Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 31, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Of noise and neurons: Sensory coding, representation and short-term memory- Researchers find evidence that moon's Procellarum basin formed by asteroid strike
- Global genome effort seeks genetic roots of disease
- Researchers create new microparticles that self-assemble like atoms into molecules
- Taming mavericks: Researchers use synthetic magnetism to control light
- New type of 'space weathering' observed on asteroid Vesta
- First all-carbon solar cell
- Common food preservative may slow, even stop tumor growth
- Stars ancient and modern?
- Study brings us step closer to rollable, foldable e-devices
- Biofuel breakthrough: Quick cook method turns algae into oil
- Western aspen trees commonly carry extra set of chromosomes
- Satellite captures the life and death of Hurricane Sandy on Halloween (w/ Video)
- Virtual reality 'beaming' technology transforms human-animal interaction
- High blood pressure damages the brain in early middle age
Space & Earth news
Agriculture and food production contribute up to 29% of global greenhouse gas emissions
Feeding the world releases up to 17,000 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, according to a new analysis released today by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). But while the emissions "footprint" of food production needs to be reduced, a companion policy brief by CCAFS lays out how climate change will require a complete recalibration of where specific crops are grown and livestock are raised.
Russian cargo ship docks with ISS: official
A Russian Progress cargo vessel successfully docked with the International Space Station on Wednesday after its launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, mission control said.
New study to examine ecological tipping points in hopes of preventing them
– Predation by otters keeps urchin populations in check, allowing kelp—a favorite food of urchins—to flourish. But what if otters were harvested to near extinction for their fur? The resulting overabundance of urchins would decimate the kelp forest, leaving little food or shelter for fish and invertebrates. And so it may go, as declines in these species are likely to affect others.
Sustainable cities must look beyond city limits
City leaders aspiring to transform their cities into models of sustainability must look beyond city limits and include in their calculation the global flow of goods and materials into their realm, argue researchers in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences journal Ambio.
Sizing up biomass from space
The biomass stored in forests is thought to play a critical role in mitigating the catastrophic effects of global climate change. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Carbon Balance and Management has used Lidar data collected by the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) aboard the Ice Cloud and Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to accurately measure the biomass of California. When the ICESat2 is launched in 2016 this method will be able to monitor biomass and other global data changes.
NASA/NOAA's Suomi NPP captures night-time view of Sandy's landfall
As Hurricane Sandy made a historic landfall on the New Jersey coast during the night of Oct. 29, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on NASA/NOAA's Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite captured this night-time view of the storm. This image provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison is a composite of several satellite passes over North America taken 16 to18 hours before Sandy's landfall.
Excess nitrogen fertilizer increasing warming in China
Halving the amount of nitrogen fertiliser used in certain areas of China would substantially decrease greenhouse gas emissions without affecting crop productivity and the area's natural carbon sink.
Wind kicks up 100-year-old volcano ash in Alaska
A smog-like haze that hung over part of Alaska's Kodiak Island this week was courtesy of a volcanic eruption—100 years ago.
Link between cyclones, climate change unclear
Was Hurricane Sandy caused by climate change? This was the contention Tuesday of Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York state, which bore the brunt of the superstorm.
Tabletop fault model reveals why some quakes result in faster shaking
The more time it takes for an earthquake fault to heal, the faster the shake it will produce when it finally ruptures, according to a new study by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, who conducted their work using a tabletop model of a quake fault.
Stars ancient and modern?
(Phys.org)—This colourful view of the globular star cluster NGC 6362 was captured by the Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. This new picture, along with a new image of the central region from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, provide the best view of this little-known cluster ever obtained. Globular clusters are mainly composed of tens of thousands of very ancient stars, but they also contain some stars that look suspiciously young.
Satellite captures the life and death of Hurricane Sandy on Halloween (w/ Video)
Hurricane Sandy is giving up the ghost on Halloween over Penn. As the storm weakened to a remnant low pressure area the NASA GOES Project released an animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery covering Hurricane Sandy's entire life.
Dust's warming counters half of its cooling effect (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)—The mineral properties of the aerosol particles and the wavelength distribution of incident light combine to determine whether a dust particle reflects radiation and cools the local atmosphere, absorbs radiation and warms the local atmosphere, or both. While scientists have a good handle on dust's primary effect of reflecting and cooling at the visible wavelengths, the smaller influence of absorbing and warming at the longer infrared wavelengths has remained more of an uncertainty – and most climate models either underestimate it or do not include it at all.
New type of 'space weathering' observed on asteroid Vesta
The surface of the giant asteroid Vesta is weathering in a way that appears to be completely different from any other asteroid yet visited, according to new data recorded by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. This new type of space weathering suggests that there's something about Vesta—perhaps its mineral composition or its position in the solar system—that makes its surface environment fundamentally different from other asteroids studied thus far.
Researchers find evidence that moon's Procellarum basin formed by asteroid strike
(Phys.org)—Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology propose in a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, that a strike by a large asteroid approximately 3.9 billion years ago, explains the geological characteristics of the moon's Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms) basin.
Technology news
Online videos gaining in US campaign: study
A majority of US voters are watching online videos related to the 2012 election or other political issues, a study showed Tuesday.
A look at RIM's much-delayed BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion says it's now testing its much-delayed BlackBerry 10 smartphones with 50 wireless carriers around the world. RIM calls it a key step.
FCC: Communications slowly improving after Sandy
(AP)—Federal regulators say that wireless networks are slowly coming back to life after Hurricane Sandy, with about 1 in 5 cell towers still being out of service Wednesday in a storm-hit area stretching from Virginia to Massachusetts.
Experts: SC hacking largest vs. state tax agency
(AP)—Experts say that the hacking of 3.6 million South Carolina tax returns is the largest cyber-attack against a state tax agency in the nation.
Europe takes on Google, looks to Brazil with hope
(AP)—European news organizations bleeding money and readers are trying to avoid extinction by asking governments in France, Germany and Italy to step in and charge Google for links to stories the Internet search giant has always gotten for free.
Facebook stock down after post-IPO lock-up expires
(AP)—Facebook's stock price fell Wednesday, the day employees were eligible to start selling restricted stock in the company.
Kodak's 3Q loss widens as company reorganizes
(AP)—Eastman Kodak's losses widened to $312 million in the third quarter as the photo and printing company struggles to emerge from bankruptcy protection.
Panasonic's red ink grows, forecasts loss for year
(AP)—Panasonic Corp.'s losses ballooned to 698 billion yen ($8.7 billion) for the fiscal second quarter as sales plunged in flat-panel TVs, laptops and other gadgets, and restructuring costs to turn itself around were proving bigger than initially expected.
New York's tech companies makes do after Sandy
(AP)—New York City's bustling technology scene, known as Silicon Alley, was not spared by Hurricane Sandy, which knocked out power lines, devastated the public transit system and left portions of the city flooded.
US consumers rushing into tablets, survey finds
Some 31 percent of US consumers have purchased tablet computers, and most of the others want one, a survey showed Wednesday.
'Digital eternity' beckons as death goes high-tech
Death is no longer the fusty business it once was: from swipeable bar codes on headstones to designer urns, webcam-based ceremonies and virtual memorials, funerals have shot into the 21st century.
For New York Times readers, fairness matters when it comes to paying for content
In a paper published today by Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking researchers found that New York Times readers who were led to believe the newspaper's paywall was motivated by financial need were generally supportive and willing to pay, while those who believed it was motivated by profit were generally unsupportive and unwilling to pay.
Site helps people find open pharmacies post-Sandy
(AP)—The pharmaceutical industry has activated an emergency website to help patients affected by Superstorm Sandy find nearby pharmacies that are open.
Netflix stock soars on news of Carl Icahn's stake
(AP)—Netflix's slumping stock price and weakening financial performance has finally attracted an opportunistic and sometimes nettlesome investor in Carl Icahn.
RIM says its new BlackBerry phone in testing
BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion said Wednesday that its much-delayed new smartphones are now being tested by 50 wireless carriers around the world.
Hurricane forces three US reactors shut
Three US nuclear power reactors remained shut down and a fourth on alert Tuesday after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc with transmission networks and high waters threatened cooling systems.
Study brings us step closer to rollable, foldable e-devices
(Phys.org)—Research out this week from the University of Cincinnati brings industry and consumers closer to several improvements in e-Readers and tablets, including a simpler and more colorful way to make rollable and foldable devices. Some day, you may be able to fold up your iPad and put it in your pocket.
Virtual reality 'beaming' technology transforms human-animal interaction
Using cutting-edge virtual reality technology, researchers have 'beamed' a person into a rat facility allowing the rat and human to interact with each other on the same scale.
Medicine & Health news
Liverpool care pathway has transformed end of life care, argues doctor
His views follow media criticism of the pathway that is designed to help doctors and nurses provide quality care for dying patients. Newspaper reports say doctors are establishing "death lists" of patients to put on the pathway and have accused hospitals of using it to kill terminally ill patients.
Automated calls help patients in under-developed countries manage blood pressure
Hypertension is one of the greatest epidemics threatening the health of people in low and middle-income countries.
Confirmation of nitisinone efficacy for life-threatening liver disease
A consortium of Quebec researchers coordinated by the Medical Genetics Service of the Sainte-Justine UHC has just published the findings of a 25-year study on the treatment of tyrosinemia, a life-threatening liver disease of genetic origin, which is screened at birth in the province of Quebec, where it is much more frequent than anywhere else in the world. "After five years of treatment, no trace of the disease can be detected in the liver of newborns who were treated with nitisinone starting from the first month of life," states Dr. Grant Mitchell of the Sainte-Justine UHC and the University of Montreal, who is the senior author of a study published in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism in September 2012.
Near-complete blood flow restoration critical for best outcomes in stroke
Two Rhode Island Hospital researchers recently found that restoring near-complete blood flow to the brain is necessary to restore or preserve neurological function following stroke. Seems like a no-brainer, right?
Medical schools fall short on teaching students about obesity
It's no secret that obesity is a major problem in America.
Evidence mixed on whether retail clinics disrupt doctor-patient relationships
A new RAND Corporation study examining the impact of retail medical clinics on the receipt of primary medical care finds mixed evidence about whether the clinics may disrupt doctor-patient relationships.
Stereotactic radiosurgery shows promise for kidney cancer
A first-of-its-kind clinical trial conducted at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center has shown encouraging results for the use of stereotactic radiosurgery to treat kidney cancer. This non-invasive treatment technique may represent a potential new non-surgical option for patients with this deadly disease who have limited treatment options.
Privately owned genetic databases may hinder diagnosis and bar the way to the arrival of personalized medicine
In response to the on-line publication by the European Journal of Human Genetics today (Wednesday) of an article by US researchers led by Dr. Robert Cook-Degan, a former member of the US Office of Technology Assessment, showing that Myriad Genetics, providers of the BRCA1/2 genetic test in the US, has amassed vast quantities of clinical data without sharing it, Professor Martina Cornel, chair of the European Society of Human Genetics' Professional and Public Policy committee, said:
Health inequalities could be reduced by more effective health care, says new study
Wide differences in death rates from disease still persist throughout England – but effective healthcare can help to reduce these inequalities, a new study has discovered.
Setting standards for research into Rett syndrome
There is an urgent need for new drugs to treat Rett syndrome, a rare and severe neurological disease mainly affecting girls. A bottleneck in drug development for this syndrome is a lack of clarity at the level of preclinical research. Key researchers in this field now tackle this issue, proposing standards and guidelines for Rett syndrome research, in an Open Access review article published on Oct. 31, 2012 in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) at http://dmm.biologists.org/. This "state of the science" assessment serves as a comprehensive resource of all findings and citations related to Rett syndrome.
Researchers find error reporting improves perceptions of safety and may reduce incidents
Documenting adverse events improves perceptions of safety and may decrease incidents in multi-site clinical practices, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results of the year-long study, which focused on the Radiation Oncology department's workflow, show a strong correlation between the implementation of a Conditions Reporting System and increasingly positive responses to staff surveys focusing on the culture of safety within the department. The findings of the study will be presented on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO) 2012 annual meeting.
Alcohol increases activity of the resting brain in social drinkers
Short-term alcohol intake can increase the activity of functional connections across the human brain when it is at rest, according to research published Oct 31 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Panagiotis Bamidis and colleagues from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Couple of weekly portions of oily fish can help ward off stroke
Eating at least two servings of oily fish a week is moderately but significantly associated with a reduced risk of stroke, finds a study published in British Medical Journal .
Flavor and texture alter how full we expect a food to makes us feel
Low calorie foods may help people lose weight but there is often a problem that people using them do not feel full. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Flavour shows that subtle manipulations of texture and creamy flavour can increase the expectation that a fruit yoghurt drink will be filling and suppress hunger regardless of actual calorific content.
'Complicated' system making it difficult for sick people to claim benefits
Dr Dyson, a general practitioner who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, has first-hand experience of the difficulty faced with trying to claim sickness benefit. Due to her illness she has not been able to work since early July and wanted to claim employment and support allowance.
Higher risk of maternal complications/preterm deliveries for women undergoing multiple caesareans
The risk of maternal complications and preterm deliveries is significantly higher for women undergoing their fifth or more caesarean section, finds a new study published today (31 October) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Study suggests too much risk associated with SSRI usage and pregnancy
Elevated risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, neonatal health complications and possible longer term neurobehavioral abnormalities, including autism, suggest that a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) should only be prescribed with great caution and with full counseling for women experiencing depression and attempting to get pregnant, say researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center and MetroWest Medical Center.
Researchers discover potential way to repair brain damage in multiple sclerosis
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that blocking a certain enzyme in the brain can help repair the brain damage associated with multiple sclerosis and a range of other neurological disorders.
Green tea found to reduce rate of some GI cancers
Women who drink green tea may lower their risk of developing some digestive system cancers, especially cancers of the stomach/esophagus and colorectum, according to a study led by researchers from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Men who do exercise produce better quality semen
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Cordoba links moderate physical activity in males with better hormone levels and sperm characteristics that favour reproduction compared to sedentary men.
Chronic kidney disease increases risk of death at all ages
A new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium found that chronic kidney disease and its complications were associated with a higher risk of death regardless of age. The findings were presented October 30 at the American Society of Nephrology conference in San Diego, Ca. and published in latest issue of JAMA.
Guidelines developed for extremely premature infants at NCH proven to be life-changing
For the last decade, prematurity has been the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. As a result of prematurity many infants enter this world too early with a small chance of survival. In order to help treat these extremely premature infants, physicians at Nationwide Children's Hospital developed a set of guidelines tailored to meet the needs of these tiny infants, some born up to four months early. Now, a new study shows that these guidelines are not only improving survival rates for extremely premature infants, but also improving their quality of life.
UMSOM dean urges caution in revising diagnostic guidelines for gestational diabetes
A number of important questions and issues should be addressed before changes are made to the guidelines for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, according to a new article by University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology on Oct. 31. The article publishes in advance of a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative to reconsider diagnostic guidelines for the condition.
Fat molecule ceramide may factor in muscle loss in older adults
As men and women age, increasing quantities of fat tissue inevitably take up residence in skeletal muscle. A small study of older and younger men conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University suggests that a build-up of a fat molecule known as ceramide might play a leading role in muscle deterioration in older adults. The results of the study were published online this month by the Journal of Applied Physiology, a publication of the American Physiological Society.
Medicare: Barrier to hospice increases hospitalization
(Medical Xpress)—A Medicare rule that blocks thousands of nursing home residents from receiving simultaneous reimbursement for hospice and skilled nursing facility (SNF) care at the end of life may result in those residents receiving more aggressive treatment and hospitalization, according a new analysis.
Seniors particularly vulnerable in Sandy's aftermath
Older adults left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy will likely suffer disproportionately in the days ahead, based on data from other recent natural disasters.
New tick disease in Switzerland
Microbiologists from the University of Zurich have detected a new disease transmitted via tick bites. The patients suffered from fever, weight loss and malaise, but could be cured fully with a course of antibiotics. Thanks to a newly developed test, the bacterial infection can be detected within a day. The greater Zurich region is a risk area for the new tick disease.
Scientists unravel resistance to breast cancer treatment
Scientists have identified a molecular 'flag' in women with breast cancer who do not respond or have become resistant to the hormone drug tamoxifen.
Microscopic packets of stem cell factors could be key to preventing lung disease in babies
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have found that microscopic particles containing proteins and nucleic acids called exosomes could potentially protect the fragile lungs of premature babies from serious lung diseases and chronic lung injury caused by inflammation.
Asia battles drug-resistant malaria
Drug-resistant malaria is spreading in Asia, experts warned as a high-level conference opened Wednesday with the aim of hammering out an action plan to strengthen the region's response.
Sleep duration affects hunger differently in men and women
A new study suggests that increasing the amount of sleep that adults get could lead to reduced food intake, but the hormonal process differs between men and women.
Unlocking the secrets of DNA repair
Scientists from the University of Sheffield have unlocked one of the secrets to DNA repair—helping doctors identify DNA base damage and a patient's susceptibility to certain types of cancer.
Recent findings may help to fight melanoma's resistance to chemotherapy
Blocking the action of a particular protein in our skin could improve the treatment of skin cancers, according to a study published in Oncogene yesterday by Philippe Roux, a researcher at the University of Montreal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC).
Routine blood test predicts prognosis in aggressive skin cancer
A routine blood test may help predict survival in patients with an aggressive form of skin cancer known as Merkel cell carcinoma, according to new findings by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers. The results will be presented on Wednesday, October 31 at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 54th Annual Meeting.
Do clinicians and patients have same definition of remission from depression?
Rhode Island Hospital researcher Mark Zimmerman, M.D., director of outpatient psychiatry, has found that patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) define remission from depression differently than clinicians. While many psychiatrists and clinicians view remission from a symptom-based standpoint, the study found that patients put much more emphasis on life satisfaction and sense of well-being than on actual symptoms. The paper is published online in advance of print in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Foggy perception slows us down
Fog is an atmospheric phenomenon that afflicts millions of drivers every day, impairing visibility and increasing the risk of an accident. The ways people respond to conditions of reduced visibility is a central topic in vision research. It has been shown that people tend to underestimate speeds when visibility is reduced equally at all distances, as for example, when driving with a uniformly fogged windshield. But what happens when the visibility decreases as you look further into the distance, as happens when driving in true fog? New research by Paolo Pretto at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen published in eLife, reveals that people tend to overestimate their speed when driving in fog-like conditions and therefore naturally tend to drive at a slower pace.
New metric to track prosthetic arm progress
Amputees with a new prosthetic arm must learn how to use their device to perform everyday tasks that were once second nature. Taking off a shirt becomes a conscious, multistep effort: grasp the shirt, lift the shirt over the head, pull arms through the sleeves, place the shirt on the table, let go of the shirt.
Mice with 'humanized' livers improve early drug testing
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have used bioengineered mice with livers composed largely of human cells to characterize a drug about to enter early-stage clinical development for combating hepatitis C.
US meningitis death toll rises to 29: official
Some 29 people have died from fungal meningitis they contracted after being treated with tainted steroid injections blamed for a growing national outbreak, US health officials said Wednesday.
Controlling depression is associated with improved health for heart-failure patients
(Medical Xpress)—Controlling depression in patients with heart failure can improve health status, social functioning and quality of life, according to a new study by psychiatrists and cardiologists at the UC Davis and Duke University schools of medicine.
Even physically active women sit too much
Women who exercise regularly spend as much time sitting as women who don't, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Team uses antisense technology that exploits gene splicing mechanism to kill cancer cells
Cancer cells grow fast. That's an essential characteristic of what makes them cancer cells. They've crashed through all the cell-cycle checkpoints and are continuously growing and dividing, far outstripping our normal cells. To do this they need to speed up their metabolism.
When people worry about math, the brain feels the pain
Mathematics anxiety can prompt a response in the brain similar to when a person experiences physical pain, according to new research at the University of Chicago.
How and why herpes viruses reactivate to cause disease
The mere mention of the word "herpes" usually conjures negative images and stereotypes, but most people have been infected with some form of the virus. For most, a sore appears, heals and is forgotten, although the virus remains latent just waiting for the right circumstances to come back. Now, the mystery behind what triggers the virus to become active again is closer to being solved thanks to new research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology's November 2012 issue. In the report, scientists show how the immune system may lose its control over the virus when facing new microbial threats, such as when it must fend off other viral invaders or bacteria.
5 year olds are generous only when they're watched
Children as young as five are generous when others are aware of their actions, but antisocial when sharing with a recipient who can't see them, according to research published Oct. 31 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Kristin Lyn Leimgruber and colleagues from Yale University.
Single protein targeted as the root biological cause of several childhood psychiatric disorders
A new research discovery has the potential to revolutionize the biological understanding of some childhood psychiatric disorders. Specifically, scientists have found that when a single protein involved in brain development, called "SRGAP3," is malformed, it causes problems in the brain functioning of mice that cause symptoms that are similar to some mental health and neurological disorders in children. Because this protein has similar functions in humans, it may represent a "missing link" for several disorders that are part of an illness spectrum. In addition, it offers researchers a new target for the development of treatments that can correct the biological cause rather than treat the symptoms. This discovery was published in November 2012 print issue of The FASEB Journal.
New hope for survivors of stroke and traumatic brain injury
A new ground-breaking study about to be published in the Adis journal CNS Drugs provides clinical evidence that, for the first time, chronic neurological dysfunction from stroke or traumatic brain injury can rapidly improve following a single dose of a drug that targets brain inflammation, even years after the stroke or traumatic event.
New MS drug proves effective where others have failed
A drug which 'reboots' a person's immune system has been shown to be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who have already failed to respond to the first drug with which they were treated (a 'first-line' therapy), as well as affected individuals who were previously untreated. The results of these two phase III clinical trials were published today in the journal The Lancet.
Regional analysis masks substantial local variation in health care spending
Reforming Medicare payments based on large geographic regions may be too bluntly targeted to promote the best use of health care resources, a new analysis from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health suggests. The analysis will be published in the Nov. 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
New genetic links for inflammatory bowel disease uncovered
Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) – inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract – have puzzled the scientific community for decades. Ten years ago, researchers recognized that both genes and the environment contributed to these diseases but knew little about precisely how and why illness occurred. To begin to narrow in on the key pathways involved, they would need thousands of patients' samples, millions of data points, and the commitment of physicians and scientists at dozens of institutions.
Unexpected factor contributes to melanoma risk in red-haired, fair-skinned individuals
The well-established elevated risk of melanoma among people with red hair and fair skin may be caused by more than just a lack of natural protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In an article receiving Advance Online Publication in Nature, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cutaneous Biology Research Center (CBRC)and Cancer Center researchers report finding that the type of skin pigment predominantly found in red-haired, fair-skinned individuals may itself contribute to the development of melanoma.
Common food preservative may slow, even stop tumor growth
Nisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers, a University of Michigan study found.
High blood pressure damages the brain in early middle age
Uncontrolled high blood pressure damages the brain's structure and function as early as young middle-age, and even the brains of middle-aged people who clinically would not be considered to have hypertension have evidence of silent structural brain damage, a study led by researchers at UC Davis has found.
Global genome effort seeks genetic roots of disease
By decoding the genomes of more than 1,000 people whose homelands stretch from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas, scientists have compiled the largest and most detailed catalog yet of human genetic variation. The massive resource will help medical researchers find the genetic roots of rare and common diseases in populations worldwide.
Biology news
Scientists find aphid resistance in black raspberry
There's good news for fans of black raspberries: A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist and his commercial colleague have found black raspberries that have resistance to a disease-spreading aphid.
Obese dogs at risk of health condition experienced by humans
Veterinary scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that, like humans, obese dogs can experience metabolic syndrome, a condition that describes multiple health issues that occur in the body at the same time.
Action needed to prevent more devastating tree diseases entering the UK
The UK Government has recently imposed a ban on importing foreign ash trees in order to prevent the spread of fungal disease Chalara, which kills the trees and has entered the country via imports from Europe.
Switching to an energy crop: Break even or make a profit?
Along with the growing interest in biomass energy crops as renewable alternatives to fossil fuels comes a growing list of questions from corn and soybean farmers about what it will cost them to switch. University of Illinois agricultural economist Madhu Khanna developed a customizable online calculator to eliminate some of the guesswork and help farmers make the decision.
A heady discovery for beer fans: The first gene for beer foam could improve froth
The yeast used to make beer has yielded what may be the first gene for beer foam, scientists are reporting in a new study. Published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the discovery opens the door to new possibilities for improving the frothy "head" so critical to the aroma and eye appeal of the world's favorite alcoholic beverage, they say.
Desert farming forms bacterial communities that promote drought resistance
When there is little water available for plants to grow, their roots form alliances with soil microbes that can promote plant growth even under water-limiting conditions, according to research published Oct. 31 by Daniele Daffonchio and colleagues from the University of Milan, Italy in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
Do Australia's giant fire-dependent trees belong in the rainforest?
Australia's giant eucalyptus trees are the tallest flowering plants on earth, yet their unique relationship with fire makes them a huge puzzle for ecologists. Now the first global assessment of these giants, published in New Phytologist, seeks to end a century of debate over the species' classification, a debate which may determine their future.
Testosterone regulates solo song of tropical birds
(Phys.org)—In male songbirds of the temperate zone, the concentration of sex hormones is rising in spring, which leads to an increase in song activity during the breeding season. In the tropics, there has been little evidence so far about such a clear relationship between hormonal action and behaviour, which is partly due to a lower degree of seasonal changes of the environment. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen have now discovered that in duetting African white-browed sparrow weavers, the solo song of dominant males is linked to elevated levels of testosterone. What is more, the male-typical solo song could be activated via testosterone treatment in female birds. The study thus shows a complex relationship between song behaviour and hormone concentration also in a tropical bird species.
First ever family tree for all living birds reveals evolution and diversification
The world's first family tree linking all living bids and revealing when and where they evolved and diversified since dinosaurs walked the earth has been created by scientists from the University of Sheffield.
Western aspen trees commonly carry extra set of chromosomes
A large proportion of aspen in the western U.S. sport an extra set of chromosomes in their cells, a phenomenon termed triploidy, according to new research published Oct. 31 in the open access journal PLoS ONE by Karen Mock from Utah State University and colleagues at several other institutions. In some areas of southern Utah and Colorado, over 60% of aspen trees are triploid.
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