesday the country's first cholera outbreak in 130 years is over after three deaths and more than 400 confirmed cases.
More research needed on the best treatment options for multidrug-resistant TB
The use of newer drugs, a greater number of effective drugs, and a longer treatment regimen may be associated with improved survival of patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TR), according to a large study by a team of international researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
Better air quality indicators are needed for the world's cities
In their August editorial, the PLOS Medicine Editors reflect on a recent Policy Forum article by Jason Corburn and Alison Cohen, which describes the need for urban health equity indicators to guide public health policy in cities and urban areas.
New diagnostic definition of myocardial infarction issued
(HealthDay)—An updated universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI) includes detection of a rise and/or fall in cardiac biomarker values, preferably cardiac troponin (cTn), according to a statement published online Aug. 26 in Circulation to coincide with presentation at the annual European Society of Cardiology Congress, held from Aug. 25 to 29 in Munich.
Five CSF markers differentiate dementia, parkinsonism
(HealthDay)—Levels of five different cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are able to improve differentiation between common dementia and parkinsonian disorders, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in the Archives of Neurology.
pHDPE implant tied to increased infection risk post-rhinoplasty
(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing rhinoplasty, the use of porous high-density polyethylene (pHDPE) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) implants is associated with increased risk of infection, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Researchers identify unforeseen regulation of the anti-bacterial immune response
New research from the laboratory of Dr. Andrea Cooper at the Trudeau Institute, just published in the European Journal of Immunology, holds promise for the improved prevention and treatment of bacterial infections and the life-threatening complications of chronic inflammation that can result from them. The publication title is "Nitric oxide inhibits the accumulation of CD4+CD44hiTbet+CD69lo T cells in mycobacterial infection".
Having to make quick decisions helps witnesses identify the bad guy in a lineup
(Medical Xpress)—Eyewitness identification evidence is often persuasive in the courtroom and yet current eyewitness identification tests often fail to pick the culprit. Even worse, these tests sometimes result in wrongfully accusing innocent suspects. Now psychological scientists are proposing a radical alternative to the traditional police lineup that focuses on eyewitnesses' confidence judgments.
Can branding improve school lunches?
A popular marketing ploy with junk foods and other indulgent table fare can be an equally effective tool for promoting healthier eating in school cafeterias.
Kindergarten readiness: Are shy kids at an academic disadvantage?
Parents of young children hope for a successful kindergarten experience that will set their youngsters on the right path of their educational journey. Some worry about their kids not adapting to the school environment, particularly when the children are talkative and overactive. Yet, a new study by the University of Miami (UM) shows that overly shy preschool children are at greater academic risk than their chatty and boisterous peers.
Exercise can help cancer patients, but few oncologists suggest it
Numerous studies have shown the powerful effect that exercise can have on cancer care and recovery. For patients who have gone through breast or colon cancer treatment, regular exercise has been found to reduce recurrence of the disease by up to 50 percent. But many cancer patients are reluctant to exercise, and few discuss it with their oncologists, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Not all lung cancer patients who could benefit from crizotinib are identified by FDA-approved test
Break apart a couple worm-like chromosomes and they may reconnect with mismatched tips and tails – such is the case of the EML4-ALK fusion gene that creates 2-7 percent of lung cancers. Almost exactly a year ago, the FDA approved the drug crizotinib to treat these ALK+ lung cancer patients, who were likely never smokers. Informed doctors use the test called a FISH assay to check for the EML4-ALK fusion gene, and then if the test is positive, ALK+ patients benefit greatly from crizotinib.
Pretend play may not be as crucial to child development as believed, new study shows
(Medical Xpress)—Pretend play can be fun for preschool children, but a new University of Virginia study, published in a recent online edition of the journal Psychological Bulletin, finds that it is not as crucial to a child's development as currently believed. Pretend play is any play a child engages in, alone, with playmates, or with adults, that involves uses of the imagination to create a fantasy world or situation, such as making toy cars go "vrrooooom" or making dolls talk.
Yosemite officials say 1,700 visitors risk disease
(AP)—Yosemite officials told 1,700 past visitors on Tuesday they may have been exposed to a rodent-borne disease already blamed for the deaths of two people who stayed in cabins at the national park.
Protein found to regulate red blood cell size and number
The adult human circulatory system contains between 20 and 30 trillion red blood cells (RBCs), the precise size and number of which can vary from person to person. Some people may have fewer, but larger RBCs, while others may have a larger number of smaller RBCs. Although these differences in size and number may seem inconsequential, they raise an important question: Just what controls these characteristics of RBCs?
The beat goes in the brain: Visual system can be entrained to future events
(Medical Xpress)—Like a melody that keeps playing in your head even after the music stops, researchers at the University of Illinois's Beckman Institute have shown that the beat goes on when it comes to the human visual system.
Research shows some recurrent miscarriages due to 'Super Fertility'
(Medical Xpress)—A team of British and Dutch researchers working out of Princess Anne Hospital in the UK have found evidence to suggest that the reason some women experience multiple miscarriages is because their wombs allow non-viable embryos to attach to the uterine wall long enough to pass a pregnancy test. The team says this new research, which they describe in their paper published in PLoS ONE, turns on its head conventional thinking that suggests women who miscarry multiple times are somehow rejecting embryos due to immunological issues.
Study of tribe could help find East Asian skin color genes
(Medical Xpress)—Genetic investigation of a Malaysian tribe may tell scientists why East Asians have light skin but lower skin cancer rates than Europeans, according to a team of international researchers. Understanding the differences could lead to a better way to protect people from skin cancer.
Research finds gene that predicts happiness in women
(Medical Xpress)—A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.
Metabolism in the brain fluctuates with circadian rhythm
(Medical Xpress)—The rhythm of life is driven by the cycles of day and night, and most organisms carry in their cells a common, (roughly) 24-hour beat. In animals, this rhythm emerges from a tiny brain structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. Take it out of the brain and keep it alive in a lab dish and this "brain clock" will keep on ticking, ramping up or gearing down production of certain proteins at specific times of the day, day after day.
Biology news
TAM 113 a complement to other TAM wheat varieties
Is the new TAM 113 wheat variety a replacement for popular TAM 111 or TAM 112 varieties?
Selective imprinting: How the wallaby controls growth of its young
Marsupial mothers regulate the composition of their milk so that it is optimal for the development stage of their young. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Epigenetics & Chromatin shows that, similar to the human placenta, which regulates embryonic growth and development, insulin appears to be imprinted in the marsupial mammary gland.
Southern butterflies move north
Native butterflies are vanishing from parts of the Northeast, a Harvard University study finds, while warmer-natured southerners are increasingly invading their turf. This coincides with a half-century warming trend in the region, raising concerns that these rapid ecological shifts are a symptom of climate change.
Antibiotic residues in sausage meat may promote pathogen survival
Antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni or salami meat are potent enough to weaken helpful bacteria that processors add to acidify the sausage to make it safe for consumption, according to a study to be published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on August 28.
Overcoming crocodile breeding hazards with AI
The world's first artificial insemination of crocodiles is one step closer thanks to a novel project between The University of Queensland (UQ) and a central Queensland farmer.
The spiralling cost of invasive species
Some aliens arrived as stowaways. Others were brought in deliberately, for fun or profit. And others were so tiny that nobody noticed them until way too late.
Chinese scientists crack the genome of diploid cotton
The international research team led by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and BGI have completed the genome sequence and analysis of a diploid cotton— Gossypium raimondii. The cotton genome provides an invaluable resource for the study and genetic improvement of cotton quality and output, and sheds new lights on understanding the genetic characteristics and evolutionary mechanism underlying cotton and its close relatives. The study was published online in Nature Genetics.
Botany student proves 'New England Banksia' a distinct species
The New England Banksia is largely restricted to the eastern edge of the New England Tableland, and is common in places along Waterfall Way. Ms Stimpson's research has raised this flowering plant, until now classified as a variety of the Hairpin Banksia (B. spinulosa), to the taxonomic level of a distinct species. The study was published in the open access journal PhytoKeys.
The raccoon spreads dangerous diseases as it invades Europe
Furry, agile, intelligent and voracious: the raccoon is far from being a cuddly toy, which is what many people believe when they get one as a pet. It is more like an invader that escapes and is able to adapt and survive in new habitats. According to a study, its expansion across Spain and Europe is bringing infectious and parasitic diseases like rabies. This puts the health of native species and people at risk.
New method helps researchers decode genomes
(Phys.org)—Although scientists sequenced the entire human genome more than 10 years ago, much work remains to understand what proteins all those genes code for.
Advance makes possible near-instantaneous DNA analysis
Picture this: You've brought your sick child to the doctor's office. After checking her pulse and blood pressure, he takes a nasal or throat swab and inserts it into a mysterious black box. Before the doctor finishes his examination, the black box beeps, indicating that the pathogen that's making your child sick has been identified.
Discovery of plant gene lays groundwork for improved biofuel processing
(Phys.org)—Since 2007, researchers at the BioEnergy Science Center, one of three Department of Energy-funded research centers, have partnered to figure out how to break down plants so that they easily release the simple sugars that can be processed into biofuels. It's a breakthrough that could make biofuels cost competitive with gasoline.
Why are there so many species of beetles and so few crocodiles?
There are more than 400,000 species of beetles and only two species of the tuatara, a reptile cousin of snakes and lizards that lives in New Zealand. Crocodiles and alligators, while nearly 250 million years old, have diversified into only 23 species. Why evolution has produced "winners"—including mammals and many species of birds and fish—and "losers" is a major question in evolutionary biology.
Male snails babysit for other dads
(Phys.org)—Pity the male of the marine whelk, Solenosteira macrospira. He does all the work of raising the young, from egg-laying to hatching—even though few of the baby snails are his own.
Research experiment suggests chimps don't punish third party bad behavior
(Phys.org)—Researchers from the Max Planck institute have been conducting experiments with chimpanzees that appear to indicate that the apes are not willing to punish other chimps when witnessing them doing something "bad" but will do so if they are the injured party. The team has published their findings in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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