Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 13, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Scientists discover second purpose for vortex generators- Cambridge team exposes EMV card vulnerabilities
- Long menopause allows killer whales to care for adult sons
- How fast can glaciers respond to climate change?
- Bendable crystals resolve properties of X-ray pulses
- Study shows how early social isolation impairs long-term cognitive function
- Scientists discover planetary system orbiting Kepler-47
- Researchers find genetic link to dislike of cilantro / coriander
- No more bubbles when boiling water
- Under-twisted DNA origami delivers cancer drugs to tumors
- Ocean acidification and interspecies competition could transform ecosystems, research shows
- Fruit flies reveal surprising new evolutionary link for studying human health
- Algae-fueled bioreactor shows promise as synthetic natural gas producer
- Scientists bring new efficiency to stem cell reprogramming
- Snakes minus birds equals more spiders for Guam
Space & Earth news
Poland joins European Space Agency
Poland on Thursday becomes the 20th member of the European Space Agency, the country's economy ministry announced.
New instrument increases Subaru Telescope's field of view sevenfold
The installation of Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) onto the Subaru Telescope took place on August 16-17, 2012. The availability of this extraordinary new instrument marks the beginning of a new era in observational astronomy and is a testament to the fruits of international collaboration. The 3-ton, 3-meter (9 feet) high instrument mounted at prime focus contains 116 innovative, highly sensitive CCDs. HSC's 1.5 degree wide field of view (FOV) substantially increases the Subaru Telescope's FOV beyond that available with the present instrument (the Subaru Prime Focus Camera, Suprime-Cam) by seven times.
50 years ago today, we chose to go to the Moon
On this day, 50 years ago, on a warm, sunny morning in Houston, Texas, President John F. Kennedy delivered a now-famous speech to 40,000 spectators at Rice University, a speech that supported the United States's commitment to step beyond the boundaries of our world, to go beyond low-Earth orbit and eventually, successfully (and indeed before the decade was out!) land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth.
Guatemala volcano erupts outside tourist center
(AP)—A long-simmering volcano exploded into a series of powerful eruptions outside one of Guatemala's most famous tourist attractions on Thursday, hurling thick clouds of ash nearly two miles (three kilometers) high, spewing rivers of lava down its flanks and prompting evacuation orders for more than 33,000 people from surrounding communities.
US launches national defense satellite from Calif.
(AP)—An Atlas 5 rocket carrying a classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office has lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central California coast.
Mars rover Curiosity working 'flawlessly': NASA
For the past week, the rover, which touched down on August 6, has undergone a series of instrument tests, as well as a rebooting of its steering computers, and everything so far appears fine, according to officials with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
Myanmar mulling satellite launch: Japan company
Myanmar is looking at launching a small Earth-observation satellite with Japanese aid, a company official said Thursday, as the country comes in from the cold after decades of isolation.
Sputtering: How mars may have lost its atmosphere
Why is Mars cold and dry? While some recent studies hint that early Mars may have never been wet or warm, many scientists think that long ago, Mars once had a denser atmosphere that supported liquid water on the surface. If so, Mars might have had environmental conditions to support microbial life. However, for some reason, most of the Martian atmosphere was lost to space long ago and the thin wispy atmosphere no longer allows water to be stable at the surface. Scientists aren't sure how or why this happened, but one way a planet can lose its atmosphere is through a process called 'sputtering.' In this process, atoms are knocked away from the atmosphere due to impacts from energetic particles.
New RBSP instrument telemetry provides 'textbook' excitement
(Phys.org)—In the very early hours of Sept. 1 – just under two days since the 4:05 a.m. EDT launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes – the team at the RBSP Mission Operations Center (MOC) controlling spacecraft A at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. was about to power up that spacecraft's Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT-A), one of the instruments that comprise the Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma Suite (ECT).
Whatever happened to . . . the Mars Global Surveyor?
On September 11, 1997, the Mars Global Surveyor slipped into orbit around the Red Planet. Like JPL's Mariner and Viking missions before it, MGS (as it was affectionately known) fundamentally changed our view of Mars. First came the flybys, each of which returned close-up pictures of landscapes unlike anything anyone had ever seen before—and completely unlike one another. Even the orbiters that followed didn't truly provide a complete picture, says Arden Albee, professor of geology and planetary science, emeritus, and the MGS project scientist. "They didn't have the coverage, or the resolution. What we had was the blind men and the elephant; after MGS there could be no more global surprises."
Nation says goodbye to moonwalker Neil Armstrong (Update)
(AP)—Americans bid farewell Thursday to Neil Armstrong, the first man to take a giant leap on to the moon.
Space launch system: A year of powering forward
(Phys.org)—NASA is powering ahead toward new destinations in the solar system. This week marks one year of progress since the formation of the Space Launch System (SLS), the nation's next step in human exploration efforts.
NASA sees Sanba become a super typhoon
Tropical Storm Sanba exploded in intensity between Sept. 12 and 13, becoming a major Category 4 Typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data that showed a large area of powerful thunderstorms around the center of circulation, dropping heavy rain over the western North Pacific Ocean.
NASA sees wind shear battering Tropical Storm Nadine
Tropical Storm Nadine is struggling against wind shear and some dry air. Infrared satellite imagery from NASA showed that Nadine's most powerful thunderstorms were being pushed east of the center.
NASA's retired shuttle Endeavour heads west Monday (Update)
(AP)—The baby of NASA's space shuttle fleet is about to leave home—for good.
Warmer temperatures make new USDA plant zone map obsolete
Gardeners and landscapers may want to rethink their fall tree plantings. Warming temperatures have already made the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new cold-weather planting guidelines obsolete, according to Dr. Nir Krakauer, assistant professor of civil engineering in The City College of New York's Grove School of Engineering.
Researchers develop rapid method to measure carbon footprints
Researchers have developed new software that can rapidly calculate the carbon footprints of thousands of products simultaneously, a process that up to now has been time consuming and expensive. The methodology should help companies to accurately label products, and to design ways to reduce their environmental impacts, said Christoph Meinrenken, the project's leader and associate research scientist at Columbia University's Earth Institute and Columbia Engineering. A new study, published online in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, describes the methodology.
Meteorologists overturn reading from 90 years ago, make Death Valley holder of the world's hottest temperature
If you think this summer was hot, it's nothing compared to the summer of 1913, when the hottest temperature ever recorded was a searing 134 F in Death Valley, Calif. But while that reading was made 99 years ago, it is only being recognized today by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the most extreme temperature ever recorded.
Ocean acidification and interspecies competition could transform ecosystems, research shows
(Phys.org)—One of the greatest threats to wildlife on the planet is the ongoing acidification of the ocean. As acidity rises, there is also less carbonate available in the ocean, which makes life difficult for hard-shelled creatures.
Scientists discover planetary system orbiting Kepler-47
News flash: The Milky Way galaxy just got a little weirder. Back in 2011 astronomers were amazed when NASA's Kepler spacecraft discovered a planet orbiting a double star system. Such a world, they realized, would have double sunsets and sunrises just like the fictional planet Tatooine in the movie Star Wars. Yet this planet was real.
How fast can glaciers respond to climate change?
A new Arctic study in the journal Science is helping to unravel an important mystery surrounding climate change: How quickly glaciers can melt and grow in response to shifts in temperature.
Technology news
US seeks $1 bn, prison for Taiwan execs in LCD case
Prosecutors asked for a $1 billion fine for Taiwan's AU Optronics and prison terms of 10 years for two top executives in the "most serious price-fixing" case in US history, court documents showed Wednesday.
Feasibility and effectiveness of urban rooftop wind turbines studied through modelling
Murdoch University researchers hope new three-dimensional modelling of urban wind flows will improve the design and efficiency of small wind turbines in city settings.
Amid US probe, China telecom firms defend record
The leaders of a congressional probe into two Chinese telecom giants expressed fresh concerns Thursday about the firm's links to the Beijing government, as the companies defended their integrity.
Chinese high-tech firms interrogated by Congress
(AP)—Two major Chinese technology companies on Thursday denied allegations that some of their equipment is designed to facilitate spying, but they struggled to convince U.S. lawmakers that they are independent from the dictates of Beijing's communist government.
Bringing solar energy to rural Mexican village
Some students take on internships to learn what work in the "real world" will be like after graduation. Others get involved in projects in order to learn how to make their post-graduation world more like they want it to be. Audrey Thompson and Tejal Kuray are definitely in the second category.
Tax on Amazon purchases in Calif. begins Saturday
(AP)—Online retailer Amazon.com has tried to become all things to all consumers, but in California, it is about to take on a role it fought against for years: tax collector.
At Ford, questions remain about life after Mulally
(AP)—The big question at Ford these days: What's next?
From brand new laptop to infected by pressing 'on' (Update)
A customer in Shenzhen, China, took a brand new laptop out of its box and booted it up for the first time. But as the screen lit up, the computer began taking on a life of its own. The machine, triggered by a virus hidden in its hard drive, began searching across the Internet for another computer.
UK spy agency asks academics to tackle cyber risks
(AP)—Britain's government says a new research institute partly funded by the country's eavesdropping spy agency will ask mathematicians and computer scientists to join the fight against cyber threats.
New app created to support preservation of endangered language
(Phys.org)—One of the world's most endangered languages is to be brought into the digital age through the first phone app designed specifically for the documentation of an Australian Indigenous language.
Futuristic technology—including 'talking' robots—could transform industry
A new generation of software that will allow computers and robots to 'converse' with a person is being developed by University of Aberdeen scientists.
Net-zero home? Residential test facility to generate as much energy as it uses
In a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) unveiled a new laboratory designed to demonstrate that a typical-looking suburban home for a family of four can generate as much energy as it uses in a year. Following an initial year-long experiment, the facility will be used to improve test methods for energy-efficient technologies and develop cost-effective design standards for energy-efficient homes that could reduce overall energy consumption and harmful pollution, and save families money on their monthly utility bills.
Apple extends gains after iPhone 5 launch
Apple shares extended their gains Thursday amid a generally positive response to the launch of the new iPhone 5, aimed at keeping the California firm ahead of its peers in the hot smartphone market.
USA Today unveils page-turning digital revamp
USA Today is overhauling its paper and digital editions for the second time in less than two years.
Sharing the research on car-sharing
Share and share alike is a concept we all learn as youngsters. Of course, when it comes to something as personal – and expensive – as a car, sharing's not so easy. Due to rising fuel costs hitting hard, increased concerns about the environment and overcrowded cities, car-sharing services like Communauto are becoming a popular way to get around. Can they be more popular still?
Facebook stock jumps 7.7% after Zuckerberg's comments
They're calling it the Mark Zuckerberg bump. Facebook's stock didn't skyrocket, but it did rise nicely the day after Facebook's chief executive broke his silence and publicly proclaimed that he cares about its shareholders.
Tesla builds 100th sedan, but steep production ramp looms
Tesla has built its 100th Model S sedan.
Hacker group retaliates after member arrested
The hacker group known as Anonymous on Thursday posted credit card numbers in retaliation for what it claimed was an FBI raid arresting one of its members.
Researchers awarded patent for tokamak device, would turn nuclear waste into fuel
University of Texas at Austin physicists have been awarded a U.S. patent for an invention that could someday be used to turn nuclear waste into fuel, thus removing the most dangerous forms of waste from the fuel cycle.
Computer program can identify sketches
(Phys.org)—Computers are good at speed, numbers, and massive amounts of data, but understanding the content of a simple drawing is more difficult. Researchers at Brown and the Technical University of Berlin have produced a computer application that can identify simple abstract sketches of objects almost as often (56 percent of the time) as human viewers (73 percent).
Popularity versus similarity: A balance that predicts network growth
(Phys.org)—Do you know who Michael Jackson or George Washington was? You most likely do: they are what we call "household names" because these individuals were so ubiquitous. But what about Giuseppe Tartini or John Bachar?
Drivers, start your batteries: electric cars to race
Motor racing is set for an electric makeover that will see a new generation of green cars speeding at 220 kmh (138 mph) around urban racetracks—at least until their batteries run out.
Algae-fueled bioreactor shows promise as synthetic natural gas producer
(Phys.org)—Technology developed at EPFL and the Paul Scherrer Institute to transform microorganisms into methane gas will be presented at the Swiss Energy and Climate Summit taking place this week in Bern. The technology could play a role in the future sustainable production of biosynthetic natural gas.
Do it yourself and save: Open-source revolution is driving down the cost of doing science
The DIY movement has vaulted from the home to the research lab, and it's driven by the same motives: saving tons of money and getting precisely what you want. It's spawning a revolution, says Joshua Pearce.
Apple wins German patent case against Motorola
A German court found Google-owned IT company Motorola guilty of infringing Apple patents on the design of smartphones and tablets, a court spokesman said on Thursday.
Cambridge team exposes EMV card vulnerabilities
(Phys.org)—At a cryptography gathering in Leuven, Belgium, on Tuesday, Cambridge University researchers made it known that they do not like what they see in chip and pin systems. Banks rely on customer confidence in their word that chip and pin systems are safe, but the researchers tell quite a different story. Part of the problem has to do with the number generators, which the researchers give a failing grade. Each time a customer is involved in a chip and pin transaction, withdrawing cash or buying goods, a unique unpredictable number is created to authenticate the transaction. The unpredictable number, generated by software, is supposed to be chosen at random. But researchers say the number is highly predictable, because dates or timestamps had been used.
Medicine & Health news
Antidepressants, sleeping pills and anxiety drugs may increase driving risk
Drugs prescribed to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia may increase patients' risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents, according to a recent study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Based on the findings, the researchers suggested doctors should consider advising patients not to drive while taking these drugs.
New report: The ACA'S PCIP serving as a bridge; High-risk pools not a long-term solution
The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, the name for the federal high-risk health insurance pool established by the Affordable Care Act, is serving its purpose as a bridge program, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Currently, the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan is providing a coverage option for people with pre-existing health conditions until they are eligible to purchase insurance through the new state exchanges in 2014, with much of their costs subsidized. However, the program's high costs and relatively low enrollment numbers indicate that high-risk pools, which are designed to cover people excluded from the individual insurance market because of a health problem, are not a tenable long-term solution.
Africa, South Asia lag in boost to global child health
The global mortality rate for young children has been nearly halved in the past two decades, but Africa and South Asia have not kept pace, the United Nations said Thursday.
NYC big-soda crackdown plan goes to vote Thursday
(AP)—One of New York City's most ambitious efforts to prod residents to live healthier appears poised to pass as a health panel takes up a plan to cut down sales of big-sized sodas and other sugary drinks.
US reports incidents of tainted ricotta cheese
(AP)—U.S. health officials say imported Italian ricotta cheese tainted with listeria bacteria is linked to 14 illnesses including at least one death.
Study calls for reviews of psychotropic medication use in elderly
(Medical Xpress)—Regular clinical reviews of psychotropic medication should be established in all care homes to promote safe and effective prescribing to an at-risk population of elderly people, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Dundee and NHS Fife, published today in Age & Ageing, the scientific journal of the British Geriatrics Society.
Hormone research could have hopeful implications for both underweight and overweight people
The appetite is controlled via a complex system that involves the hypothalamus, the brainstem and the cerebral cortex. Hormones also have an important role to play in this system. Researchers from the Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the MedUni Vienna's University Department of Internal Medicine III have demonstrated that ghrelin, a hormone in the gastrointestinal tract, is regulated differently in fat and thin people, thereby contributing to deviations from the individual's ideal weight.
NIH expands safe infant sleep outreach effort
The U.S. national campaign to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome has entered a new phase and will now encompass all sleep-related, sudden unexpected infant deaths, officials of the National Institutes of Health announced today.
Solving the puzzle of drug-induced liver injury
Antibiotics are the first line of defense against many infections. But for some individuals, treatment with certain antibiotics can bring on a new set of health problems, including serious liver damage.
Belgian euthanasia law allows first death of a prisoner
A gravelly ill prisoner serving a long jail sentence has become the first inmate to die under Belgian euthanasia laws introduced 10 years ago, press reports said Thursday.
Daily disinfection of isolation rooms reduces contamination of healthcare workers' hands
New research demonstrates that daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces in isolation rooms of patients with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly reduces the rate of the pathogens on the hands of healthcare personnel. The findings underscore the importance of environmental cleaning for reducing the spread of difficult to treat infections. The study is published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
FDA says muscle, joint pain creams can cause burns
(AP)—The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about rare chemical burns reported by people using popular pain relief products like Bengay, Icy Hot and Flexall.
31 suspected Ebola deaths in DR Congo since May: minister
An outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever has claimed possibly as many as 31 lives in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo since May, Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said Thurday.
Malaysia: Norovirus discovered in lettuce
University Teknologi MARA researchers conducted a study on Norovirus (NoV) in lettuces. The virus causes outbreaks of Gastroenteritis among children below age 5 in Malaysia.
Study: Prazosin inhibits endocytic sorting
In a study just published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Ulrike Eggert et al. demonstrated that the drug Prazosin inhibits endocytic sorting.
Research sheds light on lack of healthcare for migrant workers
(Medical Xpress)—The classic scene of an old-time Vermonter sitting on a stool milking a cow on his family farm remains a powerful image strongly connected to the heritage of the state. If accuracy is the goal, however, a new image would be portrayed: a Spanish-speaking Latino migrant worker most likely from the southern region of Mexico.
Kidney society describes ways to eliminate wasteful tests and procedures
Earlier this year, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the world's leading kidney organization, joined other groups in a campaign to help health care professionals and patients avoid wasteful and sometimes harmful medical interventions. A new article in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) outlines the ASN's top five recommendations for the campaign and the rationale behind them. Following these recommendations would lower costs and lead to better care for patients with kidney disease.
First comprehensive review of European breast cancer screening programs finds benefits outweigh harm
A major review of breast cancer screening services in Europe, jointly led by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London, has concluded that the benefits of screening in terms of lives saved outweigh the harms caused by over-diagnosis.
Gestational exposure to urban air pollution linked to vitamin D deficiency in newborns
Gestational exposure to ambient urban air pollution, especially during late pregnancy, may contribute to lower vitamin D levels in offspring, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). According to study authors, this could affect the child's risk of developing diseases later in life.
Puberty turned on by brain during deep sleep
Slow-wave sleep, or 'deep sleep', is intimately involved in the complex control of the onset of puberty, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).
Mild increases in thyroid-stimulating hormone not harmful in the elderly
There is no evidence to link mildly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels to an increase in mortality among the elderly, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The findings suggest that reflexively treating mild elevations of TSH in those of advanced age is unnecessary.
Researchers find novel predictor for MDS progression risk
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have discovered that changes in the physical characteristics of the effector memory regulatory T cell can predict the progression risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to acute myeloid leukemia. The finding could improve prognostication for patients with MDS and better inform therapeutic decision making.
West Nile virus deaths up 35 pct in US
Deaths linked to the West Nile virus jumped 35 percent in the United States over the past week, amid one of the worst US outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease, officials said Wednesday.
Children with asthma at-risk for mental health issues
(Medical Xpress)—A new study has found that young children with severe or persistent asthma are at higher risk of developing many common mental health problems.
Previously undiscovered cannibis compound could lead to improved epilepsy treatment
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the University of Reading have demonstrated for the first time that a previously unstudied chemical in cannabis could lead to more effective treatments for people with epilepsy.
New surgical implant restores some vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration
(Medical Xpress)—Surgeons at UC Davis Medical Center have successfully implanted a new telescope implant in the eye of a patient with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most advanced form of the disease and a leading cause of blindness in older Americans.
By age 45, smokers already at significantly higher risk of cancer death
(Medical Xpress)—A new Northwestern Medicine study shows that smoking during your middle-aged years dramatically increases your lifetime risk of not just getting cancer, but dying from it.
Cell death mystery yields new suspect for cancer drug development
A mysterious form of cell death, coded in proteins and enzymes, led to a discovery by UNC researchers uncovering a prime suspect for new cancer drug development.
NIH-funded analysis estimates effective PrEP dosing
Several large clinical trials have demonstrated that a daily oral dose of one or two antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection can prevent infection in an approach known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. The level of protection, however, depends on taking the drugs regularly.
Mobile phones and wireless networks: No evidence of health risk found in EU study
There is no scientific evidence that low-level electromagnetic field exposure from mobile phones and other transmitting devices causes adverse health effects, according to a report presented by a Norwegian /Swedish Expert Committee. In addition, the Committee provides advice to authorities about risk management and regulatory practice.
Wide variation in bacon salt levels
(Medical Xpress)—New research from Queen Mary, University of London, has revealed huge variation in the salt levels found in supermarket bacon, with some products containing more than half the daily recommendation of salt in just two rashers.
Parental divorce linked to stroke in males
Men with divorced parents are significantly more likely to suffer a stroke than men from intact families, shows a new study from the University of Toronto.
U-M guidelines help family physicians evaluate, manage urinary incontinence for women
Millions of women experience a loss of bladder control, or urinary incontinence, in their lifetime.
Effects of stopping alcohol consumption on subsequent risk of esophageal cancer
Cancer of the oesophagus is becoming more common in Europe and North America. Around 7,800 people in the UK are diagnosed each year. The exact causes of this cancer aren't fully understood. It appears to be more common in people who have long-term acid reflux (backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus).
Increased dietary fructose linked to elevated uric acid levels and lower liver energy stores
Obese patients with type 2 diabetes who consume higher amounts of fructose display reduced levels of liver adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—a compound involved in the energy transfer between cells. The findings, published in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, indicate that elevated uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) are associated with more severe hepatic ATP depletion in response to fructose intake.
NYC bans big, sugary drinks at restaurants
(AP)—New York City cracked down on the sale of supersized sodas and other sugary drinks Thursday in what was celebrated by some as a groundbreaking attempt to curb obesity but condemned by others as a blatant intrusion into people's lives by a busybody mayor.
Perceived control affects complication rates in patients with acute coronary syndrome
Patients admitted to hospital with obstructed heart arteries were three times more likely to experience complications when they were in hospital if they felt they were not in control of their condition, according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
New study shows exercise may protect against future emotional stress
Moderate exercise may help people cope with anxiety and stress for an extended period of time post-workout, according to a study by kinesiology researchers in the University of Maryland School of Public Health published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Study explains decrease in insulin-producing beta cells in diabetes
Scientists generally think that reduced insulin production by the pancreas, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, is due to the death of the organ's beta cells. However, a new study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers shows that beta cells do not die but instead revert to a more fundamental, undifferentiated cell type. The findings suggest that strategies to prevent beta cells from de-differentiating, or to coax them to re-differentiate, might improve glucose balance in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study, conducted in mice was published today in the online edition of the journal Cell.
Two studies could lead to new personalized therapies for lung cancer patients
Lung cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and is associated with very low survival rates. Two new genome-sequencing studies have uncovered novel genes involved in the deadly disease, as well as striking differences in mutations found in patients with and without a history of smoking. The findings, published September 13th by Cell Press in the journal Cell, could pave the way for personalized therapies that boost survival rates.
Immune system compensates for 'leaky gut' in inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility
New research could clarify how inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), conditions that include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are triggered and develop.
Geneticists verify cholesterol-cancer link
University of Rochester Medical Center scientists discovered new genetic evidence linking cholesterol and cancer, raising the possibility that cholesterol medications could be useful in the future for cancer prevention or to augment existing cancer treatment.
In lung cancer, smokers have 10 times more genetic damage than never-smokers
Lung cancer patients with a history of smoking have 10 times more genetic mutations in their tumors than those with the disease who have never smoked, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Study finds that natural killer T-cells in fat tissue guard against obesity
Invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKT) are a unique subset of immune cells that are known to influence inflammatory responses. Now, a scientific team led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that iNKT cells play a protective role in guarding against obesity and the metabolic syndrome, a major consequence of obesity.
People who read food labels stay thinner
An international team of scientists headed from the University of Santiago de Compostela ensures that reading the labels on food products is linked to obesity prevention, especially in women. According to the study which used data from the USA, female consumers who consult food labels weigh nearly 4 kilograms less.
Low ghrelin—reducing appetite at the cost of increased stress?
Ghrelin is a hormone released by the lining of the stomach that promotes feeding behavior. Decreasing ghrelin levels could potentially help combat obesity—in fact, a vaccine that lowers ghrelin levels in order to reduce appetite is being studied as a treatment for obesity.
Cloned receptor paves way for new breast and prostate cancer treatment
Researchers at Uppsala University have cloned a T-cell receptor that binds to an antigen associated with prostate cancer and breast cancer. T cells that have been genetically equipped with this T-cell receptor have the ability to specifically kill prostate and breast cancer cells. The study is being published this week in PNAS.
Youth smoking rates reduced by restaurant bans
(Medical Xpress)—Teenagers and young adults are less likely to smoke when faced with restaurant smoking bans and minimum tobacco-purchase ages in Europe, according to new research by a Purdue University sociologist.
'Mini' stroke can cause major disability, may warrant clot-busters
A transient ischemic attack, TIA or a "mini stroke," can lead to serious disability, but is frequently deemed by doctors too mild to treat, according to a study in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes
Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics.
Large Europe-wide study confirms work stress linked to greater risk of heart disease
People who have highly demanding jobs and little freedom to make decisions are 23% more likely to experience a heart attack compared with their counterparts without such work stress, according to a study of nearly 200 000 people from seven European countries, published Online First in The Lancet.
Kids with food allergies can fall through the cracks
More can be done to properly manage the care of American children with food allergies, especially when it comes to diagnostic testing and recognizing non-visual symptoms of severe allergic reactions, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Review: inflammation's role in obesity-colorectal cancer link
(HealthDay)—A new review summarizes the ways in which inflammation and altered metabolism are associated with colorectal cancer in obese individuals; the review was published online Sept. 3 in Obesity Reviews.
Thermal sensation spared in nerve-sparing prostatectomy
(HealthDay)—Penile thermal sensory thresholds increase after non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (RP) but not after the nerve-sparing procedure, according to a study published in the September issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Aubagio approved for multiple sclerosis
(HealthDay)—Aubagio (teriflunomide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Almost half of U.S. adults have gum disease
(HealthDay)—Gum disease affects nearly half of American adults aged 30 and older, a new study finds.
9th Yosemite Park hantavirus case
(AP)—The National Park Service says a ninth visitor to Yosemite National Park has been infected with the rodent-borne illness hantavirus.
Doctors who perform abortions are compelled by conscience, just like those who refuse
Exercising conscience in healthcare is usually defined as refusing to provide contested services, like abortion. But in an article to be published Sept. 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine, a University of Michigan faculty member says doctors can be "conscientious" providers of abortion.
Should I marry him? If you're having doubts, don't ignore them, suggests psychology study
Doubt is not a pleasant mental state, but certainty is a ridiculous one. —Voltaire
Experimental drug found to reduce nicotine craving
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Aptuit Centre for Drug Discovery and Development in Italy, have found that a drug called GSK598809 is able to block a type of dopamine receptor in the brain that has been linked to nicotine addiction. The team, studying the impact of the drug on baboons and mice has found, as they describe in their paper published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, that when delivered to the brain, the drug appears able to reduce the cravings for nicotine found in the smoke of cigarettes and thus may someday soon serve as an aide to quitting the habit that kills millions the world over every year.
Signal analysis techniques used to map normal neural activity
(Medical Xpress)—Looking at a tangled mass of network cables plugged into a crowded router doesn't yield much insight into the network traffic that runs through the hardware.
Lack of oxygen in cancer cells leads to growth and metastasis
(Medical Xpress)—It seems as if a tumor deprived of oxygen would shrink. However, numerous studies have shown that tumor hypoxia, in which portions of the tumor have significantly low oxygen concentrations, is in fact linked with more aggressive tumor behavior and poorer prognosis. It's as if rather than succumbing to gently hypoxic conditions, the lack of oxygen commonly created as a tumor outgrows its blood supply signals a tumor to grow and metastasize in search of new oxygen sources – for example, hypoxic bladder cancers are likely to metastasize to the lungs, which is frequently deadly.
Missing pieces of DNA structure is a red flag for deadly skin cancer
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and is the leading cause of death from skin disease. Rates are steadily increasing, and although risk increases with age, melanoma is now frequently seen in young people.
Neural stem cells regenerate axons in severe spinal cord injury
In a study at the University of California, San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare, researchers were able to regenerate "an astonishing degree" of axonal growth at the site of severe spinal cord injury in rats. Their research revealed that early stage neurons have the ability to survive and extend axons to form new, functional neuronal relays across an injury site in the adult central nervous system (CNS).
Scientists map the genomic blueprint of the heart
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have revealed the precise order and timing of hundreds of genetic "switches" required to construct a fully functional heart from embryonic heart cells—providing new clues into the genetic basis for some forms of congenital heart disease.
Scientists reveal how deadly Marburg virus silences immune system
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Marburg virus, a close cousin of Ebola virus. These viruses cause similar diseases and are some of the deadliest pathogens on the planet, each killing up to 90 percent of those infected.
Stress breaks loops that hold short-term memory together: study
Stress has long been pegged as the enemy of attention, disrupting focus and doing substantial damage to working memory—the short-term juggling of information that allows us to do all the little things that make us productive.
Researchers find genetic link to dislike of cilantro / coriander
(Medical Xpress)—Cilantro or coriander as it's known in Britain and some other places, is a leafy green herb commonly used in Mexican food and has a history of having one of those kinds of flavors that people either love or hate. Those that love it say it adds a certain zest to an otherwise bland mix of spices; those that hate it say it tastes like dirt or worse, soap. The question of why there is such a different reaction though, is one that has been asked, but unsatisfactorily answered over many years. Now, new research by a team at genetics firm 23andMe indicates that there may be a genetic link. After taking genetic samples and querying nearly 30,000 people, the team says they believe that part of the reason some people hate cilantro so much is because of a simple gene variant. They have written a paper describing their findings and have uploaded it to the preprint server arXiv.
Study shows how early social isolation impairs long-term cognitive function
A growing body of research shows that children who suffer severe neglect and social isolation have cognitive and social impairments as adults. A study from Boston Children's Hospital shows, for the first time, how these functional impairments arise: Social isolation during early life prevents the cells that make up the brain's white matter from maturing and producing the right amount of myelin, the fatty "insulation" on nerve fibers that helps them transmit long-distance messages within the brain.
Biology news
New chickpeas set to revive Australian pulse industry
Two new varieties of chickpea developed by researchers at The University of Western Australia are expected to take the Indian market by storm and turn the tide for an industry that has struggled to recover from a devastating disease that first hit the Western Australian crop in 1999.
'Camera Trap' wildlife images from Malaysian forest
Researchers from the School of Biosciences at the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) in Sabah, Malaysia have completed 18 months of a camera trapping project in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
'Pink Lemonade,' 'Razz,' 'Sweetheart,' and 'Cara's Choice': superb blueberries from ARS
As a plant geneticist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Mark K. Ehlenfeldt has either developed, or helped develop, a dozen new varieties of blueberries, including "Pink Lemonade." Although not a first of its kind, "Pink Lemonade" is likely America's most popular pink blueberry. It's one of several new blueberries developed by ARS scientists.
Australian lawmakers block super-trawler
Australia blocked a controversial super-trawler from fishing in its waters Thursday in a narrow parliamentary vote which forced concessions from the centre-left Labor government.
Modeling used to predict age- and season-based distributions of North Sea fish
Climate change is causing the temperature of the sea to rise. This is having an impact on the distribution of sole and plaice species in the North Sea. Researchers from IMARES Wageningen UR and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) have used EU funding to devise a model for predicting the age-based and season-based distribution of these flatfish in the North Sea.
Quicker, cheaper methods to create test tube proteins
(Phys.org)—Over the past decade, researchers have become increasingly interested in cell-free protein synthesis techniques as a means to produce proteins in the biotechnology and medical industries. Taking place in a test tube rather than a cell, these methods give researchers more control over the protein synthesis process. But many researchers have not explored these approaches due to the specialized equipment required and limited throughput.
Study finds that only 6% of ocean surfaces have been adequately surveyed, endangering marine mammals
(Phys.org)—The research into populations of cetaceans, by scientists in Scotland and Germany, points to dangerous gaps in the knowledge of species at risk from human activity including military sonar, and bycatch in fisheries.
Migratory moths profit from their journey
It isn't only birds that move south as autumn approaches. Some insects also live their lives on the same principle. A new study of migratory insects has just been published that shows that a considerably higher number of insects survive and migrate back south in the autumn than was previously believed.
Relieving plant stress could eventually help humans relax
Humans could learn from how plants handle stress.
Arctic crustaceans use currents, deep-water migration to survive sea ice melts
With sea ice in the Arctic melting to record lows in summer months, marine animals living there face dramatic changes to their environment. Yet some crustaceans, previously thought to spend their entire lives on the underside of sea ice, were recently discovered to migrate deep underwater and follow ocean currents back to colder areas when ice disappears.
Study of giant viruses shakes up tree of life
A new study of giant viruses supports the idea that viruses are ancient living organisms and not inanimate molecular remnants run amok, as some scientists have argued. The study reshapes the universal family tree, adding a fourth major branch to the three that most scientists agree represent the fundamental domains of life.
Scientists bring new efficiency to stem cell reprogramming
Several years ago, biologists discovered that regular body cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells—cells with the ability to become any other type of cell. Such cells hold great promise for treating many human diseases.
Fruit flies reveal surprising new evolutionary link for studying human health
New research reveals that fruit flies and mammals may share a surprising evolutionary link in how they control body temperature through circadian rhythm, unlocking new ways to study the insects as models of human development and disease.
Snakes minus birds equals more spiders for Guam
In one of the first studies to examine how the loss of forest birds is effecting Guam's island ecosystem, biologists from Rice University, the University of Washington and the University of Guam found that the Pacific island's jungles have as many as 40 times more spiders than are found on nearby islands like Saipan.
Rinderpest: New analysis tells how world eradicated deadliest cattle plague
A new analysis published today in Science traces the recent global eradication of the deadliest of cattle diseases, crediting not only the development of a new, heat-resistant vaccine, but also the insight of local African herders, who guided scientists in deciding which animals to immunize and when. The study provides new insights into how the successful battle against rinderpest in Africa, the last stronghold of the disease, might be applied to similar diseases that today ravage the livestock populations on which the livelihoods of one billion of the world's poor depend.
Long menopause allows killer whales to care for adult sons
Scientists have found the answer to why female killer whales have the longest menopause of any non-human species - to care for their adult sons. Led by the Universities of Exeter and York and published in the journal Science the research shows that, for a male over 30, the death of his mother means an almost 14-fold-increase in the likelihood of his death within the following year.
This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://phys.org/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment