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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 11, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Engineers build Raspberry Pi supercomputer- The world's most stable laser also promises heightened test precision
- Physicists devise means for observing single atom interference over coherence length
- Planets can form in the galactic center
- Was Kepler's supernova unusually powerful?
- Sliding metals show fluidlike behavior, new clues to wear
- Harvard researchers develop new kind of soft robotic gripper
- Crowd-talk yields great answers, says university team
- Physicists induce high-temperature superconductivity in semiconductor with Scotch tape
- How non-verbal cues can predict person's—and robot's—trustworthiness
- 'Molecular beacons' light up stem cell transformation
- MAVEN: Next Mars mission enters final phase before launch
- At least 200,000 tons of oil and gas from Deepwater Horizon spill consumed by gulf bacteria
- Mammoth fragments from Siberia raise cloning hopes (Update)
- Body heat, fermentation drive new drug-delivery 'micropump'
Space & Earth news
World water crisis must be top UN priority: report
A rapidly worsening water shortage threatens to destabilize the planet and should be a top priority for the UN Security Council and world leaders, a panel of experts said in a report Monday.
Global student space experiments transformed
(Phys.org)—Space experiments dreamed up by three teenage winners of an international contest that will be streamed live on YouTube from the International Space Station Sept. 13 were made flight-ready by a University of Colorado Boulder space center.
Satellite data confirms Santorini's growth
(Phys.org)—In the south Aegean Sea, the islands of Santorini have been showing signs of unrest for the first time in over half a century. Satellite data confirm that the islands have risen as much as 14 cm since January 2011.
NASA's 'Earth Now' app now available for Android
(Phys.org)—One of the top iPhone education apps in the iTunes store is now available for Android. The free NASA "Earth Now" Android app immerses cyber explorers in dazzling visualizations of near-real-time global climate data from NASA's fleet of Earth science satellites, bringing a world of ever-changing climate data to users' fingertips.
S.Africa to start processing shale gas applications
South Africa will process applications for shale gas exploration but hold off on controversial fracking drilling while new rules are drafted, the mines minister said Tuesday.
Greek tourist island rules out volcano fears
The Greek tourist island of Santorini on Tuesday said fears of a volcanic eruption after a magma buildup recorded by scientists last year were unfounded as geological activity had returned to normal.
Europe space agency eyes manned flights with China
(AP)—The European Space Agency is exploring the possibility of cooperating with China on manned space missions by the end of the decade.
Sonar to give best view yet of Civil War shipwreck
(AP)—Researchers are using new 3-D sonar imaging technology to capture the most complete picture yet of what remains of the only U.S. Navy ship sunk in combat the Gulf of Mexico during the Civil War.
S. Korea to make third rocket launch bid in October
South Korea will make its third attempt next month to put a satellite in space, the science ministry said Tuesday, as it bids to join an exclusive club of Asian nations with space-launch capability.
Droughts could cause collapse of food webs
(Phys.org)—Critically low water levels in many rivers could lead to the partial collapse of food webs that support aquatic life, according to a study co-authored by a University of Leeds researcher.
Saturn's B-ring: Taking a closer look
(Phys.org)—Clumpy particles in Saturn's B-ring provide stark contrast to the delicately ordered ringlets seen in the rest of this view presented by the Cassini spacecraft.
Scientist devoted to measuring Earth's shrinking ice sheets
(Phys.org)—Isabella Velicogna's office in UC Irvine's Croul Hall looks like it belongs to an artist instead of a university scientist. Her paintings and drawings—including charming sketches of mice—adorn the walls, and colorful, handcrafted mobiles dangle from the ceiling.
Scientist uses imaging skills to increase public's knowledge of astronomy
It started with an offhand remark, an unusual characterization for astronomers talking about stars: "They're going off like popcorn."
Preparing for Galileo's next launch
(Phys.org)—After arriving at the launch site last month, the second pair of Galileo navigation satellites is being prepared for launch from Europe's Spaceport in October.
STEREO spots a CME soaring into space
The enormous eruption of a solar prominence and resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) back on August 31 that was captured in amazing HD by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory was also spotted by the Sun-flanking STEREO-B spacecraft, which observed the gigantic gout of solar material soaring away from the Sun.
Maps used to convey relationship between rainfall and 'human vulnerability' in 8 countries
The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) has worked closely with CARE and the United Nations University to develop a series of maps illustrating results from case studies in eight countries for the Where the Rain Falls project. The project aims to illustrate the relationship between rainfall variability and human vulnerability in the context of a changing climate, livelihoods, and migration as a strategic response.
Unnecessary oil disasters
The BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico 2010 could have been avoided if the experiences of earlier disasters had been put to use, researcher Charles Woolfson, Linköping university, claims. The United States government is now accusing BP of gross negligence and deliberate misconduct, and taking the company to court.
Researchers devise more accurate method for predicting hurricane activity
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new method for forecasting seasonal hurricane activity that is 15 percent more accurate than previous techniques.
Russian deputy PM proposes Moon station
A top Russian official on Tuesday proposed setting up a space station on the Moon to revive Moscow's struggling space programme, a day after the prime minister ripped into its failures.
EU to trim biofuel targets on greenhouse gas fears
The European Union plans to trim targets on biofuel use, once seen as a potential source of cheap alternative energy but now widely blamed for soaring food prices, according to a draft proposal.
Global Hawk investigating Atlantic Tropical Depression 14
NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) airborne mission sent an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft this morning to study newborn Tropical Depression 14 in the central Atlantic Ocean that seems primed for further development. The Global Hawk left NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., this morning for a planned 26-hour flight to investigate the depression.
NASA infrared data reveals fading Tropical Storm Leslie and peanut-shaped Michael
When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Atlantic on Sept. 11 it caught Tropical Storm Leslie's clouds over Newfoundland and peanut-shaped Tropical Storm Michael to its southwest. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured infrared data on Tropical Storms Leslie and Michael when it passed overhead on Sept. 11.
Public maps out an A to Z of galaxies
Volunteers participating in the Galaxy Zoo project have been helping scientists gain new insights by classifying galaxies seen in hundreds of thousands of telescope images as spiral or elliptical. Along the way they've also stumbled across odd-looking galaxies which resemble each letter of the alphabet.
Mars rover Curiosity's arm wields camera well
(Phys.org)—NASA's Mars rover Curiosity stepped through activities on Sept. 7, 8 and 9 designed to check and characterize precision movements by the rover's robotic arm and use of tools on the arm.
Research: Starlight and 'air glow' help scientists see Earth's clouds in new way
(Phys.org)—Colorado State University researchers discovered that a combination of starlight and the upper atmosphere's own subtle glow can help satellites see Earth's clouds on moonless nights.
Methane on Mars may be result of electrification of dust-devils
Methane on Mars has long perplexed scientists; the short-lived gas has been measured in surprising quantities in Mars' atmosphere over several seasons, sometimes in fairly large plumes. Scientists have taken this to be evidence of Mars being an 'active' planet, either geologically or biologically. But a group of researchers from Mexico have come up with a different – and rather unexpected – source of methane: dust storms and dust devils.
At least 200,000 tons of oil and gas from Deepwater Horizon spill consumed by gulf bacteria
Researchers from the University of Rochester and Texas A&M University have found that, over a period of five months following the disastrous 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, naturally-occurring bacteria that exist in the Gulf of Mexico consumed and removed at least 200,000 tons of oil and natural gas that spewed into the deep Gulf from the ruptured well head.
MAVEN: Next Mars mission enters final phase before launch
NASA's Mars Atmosphere And Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission has passed a critical milestone, Key Decision Point-D or KDP-D. The project is officially authorized to transition into the next phase of the mission, which is system delivery, integration and test, and launch.
Astronomers measure largest-ever magnetic field around massive star
(Phys.org)—A group of astronomers led by Gregg Wade of the Royal Military College of Canada have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory and the Canada-France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) on Hawaii's Mauna Kea to measure the most magnetic massive star yet. Their work is published in today's issue of the research journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Vesta in Dawn's rear view mirror
(Phys.org)—NASA's Dawn mission is releasing two parting views of the giant asteroid Vesta, using images that were among the last taken by the spacecraft as it departed its companion for the last year.
Was Kepler's supernova unusually powerful?
(Phys.org)—In 1604, a new star appeared in the night sky that was much brighter than Jupiter and dimmed over several weeks. This event was witnessed by sky watchers including the famous astronomer Johannes Kepler. Centuries later, the debris from this exploded star is known as the Kepler supernova remnant.
Planets can form in the galactic center
(Phys.org)—At first glance, the center of the Milky Way seems like a very inhospitable place to try to form a planet. Stars crowd each other as they whiz through space like cars on a rush-hour freeway. Supernova explosions blast out shock waves and bathe the region in intense radiation. Powerful gravitational forces from a supermassive black hole twist and warp the fabric of space itself.
Technology news
SEED project to enable rapid video encoding and dissemination
The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego, has been awarded a three-year, $810,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a resource that lets researchers seamlessly share and stream scientific visualizations on a variety of platforms, including mobile devices.
Pirate Bay founder accused of new crime in Sweden
(AP)—A Swedish man deported from Cambodia to serve a prison sentence for his involvement with file-sharing site The Pirate Bay faces new suspicions of hacking against the Swedish tax authority.
Silicon carbide solutions to solar challenges revealed
STMicroelectronics is revealing innovations in silicon carbide devices at Solar Power International (SPI) 2012 that enable systems producers to build ultra-efficient electronics for converting raw solar energy into grid-quality power.
Study analyzes search for information in stock photography agencies
Stock photography agencies, and not just those companies that dominate the digital photography market, are at the forefront of information search tools.
Director Cameron's company files for bankruptcy
(AP)—The digital production company founded by "Titanic" director James Cameron has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. and Canada and reached a deal to sell its operating business to a private investment firm for $15 million.
News Corp names chief technology officer
(AP)—News Corp. is naming Paul Cheesbrough as its chief technology officer.
Report recommends cost-effective plan to strengthen US defense against ballistic missile attacks
To more effectively defend against ballistic missile attacks, the U.S. should concentrate on defense systems that intercept enemy missiles in midcourse and stop spending money on boost-phase defense systems of any kind, concludes a new, congressionally mandated report from a committee of the National Research Council.
University of Tennessee, ORNL lead national team to study nuclear fusion reactors
Power from nuclear fusion reactors has the promise to be safe, sustainable and limitless. But science has not been able to bring fusion energy to the commercial energy market. This is partly because the operating limits of the reactor materials are not known.
Minnesota woman loses music downloading appeal
(AP)—A woman accused of sharing songs online owes record companies $222,000 for willful copyright violations, a federal appeals court said Tuesday, reversing a lower court's ruling in a long-running lawsuit over music downloading.
YouTube offers own iPhone app to fill looming void
(AP)—YouTube is being reprogrammed for the iPhone and iPad amid the growing hostility between Apple and the video service's owner, Google.
New iPhone nears as holiday lineups unveiled
(AP)—After weeks of speculation, anticipation and a dose of hype, Apple is widely expected to announce a new iPhone on Wednesday.
Giving everyone a voice: Researchers aim to improve alternative communication devices
Synthesized speech technology has given a voice to many who can't speak. But that gift may not offer them a "voice" of their own.
Dartmouth research imparts momentum to mobile health
Bracelets and amulets are in the works at Dartmouth's Institute for Security, Technology, and Society (ISTS). Rather than items of mere adornment, the scientists and engineers are constructing personal mobile health (mHealth) devices—highly functional jewelry, as it were.
Morocco sees 12% of power from sun by 2020
Morocco said Tuesday it is "very confident" of finding the investment needed to build vast solar power plants in its southern desert regions and become a world-class solar energy producer.
French media want Google to pay for content
Leading French newspaper publishers called on the government on Tuesday to adopt a law to force Internet search engines such as Google to pay for content.
Mobile users say best apps in life are free: survey
Nearly 90 percent of the apps downloaded for use on mobile devices worldwide are free, and most of the paid apps cost $3 or less, a research firm said Tuesday.
GoDaddy says no attack behind Web outage
(AP)—GoDaddy.com says a Web hosting outage that involved thousands and possibly millions of websites on Monday was due to internal problems, not an attack by hackers.
Disaster is just a click away
A Kansas State University computer scientist and psychologist are developing improved security warning messages that prompt users to go with their gut when it comes to making a decision online.
New software helps reveal patterns in space and time
The GeoDa Center for Geographical Analysis & Computation, led by ASU Regents' Professor Luc Anselin, has just released a new version of its signature software, OpenGeoDa. The software provides a user-friendly interface to implement techniques for exploratory spatial data analysis and spatial modeling. It has been used to better understand issues ranging from health care access to economic development to crime clusters. It is freely downloadable and open-source.
Length of yellow caution traffic lights could prevent accidents: study
A couple of years ago, Hesham Rakha misjudged a yellow traffic light and entered an intersection just as the light turned red. A police officer handed him a ticket.
Researchers study best use of 'whitespace' spectrum
(Phys.org)—The demand for faster, more mobile Internet access for smartphones, tablets and laptops does more than strain the available space we have in our pockets and bags. There's a finite amount of wireless spectrum available to those gadgets as well.
Crowd-talk yields great answers, says university team
(Phys.org)—Move over, Siri. Some researchers from the University of Rochester in collaboration with a University of California, Berkeley, mathematician/crowdsourcing entrepreneur, have come up with a killer personal assistant approach. "We introduce Chorus, a system that enables realtime, two-way natural language conversation between an end user and a crowd acting as a single agent." So begins their paper, "Speaking with the Crowd," suggesting the ideal artificial chat partner is the partner that is actually the work of contributions from many crowdsourced workers. The researchers propose a crowd-powered chat system that behaves as an online collaborative interface. They believe it one-ups existing systems because it can take on more complex tasks.
Engineers build Raspberry Pi supercomputer
(Phys.org)—Computational Engineers at the University of Southampton have built a supercomputer from 64 Raspberry Pi computers and Lego.
Medicine & Health news
Premiums for family health plans hit $15,745
(AP)—There's a new health care survey, and at first it sounds like good news about insurance costs.
AHA: New school fitness assessment will aid in the battle against childhood obesity
American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following comments on a unified fitness assessment program announced today by The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition; the American Alliance for Health, Recreation, Physical Education and Dance; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the Cooper Institute:
China probes claims children fed modified rice
China is investigating whether more than 20 children were fed genetically modified rice in a project that involved Chinese and US researchers, state media said Tuesday.
Researchers use gene therapy to restore sense of smell in mice
(Medical Xpress)—A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins and other institutions report that restoring tiny, hair-like structures to defective cells in the olfactory system of mice is enough to restore a lost sense of smell. The results of the experiments were published online this week in Nature Medicine, and are believed to represent the first successful application of gene therapy to restore this function in live mammals.
Research: Litigation costly in many ways
(Medical Xpress)—New research by Professor Frank Furedi of the University of Kent highlights the high social cost of today's 'culture of litigation' on health and education services.
Applying lessons of airline safety to health-care practices: Capt. Chelsey 'Sully' Sullenberger
Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III is the pilot who landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after a flock of geese struck and disabled the plane's engines. His quick thinking, years of training and courage on that fateful day in 2009 saved all 155 people on board. After retiring in 2010, he is now using his expertise to focus on the safety of a different set of people, patients.
Analyzing the 'Facebook Effect' on organ and tissue donation
When Facebook introduced a feature that enables people to register to become organ and tissue donors, thousands did so, dwarfing any previous donation initiative, write Blair L. Sadler and Alfred M. Sadler, Jr., in a commentary in Bioethics Forum, the blog of the Hastings Center Report, which analyzes the "Facebook effect" on donation.
Sierra Leone cholera epidemic claims 255 lives, says UN
The cholera epidemic in Sierra Leone, the worst oubreak of the waterborne disease there in 15 years, has now claimed 255 lives, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.
Book offers resources for PTSD sufferers
Close to 5.2 million adults experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) every year. And it can affect anyone—from war veterans and abuse victims to persons directly or indirectly traumatized by violence, natural disaster or other catastrophes. In her latest book, What Nurses Know . . . PTSD, Binghamton University researcher, Mary Muscari, provides a holistic view of this potentially debilitating illness, providing PTSD sufferers and their friends and family with a better understanding of the disorder and what to do about it.
Ageism presents dilemmas for policymakers worldwide
The negative consequences of age discrimination in many countries are more widespread than discrimination due to race or gender, yet differential treatment based on a person's age is often seen as more acceptable and even desirable, according to the newest edition of the Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR). This publication, which features cross-national perspectives, was jointly produced by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and AGE UK.
Quality of life and treatment of late-stage chronic kidney disease
Renal transplantation is best treatment option for improving quality of life in people with late-stage chronic kidney disease
Blood transfusion services in Africa should suit local contact—funders take note
"Flexibility and pragmatism are necessary to reduce the unacceptably high rates of unnecessary deaths in Africa because blood for transfusion is lacking," according to a group of 20 international authors from high, middle and low-income countries writing in this week's PLOS Medicine.
Appellate court: Idaho abortion law likely illegal
(AP)—The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says some Idaho abortion laws are likely unconstitutional, including one barring medication-induced abortions. But the judges didn't pass judgment on Idaho's fetal pain law, saying a woman who sued over the law doesn't have standing to challenge it.
Toll at 12 dead in Canada Legionnaire's disease outbreak
The death toll from an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in Quebec City has risen to 12 since late July, health authorities in the Canadian city said Tuesday.
Toothpicks and surgical swabs can wreak havoc in the gut when inadvertently swallowed or left behind after surgery
A woman developed severe blood poisoning (sepsis) and a liver abscess, after inadvertently swallowing a toothpick, which perforated her gullet and lodged in a lobe of her liver, reveals a case published in BMJ Case Reports.
Reining in red meat consumption cuts chronic disease risk and carbon footprint
Reducing red and processed meat consumption would not only prompt a fall in chronic disease incidence of between 3 and 12 per cent in the UK, but our carbon footprint would shrink by 28 million tonnes a year, suggests research published in the online only journal BMJ Open.
Hayfever vaccine study raises hopes for new allergy treatment as clinical trial is launched
Researchers are developing a new vaccine for hayfever which could be more effective, less invasive for patients and less expensive than vaccines already available to patients within the NHS.
Substantial road traffic noise in urban areas contributes to sleep disturbance and annoyance
The World Health Organization recently recognized environmental noise as harmful pollution, with adverse psychosocial and physiological effects on public health. A new study of noise pollution in Fulton County, Georgia, suggests that many residents are exposed to high noise levels that put them at risk of annoyance or sleep disturbance, which can have serious health consequences. The research is published in the October issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Children's health, access to care differ by parents' immigrant status
Health is an important part of development, with links to how children do cognitively and academically, and it's a strong predictor of adult health and productivity. A new study of low-income families in the United States has found that children's health and access to health care services differ according to the immigrant status of their parents.
U.S. panel rejects ovarian cancer screens for low-risk women
(HealthDay)—A leading U.S. government panel has recommended against ovarian cancer screening for women who are not at high risk for the disease.
Race, ethnicity affect likelihood of finding suitable unrelated stem cell donor for cancer patients
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have published a study describing the greater difficulty in finding matched, unrelated donors for non-Caucasian patients who are candidates for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).
How 'science of consciousness' explains our desire for knowledge
(Medical Xpress)—A University of Sussex neuroscientist has come up with a radical new approach in the pursuit of our understanding of consciousness.
Metastatic 'switch' could lead to cancer therapies
(Medical Xpress)—What kills cancer patients often isn't the primary tumor; it's when the tumor metastasizes—or spreads the cancer to other areas of the body.
Study: Blocked ionic channels prevent cellular development, cause birth defects
(Medical Xpress)—The cellular cause of birth defects like cleft palates, missing teeth and problems with fingers and toes has been a tricky puzzle for scientists.
Microgreens: Tiny, but powerful
Researchers with the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently completed a study to determine the level of nutrients in microgreens compared to their mature counterparts.
Diet could combat adverse side-effects of quinine
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at The University of Nottingham say adverse side-effects caused by the anti-parasitic drug quinine in the treatment of malaria could be controlled by what we eat.
Computer modeling shows how medications play a part in the Parkinson's experience
(Medical Xpress)—A University of Western Sydney researcher has developed a new computational model, which will improve our understanding of how Parkinson's disease (PD) medications affect the brain and cognition.
Studies: Alzheimer drug may stabilize brain plaque (Update)
An experimental drug that failed to stop mental decline in Alzheimer's patients in the U.S. and Canada also showed some potential benefit in slowing brain plaque, fuller results of two major studies show.
Two-thirds of Indonesian men smoke, tops in world
(AP)—Indonesian men rank as the world's top smokers, with two out of three of them lighting up in a country where cigarettes cost pennies and tobacco advertising is everywhere.
High-fat diet may cause change in hypothalamus
(Medical Xpress)—A high fat diet may damage the part of the brain that controls appetite and energy expenditure which in turn dictates our weight.
Secondhand smoke exposure persists in multi-unit housing
(Medical Xpress)—A majority of Americans who live in multi-unit housing have adopted smoke-free rules in their private homes but millions remain involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke in this environment, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers led by senior investigator Andrew Hyland, PhD, Chair of the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), recommend smoke-free building policies to protect all multiunit residents from secondhand smoke exposure in their homes.
Ciguatera fish poisoning a significant public health concern
(Phys.org)—A team of international marine scientists has reported a 60 per cent increase in the incidence of cases of Ciguatera poisoning among people living in Pacific Island nations.
Does Facebook make you fat?
Time spent on social networking sites comes at the expense of other activities – including physical activity, new research by the University of Ulster has revealed.
Reaching youth: Facebook used to teach food safety
(Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Georgia published in the August issue of the Journal of Food Protection found that the social networking platform Facebook is good for more than keeping up with friends-targeted content can be used to teach college students how to safely prepare their own food.
Babies classify by race and gender at 3 months, study shows
(Medical Xpress)—Long before babies can talk—even before they can sit up on their own—they are mentally forming categories for objects and animals in a way that, for example, sets apart squares from triangles and cats from dogs, psychologists say.
After 9/11, ongoing health issues and missed opportunities
The legacy of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 goes beyond the resultant war on terror and continued fighting in Afghanistan to include lies about public health threats at the time, ongoing health problems today, and a public health system that may be less secure in the present and future, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author said Thursday.
New discovery related to gum disease
A University of Louisville scientist has found a way to prevent inflammation and bone loss surrounding the teeth by blocking a natural signaling pathway of the enzyme GSK3b, which plays an important role in directing the immune response.
Vitamin C and beta-carotene might protect against dementia
Forgetfulness, lack of orientation, cognitive decline… about 700, 000 Germans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Now researchers from the University of Ulm, among them the Epidemiologist Professor Gabriele Nagel and the Neurologist Professor Christine von Arnim, have discovered that the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene are significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in control persons. It might thus be possible to influence the pathogenesis of AD by a person's diet or dietary antioxidants. 74 AD-patients and 158 healthy controls were examined for the study that has been published in the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease" (JAD).
Latinos more vulnerable to fatty pancreas, Type 2 diabetes, study shows
Latinos are more likely to store fat in the pancreas and are less able to compensate by excreting additional insulin, a Cedars-Sinai study shows.
Review: Altruism's influence on parental decision to vaccinate children is unclear
As outbreaks of preventable diseases such as whooping cough and measles increase in the United States, researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine are investigating whether altruism, known to influence adults' decisions to immunize themselves, influences parental decisions to vaccinate their children.
Risk-glorifying video games may lead teens to drive recklessly, new research shows
Teens who play mature-rated, risk-glorifying video games may be more likely than those who don't to become reckless drivers who experience increases in automobile accidents, police stops and willingness to drink and drive, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Chain reaction in the human immune system trapped in crystals
The complement system is part of the innate immune system and is composed of about 40 different proteins that work together to defend the body against disease-causing microorganisms. The complement system perceives danger signals in the body by recognising characteristic molecular patterns presented by pathogenic microorganisms or some of our own sick or dying cells that must be eliminated.
Serious games could be integrated into surgical training subject to validation
Serious gaming can be used to enhance surgical skills, but games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into teaching methods, according to a paper in the October issue of the surgical journal BJS.
Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus has yielded key insights, scientists say
The genetic sequencing and reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide have advanced scientists' understanding of influenza biology and yielded important information on how to prevent and control future pandemics, according to a new commentary by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and several other institutions.
Eat dessert first? It might help you control your diet
Consumers watching their diet should pay close attention to the amount of unhealthy foods they eat, but can relax when it comes to healthier options, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Parents of babies with sickle cell trait are less likely to receive genetic counseling, study says
Parents of newborns with the sickle cell anemia trait were less likely to receive genetic counseling than parents whose babies are cystic fibrosis carriers, a new study from the University of Michigan shows.
Interventions can reduce falls in people over 65 who live at home
There is now strong evidence that some interventions can prevent falls in people over the age of 65 who are living in their own homes. However, the researchers who reached this conclusion say that care is needed when choosing interventions, as some have no effect. The full details are published this month in The Cochrane Library. This is an update of a previous report that contains data from 51 additional trials, enabling the authors to reach many more conclusions.
Inhaled pain relief in early labor is safe and effective
Inhaled pain relief appears to be effective in reducing pain intensity and in giving pain relief in the first stage of labour, say Cochrane researchers. These conclusions came from a systematic review that drew data from twenty-six separate studies that involved a total of 2,959 women, and are published in The Cochrane Library.
Religions play positive role in African AIDS crisis
While the Western press often targets religious groups for their roles in handling the African AIDS crisis, these groups tend to play positive—and critical—roles in fighting the epidemic, according to sociologists.
Scientists develop technique to decipher the dormant AIDS virus concealed in cells
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have gotten us one step closer to understanding and overcoming one of the least-understood mechanisms of HIV infection—by devising a method to precisely track the life cycle of individual cells infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking
Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes.
Study provides insight into why severely obese women have difficulty getting pregnant from IVF
One third of American women of childbearing age are battling obesity, a condition that affects their health and their chances of getting pregnant. Obese women often have poor reproductive outcomes, but the reasons why have not been clearly identified. Now, a novel study led by Catherine Racowsky, PhD, director of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), and performed by Ronit Machtinger, M.D., of BWH, in collaboration with Catherine Combelles, PhD, of Middlebury College, gains further insight into the underlying mechanisms. The study will be published online on September 11 in the journal Human Reproduction.
Routine screening for ovarian cancer a failure: study
Routine screening for ovarian cancer is ineffective and at times can do more harm than good, a panel of cancer specialists has concluded.
Scientists devise powerful new method for finding therapeutic antibodies
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a new technique that should greatly speed the discovery of medically and scientifically useful antibodies, immune system proteins that detect and destroy invaders such as bacteria and viruses. New methods to discover antibodies are important because antibodies make up the fastest growing sector of human therapeutics; it is estimated that by 2014 the top-three selling drugs worldwide will be antibodies.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation not associated with lower risk of major CVD events
In a study that included nearly 70,000 patients, supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was not associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiac death, sudden death, heart attack, or stroke, according to an analysis of previous studies published in the September 12 issue of JAMA.
Technique using CT linked with improved detection of lymph node metastasis in patients with melanoma
Preoperative 3-dimensional visualization of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) with a technique known as single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography was associated with a higher rate of detection of positive SLNs and a higher rate of disease-free survival among patients with melanoma, according to a study in the September 12 issue of JAMA.
Study examines cost-savings of physician group practice program
In an analysis of the cost-savings achieved by an earlier pilot program, the Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration (PGPD), researchers found modest estimates of overall savings associated with the PGPD, but larger savings among the dually eligible patients (Medicare and Medicaid), with savings achieved in large part through reductions in hospitalizations, according to a study in the September 12 issue of JAMA.
Fasting makes brain tumors more vulnerable to radiation therapy
A new study from USC researchers is the first to show that controlled fasting improves the effectiveness of radiation therapy in cancer treatments, extending life expectancy in mice with aggressive brain tumors.
Investigators identify gene linking cataracts and Alzheimer's disease
In a recent study, investigators at Boston University Schools of Medicine (BUSM) and Public Health (BUSPH) identified a gene linking age-related cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. The findings, published online in PLoS ONE, contribute to the growing body of evidence showing that these two diseases, both associated with increasing age, may share common etiologic factors.
'Spin' in media reports of scientific articles
Press releases and news stories reporting the results of randomized controlled trials often contain "spin"—specific reporting strategies (intentional or unintentional) emphasizing the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment—but such "spin" frequently comes from the abstract (summary) of the actual study published in a scientific journal, rather than being related to misinterpretation by the media, according to French researchers writing in this week's PLOS Medicine.
Researchers identify possible new oncogene and future therapy target
A gene that may possibly belong to an entire new family of oncogenes has been linked by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) to the resistance of breast cancer to a well-regarded and widely used cancer therapy.
Gestational diabetes, poverty link to ADHD strengthened
(HealthDay)—The previously reported association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and low socioeconomic position (SEP) has been confirmed in a large German cohort, according to a research letter published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Adding ketamine to opioids doesn't reduce cancer pain
(HealthDay)—Using subcutaneously administered ketamine in a dose-escalating regimen as an adjunct to opioids and standard co-analgesics does not have any clinical benefit in relieving cancer pain, but it is associated with increased toxicity, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Scientists make dengue vaccine breakthrough
Dengue is one of the most widespread mosquito-borne viral diseases in the world, with WHO estimating that around half of the world's population are currently at risk. While infection usually causes flu-like symptoms, it can develop into a more serious form of the disease, known as severe dengue, which is a leading cause of severe illness and death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries. The incidence of dengue appears to have grown dramatically in recent decades – before 1970 only nine countries had experienced severe dengue epidemics, but the disease is now thought to be endemic in more than 100 countries across the world.
Multiple sclerosis is remote controlled
(Medical Xpress)—Autoimmune diseases are triggered by immune cells that attack the body's own tissue. In multiple sclerosis (MS) immune cells succeed in invading nervous tissue and sparking off a destructive inflammation there which can be accompanied by neurological deficits such as paralysis and somatosensory defects. A healthy brain is practically free from immune cells, because the nervous system is separated from the rest of the body via specialized blood vessels that prevent immune cells from entering it from the blood. Up to now it has been unclear how in MS immune cells can overcome this barrier and seemingly pass unhindered into the brain tissue. A research team, initially at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried, and later at the University of Göttingen, could now show that these disease-causing immune cells are programmed in the lung to be more motile and to efficiently break through blood vessel barriers.
Study: Gene-gene interactions important to trait variance
(Medical Xpress)—Gaining more insight into predicting how genes affect physical or behavioral traits by charting the genotype-phenotype map holds promise to speed discoveries in personalized medicine. But figuring out exactly how genes interact has left parts of the map invisible.
'Super tree' maps 20,000 medicinal, related plants
(Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Reading, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Imperial College London published on 10 September in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) could allow biopharmaceutical companies to distinguish groups of plants most likely to be beneficial to our health.
Researchers restore children's immune systems with refinements in gene therapy
Researchers have demonstrated that a refined gene therapy approach safely restores the immune systems of some children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The rare condition blocks the normal development of a newborn's immune system, leaving the child susceptible to every passing microbe. Children with SCID experience chronic infections, which usually triggers the diagnosis. Their lifespan is two years if doctors cannot restore their immunity.
Breast cancer risks acquired in pregnancy may pass to next three generations
Chemicals or foods that raise estrogen levels during pregnancy may increase cancer risk in daughters, granddaughters, and even great-granddaughters, according to scientists from Virginia Tech and Georgetown University.
How non-verbal cues can predict person's—and robot's—trustworthiness
People face this predicament all the time—can you determine a person's character in a single interaction? Can you judge whether someone you just met can be trusted when you have only a few minutes together? And if you can, how do you do it?
Study: Hearing impaired ears hear differently in noisy environments
(Medical Xpress)—The world continues to be a noisy place, and Purdue University researchers have found that all that background chatter causes the ears of those with hearing impairments to work differently.
Mild asthma patients may not need daily inhaled steroid therapy: study
For two decades, asthma treatment for millions of people with a milder form of the disease has consisted of daily inhaled steroid medicine to reduce inflammation. Now, a new study has found that asthmatics who take the low-dose medication as a daily routine do no better than those who turn to their inhalers only when they have symptoms.
Biology news
Australia acts to stop super-trawler
The Australian government Tuesday sought to change its environmental protection laws to prevent a controversial super-trawler from fishing in its waters amid concerns about the by-catch.
Project forecasts seasonal bird migration
(Phys.org)—Some of the broader goals of forecasting the seasonal migration of hundreds of millions of birds are to improve conservation, better understand the effects of climate change, and predict and mitigate potential environmental threats, said ornithologist Andrew Farnsworth, a Cornell research associate based in New York City, in describing BirdCast, a collaborative project between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and six partner institutions.
Galapagos tomato provides key to making cultivated tomatoes resistant to whitefly
The whitefly is a major problem for open field tomato cultivation throughout the world. Scientists of Wageningen UR together with a number of partners have discovered genes for resistance to the whitefly in a wild relative of the common tomato. The scientists hope that resistant varieties can be brought to market within two years, making chemical pest control unnecessary. Research into the identification of resistance to whitefly in tomatoes is the basis of Syarifin Firdaus' graduate thesis, which he will be defending at Wageningen University on 12 September.
Cross-species infections threaten both human health and biodiversity
The spread of disease between species is a "one health" issue affecting both human health and wildlife conservation according to a new set of papers published today by scientists from the Royal Society and ZSL.
Trichomonosis jumps species from pigeons to British finches: Loss of 1.5 million
An epidemic that led to the loss of around 1.5 million garden-visiting finches began when the disease jumped between species, according to a study published by The Institute of Zoology.
Does lighting pollution poses risk?
A panel of world experts discussed "Light Pollution and its Ecophysiological Consequences" and shed light on the extent of the dangers and harm that night-time artificial lighting causes, emphasizing that it is the short wavelength illumination that we have come to know as "eco-friendly illumination" that is causing the most harm (primarily LED lighting).
Powerful tool to fight wildlife crime unveiled
A free high-tech tool to combat the wildlife poaching crisis was offered to grassroots rangers by a consortium of conservation organizations at the World Conservation Congress.
Scrub jays react to their dead
Western scrub jays summon others to screech over the body of a dead jay, according to new research from the University of California, Davis. The birds' cacophonous "funerals" can last for up to half an hour.
Screening technique uncovers five new plant activator compounds
A new high-throughput screening technique developed by researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center (PSC) has been used to uncover five novel immune-priming compounds in Arabidopsis plants. Discovery of the compounds, which enhance disease resistance without impacting plant growth or crop yield, establishes the new technique as a powerful asset in the battle to protect crops from damaging pathogens.
100 most threatened species: Are they priceless or worthless?
For the first time ever, more than 8,000 scientists from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) have come together to identify 100 of the most threatened animals, plants and fungi on the planet. But conservationists fear they'll be allowed to die out because none of these species provide humans with obvious benefits.
Catching some zzzz's at Costa Rica sloth sanctuary
They often arrive in bad shape—hit by cars, zapped by high-voltage wires as they climb trees, or orphaned because superstitious locals have killed their moms.
Aussie wasp on the hunt for redback spiders
(Phys.org)—University of Adelaide researchers say a small native wasp that scientists had forgotten about for more than 200 years is now making a name for itself - as a predator of Australia's most common dangerous spider, the redback.
Researchers discover molecular basis for body-color change in red dragonflies
Japanese researchers have discovered that the body color of the red dragonflies changes from yellow to red through redox reaction of pigments called ommochromes.
A minute crustacean invades the red swamp crayfish
The small ostracod Ankylocythere sinuosa measures no more than half a millimetre in length and lives on other crayfish. And, Spanish scientists have discovered it for the first time in Europe. The finding suggests that it arrived along with the invader crayfish Procambarus clarkii some 30 years ago but it is still unknown whether it can invade other crustacean species or whether it benefits or damages the expansion of the already established red swamp crayfish.
Deciphering the language of transcription factors
Transcription factors are proteins that bind to DNA to promote or suppress protein production. Since almost all diseases involve disruption of the protein-production process, transcription factors are promising biological targets for drugs—and could even serve as drugs themselves.
Behavior and stress hormone data may stem spread of invasive species
(Phys.org)—A new University of South Florida study of house sparrows, which have become one of the world's most common invasive species, is providing scientists with physiological and behavior markers that could help keep them a step ahead of the next animal invasion.
'Molecular beacons' light up stem cell transformation
(Phys.org)—A novel set of custom-designed "molecular beacons" allows scientists to monitor gene expression in living populations of stem cells as they turn into a specific tissue in real-time. The technology, which Brown University researchers describe in a new study, provides tissue engineers with a potentially powerful tool to discover what it may take to make stem cells transform into desired tissue cells more often and more quickly. That's a key goal in improving regenerative medicine treatments.
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