Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 12, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Point-like defects in a quantum fluid behave like magnetic monopoles- Intel: Ultrabooks will be thin and light but heavy in innovation
- New formula predicts if scientists will be stars
- Researchers at SLAC find too many taus decay from bottom quarks to fit Standard Model
- Dark energy is real, say astronomers
- Upconverting nanoparticle inks: Invisible QR codes tackle counterfeit bank notes
- Self-control may not be a limited resource after all
- CERN scientists brainstorm future role
- Social networks boosts election turnout
- Drier soils trigger more storms
- Math anxiety causes trouble for students as early as first grade
- Gut bacteria increase fat absorption
- Are our bones well designed? Insects and crabs have a leg up on us
- UK museum revives first-ever film shot in color
- New African monkey species identified
Space & Earth news
Old deeds, witness trees offer glimpse of pre-settlement forest in West Virginia
Using old deeds and witness trees, a U.S. Forest Service scientist has created a glimpse of the composition of the forests that covered today's Monongahela National Forest before settlement and logging changed the landscape.
Indian capital to ban use of all plastic bags
(AP)—The government of India's capital is hoping that a strict ban on plastic bags will help the environment.
Experimenting with the effects of climate change on mountain pastures
What will a warmer, drier climate do to the legendary quality of Swiss cheese? To address this and other questions, researchers from EPFL and Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil had small flocks of sheep graze below plastic greenhouse tunnels in western Switzerland, near Yverdon. The main focus of the experiment was to study the effects of droughts on mountain pastures and their forage production. On Wednesday, September 12th, the organizers are holding an open day to present the campaign to members of agricultural institutions, researchers and the public.
Study: Food crisis imminent within next decade if no change to climate policy
Research released today shows that within the next 10 years large parts of Asia can expect increased risk of more severe droughts, which will impact regional and possibly even global food security.
Debut of One Degree Imager at WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory
(Phys.org)—The days when professional astronomers peered through telescopes are long gone. Today, the camera or other instrument that is attached to the telescope is as important as the telescope itself. Over the life of a telescope, new instruments are added that greatly enhance its capabilities. So the new camera known as the One Degree Imager, or ODI, that is being commissioned at the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope on Kitt Peak is of great excitement to astronomers. When fully operational, the ODI camera will be able to image an area of the sky five times that of the full moon – far larger than any previous camera at the WIYN telescope. Sensitive to visible light, the camera will be able to resolve objects as small as 0.3 arc seconds – about the equivalent of seeing a baseball at a distance of 30 miles away.
Russia fails to grasp democratic ideals: sociologist
The brutally repressive Soviet Union Vladimir Shlapentokh left behind 33 years ago may have opened its borders to the world, but today's Russia has become wracked with greed, corruption and mass emigration that threaten the nation's future. So argues Shlapentokh, a Michigan State University sociologist, in the academic journal Communist and Post-Communist Studies.
Sailboat navigates once-frozen Arctic waterway
A three-man sailing expedition for the first time has navigated the once-frozen Northwest Passage, a perilous Arctic route made accessible only because of melting caused by global warming.
Martian clay minerals might have a much hotter origin
(Phys.org)—Ancient Mars, like Earth today, was a diverse planet shaped by many different geologic processes. So when scientists, using rovers or orbiting spacecraft, detect a particular mineral there, they must often consider several possible ways it could have been made.
Climate change, algal blooms and 'dead zones' in the Great Lakes
(Phys.org)—Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of intense spring rain storms in the Great Lakes region throughout this century and will likely add to the number of harmful algal blooms and "dead zones" in Lake Erie, unless additional conservation actions are taken, according to a University of Michigan aquatic ecologist.
Last look at weather satellite
(Phys.org)—As preparations for the launch of Europe's latest weather satellite continue on track, the team in Kazakhstan has said farewell to MetOp-B as it was sealed in the Soyuz rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 16:28 GMT (18:28 CEST) on Monday. Encapsulation is an important and somewhat emotional milestone on the road to launch as it is the last time MetOp-B will be seen. The launch campaign team has spent the last six weeks or so at the Baikonur Cosmodrome testing and preparing this four-tonne satellite for life in orbit around Earth.
Astronauts going underground
ESA's CAVES training programme began its second phase last Friday as six astronauts ventured into the Sardinian caves in Italy that are their home this week. CAVES mimics elements of spaceflight to prepare astronauts and trainers for the real thing.
Gaia—the billion-star surveyor—proven to withstand temperature extremes
(Phys.org)—ESA's Gaia mission to survey a billion stars has passed a gruelling test to prove it can withstand the extreme temperatures it will experience in space when it is launched next year.
A canopy of confidence: Orion's parachutes
(Phys.org)—They were perhaps some of the most visible images of the end of each Apollo mission: Giant orange and white parachutes unfurled high above the spacecraft, gently descending toward the ocean. As NASA continues to build the Orion spacecraft and head toward its first unmanned test flight in 2014, it will once again descend under parachutes to a water landing. But even though the orange and white chutes remain, their design and testing is quite different than in the past.
New analysis of drinking water-related gastrointestinal illness
The distribution system piping in U.S. public water systems that rely on non-disinfected well water or "ground water" may be a largely unrecognized cause of up to 1.1 million annual cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI), involving nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, scientists are reporting. Their study in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology concludes that such illnesses may become more of a problem as much of the nation's drinking water supply system continues to age and deteriorate.
Himalayan glaciers retreating at accelerated rate in some regions but not others
Glaciers in the eastern and central regions of the Himalayas appear to be retreating at accelerating rates, similar to those in other areas of the world, while glaciers in the western Himalayas are more stable and could be growing, says a new report from the National Research Council.
New model could help fill data gap in predicting historical air pollution exposure
In a study that analyzed relationships between air quality and unemployment levels, a Tufts University researcher has developed a new statistical model that retrospectively estimates air pollution exposure for previous time periods where such information is not available.
Mars rover Curiosity wrapping up health checkups (Update)
The Mars rover Curiosity is preparing to roll again after it completes its health checkups this week, project managers said Wednesday.
NASA gives infrared identification of new Eastern Pacific Tropical Depression
One of NASA's infrared "eyes" is an instrument that flies aboard the Aqua satellite, and it provided data that helped forecasters determine that low pressure "System 90E" strengthened into the eastern Pacific Ocean's eleventh tropical depression.
NASA Global Hawk and satellites attend Tropical Storm Nadine's 'Birth'
Tropical Depression 14 strengthened into Tropical Storm Nadine while NASA's Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel Mission, or HS3 mission, was in full-swing and NASA's Global Hawk aircraft captured the event. While the Global Hawk was gathering data over the storm, NASA satellites were also analyzing Nadine from space.
New Webb telescope video takes viewers 'beyond the visible light'
(Phys.org)—There are a lot of things that are hidden from our sight, and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is going to open up another world in the way we look at the cosmos. The Webb telescope is going to do that by looking beyond visible light at infrared light, and that's the focus of a new light-hearted, educational animated video.
A celestial witch's broom?—A new view of the pencil nebula
(Phys.org)—The Pencil Nebula is pictured in a new image from ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. This peculiar cloud of glowing gas is part of a huge ring of wreckage left over after a supernova explosion that took place about 11 000 years ago. This detailed view was produced by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope.
Martian 'blueberries' could be clues to presence of life
(Phys.org)—A discovery at The University of Western Australia that microbes helped shape rare spheres of iron-oxide on Earth may aid the newly landed Curiosity Rover in its search for the first verifiable signs of extra-terrestrial life in similar rocks on Mars.
NASA observations point to 'dry ice' snowfall on Mars
(Phys.org)—NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data have given scientists the clearest evidence yet of carbon-dioxide snowfalls on Mars. This reveals the only known example of carbon-dioxide snow falling anywhere in our solar system.
Potential survival of extreme life forms on eccentric exoplanets
(Phys.org)—Astronomers have discovered a veritable rogues' gallery of odd exoplanets—from scorching hot worlds with molten surfaces to frigid ice balls.
Drier soils trigger more storms
Afternoon storms are more likely to develop when soils are parched, according to a new study published this week in Nature which examined hydrological processes across six continents.
Dark energy is real, say astronomers
(Phys.org)—Dark energy, a mysterious substance thought to be speeding up the expansion of the Universe is really there, according to a team of astronomers at the University of Portsmouth and LMU University Munich.
Technology news
Sandia, OurEnergyPolicy.org release 'Goals of Energy Policy' poll results
U.S. energy policy should simultaneously pursue security of its energy supply, economic stability and reduced environmental impacts, says a national poll of energy professionals jointly prepared by Sandia National Laboratories and OurEnergyPolicy.org.
What California needs to do about electric cars (hint: more)
The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law today released a new report on industry actions and federal, state, and local policies needed to stimulate long-term, mass adoption of electric vehicles. "Electric Drive by '25″ (available from either UCLA Law or Berkeley Law) is the tenth report in our Climate Change and Business Research Initiative, funded by Bank of America.
Sweden mulls law to stop kids' phones from ruining parents
The Swedish government said Wednesday it was considering introducing a law to prevent children from emptying their parents' bank accounts in just a few clicks when playing with their smartphones.
France reconsiders plans to boost biofuel use
France said Wednesday it would reconsider its plans to further develop the use of biofuel, once seen as a potential source of cheap alternative energy but now blamed for soaring food prices.
Facebook CEO: Stock 'obviously been disappointing'
(AP)—Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday that the performance of his company's stock since its public offering "has obviously been disappointing," but he said the company has survived troubles before.
Zuckerberg says no Facebook phone coming
Facebook is not building its own mobile phone, despite some reports to the contrary, company founder Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday, adding the phone would be "clearly the wrong strategy" to adopt.
Zuckerberg eyes mobile after Facebook IPO flop (Update)
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the social network giant is focused on mobile devices and should be seen as a smart bet despite a "disappointing" stock market debut.
Samsung starts to build $7bn chip plant in China
South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it had started building a new $7 billion chip plant in the Chinese city of Xian—its biggest-ever investment in the country.
HarperCollins reaches deal to lower e-book prices
(AP)—A new and uncertain era of e-book prices has begun.
Zuckerberg ready to 'double down' on Facebook
(AP)—Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hasn't enjoyed seeing his company's stock get pummeled on Wall Street this summer, but he is relishing the opportunity to prove his critics wrong.
China's Huawei says to spend $2.0 billion in Britain
Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies on Wednesday said it would invest $2.0 billion (1.5 billion euros) in Britain and roughly double its workforce in the country within five years.
Nissan chief pitches electric taxis to Hong Kong
(AP)—Nissan President Carlos Ghosn met Wednesday with Hong Kong's leader to pitch a proposal for the Japanese car maker to supply electric taxis to the southern Chinese city.
Manmade 'wall of wind' used to test construction
A Category 5 hurricane is a monster of a storm that most people would want to avoid. But, civil engineer Arindam Chowdhury actually recreates those monster hurricane force winds in hopes of helping people better prepare for the real thing.
Heavy-duty hybrid trucks deliver on fuel economy
A performance evaluation of Class 8 hybrid electric tractor trailers compared with similar conventional vehicles by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows significant improvements in fuel economy.
Learning from sand castles to build future chips
In the United States, data centers already consume two percent of the electricity available with consumption doubling every five years. In theory, at this rate, a supercomputer in the year 2050 will require the entire production of the United States' energy grid.
iPhone manufacturer faces labor complaints
(AP)—The company that manufactures Apple's iPhones has responded to an accusation that vocational students are forced to work in its Chinese factories by saying Wednesday its agreement with their schools allows them to leave.
NASA shuttle technology helps test tree strength
NASA's space shuttle program may be grounded, but technology used to explore the solar system is making history in ways that may surprise you.
Apple's Siri fuels boom in voice technology
Call it the "Siri effect." With Apple expected to unveil on Wednesday a new iPhone with added capabilities for Siri, its voice-activated digital assistant, industry experts say two factors are driving an explosion of voice-enabled services in smartphones, televisions, cars and other consumer products.
Can Tim Cook make Apple his own?
Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs - and so far, that hasn't been a problem for Apple Inc.
Amazon aims to turn tax compromise into logistics advantage
Spurred on by fanatically loyal shoppers like Christine Dugger of Sacramento, e-commerce giant Amazon.com is doing something it spent years trying to avoid.
Facebook 'poke' gets out the vote
A single Facebook message on a congressional election day in 2010 prompted about a third of a million more Americans to cast their vote, scientists said on Wednesday.
Problems dogging new high-tech air traffic system
A high-tech overhaul to the nation's air traffic control system is mostly on track to completion, but has yet to produce the benefits that airlines and passengers were told to expect, federal investigators said.
Microsoft has patent ambitions for immersive gaming
(Phys.org)—Microsoft knows how to play games. They have proven themselves worthy of growing a customer base of gaming enthusiasts with their Xbox and Kinect. Now Microsoft watchers are talking about the company's recent filing of a patent that takes the Microsoft vision of gaming to the all-pervasive level. Patently Apple has posted details about a Microsoft patent recently published by the US Trademark and Patent Office. The patent shows Microsoft has ambitions to transform entire rooms into game environments. The patent shows plans for game-playing in immersive display settings where users get to work with images projected onto realtime surfaces of their room.
Japanese robot to sit top-ranked university exam
Japanese researchers are working on a robot they hope will be smart enough to ace entrance exams at the nation's top university, which test everything from maths to foreign languages.
UK museum revives first-ever film shot in color
(AP)—The earliest movies known to be shot in color have been revived by film archivists, who on Wednesday gave an audience at London's Science Museum a glimpse at cinema's first attempts to show us the world as we see it.
Radiation-enabled chips could lead to low-cost security imaging systems
With homeland security on high alert, screening systems to search for concealed weapons are crucial pieces of equipment. But these systems are often prohibitively expensive, putting them out of reach for public spaces such as train and bus stations, stadiums, or malls, where they could be beneficial.
Medicine & Health news
Hundreds more bleeding trauma patients could be saved if tranexamic acid was used more widely
The clot stabilizer drug tranexamic acid can be administered safely to a wide range of patients with traumatic bleeding and should not be restricted to the most severe cases, a study published in the BMJ today suggests.
Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients
Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are less likely to have died a year after discharge if they are involved in a programme of active follow-up once they have returned home than patients given standard care, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. These patients were also less likely to need to go back into hospital in the six months that follow discharge.
US agency accuses L'Oreal of misleading marketing
US regulators accused French cosmetics giant L'Oreal of misleading claims in marketing its Lancome line of anti-aging products, according to a letter released Tuesday.
Australia slams 'sick joke' cigarette packs
Australia slammed as a "sick joke" Wednesday new cigarette packs on sale as part of the national phase-in to plain packaging which play on drab branding and claim it's "what's on the inside that counts."
BRAVE step for Australian-developed online anxiety therapy
A ground-breaking approach to treating childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders, based on University of Queensland (UQ) research, will soon be available to families in the UK, US and Europe.
A scientific approach to assessing return to play after concussion in NFL
(Medical Xpress)—After sustaining a concussion, when can an athlete safely return to play? That's the primary question for professional and amateur athletes alike.
Age, not underlying diagnosis, key factor in weight gain in children after tonsillectomy
Potentially worrisome weight gains following tonsillectomy occur mostly in children under the age of 6, not in older children, a study by Johns Hopkins experts in otolaryngology- head and neck surgery shows.
Epigenetics emerges powerfully as a clinical tool
A study coordinated by Manel Esteller, published in Nature Reviews Genetics, highlights the success of this area of research to predict the behavior and weaknesses of tumors.
Ind. farm linked to salmonella pulls watermelons
(AP)—An Indiana farm linked to a salmonella outbreak from cantaloupe that killed two people has now pulled its watermelons from the market.
Portland, Ore., approves adding fluoride to water
(AP)—The City Council has voted to add fluoride to Portland's water, meaning Oregon's largest city is no longer the biggest holdout in the U.S.
Researchers examine older adults' willingness to accept help from robots
Most older adults prefer to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes as they age, and robotic technology can help make this a reality. Robots can assist with a variety of everyday living tasks, but limited research exists on seniors' attitudes toward and acceptance of robots as caregivers and aides. Human factors/ergonomics researchers investigated older adults' willingness to receive robot assistance that allows them to age in place, and will present their findings at the upcoming HFES 56th Annual Meeting in Boston.
When battered women fight back stereotyping can kick in
The topic of domestic abuse remains a controversial issue when it comes to determining punishment for battered women who use violence towards their partner. According to a recent study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, a SAGE Journal, battered women who are seen as engaging in mutual violence and shared substance abuse are often regarded negatively and subject to harsher sentences.
'Berlin Man,' doctor convinced HIV cure is real
(AP)—More than five years after a radical treatment, a San Francisco man and his German doctor are convinced that he remains the first person cured of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Newspapers biased toward reporting early studies that may later be refuted
Newspaper coverage of biomedical research leans heavily toward reports of initial findings, which are frequently attenuated or refuted by later studies, leading to disproportionate media coverage of potentially misleading early results, according to a report published Sep. 12 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
McDonald's to post calories for its menu
First they began offering salad, then they added fruit. On Wednesday, McDonald's announced it would put something else on its menu to help customers watching their waistlines: calorie counts.
Comic relief for stressed emergency teams
Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have created a comic influenced by the Japanese manga style to help busy medical staff who treat patients suffering from bleeding.
What's the main cause of obesity—our genes or the environment?
The ongoing obesity epidemic is creating an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems around the world, but what determines who gets fat? Two experts debate the issue in the British Medical Journal today.
Results from world's first registry of pregnancy and heart disease
Results from the world's first registry of pregnancy and heart disease have shown that most women with heart disease can go through pregnancy and delivery safely, so long as they are adequately evaluated, counselled and receive high quality care.
Uncertain about health outcomes, male stroke survivors more likely to suffer depression than females
Post-stroke depression is a major issue affecting approximately 33% of stroke survivors. A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation reports that the level to which survivors are uncertain about the outcome of their illness is strongly linked to depression. The relationship is more pronounced for men than for women.
Costs of neck and back conditions increasing in U.S.
(HealthDay)—For individuals with back and neck conditions, costs have increased in the last decade, with the main increase due to rising medical specialist costs, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
When prescription drugs go OTC, ads talk less of harms: study
(HealthDay)—When prescription drugs become available over-the-counter, advertisements for the medications are far less likely to tell consumers about the potential harms and side effects, new research finds.
Mathematical model may lead to safer chemotherapy
Cancer chemotherapy can be a life-saver, but it is fraught with severe side effects, among them an increased risk of infection. Until now, the major criterion for assessing this risk has been the blood cell count: if the number of white blood cells falls below a critical threshold, the risk of infection is thought to be high. A new model built by Weizmann Institute mathematicians in collaboration with physicians from the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and from the Hoffmann-La Roche research center in Basel, Switzerland, suggests that for proper risk assessment, it is essential to evaluate not only the quantity of these blood cells, but also their quality, which varies from one person to another.
S. Korea deploys 'floating toilets' after US warning
South Korea will spend over half a million dollars on building floating toilets around shellfish farms to boost sanitary controls, officials said Wednesday, after US health authorities warned of contamination.
A new tool for those living with acquired hearing loss
A new free online program which aims to provide an alternative to hearing aids for people living with acquired hearing loss has been developed from research at The Australian National University.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob, 'Mad Cow' blood test now on the horizon
(Medical Xpress)—A simple blood test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Mad Cow disease is a step closer, following a breakthrough by medical researchers at the University of Melbourne.
Genetic test developed for those at-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Accuracy to be studied
(Medical Xpress)—A team of Australian researchers, led by University of Melbourne has developed a genetic test that is able to predict the risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD.
Research: Memory degraded by second-hand smoke
(Medical Xpress)—Non-smokers who live with or spend time with smokers are damaging their memory, according to new research from Northumbria University.
iPad app revolutionising therapy for autistic children
Australian researchers have harnessed tablet technology to develop an iPad app that is set to revolutionise the way parents around the world provide in-home therapy for their autistic children.
Fighting obesity: Americans respond to positive messages, not shame
(Medical Xpress)—With over two thirds of Americans now overweight or obese, public health campaigns have emerged across the country to promote behavior that can help reduce America's waistline. But do the messages communicated by these campaigns help reduce obesity or potentially make the problem worse?
Cancer research: Stealth techniques being developed to delay tumor growth
The way in which cancer can spread silently and unnoticed in the body—with symptoms in some cases remaining latent for months, years, or even decades—is often noted as its most deadly feature. Researchers around the world have been devising ever more sophisticated strategies to fight cancer—including 'stealth' techniques designed to outwit the body's immune system so as to deliver therapeutic drugs, genes, proteins and viruses to carefully targeted disease sites. Such approaches may help to turn the tables, enabling researchers to one day realize the ultimate goal of silencing the silent killer.
Bonanza of genomic sequence data gives researchers valuable new insights into a poorly understood cancer
Stomach cancer doesn't get the same publicity as lung or breast cancer, but it is a health threat to be taken very seriously. "Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of worldwide cancer mortality, with an annual death rate of over 700,000 individuals," explains Patrick Tan of the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore. He notes that this disease is especially prevalent in Asia; gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer amongst Singaporean men.
Lipids produced within the thymus give immune cells the initial boost they need to fight off infection
Semi-invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells wage war against infectious threats, attacking microbial cells and generating signals that enable other immune cells also to respond aggressively. iNKT cells initially undergo activation in the thymus; after being 'switched on' via interaction with certain antigens, they undergo an initial population expansion and then migrate to peripheral immune sites where they proliferate further so they can mount an effective defense.
More nurses for hospital patients: Impact on quality questionable
Passage of a bill in 1999 requiring minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in California hospitals increased the number of nurses but resulted in mixed quality of care, according to a new study in the journal Health Services Research.
Gaming the flu: How we decide to get vaccinated, or not
(Medical Xpress)—As the flu season approaches, public health officials will be campaigning to get people vaccinated, and each of us will have to decide whether to take their advice or not. How will we make those decisions?
Even with personalized assessments, many underestimate disease risks
People with a family history of certain diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, often underestimate their risk for developing them, even after completing a risk assessment and receiving personalized prevention messages, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
New study clarifies benefits of coronary stents
(Medical Xpress)—Who should get stents, the tiny metal tubes designed to keep once-clogged coronary arteries open? Someone who is having a heart attack certainly should, and the life-prolonging benefits have been demonstrated in several studies. But results have been more ambiguous for patients who have "stable angina": chest pain that comes with exertion but goes away at rest.
New study explains puzzling Lyme disease patterns
(Medical Xpress)—In the U.S., most human cases of tick-borne Lyme disease occur in the Northeast—with a smaller cluster in the Midwest—even though the bacteria that cause it are equally common in ticks in both regions. A new study by researchers in the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology, published in the August issue of the journal Epidemics, combines ecology and immunology to offer an explanation for this puzzling disparity.
Switching to low GI diet during pregnancy reduces chances of excessive weight gain by up to 20%
(Medical Xpress)—Mums-to-be can reduce their chances of excessive weight gain during pregnancy by up to 20% if they swap to a low glycaemic index (GI) diet, say researchers.
Study supports tobacco link to ovarian cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers from Curtin University's School of Public Health have contributed to a comprehensive international study examining risk factors for ovarian cancer.
First pediatric study to look at the role of vitamin D in critical illness
Vitamin D is increasingly being recognized as important for good health. Vitamin D is a hormone made in the skin following sun exposure or acquired from diet and supplement intake. Previous medical research has shown that low body levels of vitamin D make people more susceptible to problems such as bone fractures, poor mental health and infections like the common cold. Until recently, there had been little consideration given to the role of vitamin D in more severe diseases, which is why Dr. Dayre McNally's recent publication in the esteemed scientific journal Pediatrics is so compelling.
Study implicates marijuana use in pregnancy problems
New research indicates marijuana-like compounds called endocannabinoids alter genes and biological signals critical to the formation of a normal placenta during pregnancy and may contribute to pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.
Recent findings hold new implications for the pathogenesis of myotonic dystrophy
An important breakthrough could help in the fight against myotonic dystrophy. The discovery, recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell, results from an international collaboration between researchers at the IRCM, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Southern California and Illumina. Their findings could lead to a better understanding of the causes of this disease.
Prototype for safer, child-resistant spray bottle
Researchers at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, in partnership with The Ohio State University have developed a prototype for child-resistant spray bottles for household cleaning products. If produced, the prototype would provide an alternative to current, more harmful child-resistant spray bottles while still meeting U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission standards for child resistance.
NYC 'Soda ban' decision expected Thursday
(HealthDay)—New York City's controversial proposal to regulate restaurant sales of large sugary drinks is coming to a head, with the city's Board of Health scheduled to decide the measure's fate on Thursday.
Less Alzheimer's pathology with angiotensin receptor blocker use
(HealthDay)—In autopsy findings, patients treated with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) show less Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Neurology.
Some screens miss spread of breast cancer: study
(HealthDay)—In a new study, three types of screening methods used to determine whether breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body only spotted a small portion of tumors that had done so.
New device may reduce repeat breast cancer surgeries
(HealthDay)—A new device meant to help surgeons determine in the operating room if they have removed all cancerous breast cancer tissue may help reduce repeat surgeries after lumpectomy without compromising cosmetic effects, according to a new study.
Despite 1993 cases, hantavirus remains mostly a mystery
In his 30-plus years as a doctor, Bruce Tempest had never seen anything like it.
Record 4.02 billion prescriptions in United States in 2011
People in the United States took more prescription drugs than ever last year, with the number of prescriptions increasing from 3.99 billion (with a cost of $308.6 billion) in 2010 to 4.02 billion (with a cost of $319.9 billion) in 2011. Those numbers and others appear in an annual profile of top prescription medicines published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.
An advance toward a flu-fighting nasal spray
In an advance toward development of a nasal spray that protects against infection with influenza and spread of the disease, scientists are reporting identification of a substance that activates the first-line defense system against infection inside the nose. They describe effects of a synthetic form of a natural substance found in bacterial cell walls in ACS' journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.
Analgesics linked to hearing loss in women
(Medical Xpress)—Headache? Back pain? At the first sign of pain, you might reach for a pain-relieving medicine to sooth your bodily woes.
Stress hormones: Good or bad for posttraumatic stress disorder risk?
Glucocorticoids, a group of hormones that includes cortisol, are considered stress hormones because their levels increase following stress. When their relationship to stress was first identified, it was shown that the release of cortisol prepared the body to cope with the physical demands of stress. Subsequently, high levels of cortisol were linked to depression and other stress-related disorders, giving rise to the hypothesis that high levels of cortisol on a long-term basis may impair the psychological capacity to cope with stress.
GPs using unreliable websites for tinnitus information, study finds
GPs are not always using the most comprehensive and reliable online resources to support them in treating patients with the debilitating hearing condition tinnitus, researchers have found.
Novel non-antibiotic agents against MRSA and common strep infections
Menachem Shoham, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has discovered novel antivirulence drugs that, without killing the bacteria, render Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus pyogenes, commonly referred to as strep, harmless by preventing the production of toxins that cause disease. The promising discovery was presented this week at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Francisco.
Single-port kidney removal through the belly button boosts living-donor satisfaction
In the largest study of its kind, living donors who had a kidney removed through a single port in the navel report higher satisfaction in several key categories, compared to donors who underwent traditional multiple-port laparoscopic removal.
CDC: Nation on track for deadliest West Nile year
(AP)—Health officials say they're convinced this will be the worst year for West Nile virus deaths and severe illnesses since the disease hit America's shores in 1999.
Exercise may affect food motivation: study
It is commonly assumed that you can "work up an appetite" with a vigorous workout. Turns out that theory may not be completely accurate – at least immediately following exercise.
Physicians suggest expert recommendations ignore vital issues for patients
In the medical world, where decisions invariably involve risk and uncertainty, two Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center physicians note that experts generally base their recommendations on the outcome of death, which is "readily determined, easily quantified, concrete."
Protection against whooping cough waned during the five years after fifth dose of DTaP
OAKLAND, Calif. − Protection against whooping cough (also called pertussis) waned during the five years after the fifth dose of the combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, according to researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center. The fifth dose of DTaP is routinely given to 4- to 6-year-old children prior to starting kindergarten.
Scientists discover how an out-of-tune protein leads to muscle demise in heart failure
A new Johns Hopkins study has unraveled the changes in a key cardiac protein that can lead to heart muscle malfunction and precipitate heart failure.
Mouse population in Yosemite may yield clues to hantavirus
As an investigation into the hantavirus cases traced to Yosemite National Park continues, public health authorities said they have learned more about the park's deer mouse population that could shed light on what prompted a recent outbreak of the rare rodent-borne disease.
Smoking: Quitting is tough for teens, too
Abstinence from smoking seems to affect teens differently than adults in a couple ways, but a new study provides evidence that most of the psychological difficulties of quitting are as strong for relatively new, young smokers as they are for adults who have been smoking much longer.
Hands-on activities for high schoolers effectively teach about antibiotics
A hands-on project to educate high schoolers about appropriate antibiotic use was highly effective, promoting more sophisticated understandings of bacteria and antibiotics and increasing understanding of the dangers of antibiotic resistance, and was even enjoyable, as reported Sep. 12 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
Sexual arousal may decrease natural disgust response
Sex can be messy, but most people don't seem to mind too much, and new results reported Sep. 12 in the open access journal PLOS ONE suggest that this phenomenon may result from sexual arousal actually dampening humans' natural disgust response.
Docs: NYC ban on big, sugary drinks could help
(AP)—The era of the supersized cola may come to an end in New York City on Thursday, when health officials are expected to approve an unprecedented 16-ounce (470-milliliter) limit on sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis and movie theaters. But will it actually translate into better health?
Discovering how the brain ages
Researchers at Newcastle University have revealed the mechanism by which neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and other parts of the body, age. The research, published today in Aging Cell, opens up new avenues of understanding for conditions where the aging of neurons are known to be responsible, such as dementia and Parkinson's disease.
Genetic make-up of children explains how they fight malaria infection
Researchers from Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and University of Montreal have identified several novel genes that make some children more efficient than others in the way their immune system responds to malaria infection. This world-first in integrative efforts to track down genes predisposing to specific immune responses to malaria and ultimately to identify the most suitable targets for vaccines or treatments was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by lead author Dr. Youssef Idaghdour and senior author Pr. Philip Awadalla, whose laboratory has been performing world-wide malaria research for the past 13 years.
Carefully scheduled high-fat diet resets metabolism and prevents obesity
(Medical Xpress)—New research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem shows that a carefully scheduled high-fat diet can lead to a reduction in body weight and a unique metabolism in which ingested fats are not stored, but rather used for energy at times when no food is available.
Discovery of protein that fuels breast cancer growth could lead to targeted treatment
(Medical Xpress)—Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered how a key protein fuels breast cancer growth by boosting numbers of cancer stem cells in tumours that have low levels of a protein called claudin, accounting for up to 10 per cent of all breast cancers.
Team shows how childhood viral infection leads to increased risk for allergic asthma as adult
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have shown in an animal model that a common childhood virus disables the normal immune tolerance transferred from the mother to child through breast milk, leading to increased susceptibility for allergic asthma later in life. Their findings were reported in the online version of Nature Medicine.
Gut bacteria increase fat absorption
You may think you have dinner all to yourself, but you're actually sharing it with a vast community of microbes waiting within your digestive tract. A new study from a team including Carnegie's Steve Farber and Juliana Carten reveals that some gut microbes increase the absorption of dietary fats, allowing the host organism to extract more calories from the same amount of food.
Self-control may not be a limited resource after all
refusing that second slice of cake, walking past the store with the latest gadgets, working on your tax forms when you'd rather watch TV – seem to boil down to one essential ingredient: self-control. Self-control is what enables us to maintain healthy habits, save for a rainy day, and get important things done.
Research underscores Truvada's potency in preventing the transmission of HIV
New research from an international team of HIV/AIDS experts has reaffirmed the effectiveness of Truvada—the first and only medication approved by the FDA for HIV prevention. Led by Gladstone Investigator Robert Grant, MD, MPH and Peter Anderson, PharmD, at the University of Colorado, the research provides the first estimate of the drug concentration levels needed for Truvada to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS—expanding our understanding of Truvada's potency and opening the door to new dosing strategies.
Study links sinusitis to microbial diversity, suggests new approach for dealing with common ailment
A common bacteria ever-present on the human skin and previously considered harmless, may, in fact, be the culprit behind chronic sinusitis, a painful, recurring swelling of the sinuses that strikes more than one in ten Americans each year, according to a study by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco.
Single gene cause of insulin sensitivity may offer insight for treating diabetes
The first single gene cause of increased sensitivity to the hormone insulin has been discovered by a team of Oxford University researchers.
In gerbils, stem cells boost hopes of ending deafness
Scientists working with deaf gerbils said on Wednesday they had found a way of coaxing early stem cells into specialised ear cells that helped the rodents hear sound once more.
Biology news
Australian super-trawler ban in doubt
Australia's hopes of blocking a controversial super-trawler from fishing in its waters looked uncertain with the opposition speaking out against the move and a key independent lawmaker expressing reservations.
Stickybeak and the penguins of Sydney
From the foaming wake of a Sydney ferry a small, grey figure sails towards the suburban Manly beachfront, landing belly-first on a closely-guarded strip of sand.
App helps dairy farmers milk profits during volatile times
(Phys.org)—A free mobile app developed by Penn State researchers can help dairy farmers plow through financial planning by helping them track feed costs and income.
Amazing diversity documented in national park
A remote park in northwest Bolivia may be the most biologically diverse place on earth, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which helped put together a comprehensive list of species found there. The announcement was released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, an international gathering of conservationists meeting through Sept. 13 in Jeju, South Korea.
Revelation of protein complex function that controls cell proliferation in fruit fly wings provides insights into tumor
A team of researchers in Singapore has determined the structure of a pair of proteins that may play an important role in tumor growth and the progression of cancer. The proteins, Vestigial (Vg) and Scalloped (Sd), normally control wing development in fruit flies, but the team found they show a remarkable structural and functional similarity to the cancer-promoting proteins called YAP and TAZ.
Insecticide resistance caused by recombination of two genes
Larvae of the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) are dreaded pests all over the world. They have a very wide host range: About 200 different plant species are known as potential food for the voracious insect. The herbivore attacks crops in Africa, South Europe, India, Central Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. Nearly 30% of all globally used insecticides − Bt toxins as well as pyrethroids − are applied to protect cotton and other crops against the bollworm.
Studies shed light on how to reduce the amount of toxins in plant-derived foods
A number of environmental toxins pose considerable health threats to humans, and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) ranks high on the list. Most of us are exposed to it through plant-derived foods such as grains and vegetables. Now, new research offers ways in which investigators can reduce the amount of Cd found in the food we eat, according to a review published online September 12th in the Cell Press journal Trends in Plant Science.
Feeding microbials to chickens leads to mysterious immune response
A paper recently published in the Journal of Animal Science helps researchers further understand how microbials and probiotics affect poultry health.
Rare cliffhanging plant species uses unique reproductive strategy
The Borderea chouardii plant, which is critically endangered and is found only on two adjacent cliff sides in the Pyrenees, employs a unique and risky doubly mutualistic reproductive strategy with local ants, according to research published Sep. 12 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
New study reveals responses of genes in females to sex
Sex can trigger remarkable female responses including altered fertility, immunity, libido, eating and sleep patterns—by the activation of diverse sets of genes, according to research from the University of East Anglia.
Little Ice Age led to migration of island hopping arctic foxes
The Little Ice Age allowed a new wave of arctic foxes to colonise Iceland, according to new research.
Microbe used to improve biofuel production
(Phys.org)—Biofuel production can be an expensive process that requires considerable use of fossil fuels, but a Missouri University of Science and Technology microbiologist's patented process could reduce the cost and the reliance on fossil fuels, while streamlining the process.
Bacterial cell division: Researchers elucidate structure of a Z-ring
(Phys.org)—The latest in super-resolution microscope technology has allowed Australian researchers rewrite the book on the process of bacterial cell division, potentially opening the door to new kinds of antibiotics.
Mapping the social networking of birds
(Phys.org)—A team, led by researchers at the Universities of St Andrews and Washington, used novel radio-transmitters to study the social networks of New Caledonian crows, a species renowned for using sophisticated foraging tools.
'Toothless' rat discovered on the island of Sulawesi
(Phys.org)—A McMaster researcher has discovered a nearly toothless shrew rat on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Research team finds mollusk changes gender as it ages
(Phys.org)—Researchers from Britain's National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, working in the Antarctic have discovered that a species of mollusk, Lissarca miliaris, changes from male to female as it grows older. As the team describes in their paper published in the journal Polar Biology, the males harbor eggs when they are young then grow female sex organs as they grow older to allow for brooding.
New African monkey species identified
Researchers have identified a new species of African monkey, locally known as the lesula, described in the Sep. 12 issue of the open access journal PLOS ONE. This is only the second new species of African monkey discovered in the last 28 years.
Are our bones well designed? Insects and crabs have a leg up on us
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have recently shown that the legs of grasshoppers and crabs have the ideal shape to resist bending and compression. If human leg bones were built the same way, they could be twice as strong.
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