Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 7, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Sets & the city: World Science Festival 2012, New York-style (Part 1 of 2)- Astronomers crack mystery of the 'monster stars'
- Mars rover Curiosity beams back images showing its descent
- A simple way to help cities monitor traffic more accurately
- Searching for tumors or handguns can be like looking for food
- Treatment target for diabetes, Wolfram syndrome
- Wikipedia back online after brief service cut
- Advance in X-ray imaging shines light on nanomaterials
- New brain research refutes results of earlier studies that cast doubts on free will
- Division of labor offers insight into the evolution of multicellular life
- New composite nanofibers next chapter in orthopaedic biomaterials
- Using millions of years of cell evolution in the fight against cancer
- New nanoparticle discovery opens door for pharmaceuticals
- Chemists advance clear conductive thin films: Best results yet from ITO nanocrystal solution
- Armageddon looming? Bruce Willis couldn't save us from asteroid doom (Update)
Space & Earth news
Huge solar filament stretches across the Sun
The Sun wanted to let us know there was action going on in other places in the Solar System besides Mars.
British astronomer Bernard Lovell dies at 98
(AP) — Pioneering British physicist and astronomer Bernard Lovell, who developed one of the world's largest radio telescopes exploring particles in the universe, has died. He was 98.
Thai villagers in legal challenge against Laos dam
Thai opponents of a planned multi-billion dollar dam in Laos submitted a lawsuit to a court in Bangkok on Tuesday seeking to prevent their country buying power from the hydropower project.
NASA sees Tropical Storm Haikui closing in on China
Tropical Storm Haikui is headed for landfall in southeastern China, and NASA's Aqua satellite caught a stunning image of its size and its ragged, but wide eye when it was a typhoon earlier today, August 7. As a result of interaction with land, Haikui has weakened to a tropical storm.
Infrared NASA imagery shows a weaker Tropical Storm 13W
Infrared satellite imagery from shows how cold cloud top temperatures are in a tropical cyclone, and recent imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite shows the cloud-top temperatures have been warming in Tropical Storm 13W. Warming cloud top temperatures indicate less strength, and Tropical Storm 13W is weakening.
NJIT scientist creates instrument for NASA Aug. 23 launch
NJIT Distinguished Research Professor and former Bell Labs scientist Louis J. Lanzerotti, will see his 50-year quest to better understand space weather and Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts rocket, once again, into space on Aug. 23, 2012. This is when NASA's twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) begin their mission to study the extremes of space weather. Lanzerotti, today one of the most respected and valued scientists behind space exploration, was the principal investigator to build one of five instruments aboard each of the two spacecraft that comprise the RBSP mission.
Russian rocket fails to reach target orbit (Update 2)
(AP) — Russia's space pride suffered another blow Tuesday when a booster rocket failed to place two communications satellites into target orbits, a mishap that came a day after NASA successfully landed a robotic vehicle on Mars.
California's hydroelectricity production is vulnerable to climate change
(Phys.org) -- California’s hydropower is vulnerable to climate change, a University of California, Riverside scientist has advised policymakers in “Our Changing Climate,” a report released July 31 by the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Energy Commission (CEC).
UA Mars camera helped find landing spot, snaps photo of rover
(Phys.org) -- In a carefully choreographed maneuver high in the sky above Mars, two man-made spacecraft zipped past each other as NASA scientists and engineers stared at screens inside Mission Control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, anxiously enduring the "7 minutes of terror" - the time it would take the Curiosity rover to plunge into Mars' atmosphere and touch down on the bottom of Gale Crater near the Martian equator.
Solar flares increase in appearances, intensity
(Phys.org) -- Increased numbers of solar flares have become common at the moment, as the sun’s normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up.
Long-dormant New Zealand volcano erupts
A New Zealand volcano suddenly erupted after lying dormant for more than a century, spewing an ash plume that disrupted flights and closed highways, officials said Tuesday.
NASA satellites revealed Tropical Storm Ernesto's strongest side
Satellite data helps forecasters see where the strongest part of a tropical cyclone is located, and NASA's Aqua satellite noticed Ernesto's strongest storms were on the eastern side yesterday. Today, strong storms surround Ernesto's center.
First color image of Mars returned from Curiosity
(Phys.org) -- This view of the landscape to the north of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity was acquired by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the afternoon of the first day after landing. (The team calls this day Sol 1, which is the first Martian day of operations; Sol 1 began on Aug. 6, 2012.)
Building blocks of life came from deep Earth
The rise of the first complex life depended on vital metals brought up to the Earth's surface from far below in vast granite deposits, a new study argues.
Diseased trees new source of climate gas
Diseased trees in forests may be a significant new source of methane that causes climate change, according to researchers at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in Geophysical Research Letters.
NASA shows first 'crime scene' photo of Mars landing
About 36 hours after NASA landed its $2.5 billion rover on Mars, it released Tuesday what it jokingly dubbed a "crime scene" aerial shot of where the parachute, heat shield and vehicle came down.
Mars rover Curiosity beams back images showing its descent
(Phys.org) -- Earlier today, just hours after NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars, a select group of images taken by the onboard Mars Descent Imager, or MARDI, were beamed back to Earth. The 297 color, low-resolution images, provide a glimpse of the rover's descent into Gale Crater. They are a preview of the approximately 1,504 images of descent currently held in the rover's onboard memory. When put together in highest resolution, the resulting video is expected to depict the rover's descent from the moment the entry system's heat shield is released through touchdown.
Astronomers crack mystery of the 'monster stars'
(Phys.org) -- In 2010 scientists discovered four 'monster' sized stars, with the heaviest more than 300 times as massive as our Sun. Despite their incredible luminosity, these exotic objects, located in the giant star cluster R136 in the nearby galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud; have oddly so far been found nowhere else. Now a group of astronomers at the University of Bonn have a new explanation: the ultramassive stars were created from the merger of lighter stars in tight binary systems. The team present their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Technology news
Flying above water in US not just for the birds
(AP) — Jenna Lee didn't get as high as she wanted, and it wasn't for lack of trying.
Samsung exec 'very offended' by Apple rip-off claim
A top Samsung executive testified that he found "very offensive" the suggestion that the South Korean gadget giant ripped-off Apple's market-leading mobile iPhone and iPad devices.
Knowing the Score-Stove -- revolutionary sound-powered stove tested on the ground
A revolutionary sound-powered stove and electrical generator is currently being tested in the conditions it was designed for — rural villages in Nepal and Bangladesh.
The social job hunt: Web startup brings resumes to life for college students in tough economy
(Phys.org) -- A new career-focused social networking site is believed to be the first-of-its-kind platform for college students and recent grads to showcase their work and connect directly with hiring companies.
Biofuel research focuses on manure
The race to create a better, less controversial biofuel has spawned plenty of research into a variety of potential new sources - including switchgrass, corn stalks and algae.
Amazon gets into online social games
Online retail colossus Amazon on Tuesday launched its first online social game in a challenge to Zynga.
Transformed X-48c flies successfully
(Phys.org) -- The remotely piloted X-48C aircraft successfully flew for the first time Tuesday at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert.
Wikipedia back online after brief service cut
Popular online knowledge trove Wikipedia was back online Monday after a fiber optic cable connection between its two US data centers was severed, causing an hour-long service outage.
Short-duration clock approach thwarts RFID attacks
(Phys.org) -- Security researchers and practitioners at the 21st USENIX Security Symposium in Bellevue, Washington, which starts on Wednesday, will learn how researchers have devised an hourglass technology that can thwart attacks by RFID thieves. The study, by researchers from University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of California, Berkeley; and Dartmouth College, will be presented at the event, their work involves the use of a short-duration “clock” on batteryless radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips—that means no special-purpose hardware needed. The idea is to reduce vulnerability to attacks.
What makes Paris look like Paris? Software finds stylistic core
Paris is one of those cities that has a look all its own, something that goes beyond landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and INRIA/Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris have developed visual data mining software that can automatically detect these sometimes subtle features, such as street signs, streetlamps and balcony railings, that give Paris and other cities a distinctive look.
A simple way to help cities monitor traffic more accurately
Cities count the number of cars on the road in order to plan everything from the timing of stoplights to road repairs. But the in-road metal detectors that do the counting can make errors – most often by registering that a car is present when one isn't.
YouTube dropped from iPhone-iPad operating system
Applications to let users watch YouTube videos will not be pre-installed on the next generation of iPhones, iPads and iPod devices, in another sign of mounting rivalry between Apple and Google.
Hacking nightmare victim chastises Apple and Amazon
(Phys.org) -- Wheezes, whispers, coughs and sidebar remarks might one day crash into a deafening roar: There is a disconnect problem in data management policies involving the technology industry as deployed and utilized. Everyone owning some kind of computing device and connecting to the Internet faces a three-Cs looming nightmare made up of connectivity, cloud computing, and compromise. A biting account by journalist Mat Honan has been published about wreaking havoc on his digital life in one day thanks to Apple and Amazon security weaknesses.
Medicine & Health news
Reduce esophageal cancer danger by knowing risk factors
(Medical Xpress) -- As the American obesity epidemic has increased the past two decades, so has the rate of esophageal cancers. Clinician-scientists affiliated with the University of Cincinnati (UC) Cancer Institute say enhanced public awareness about how the disease develops and what can be done to prevent it might help reduce this trend.
Findings could keep allergies in check
Fresh insight into infection could improve scientists’ understanding of allergies and inform new treatments.
NYU School of Medicine announces new clinical trial for ulcerative colitis
A new clinical trial designed to study how worm eggs may relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC) will begin enrolling patients at NYU School of Medicine's Clinical and Translational Science Institute. This unusual therapy has been used in previous clinical trials on patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, but the mechanism of action is unclear.
Food hypersensitivity and otolaryngologic conditions in young children
Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), although difficult to diagnose in young children, shows a causative relationship to otolaryngic symptoms. A new study in the August journal, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery suggests an elimination diet may help manage such conditions in children under two and reduce the need for more serious upper airway tests and interventions.
Thailand woos Middle Eastern health tourists
Thailand will offer 90-day visas on arrival to citizens of six Middle Eastern countries for private health treatment in a bid to boost its status as a medical tourism hub, officials said Tuesday.
Research suggests breast cancer cells have discerning tastes
If detected early, most cases of breast cancer are curable. But if the tumour has metastasized – or spread to a site outside of the breast – cure rates decline. A team of researchers from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have received $449,733 from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Ontario Region to study a rare subpopulation of tumour cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs) in hopes of uncovering the mystery behind metastasis.
Method to prevent rejection of disease-fighting proteins described
The body's natural reaction to reject replacement proteins represents a major obstacle to the successful use of gene therapy to cure a range of life-threatening diseases. A novel method that uses the body's own immune cells to induce tolerance to a specific protein was shown to suppress the rejection response, as described in an article in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Clinical trial for rabies monoclonal antibody
A pivotal clinical trial for an anti-rabies human monoclonal antibody (RMAb) being developed through a collaborative partnership between MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Serum Institute of India, Ltd., is starting to enroll patients. The study, sponsored by the Serum Institute, will evaluate the efficacy of post-exposure prophylaxis following rabies exposure with RMAb and vaccine compared to standard treatment of human rabies immune globulin (hRIG) and vaccine. Post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies that includes a monoclonal antibody should provide a more affordable, safer alternative to prevent the disease, which is a world-wide public health problem impacting 10 million people a year and resulting in some 55,000 deaths.
Astrocytes: More than just glue
Epileptic fits are like thunderstorms raging in the brain: Nerve cells excite each other in an uncontrolled way so that strong, rhythmic electrical discharges sweep over whole brain regions. In the wake of such a seizure, the nerve cells are severely affected, and permanent damage is possible. The glia, a class of cells that surround the neurons in the brain, was long suspected to contribute to the damaging effects of epilepsy. Quite the opposite is the case, as the team of Prof. Dr. Carola Haas from the Bernstein Center and Dr. Matthias Kirsch from the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg shows for the first time.
Increasing federal match funds for states boosts enrollment of kids in health-care programs
Significantly more children get health insurance coverage after increases in federal matching funds to states for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), according to new research from the University of Michigan.
Integration of active tuberculosis case finding in a mobile HIV-testing clinic is feasible
A research article by Katharina Kranzer from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and colleagues describe the feasibility and costs of an active tuberculosis case finding project in Cape Town, South Africa.
Bariatric surgery does not increase risk of broken bones
An international study, led by researchers at the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (MRC LEU) at the University of Southampton, has found that obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery are not at an increased risk of broken bones in the first few years after the operation.
Few kids use recommended safety restraints in cars
Despite the fact that car crashes are the leading cause of death for children older than three years in the U.S. and send more than 140,000 children to the emergency room each year, new research has found that low proportions of U.S. children are using age-appropriate safety restraints and many are placed at risk by riding in the front seat. The research is published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Color-coded labels improve healthy food choices in employees from all backgrounds
A program designed to encourage more healthful food choices through simple color-coded labels and the positioning of items in display cases was equally successful across all categories of employees at a large hospital cafeteria. In an article appearing in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that the interventions worked equally well across all racial and ethnic groups and educational levels.
Focus on quality ups newborn screening follow-up
(HealthDay) -- Primary care pediatric practices can improve short-term newborn screening (NBS) follow-up through quality-improvement processes, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Pediatrics.
Sugary sports drinks plentiful at U.S. schools: study
(HealthDay) -- Although fewer middle and high schools in the United States make sugary sodas available to students today, other sweet beverages, particularly sports drinks, are still widely available, according to a new study.
Superficial X-ray viable for basal, squamous cell carcinoma
(HealthDay) -- Superficial X-ray therapy remains a viable treatment for primary basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in select patients, according to a study published online July 23 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Rap1 plays role in smooth muscle cell vasoconstriction
(HealthDay) -- The Ras-related small GTPase, Rap1, couples to RhoA, and is involved in relocalization of G protein-coupled α2C-adrenoceptors (α2CARs) in smooth muscle cells derived from human dermal arterioles (microVSM), according to a study published online May 23 in the American Journal of Physiology -- Cell Physiology.
Pfizer and J&J end development of Alzheimer's drug
Pfizer Inc. and Johnson & Johnson say they are ending development of a once-promising drug designed to treat Alzheimer's disease after the treatment failed in two late-stage clinical trials.
Curbing tobacco use by growing less
(Medical Xpress) -- In China, 350 million people smoke. Each year, 1 million die from smoking. Many more become disabled. Approximately 20 million Chinese farmers produce the world's largest share of tobacco, nearly 40 percent of the global supply.
Strategies converge on target in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia
For most cells, more than two copies of the entire genome can be a telltale sign of cancer. But for megakaryocytes – bone marrow cells that can give rise to thousands of platelets – having several genomic copies is normal. In their healthy state, these cells can harbor as many as 64 copies of the full complement of human DNA, a state known as polyploidy. When the normal development of megakaryocytes goes awry, they can lose this unique feature and start down the path toward a rare form of cancer known as acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). Researchers can spot these cellular changes, but the underlying causes – and how to reverse the course of disease – have been difficult to pinpoint.
Skilled migrants risk depression in low-paid jobs
(Medical Xpress) -- Skilled migrants who can't find jobs that use their education and qualifications are more likely to suffer mental health problems after three and a half years of arriving in Australia, according to a new study led by a researcher from The University of Western Australia.
Young people's feeling of invulnerability has drawbacks - and benefits
(Medical Xpress) -- A sense of invulnerability isn’t a hallmark of youth as many adults may believe nor is it necessarily detrimental, a new study suggests. However, feeling immune to the problems and threats that affect others can be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether people believe they’re exempt from psychological risks or physical harm.
Teen behavior problems linked to childhood stress
(Medical Xpress) -- Such behavior problems in adolescence as aggression and delinquency are linked to chronic stress in early childhood, which interferes with children's development of self-control, reports a Cornell study published online in April in Developmental Psychology.
Kids' language often misleads in testimony
(Medical Xpress) -- Children often use language differently than adults when referring to a person or thing, which can result in misleading testimony, according to a new Cornell study.
Weekend hospital stays prove more deadly than other times for older people with head trauma
(Medical Xpress) -- A Johns Hopkins review of more than 38,000 patient records finds that older adults who sustain substantial head trauma over a weekend are significantly more likely to die from their injuries than those similarly hurt and hospitalized Monday through Friday, even if their injuries are less severe and they have fewer other illnesses than their weekday counterparts.
A new approach to improving cancer chemotherapy
(Medical Xpress) -- Chemotherapy kills tumor cells, but it also wreaks havoc on the rest of the body. A team of researchers led by Igor Roninson of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy just reported the discovery of a new class of drugs that reduces the adverse effects of cellular damage from chemotherapy.
Greater working memory capacity benefits analytic, but not creative, problem-solving
(Medical Xpress) -- Psychological scientists have long known that the amount of information we can actively hold in mind at any given time – known as working memory – is limited. Our working memory capacity reflects our ability to focus and control attention and strongly influences our ability to solve problems.
CCNY psychologist offers guide to utilizing projective tests
(Medical Xpress) -- “If I hold up a coffee mug and ask you to tell me what it is, it is easy for you to give me the correct answer, but you haven’t revealed anything about yourself,” says City College of New York Professor of Psychology Steven Tuber. “But if I ask you to describe something that is ambiguous I am giving you a problem, and how you make sense of it tells me something about yourself.”
Time to get moving: Researcher recommends physical activity be part of school day, after-school programs
(Medical Xpress) -- Along with reading, writing and arithmetic, do you know if physical activity will be a big part of your child's school day? What about after school and on weekends -- is your child getting enough physical activity?
Study questions value of calcium and vitamin D supplements
Prescribing calcium and vitamin D supplements for men at risk of bone loss from hormonal treatment for prostate cancer seems like good medicine.
Lower risk of serious side-effects in trials of new targeted drugs
Patients in early clinical trials of new-style targeted cancer therapies appear to have a much lower risk of the most serious side-effects than with traditional chemotherapy, according to a new analysis.
Diode laser efficient, safe for tonsillotomy in children
(HealthDay) -- A fiber-guided 1,470 nm diode laser system is safe and effective for tonsillotomy in the treatment of obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy in children, according to a study published online July 26 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
More kids taking antipsychotics for ADHD: study
(HealthDay) -- Use of powerful antipsychotic medications such as Abilify and Risperdal to control youngsters with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other behavior problems has skyrocketed in recent years, a new study finds.
Learned helplessness linked to arthritis disease outcomes
(HealthDay) -- For patients with inflammatory polyarthritis (IP), learned helplessness (LH) correlates with disease outcomes and seems to mediate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and disease outcomes, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Corticosteroids not effective for treating acute sinusitis
Corticosteroids, frequently prescribed to alleviate acute sinusitis, show no clinical benefit in treating the condition, according to a randomized controlled trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Scientists identify new gene linked to PTSD
Investigators at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System have identified a new gene linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings, published online in Molecular Psychiatry, indicate that a gene known to play a role in protecting brain cells from the damaging effects of stress may also be involved in the development of PTSD.
Researcher finds depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts in former finasteride users
New research, to be published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, finds that men who developed persistent sexual side effects while on finasteride (Propecia), a drug commonly used for male pattern hair loss, have a high prevalence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. The study, titled "Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Thoughts Among Former Users of Finasteride With Persistent Sexual Side Effects," was authored by Michael S. Irwig, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Grapefruit juice lets patients take lower dose of cancer drug
A glass a day of grapefruit juice lets patients derive the same benefits from an anti-cancer drug as they would get from more than three times as much of the drug by itself, according to a new clinical trial. The combination could help patients avoid side effects associated with high doses of the drug and reduce the cost of the medication.
New drug successfully halts fibrosis in animal model of liver disease
A study published in the online journal Hepatology reports a potential new NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor therapy for liver fibrosis, a scarring process associated with chronic liver disease that can lead to loss of liver function.
Coach could be key in helping stroke patients
When a stroke patient is discharged from the hospital, they often must cope with a new disability or lack of function, so changes in their medications or a new dosing prescription can be particularly confusing. This can lead the patient to overmedicate, take the wrong medication or skip medications entirely and can result in being readmitted to the hospital.
TRPM7 protein key to breast cancer metastasis in animal models
The protein transient receptor potential melastatin-like 7 (TRPM7) is a critical determinant of breast cancer cell metastasis, according to study results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Infection risk up for seniors with rheumatoid arthritis
(HealthDay) -- Elderly adults with rheumatoid arthritis have a considerable risk of serious infection, with antirheumatic drug use increasing the risk, according to a study published online July 25 in Arthritis Care & Research.
Skin intrinsic fluorescence tied to coronary artery disease
(HealthDay) -- Skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF) is significantly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in middle-aged adults with a long duration of type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online July 30 in Diabetes Care.
Study uses stem cells to boost red blood cell production
(HealthDay) -- Using human stem cells, scientists have developed methods to boost the production of red blood cells, according to a new study.
No increase in preterm delivery with Ramadan fasting
(HealthDay) -- Pregnant women who fast during the month of Ramadan do not have an increased risk of preterm delivery, regardless of when during gestation the fasting occurs, according to research published online July 25 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Cholesterol levels appear to be improving among US youths
In a study involving more than 16,000 U.S. children and adolescents, there has been a decrease in average total cholesterol levels over the past 2 decades, although almost 1 in 10 had elevated total cholesterol in 2007-2010, according to a study in the August 8 issue of JAMA.
Study compares rate of death following diabetes diagnosis among normal weight and overweight adults
Participants in a study who were normal weight at the time of a diagnosis of diabetes experienced higher rates of total and noncardiovascular death compared with those who were overweight or obese at diabetes diagnosis, according to a study in the August 8 issue of JAMA.
Fewer than half US adults get enough exercise
Fewer than half of US adults get enough physical activity for their health, said a US government study released Tuesday.
Will humans lose the battle with microbes?
Consider an all-too-common scenario: You're burning up from a high fever after a routine surgical procedure, and an infection specialist is called to help treat your problem. You assume that a short course of antibiotics will quickly turn things around. But the specialist candidly admits: "I'm sorry, I can't treat your infection. You've got a resistant bacteria, a super bug."
Bad bosses can be bad for your health, experts say
Mondays can start off poorly, especially if you've got a bad boss. Or a mean boss. Or an incompetent boss.
COI declarations and off-label drug use
Conflict-of-interest statements made by physicians and scientists in their medical journal articles after they had been allegedly paid by pharmaceutical manufacturers as part of off-label marketing programs are often inadequate, highlighting the deficiencies in relying on author candidness and the weaknesses in some journal practices in ensuring proper disclosure, according to a study by international researchers published in this week's PLoS Medicine. Off-label marketing is the promotion by a manufacturer of a drug for use in a condition or age group, or in a dose or form of administration that has not been specifically approved by a drugs regulatory body; it is illegal in the United States.
Dyslexia caused by signal processing in the brain
(Medical Xpress) -- To participate successfully in life, it is important to be able to read and write. Nevertheless, many children and adults have difficulties in acquiring these skills and the reason is not always obvious. They suffer from dyslexia which can have a variety of symptoms. Thanks to research carried out by Begoña Díaz and her colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, a major step forward has been made in understanding the cause of dyslexia. The scientists have discovered an important neural mechanism underlying dyslexia and shown that many difficulties associated with dyslexia can potentially be traced back to a malfunction of the medial geniculate body in the thalamus. The results provide an important basis for developing potential treatments.
Kidney disease linked to defects in cells' ability to repair damaged DNA
(Medical Xpress) -- Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Friedhelm Hildebrandt has discovered that genetic mutations that impair cells’ ability to repair damaged DNA can cause chronic kidney disease.
Children's healthy diets lead to healthier IQ: study
(Medical Xpress) -- Children fed healthy diets in early age may have a slightly higher IQ, while those on heavier junk food diets may have a slightly reduced IQ, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.
Why do infants get sick so often? Researchers reveal cell signaling prevents growth of essential immune cells
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System are helping to quell parents' worry about why infants seem to get sick so often.
New brain research refutes results of earlier studies that cast doubts on free will
(Medical Xpress) -- When people find themselves having to make a decision, the assumption is that the thoughts, or voice that is the conscious mind at work, deliberate, come to a decision, and then act. This is because for most people, that’s how the whole process feels. But back in the early 1980’s, an experiment conducted by Benjamin Libet, a neuroscientist with the University of California, cast doubt on this idea.
Treatment target for diabetes, Wolfram syndrome
Inflammation and cell stress play important roles in the death of insulin-secreting cells and are major factors in diabetes. Cell stress also plays a role in Wolfram syndrome, a rare, genetic disorder that afflicts children with many symptoms, including juvenile-onset diabetes.
Searching for tumors or handguns can be like looking for food
If past experience makes you think there's going to be one more cashew at the bottom of the bowl, you're likely to search through those mixed nuts a little longer.
Using millions of years of cell evolution in the fight against cancer
As the medical community continues to make positive strides in personalized cancer therapy, scientists know some dead ends are unavoidable. Drugs that target specific genes in cancerous cells are effective, but not all proteins are targetable. In fact, it has been estimated that as few as 10 to 15 percent of human proteins are potentially targetable by drugs. For this reason, Georgia Tech researchers are focusing on ways to fight cancer by attacking defective genes before they are able to make proteins.
Biology news
Needed: a global bioinformatics system
A global information infrastructure is critical to making intelligent decisions about the grand challenge of rapid shifts occurring in the environment and life on Earth.
Baby rhinos get second chance in S. African orphanage
The baby black rhino slurps milk greedily from a cola bottle, hops around and chases its caregiver in South Africa's newest and largest orphanage for calves whose parents were poached for their horns.
Notre Dame researcher sheds light on how jaws evolve
(Phys.org) -- If you’re looking for information on the evolution and function of jaws, University of Notre Dame researcher Matt Ravosa is your man.
Insect Olympians: Students ask what makes horned passalus beetles so strong
(Phys.org) -- All eyes are turned to London as the world's top athletes compete for Olympic glory, but a humbler competition has been taking place in Andy Davis's lab at the University of Georgia this summer, featuring some unlikely competitors—horned passalus beetles.
Evolutionary molecule identified by researchers
(Phys.org) -- Researchers at the University of Dundee have identified a molecule that could play a key role in how cells develop into the building blocks of life.
Study reveals impact of historical domestic cattle hybridization with American bison
Plains bison are an iconic symbol of America on everything from coins to state flags. Now scientists writing in Conservation Biology are exploring how the cross-breeding of bison with domestic cattle in the late 1800s may still have unwanted effects on modern populations of the species.
Researchers demonstrate control of devastating cassava virus in Africa
An international research collaboration recently demonstrated progress in protecting cassava against cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), a serious virus disease, in a confined field trial in Uganda using an RNA interference technology. The field trial was planted in November 2010 following approval by the National Biosafety Committee of Uganda. The plants were harvested in November 2011 and results were published in the August 1, 2012 issue of the journal Molecular Plant Pathology . These results point researchers in the right direction as they develop virus-resistant cassava varieties preferred by farmers in Eastern Africa.
Can nature parks save biodiversity?
The 14 years of wildlife studies in and around Madagascar's Ranomafana National Park by Sarah Karpanty, associate professor of wildlife conservation at Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment, and her students are summarily part of a paper on biodiversity published July 25 by Nature's Advanced Online Publication and coming out soon in print.
Holy bat detector! Ecologists develop first Europe-wide bat ID tool
Just as differences in song can be used to distinguish one bird species from another, the pips and squeaks bats use to find prey can be used to identify different species of bat. Now, for the first time, ecologists have developed a Europe-wide tool capable of identifying bats from their echolocation calls.
Birds do better in 'agroforests' than on farms: study
Compared with open farmland, wooded "shade" plantations that produce coffee and chocolate promote greater bird diversity, although a new University of Utah study says forests remain the best habitat for tropical birds.
Researchers solve plant sex cell mystery
(Phys.org) -- Although farmers have been manipulating plant germlines since the Neolithic, plant sex cells have stubbornly guarded the secret of their origin. The surprisingly simple answer – low oxygen levels – could change the way we breed plants.
Bacteria branch out
(Phys.org) -- Streptomyces produce the majority of clinically useful antibiotics, yet we don’t fully understand how they grow. PhD student Antje Hempel has contributed to our understanding of this by working out how and why the bacterial filaments produce branches.
Study reveals new family tree for ray-finned fish
(Phys.org) -- The most common lineages of fish found today in oceans, lakes, and rivers evolved about the same time as mammals and birds, a new Yale University-led study shows.
Researchers eliminate aggression in birds by inhibiting specific hormone
(Phys.org) -- James Goodson and colleagues at Indiana University have found that by altering the secretion of the hormone VIP in certain parts of the brain, treated birds lose their aggressive tendencies. As they write in their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by altering the DNA of brain cells in the hypothalamus, the team was able to effectively reduce aggressive behavior in the birds with no other apparent side effects.
Paddlefish's doubled genome may question theories on limb evolution
The American paddlefish -- known for its bizarre, protruding snout and eggs harvested for caviar -- duplicated its entire genome about 42 million years ago, according to a new study published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution. This finding may add a new twist to the way scientists study how fins evolved into limbs since the paddlefish is often used as a proxy for a more representative ancestor shared by humans and fishes.
Division of labor offers insight into the evolution of multicellular life
Dividing tasks among different individuals is a more efficient way to get things done, whether you are an ant, a honeybee or a human.
Planting the seeds of defense: Study finds stress triggers widespread epigenetic changes that aid in disease resistance
It was long thought that methylation, a crucial part of normal organism development, was a static modification of DNA that could not be altered by environmental conditions. New findings by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, however, suggest that the DNA of organisms exposed to stress undergo changes in DNA methylation patterns that alter how genes are regulated.
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