Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 8, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Planetary scientists propose two explanations for true polar wander- Climate change had political, human impact on ancient Maya
- Cosmic sprinklers explained: Odd pair of aging stars sculpt spectacular shape of planetary nebula
- Research shows the parts of the brain involved in judging mate potential
- Nanocrystals and nickel catalyst substantially improve light-based hydrogen production
- Evolution at work: Even yeast mothers sacrifice all for their babies
- Bodyguard fish: Corals attacked by toxic seaweed use chemical 911 signals to summon help
- Biologists announce unique spinal nerve cell activity discovery
- New, improved mouse model of human Alzheimer's may enable drug discovery
- Decisions based on instinct have surprisingly positive outcomes, researcher finds
- Uncovering secrets of how intellect and behavior emerge during childhood
- Learning who's the top dog: Study reveals how the brain stores information about social rank
- Pavements designed to fight climate change could increase energy consumption in surrounding buildings
- Despite their thick skins, alligators and crocodiles are surprisingly touchy
- Future warming likely to be on high side of climate projections, research finds
Space & Earth news
Obama hints at new drive on climate change
US President Barack Obama has hinted he will make another push to fight climate change after cruising to a new term, but his room for maneuver will be limited even with a new focus after megastorm Sandy.
In Sandy's aftermath, it's time to take extreme weather and climate change seriously
Climate Change became an issue late in the election after Hurricane Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore, ravaged parts of New York and wreaked havoc up and down the East Coast. President Obama mentioned climate change in his acceptance speech on election night, declaring: "We want our kids to grow up in an America . . . that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet." The president's comments signal that the issue is likely to move to the forefront during his second term.
Coastal flooding documented
A full moon and Hurricane Sandy spelled near-record flooding in Lewes, Del., last week, as documented in a time-lapse video by Delaware Sea Grant (DESG). The video shows tidal waters and Sandy-driven storm surge cover—and retreat from—East Savannah Road over three days.
Keeping the wheels turning: 20th annual NASA great moonbuggy race
Registration is now open for the 20th annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race, which challenges high school, college and university students around the world to build and race fast, lightweight "moonbuggies" of their own design.
Report: Cleanup of some contaminated groundwater sites unlikely for decades
At least 126,000 sites across the U.S. have contaminated groundwater that requires remediation, and about 10 percent of these sites are considered "complex," meaning restoration is unlikely to be achieved in the next 50 to 100 years due to technological limitations, says a new report from the National Research Council. The report adds that the estimated cost of complete cleanup at these sites ranges from $110 billion to $127 billion, but the figures for both the number of sites and costs are likely underestimates.
Work underway on contested mega-dam: Laos official
Laos has begun work on a controversial multi-billion dollar dam, an official confirmed Thursday, defying objections from environmentalists in its bid to become a regional energy hub.
Visit Uwingu, name an exoplanet
Astronomers have now discovered over 1,000 planets orbiting other stars, and right now these exoplanets all have boring, license-plate-like names, such as HD85512 and GJ 436 instead of endearing, "real" planet names that might offer hints of what that world could be like. And recall the recent extrapolation of how many habitable planets might be in the Milky Way? A team using the ESO's HARP's spectrograph determined there might be upwards of 160 billion worlds out there for us to find, and perhaps eventually name. How might we come up with that many names?
Scientists assist public officials in following untreated wastewater
With millions of gallons of raw sewage dumping into New Jersey waterways following Hurricane Sandy, University of Delaware scientists are using satellites to help predict the sludge's track into the ocean.
Curiosity celebrates 90 Sols scooping Mars and snapping amazing self-portrait with Mount Sharp
NASA's revolutionary Curiosity rover is celebrating 90 Sols on Mars by snapping amazing self-portraits (see our mosaics above and below) and biting into the Red Planet's surface to accomplish unprecedented scientific analysis of an alien world.
Storms, ozone, vegetation and more: NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite returns first year of data
On Oct. 28, 2011, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite successfully blasted into orbit in a spectacular night launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Now, Suomi NPP has orbited the Earth more than 5,000 times and begun returning images and data that provide critical weather and climate measurements of the complex Earth system.
Historic coral collapse on Great Barrier Reef
Australian marine scientists have unearthed evidence of an historic coral collapse in Queensland's Palm Islands following development on the nearby mainland.
Carbon dioxide—our salvation from a future ice age?
Mankind's emissions of fossil carbon and the resulting increase in temperature could prove to be our salvation from the next ice age. According to new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, the current increase in the extent of peatland is having the opposite effect.
Intensive farming with a climate-friendly touch: Farming/woodland mix increases yields
In the world of agriculture, climate protection and intensive farming are generally assumed to be a contradiction in terms. At Technische Universität München, however, scientists have come up with a new land development concept that could change this view.
Cygnus OB2: Probing a nearby stellar cradle
(Phys.org)—The Milky Way and other galaxies in the universe harbor many young star clusters and associations that each contain hundreds to thousands of hot, massive, young stars known as O and B stars. The star cluster Cygnus OB2 contains more than 60 O-type stars and about a thousand B-type stars. At a relatively nearby distance to Earth of about 5,000 light years, Cygnus OB2 is the closest massive cluster.
Astronomers find tantalizing hints of a potentially habitable exoplanet
Located 43 light-years away in the southern constellation Pictor, the orange-colored dwarf star HD 40307 has previously been found to hold three "super-Earth" exoplanets in close orbit. Now, a team of researchers poring over data from ESO's HARPS planet-hunting instrument are suggesting that there are likely at least six super-Earth exoplanets orbiting HD 40307—with one of them appearing to be tucked neatly into the star's water-friendly "Goldilocks" zone.
So many planets, so few telescopes
Over the last few weeks, astronomers announced not one but two extraordinary discoveries in the ongoing search for planets orbiting stars beyond the sun. The first was a world about the size of Neptune, 5,000 light-years away, whirling around in a solar system with four stars. It's something like Luke Skywalker's home world of Tatooine in the "Star Wars" movies, except that fictional planet sported only two suns.
Future warming likely to be on high side of climate projections, research finds
Climate model projections showing a greater rise in global temperature are likely to prove more accurate than those showing a lesser rise, according to a new analysis by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The findings, published in this week's issue of Science, could provide a breakthrough in the longstanding quest to narrow the range of global warming expected in coming decades and beyond.
Comet collisions every six seconds explain 17-year-old stellar mystery
(Phys.org)—Every six seconds, for millions of years, comets have been colliding with one another near a star in the constellation Cetus called 49 CETI, which is visible to the naked eye.
Planetary scientists propose two explanations for true polar wander
(Phys.org)—Researchers using computer simulations and modeling have come up with two possible explanations for the phenomenon known as true polar wandering. The team led by Jessica Creveling of Harvard University, suggest in their paper published in the journal Nature, that dramatic shifts in the Earth's surface over millions of years, and then a return to the previous state, can be explained by bulging at the equator and elasticity of the planets outer shell.
Climate change had political, human impact on ancient Maya
(Phys.org)—An international team of archaeologists and earth science researchers has compiled a precisely dated, high-resolution climate record of 2,000 years that shows how Maya political systems developed and disintegrated in response to climate change. The researchers reconstructed rainfall records from stalagmite samples collected from Yok Balum Cave, located nearly three miles from ancient city of Uxbenka, in the tropical Maya Lowlands in southern Belize. They compared their findings to the rich political histories carved on stone monuments at Maya cities throughout the region.
Cosmic sprinklers explained: Odd pair of aging stars sculpt spectacular shape of planetary nebula
(Phys.org)—Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope have discovered a pair of stars orbiting each other at the centre of one of the most remarkable examples of a planetary nebula. The new result confirms a long-debated theory about what controls the spectacular and symmetric appearance of the material flung out into space. The results are published in the 9 November 2012 issue of the journal Science.
Technology news
Foxconn offers to train Americans on manufacturing
(AP)—The head of Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group says he will invite dozens of American engineers to his factories in China to learn about manufacturing.
Apple's iTunes to sell rival Sony's Japanese songs
Sony said that music by its Japanese artists was now available on Apple's iTunes store, in an apparent strategy shift by the Japanese firm to cash in on soaring demand for online music.
Linking professors with their students: LectureTools acquired by Echo360
A University of Michigan startup company that bridges the gap between students and professors with technology was acquired today by Echo360.
Survey finds disconnect between mobile device use and mobile security preparedness
While the majority of small business owners allow employees to use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, few have taken steps to ensure these devices are kept safe from cyber threats.
Review: Master Chief returns in stellar 'Halo 4'
Microsoft's wildly successful foray into console gaming begins with two words: Halo and Bungie.
Microsoft to invest $100 million in Rio IT hub
Microsoft says it is investing $100 million in a new technology center in Rio de Janeiro.
Amazon breaks out the wine for US customers
Amazon on Thursday launched an online wine store selling "more than a thousand" varieties of US vintages.
Groupon stock falls after 3Q results fall short
(AP)—Groupon, the No. 1 online deals service, says it had a small loss in the third quarter as higher revenue failed to make up for stock compensation and other expenses.
Lawmakers target operations of data-mining firms
(AP)—A group of lawmakers say data-mining companies that collect and sell personal information about consumers should make their operations more transparent.
Pope to join celebs, presidents with Twitter feed
(AP)—He already has a billion followers. Now, Pope Benedict XVI will join the Twitter-sphere, tweeting from a personal account along with the world's celebrities, leaders and ordinary folk.
Priceline to buy rival travel site Kayak for $1.8 bn
Priceline has agreed to buy rival travel website Kayak in a stock-and-cash deal worth $1.8 billion, the companies said Thursday.
N. American Internet traffic doubles, report says
The amount of data sent online in North America has more than doubled over the past year, with Netflix shows accounting for a big chunk of Internet traffic, a report found Wednesday.
China's Lenovo claims top spot for consumer PCs
Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group said it had become the global market leader in consumer and notebook personal computers, as it posted a 13 percent rise in second-quarter net profit.
Malaysia firm says high-tech farms can help poor
(AP)—For one Malaysian widow, moving to this experimental farming village represented hope for a brighter future for her seven children. Her new neighbor, also among the first to settle here, sought an easier life after years of low-paying, back-breaking plantation labor.
77 Kimbell museum artworks are just a Google away
The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday announced its alliance with the Google Art Project.
Researchers use 'digits' to change the channel
A team of inventors from across Europe have done away with traditional remotes and have developed a sensor about the size of a wrist watch which is able to track the 3D movement of the hand and allows the user to remotely control any device. The researchers believe that their device could replace your television remote and games controller, and could even control your mobile phone - with just a wave of the hand. Their controller, 'Digits', was presented at the 25th Association for Computing Machinery Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (ACM UIST).
Modified diesel engines and a discussion on fuel economy
Steve Ciatti, a mechanical engineer at Argonne National Laboratory west of Chicago, modifies diesel engines.
Researchers work to make solar tech more affordable
(Phys.org)—SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource will play a central role in three research projects that seek cheaper materials and manufacturing techniques for solar panels, with support from a Department of Energy program called the SunShot Initiative.
Fujitsu Semiconductor aims to start production of GaN power devices
Fujitsu Semiconductor today announced that it successfully achieved high output power of 2.5kW in server power supply units equipped with gallium-nitride (GaN) power devices built on a silicon substrate. Fujitsu Semiconductor aims to start volume production of the GaN power devices in the second half of 2013. These devices will enable Fujitsu Semiconductor to propose their use in a wide variety of value-enhancing power supply applications, significantly contributing to the realization of a low-carbon society. Fujitsu Semiconductor is aiming to achieve approximately 10 billion yen in sales of GaN power devices in fiscal 2015.
Researcher: Samsung overtook iPhone as best-seller
A research firm says that Samsung's Galaxy S3 overtook Apple's iPhone 4S as the world's best-selling smartphone for the first time in the third quarter.
Brazil's mobile sector threatens to confound PayPal expansion
The comeback story is rare in the dot-com world, but eBay is poised for a resurgence. As part of its reboot strategy, the company is betting PayPal's international expansion on Brazil.
Netflix has challenges on path to 'Internet TV' dominance
Depending on whom you ask, Netflix is either a company that's poised for a remarkable resurgence or a washed-up has-been whose best days are behind it.
Social networks give rise to Internet law specialty
The next time you log into Facebook, Twitter or any other social media network, keep in mind that anything you post could be used as evidence in a lawsuit.
Samsung had best-selling Q3 smartphone, survey says
Samsung's Galaxy S3 overtook Apple's iPhone 4S in the third quarter to give the South Korean firm the world's best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever, a research firm said Thursday.
Twitter 'unintentionally' resets people's passwords
Some people logging onto Twitter on Thursday were greeted with word that their passwords were reset due to concerns their accounts may have been breached by hackers.
Structure of network drives friends to congregate into many small, highly interconnected communities
For the first time, the dynamics of how Facebook user communities are formed have been identified, revealing surprisingly few large communities and innumerable highly connected small-size communities. These findings are about to be published in EPJ Data Science by Italian scientist Emilio Ferrara, affiliated with both Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, USA and his home University of Messina. This work could ultimately help identify the most efficient way to spread information, such as advertising, or ideas over large networks.
Pinterest introducing 'secret boards'
Pinterest on Thursday began letting users create "secret boards" that can only be seen by invitation at the hot online bulletin board service.
New Blackberry 10 gets security nod
Blackberry maker Research in Motion announced Thursday that its newest smartphone platform, Blackberry 10, has been certified as secure for use by US government agencies.
Team develops side-illuminated ultra-efficient solar cell designs
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed a radically new design for a concentrator solar cell that, when irradiated from the side, generates solar conversion efficiencies which rival, and may eventually surpass, the most ultra-efficient photovoltaics.
Foxconn says cannot meet demand for iPhone 5
Taiwan's Foxconn has admitted that it cannot meet strong demand for Apple's new iPhone 5 due to difficulties in building the gadget, as investors grow concerned about the US giant's future earnings.
Identifying and tracking fruit flies with fluorescence
(Phys.org)—FBI, a camera system to recognzie the genetic identity of fruit flies and track their movements will revolutionize the study of their behavior. An article on this advance is being published today in PLOS ONE.
First solely-biofuel jet flight raises clean travel hopes
The world's first flight powered entirely by bio jet fuel has raised hopes for cleaner air travel and upped the prospects of a boon for farmers whose oilseed crops could supplant kerosene.
Pavements designed to fight climate change could increase energy consumption in surrounding buildings
(Phys.org)—A push to replace old, heat-trapping paving materials with new, cooler materials could actually lead to higher electricity bills for surrounding buildings, engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have found. Researchers published their findings Oct. 29 in the new Journal of Urban Climate.
Medicine & Health news
New targeted therapy for advanced prostate cancer shows anti-tumor activity in clinical trials
Few available treatment options exist once prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body and has failed to respond to therapies that involve blocking the male hormone androgen. Patients with advanced, hormone-refractory prostate cancer usually die from the disease after 12 to 18 months, so new therapies are desperately needed.
Patients with aberrations in two genes respond better to drugs blocking a well-known cancer pathway
Cancer patients with mutations or variations in two genes -– PIK3CA and PTEN -– who have failed to respond to several, standard treatments, respond significantly better to anti-cancer drugs that inhibit these genes' pathways of action, according to research presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland, today.
Researchers develop non-invasive technique for predicting patients' response to chemotherapy
Researchers have developed a non-invasive way of predicting how much of a cancer-killing drug is absorbed by a tumour. The preliminary study, which will be reported at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland, today (Thursday), was conducted in lung cancer patients and it also revealed that less than one per cent of the drug, docetaxel, is absorbed by the tumours.
Interventions needed to promote healthy behaviors among perinatally HIV-infected youth
As youth infected at birth with HIV reach adolescence and young adulthood, a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases underscores the need to promote healthy behaviors as some of these young people become sexually active.
Report into bullying of people with intellectual disabilities and bullying information guide launched
A report into Bullying of People with Intellectual Disabilities and an Easy to Read Bullying Information Guide, compiled by the National Institute for Intellectual Disability (NIID), Trinity College Dublin in association with the National Anti-Bullying Advocacy Group (NAAG), was launched o recent by the Director of the National Disability Authority, Siobhan Barron.
Looking to NANA: Touch-screen technology to address malnutrition in older adults
A touch-screen computer to help detect malnutrition in older adults has been created by a team of researchers led by the University of St Andrews.
Tendency to binge drinking runs in the blood
Mice drink more alcohol during the dark cycle compared to daytime. The discovery made by scientists from Portland Alcohol Research Center and The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at University of Illinois, led by John C. Crabbe and described in a paper published recently in Addiction Genetics by Versita – ties in with the reports describing a restricted access ethanol consumption paradigm where mice drink until intoxicated. Termed 'Drinking in the Dark' – this pattern has been used as model of binge drinking in humans. The paper demonstrates that genetic factor contributes to the drinking pattern.
Canada and Europe fund intelligent senior homes
Technology may soon be helping seniors to live longer, healthier lives. A trio of researchers, including Simon Fraser University's Andrew Sixsmith, is working to develop intelligent, interactive sensors to be embedded in seniors' homes and used to support independent living.
Parents talking to their teens about being overweight
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 28% of adolescents are overweight. This means that about 1 in every 5 parents is thinking about how to discuss this with their child. Creating a healthful home environment, modeling healthful behaviors, and providing encouragement and support to adolescents for positive behavior changes may be more effective than communicating with adolescents about weight-related topics, according to a new study released in the November/December 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
Testing pain killers on humans could save money and speed the arrival of new drugs
Deliberately inflicting carefully controlled painful stimuli on human volunteers and seeing how well specific drugs reduce the feeling of pain can be an effective way of testing new drugs. So conclude two researchers who reviewed the available literature on these types of tests in a paper published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
Education levels in Asian American neighborhoods affect residents' health
Higher neighborhood education is associated with better self-rated health among Asian Americans who live in Asian ethnic neighborhoods, but this correlation between individual health and neighborhood education levels does not exist for Asian Americans living in non-Asian neighborhoods, according to a recent study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Capnography training video by BMC published in New England Journal of Medicine
Physicians at Boston Medical Center (BMC) have developed a training video for health care providers about how to effectively use capnography to monitor ventilation and carbon dioxide levels for patients under anesthesia or conscious sedation. This is the sixth video published in the New England Journal of Medicine's Videos in Clinical Medicine section produced by BMC. It highlights the importance of using capnography to increase patient safety.
Autism Speaks announces the release of new genetic data for researchers
Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, is proud to announce the release of biological and clinical data from 383 new families participating in Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) to researchers. AGRE is a resource for scientists that is comprised of clinical and biological data from families who have two or more children on the autism spectrum. These 383 families are part of a larger pool of 653 individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) bringing the total data available on people with an ASD to 3348. The family data also includes family members without an ASD bringing the total to 9335 individuals, which reflects an over 24 percent increase.
EU hands Liberia 42 mn euros to cut maternal mortality
The European Commission on Thursday pledged 42 million euros to Liberia's president and Nobel peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to help halve one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates.
Nestle voluntarily recalls Nesquik
(AP)—Nestle USA is recalling some of its Nesquik chocolate powder due to a possible risk of salmonella exposure.
Mayo Clinic gets FDA approval for new imaging agent for recurrent prostate cancer
Mayo Clinic has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to produce and administer Choline C 11 Injection, an imaging agent used during a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to help detect sites of recurrent prostate cancer. Mayo Clinic is the first, and currently only, institution in North America approved to produce this imaging agent.
Study shows young adults with addiction benefit from active twelve step group participation
Young adults undergoing addiction treatment benefit from regular participation in Twelve Step-based self-help groups after discharge, according to a naturalistic study published electronically and in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The study was conducted collaboratively by the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the Butler Center for Research at Hazelden.
Program helps kidney specialists discuss difficult news with patients
Kidney specialists, or nephrologists, care for a medically complex population and frequently must discuss serious news with patients: giving a diagnosis of kidney disease, explaining the risks and benefits of treatments, and defining care goals at the end of life. Yet nephrologists do not routinely receive formal education on how to engage in these types of conversations. A new communication skills workshop for nephrology fellows could change that, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).
Circulating blood factor linked with a leading cause of kidney failure
Patients with a disease that is a leading cause of kidney failure tend to have high levels of a particular factor circulating in their blood, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that the factor could be used to monitor the disease's progression as well as patients' response to different therapies. It might also be a therapeutic target of future treatments for this difficult-to-treat disease.
Social networking info will increasingly influence med student and trainee doctor selection
The use of social networking sites is set to increasingly influence the selection of medical students and trainee doctors in the US, suggests the largest study of its kind published online in Postgraduate Medical Journal.
Low prevalence of type 2 diabetes among regular black tea drinkers
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is low in countries where consumption of black tea is high, suggests a mathematical analysis of data from 50 countries, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Chernobyl cleanup workers had significantly increased risk of leukemia
A 20-year study following 110,645 workers who helped clean up after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in the former Soviet territory of Ukraine shows that the workers share a significant increased risk of developing leukemia. The results may help scientists better define cancer risk associated with low doses of radiation from medical diagnostic radiation procedures such as computed tomography scans and other sources.
Spice allergy: Sugar and spice and everything not so nice
Imagine a world where you could never dine away from home, wear makeup, smell of sweet perfumes or eat a large percentage of food on store shelves. According to allergists at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting that is kicking off today in Anaheim, Calif., that is the world for 2 to 3 percent of individuals living with a spice allergy.
Rethinking body mass index for assessing cancer risk
A study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that body mass index (BMI)—the most commonly used weight-for-height formula for estimating fatness—may not be the best measure for estimating disease risk, and particularly the risk of certain types of cancer. The study was published today in the online edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Conjoined 8-month-old US twins separated
(AP)—Surgeons at a Philadelphia hospital have successfully completed operations to separate 8-month-old twin girls who were joined at the lower chest and abdomen.
Text mining: Technology to speed up Alzheimer's biomarker discovery
New research proves that 'text mining' or using the power of computers to read the entire biomedical knowledge base, is a promising new tool in the search for Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
Study documents preemies' development in NICU, suggests early interventions
(Medical Xpress)—Premature infants are born into a world their tiny bodies often are not ready for. Developmental differences between those babies and full-term infants often are apparent prior to a preemie's discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have documented.
Early use of antiviral medications may help prevent lung failure in children with the flu, reduce hospitalizations
(Medical Xpress)—Children hospitalized for the flu are much less likely to require breathing support from a mechanical ventilator if they receive antiviral drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) as soon as possible after admission, according to researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.
Total hip replacement surgery may increase risk of stroke
Risk of ischemic stroke increases by nearly 4.7-fold and hemorrhagic stroke 4.4-fold during the first two weeks after total hip replacement surgery, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
3D manufacturing: Printing a new nose
The suffering caused by the loss of a nose must be indescribable. In terms of function, a sense of smell is perhaps less important than the ability to see, hear and eat - and we can breathe through our mouth or nasal cavity. But somehow, a missing nose elicits a more profound sense of shock in other people than the sight of an eye patch.
Dream symbols could help in psychotherapy
(Medical Xpress)—Dream images could provide insights into people's mental health problems and may help with their treatment, according to a psychology researcher from the University of Adelaide.
Preventing unnecessary deaths by moving meds safely
An interdisciplinary team with a broad range of expertise – in nursing, civil engineering, computer science, and biostatistics – is working together to confront a serious problem in modern health care: unsafe medication practices.
Tips on exercising, or not, when you are sick
Stuffy noses, hacking coughs and aches all over—cold and flu season has arrived. Though your body may be aching and your nose running like a faucet, it can be difficult to decide if you should continue your exercise routine or take a temporary break.
School psychologists can play key role in reducing obesity, raising scores
(Medical Xpress)—How school psychologists can help students prevent obesity and, in turn, achieve academic success is the focus of a study conducted by Neag School of Education researchers and published in the National Association of School Psychologists' School Psychology Forum.
Unexplained intellectual disability explained by state-of-the-art genetic analysis
A research team reported that next generation sequencing of the exome, the 1 to 2% of the DNA containing the genes that code for proteins, enabled the identification of the genetic causes of unexplained intellectual disability in over 50% of patients in a study conducted at Radboud University Medical Centre in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Significant relationship between mortality and telomere length discovered
A team of researchers at Kaiser Permanente and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has identified a significant relationship between mortality and the length of telomeres, the stretches of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes, according to a presentation on Nov. 8 at the American Society of Human Genetics 2012 meeting in San Francisco.
Exome sequencing: Potential diagnostic assay for unexplained intellectual disability
Research findings confirming that de novo mutations represent a major cause of previously unexplained intellectual disability were presented on Nov. 8 at the American Society of Human Genetics 2012 meeting in San Francisco.
DNA variants explain over 10 percent of inherited genetic risk for heart disease
About 10.6% of the inherited genetic risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD) can be explained by specific DNA variations, according to research reported today at the American Society of Human Genetics 2012 meeting.
New research shows limiting carbs to dinner-time increases satiety, reduces risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease
(Medical Xpress)—An experimental diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner could benefit people suffering from severe and morbid obesity, according to new research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A simpler way to predict heart failure
(Medical Xpress)—The most widely used models for predicting heart failure rely on a complex combination of lifestyle, demographic, and cardiovascular risk factor information.
Aspirin effective in preventing clots following joint replacement surgery
Research from the Rothman Institute at Jefferson has shown aspirin to be just as effective as warfarin in preventing clots, specifically pulmonary emboli, life-threatening blood clots that can develop in the arteries of the lungs following joint replacement surgery. Their research was recognized as one of the best poster presentations at the recent American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons meeting in Dallas.
Preclinical muscular dystrophy data shows promise
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have found that an experimental compound may help stem the debilitating effects of muscular dystrophy by restoring normal blood flow to muscles affected by the genetic disorder.
Molecular epidemiological conditions relating to tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria
A research project has been studying the molecular epidemiological conditions relating to diseases caused by tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria in the Mubende region of Uganda.
Campaign has smokers listening to smoking's victims
(HealthDay)—A frank and graphic nationwide media campaign to motivate smokers to quit seems to be working, say researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fat gene variants linked to middle age memory decline
(HealthDay)—For white middle-aged adults, there may be an association between variants in a gene associated with fat mass and obesity (FTO) and memory decline, according to research published online Nov. 7 in Neurology.
Statin use at cancer diagnosis linked to lower mortality
(HealthDay)—For patients with cancer, statin use prior to diagnosis correlates with reduced all-cause and cancer-related mortality, according to a study published in the Nov. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
New cells found that could help save people's sight
Eye experts and scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered specific cells in the eye which could lead to a new procedure to treat and cure blinding eye conditions.
'Read my lips'—it's easier when they're your own
People can lip-read themselves better than they can lip-read others, according to a new study by Nancy Tye-Murray and colleagues from Washington University. Their work, which explores the link between speech perception and speech production, is published online in Springer's Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
FDA reviewing Merck's experimental insomnia drug
(AP)—Drugmaker Merck & Co. says the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing its experimental insomnia medication, suvorexant (SOO'vor-eks-ant).
Are 'hookups' replacing romantic relationships on college campuses?
"Hooking up" has become such a trend on college campuses that some believe these casual, no-strings-attached sexual encounters may be replacing traditional romantic relationships. However, a new study by researchers with The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine suggests college students are not actually hooking up as frequently as one might think.
The brain of OCD sufferers is more active when faced with a moral dilemma
Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder are characterised by persistent thoughts and repetitive behaviours. A new study reveals that sufferers worry considerably more than the general population in the face of morality problems.
Cambridge software improves quality of sound for hearing aid users
A new software product developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge could greatly improve sound perception for users of hearing aids.
Making memories: Researchers explore the anatomy of recollection
With the help of data collected from intracranial electrodes implanted on epilepsy patients, researchers in Drexel's School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems are getting a rare look inside the brain in hopes of discovering the exact pattern of activity that produces a memory.
Inpatient brain injury education increases bike helmet use, study finds
A 30-minute brain injury education program taught in the hospital may increase children's use of bicycle helmets, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers report.
Feel-good hormone helps to jog the memory
The feel-good hormone dopamine improves long-term memory. This is the finding of a team lead by Emrah Düzel, neuroscientist at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the University of Magdeburg. The researchers investigated test subjects ranging in age from 65 to 75 years, who were given a precursor of dopamine. Treated subjects performed better in a memory test than a comparison group, who had taken a placebo. The study provides new insights into the formation of long lasting memories and also has implications for understanding why memories fade more rapidly following the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The results appear in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Alcoholic men demonstrate a deficit in empathy and distorted view of irony
Emotions are often implicit undertones to our communication interactions, and decoding them requires substantial social and cognitive abilities. Prior research has shown that chronic alcoholics often demonstrate impaired socio-cognitive and communicative abilities as well as emotion-related behaviors. Male alcoholics in particular suffer from dysfunctions in empathy. A study of the ability of chronic male alcoholics to recognize the emotional component of irony in relation to their empathic abilities has found a clear deficit.
Environmental factors can mitigate genetic risk for developing alcohol problems
Alcohol use during adolescence is harmful on multiple levels, including an increased risk for developing alcohol use disorders (AUDs) later in life. Recent research suggests that genetic influences are moderated by environmental factors. A new study of gene-environment interactions between a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene (A118G) and the risk for developing an AUD during adolescence, with a specific focus on the influence of parenting practices or affiliation with deviant peers, has confirmed that environmental factors can moderate this association.
College women who act impulsively when distressed are at risk for alcohol problems
An increasing number of women entering young adulthood engage in heavy drinking behavior, placing them at risk of developing alcohol use disorders (AUDs) as well as other negative consequences such as sexual assault and physical injuries. Prior research has shown that college students drink more than their non-college peers. A new study of the influence of impulsivity-related traits and drinking motives on symptoms of alcohol dependence (AD) among college women has found that an impulsivity trait called 'negative urgency' predicted increases in AD symptoms.
Pre-drinking is a risky way to begin an evening out
Previous research from the U.S. and the U.K. has shown that "pre-drinking" or "frontloading" often leads to heavy drinking by young people in public settings and can lead to greater harm. Pre-drinking typically occurs in locations where low-cost alcohol that is usually bought off-premise is consumed, rapidly and in large quantities. A study using Swiss data has found that pre-drinking, when combined with on-premise drinking, leads to almost twice as much drinking and negative outcomes.
Stem cell scientists discover potential way to expand cells for use with patients
Canadian and Italian stem cell researchers have discovered a new "master control gene" for human blood stem cells and found that manipulating its levels could potentially create a way to expand these cells for clinical use.
Ovarian cancer patients have lower mortality rates when treated at high-volume hospitals
A study by researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, recently e-published ahead of print by the Journal of Clinical Oncology, suggests that women who have surgery for ovarian cancer at high-volume hospitals have superior outcomes than similar patients at low-volume hospitals.
Canada high court voids Pfizer's Viagra patent
Canada's top court on Thursday stripped Pfizer of its patent for Viagra, saying the pharmaceutical giant failed in the patent to identify the active compound in the drug.
Cigarette smoke boosts virulence in Staphylococcus aureus
Exposure to cigarette smoke has long been associated with increased frequency of respiratory infections—which are harder to treat in smoke-exposed people than in those who lack such exposures. Now Ritwij Kulkarni of Columbia University, New York, NY, and colleagues show that cigarette smoke actually boosts virulence of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Their study appears in the November 2012 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
New study highlights how child care providers can be part of the solution for childhood obesity
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys revealed that over 21% of children 2 to 5 years old were considered overweight or obese. Child care settings can serve as a platform to teach children about nutrition in our fight against childhood obesity, as nearly 50% of children in the United States under age 5 are enrolled in child care. In a new study released in the November/December 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, training child care providers about their role in children's healthful eating is an essential component of child care-based obesity prevention initiatives.
Antioxidants may ease PAD blood pressure increase
Low antioxidant levels contribute to increased blood pressure during exercise for people with peripheral arterial disease, according to researchers at Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute.
Is housework a health hazard? Sheet-fitting palsy described
What do a tight, fitted bed sheet and a blood clot in the wrist have in common? Both are associated with a condition called sheet fitting palsy. True to its name, the palsy is reported in those who spend a long period of time repeatedly trying to pull a fitted bed sheet over the corner of a mattress. But it has also been reported in basketball players and in those who do push-ups as exercise.
Diabetes study: 'Mindful eating' equals traditional education in lowering weight and blood sugar
(Medical Xpress)—Eating mindfully, or consuming food in response to physical cues of hunger and fullness, is just as effective as adhering to nutrition-based guidelines in reducing weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
Taking on the challenges of replication in psychological science
Psychological science has come of age. But the rights of a mature discipline carry with them responsibilities, among them the responsibility to maximize confidence in our findings through good data practices and replication.
Researchers find why nicotine in cigarettes may relieve anxiety in smokers
Preclinical data suggests inactivation of a specific sub-class of nicotinic receptors may be an effective strategy to help smokers quit without feeling anxious, according to Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.
Parasitologist espouses using parasitic worms for treatment of autoimmune diseases
(Medical Xpress)—Doctor Joel Weinstock, a parasitologist at Tufts Medical Center in a commentary piece published in the journal Nature, describes work that he and colleagues have been involved in that focuses on studying the possibility of introducing parasitic worms into the guts of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease. The thinking he says, is that modern hygienic lifestyles may be contributing to such diseases and that reintroducing parasitic worms and perhaps certain bacteria into the gut may restore a natural balance in the gut and relieve patients of such symptoms as chronic diarrhea, bleeding and infections.
Rats' stroke-induced seizures stopped with pulse of light
(Medical Xpress)—Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have shown that a structure deep within the brain is a crucial component of recurring seizures that can arise as a delayed consequence of a cerebral stroke. This structure, called the thalamus, is known as a relay station routing inputs from the senses to the brain's higher cognitive processing centers in the cerebral cortex. But the thalamus has never before been implicated in post-stroke seizures.
Key protein interactions involved in neurodegenerative disease revealed
Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have defined the molecular structure of an enzyme as it interacts with several proteins involved in outcomes that can influence neurodegenerative disease and insulin resistance. The enzymes in question, which play a critical role in nerve cell (neuron) survival, are among the most prized targets for drugs to treat brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Uncovering secrets of how intellect and behavior emerge during childhood
Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have shown that a single protein plays an oversized role in intellectual and behavioral development. The scientists found that mutations in a single gene, which is known to cause intellectual disability and increase the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, severely disrupts the organization of developing brain circuits during early childhood. This study helps explain how genetic mutations can cause profound cognitive and behavioral problems.
Biologists announce unique spinal nerve cell activity discovery
Scientists from the University of Leicester have hit upon unique forms of spinal nerve activity that shape output of nerve cell networks controlling motor behaviours.
Cells from skin create model of blinding eye disease
For the first time, Wisconsin researchers have taken skin from patients and, using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, turned them into a laboratory model for an inherited type of macular degeneration.
Learning who's the top dog: Study reveals how the brain stores information about social rank
Researchers supported by the Wellcome Trust have discovered that we use a different part of our brain to learn about social hierarchies than we do to learn ordinary information. The study provides clues as to how this information is stored in memory and also reveals that you can tell a lot about how good somebody is likely to be at judging social rank by looking at the structure of their brain.
Decisions based on instinct have surprisingly positive outcomes, researcher finds
Decision-making is an inevitable part of the human experience, and one of the most mysterious. For centuries, scientists have studied how we go about the difficult task of choosing A or B, left or right, North or South—and how both instinct and intellect figure into the process. Now new research indicates that the old truism "look before you leap" may be less true than previously thought.
Research shows the parts of the brain involved in judging mate potential
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers from Ireland's Trinity College and Caltech in the US have found after analyzing brain scans of young volunteers, that two brain regions appear to be involved the decision making process when people size up others of the opposite gender being viewed as potential mates. After undertaking trial studies involving volunteers from Trinity, the team has found, as they report in their paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience, that one part of the prefrontal cortex appears to gauge physical attractiveness, while another judges likeability.
Biology news
Coral genomes under microscope in climate race
Researchers from Australia and Saudi Arabia launched a project Thursday which they hope will help them understand the genetic makeup of corals and how they react to climate change.
Next-generation echo sounder ready
Norwegian researchers are putting the finishing touches on a new echo sounder that provides far more information than previous versions ever could – making it much easier to identify fish and zooplankton.
Chocolate genome research good for farmers, environment, sweet lovers
(Phys.org)—With the help of information technology (IT), Penn State professor Mark Guiltinan makes the world a sweeter place.
Researchers link Caribbean extinction of bats to rising sea levels
(Phys.org)—In a new study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, researchers show that rising sea levels produced by deglaciation, or the melting of glaciers, caused the extinction of most bats in the Caribbean Islands, including the Cuban vampire and Puerto Rican flower bats. The article, entitled, "Deglaciation explains bat extinction in the Caribbean," led by Assistant Professor Liliana M. Dávalos, PhD, from the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, shows that deglaciation drowned vast expanses of low-lying islands.
MicroRNAs in plants: Regulation of the regulator
MicroRNAs are essential regulators of the genetic program in multicellular organisms. Because of their potent effects, the production of these small regulators has itself to be tightly controlled. That is the key finding of a new study performed by Tübingen scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology. They identified a new component that modulates the production of micro RNAs in thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, by the removal of phosphate residues from a micro RNA-biogenesis enzyme. This can be as quick as the turn of a switch, allowing the plant to adapt to changing conditions. In this study, the scientists combined advanced imaging for facile detection of plants with defective microRNA activity with whole genome sequencing for rapid identification of new mutations.
Despite their thick skins, alligators and crocodiles are surprisingly touchy
Crocodiles and alligators are notorious for their thick skin and well-armored bodies. So it comes as something of a surprise to learn that their sense of touch is one of the most acute in the animal kingdom.
Belly button bacteria under the microscope
(Phys.org)—Researchers have discovered which bacteria species are most commonly found in our bellybuttons, but have still not discovered what governs which species will be found on which people. These are the first published findings of the Belly Button Biodiversity project led by NC State's Dr. Rob Dunn.
Gene discovery turns soldier beetle defence into biotech opportunity
(Phys.org)—New antibiotic and anti-cancer chemicals may one day be synthesised using biotechnology, following CSIRO's discovery of the three genes that combine to provide soldier beetles with their potent predator defence system.
Cell biologists identify new protein key to asymmetric cell division
Recently biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst led by Wei-lih Lee have identified a new molecular player in asymmetric cell division, a regulatory protein named She1 whose role in chromosome- and spindle positioning wasn't known before. Asymmetric cell division is important in the self-renewal of stem cells and because it ensures that daughter cells have different fates and functions.
Fairy-wren babies need password for food
It's always a good idea to listen to your mother, but that goes double for baby fairy-wrens even before they are hatched.
Light-based 'remote control' for proteins inside cells developed
Scientists at Stanford University have developed an intracellular remote control: a simple way to activate and track proteins, the busiest of cellular machines, using beams of light.
Fighting bacteria with mucus
Slimy layers of bacterial growth, known as biofilms, pose a significant hazard in industrial and medical settings. Once established, biofilms are very difficult to remove, and a great deal of research has gone into figuring out how to prevent and eradicate them.
Evolution at work: Even yeast mothers sacrifice all for their babies
A mother's willingness to sacrifice her own health and safety for the sake of her children is a common narrative across cultures – and by no means unique to humans alone. Female polar bears starve, dolphin mothers stop sleeping and some spider moms give themselves as lunch for their crawly babies' first meal.
Bodyguard fish: Corals attacked by toxic seaweed use chemical 911 signals to summon help
Corals under attack by toxic seaweed do what anyone might do when threatened – they call for help. A study reported this week in the journal Science shows that threatened corals send signals to fish "bodyguards" that quickly respond to trim back the noxious alga – which can kill the coral if not promptly removed.
This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://phys.org/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment