Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 23, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New study challenges old views about evolution of early life- 'Molecular levers' may make materials better
- Decision to give a group effort in the brain
- Neuroscientists find excessive protein synthesis linked to autistic-like behaviors
- Study turns parasite invasion theory on its head
- Nutrient-sensing enzymes key to starvation response and survival in newborn mammals
- Scientists shed new light on mechanisms of T-ALL, a form of leukemia that primarily affects children
- Research shows rapid warming on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
- Chinese medicine yields secrets: Atomic mechanism of 2-headed molecule derived from Chang Shan shown
- Fat influences decisions taken by brain cells for production and survival
- New findings in the search for genetic clues to insulin production
- Gout study offers genetic insight into 'disease of kings'
- Understanding cell organization to tackle cancer
- Smaller Colorado River projected for coming decades, study says
- Three new genetic links to colorectal cancer
Space & Earth news
Judge clears BP's $7.8 bn settlement in US oil spill
British oil giant BP won approval Friday from a US federal judge of a $7.8 billion settlement with people and businesses who lost money and property due to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Research shows rapid warming on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
In a discovery that raises further concerns about the future contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise, a new study finds that the western part of the ice sheet is experiencing nearly twice as much warming as previously thought.
Smaller Colorado River projected for coming decades, study says
Some 40 million people depend on the Colorado River Basin for water but warmer weather from rising greenhouse gas levels and a growing population may signal water shortages ahead. In a new study in Nature Climate Change, climate modelers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory predict a 10 percent drop in the Colorado River's flow in the next few decades, enough to disrupt longtime water-sharing agreements between farms and cities across the American Southwest, from Denver to Los Angeles to Tucson, and through California's Imperial Valley.
Technology news
Tajikistan orders Twitter ban
Tajikistan has ordered local Internet providers to block Twitter, one of more than 100 sites including popular Russian-language social networks starting next week, an industry representative told AFP Saturday.
Japan's Abe 'to review Fukushima' atomic crisis
Japan's incoming pro-nuclear premier Shinzo Abe said Sunday his government will again investigate the Fukushima atomic crisis, after which the country's reactors could be restarted, reports said.
Microsoft's Visual Studio will gain some Expression
(Phys.org)—This week, Microsoft design tools for Windows and Windows Phone took a surprise turn with the company's announcement that components of "Expression" were in for some big changes. Microsoft announced there will be an end of its support lifeline for some of the company's Expression design tools, in its new resolve to consolidate elements of Express with Visual Studio. This is not a total phaseout but a consolidation move where some parts of the collection are marked for retirement.
Boeing engineers use spuds to improve in-air Wi-Fi
If the wireless Internet connection during your holiday flight seems more reliable than it used to, you could have the humble potato to thank.
Snowboarders feel the buzz from haptic system
(Phys.org)—Daniel Spelmezan, an engineer at the Université Paris-Sud, has worked on a snowboard system that might lighten the case loads of orthopaedic surgeons and even keep those packets of Advil from being emptied. Spelmesan is behind a haptic snowboarding concept that uses vibrations to help teach the sport to new enthusiasts by sending cues to their limbs to execute moves properly. The system involves sensor-equipped snowboards and suits.
Medicine & Health news
Court blocks California law banning gay therapy
(AP)—A federal appeals court on Friday put the brakes on a first-of-its-kind California law that bans therapy aimed at turning gay minors straight.
New UN AIDS deputy hails Brazil progress
The newly appointed deputy chief of the United Nations HIV-fighting program, Brazilian Luiz Loures, hailed his own country's achievements in the fight against the deadly global epidemic in an interview published Saturday.
Norovirus kills six in Japanese hospital: officials
The norovirus has killed six elderly people in a rural Japanese hospital and infected dozens of other patients and staff, officials said Sunday.
Predicting who's at risk for violence isn't easy
(AP)—It happened after Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Colorado, and now Sandy Hook: People figure there surely were signs of impending violence. But experts say predicting who will be the next mass shooter is virtually impossible—partly because as commonplace as these calamities seem, they are relatively rare crimes.
Consider eye safety when toy shopping
(HealthDay)—When you're holiday shopping for toys, remember to think about eye safety.
Increased serum metal levels after lumbar disc replacement
(HealthDay)—Serum metal levels of cobalt and chromium are elevated at all postoperative time points up to 36 months following metal-on-metal lumbar disc replacement, according to research published in the November issue of the European Spine Journal.
Gattex approved for short bowel syndrome
(HealthDay)—Gattex (teduglutide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat nutritional problems caused by short bowel syndrome.
Varizig approved to reduce chickenpox symptoms
(HealthDay)—Varizig (varicella zoster immune globulin) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to minimize chickenpox symptoms when administered within four days of exposure to the virus that causes the disease.
FDA expands tamiflu use to treat babies under one year old
(HealthDay)—Tamiflu (oseltamivir) can now be given to children as young as 2 weeks old under an expanded approval announced Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Understanding cell organization to tackle cancer
Scientists at The University of Manchester have identified how cells know which way up they need to be. The discovery could help in the fight against cancer because in the early stages of the disease the cells become disorganised.
Scientists shed new light on mechanisms of T-ALL, a form of leukemia that primarily affects children
Acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children under the age of 14 years. With optimum treatment, approximately 75 % of children are currently cured, but the treatment consists of severe chemotherapy with many side effects. In collaboration with international research teams, scientists at VIB, KU Leuven and UZ Leuven have identified new genetic mutations that lead to T-ALL, a variant of ALL. They have unmasked the ribosome – the molecular machine in the cell that is involved in the production of proteins – as a weak spot in leukemia cells. Their research has also shown that there is a difference in T-ALL between adults and children. Both findings can be important in the search for improved treatments for T-ALL.
Three new genetic links to colorectal cancer
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators have identified three new genetic "hotspots" linked to colorectal cancer. These variants, reported Dec. 23 in an Advanced Online Publication in Nature Genetics, provide new insight into the biology of colorectal cancer – and could represent new therapeutic targets for the disease.
New findings in the search for genetic clues to insulin production
In research published online Dec. 23, 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics, scientists have found three new and relatively rare genetic variants that influence insulin production, offering new clues about the genetic factors behind diabetes..
Gout study offers genetic insight into 'disease of kings'
Scientists have shed light on why some people are more susceptible to gout than others. A study has identified 18 new genetic variations that increase levels of uric acid in the blood, which is the main cause of the disease. High levels of uric acid form small crystals in joints and tissues, causing pain and swelling – the main symptoms of the condition once known as the 'disease of kings'.
Neuroscientists find excessive protein synthesis linked to autistic-like behaviors
Autistic-like behaviors can be partially remedied by normalizing excessive levels of protein synthesis in the brain, a team of researchers has found in a study of laboratory mice. The findings, which appear in the latest issue of Nature, provide a pathway to the creation of pharmaceuticals aimed at treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that are associated with diminished social interaction skills, impaired communication ability, and repetitive behaviors.
Decision to give a group effort in the brain
A monkey would probably never agree that it is better to give than to receive, but they do apparently get some reward from giving to another monkey.
Biology news
Tatu-bola, 2014 World Cup mascot, could vanish soon
The three-banded armadillo, a threatened species chosen as the official mascot for the 2014 World Cup, could disappear entirely within decades, a Brazilian NGO has warned.
Annual bird counts give scientists climate clues
(AP)—Conservationists and bird enthusiasts across the Western Hemisphere are taking part in a massive, annual bird count that they hope will help scientists understand how birds adapt to climate change and habitat loss.
Nutrient-sensing enzymes key to starvation response and survival in newborn mammals
A family of nutrient-sensing enzymes, dubbed Rag GTPases, modulates the activity of the mTORC1 protein complex, whose inhibition is essential for autophagy and survival in newborn mammals. One enzyme, RagA, has been found to regulate the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway in cells according to glucose and amino acid availability. When this regulation breaks down in fasting newborn mice, the animals suffer a nutritional crisis and die.
The first goat genome sets a good example for facilitating de novo assembly of large genomes
In a collaborative study published online today in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BGI, and other institutes, have completed the first genome sequence of domestic goat by a robust approach integrated with next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome mapping (WGM) technologies. The goat genome is the first reference genome for small ruminant animals and may help to advance the understanding of distinct ruminants' genomic features from non-ruminant species. This work also yields a valuable experience for facilitating the de novo assemblies of large, complex genomes in the future.
New study challenges old views about evolution of early life
A research team led by biogeochemists at the University of California, Riverside has tested a popular hypothesis in paleo-ocean chemistry, and proved it false.
Study turns parasite invasion theory on its head
Current thinking on how the Toxoplasma gondii parasite invades its host is incorrect, according to a study published today in Nature Methods describing a new technique to knock out genes. The findings could have implications for other parasites from the same family, including malaria, and suggest that drugs that are currently being developed to block this invasion pathway may be unsuccessful.
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