Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 20, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Protein engineers create new biocatalysts- Decal-like application process allows thin, flexible solar panels to be applied to virtually any surface
- Wallace's century-old map of natural world updated
- For newly discovered 'quantum spin liquid', the beauty is in its simplicity
- Team studies rare meteorite possibly from the outer asteroid belt
- New kind of magnetism discovered: Experiments demonstrate 'quantum spin liquid'
- America's top young scientist crafts system to purify water (w/ video)
- New experiment helps explain extraordinary optical transmission
- Freebie tricksters unleash spam botnet using Android phones
- A nanoscale window to the biological world
- Study offers new targets for stroke treatments
- Genomic 'hotspots' offer clues to causes of autism, other disorders
- Bat genome provides new insights into the evolution of flight and immunity
- New study finds that one key mechanism in development involves 'paused' RNA polymerase
- New whole plant therapy shows promise as an effective and economical treatment for malaria
Space & Earth news
Environmental performance affected by ethnicity and religion
Ethnically or religiously diverse countries underinvest in measures to improve their environmental performance, according to new research by an academic at the University of East Anglia (UEA).
California's graduate students in environmental sciences lag behind in technology, computation
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have conducted a study showing that many skills and practices that could help scientists make use of technological and computational opportunities are only marginally being taught in California's formal graduate programs in the environmental sciences.
Civil engineers increasing energy created from solid waste, potential for future landfill operations
(Phys.org)—Two UT Arlington civil engineering professors are working with a new imaging system that has doubled the amount of methane gas produced by the city of Denton landfill.
Where to go in the US for a white Christmas
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Go to Fairbanks, Alaska, where an inch or more of snow has been on the ground every Christmas day for 50 straight years.
'Erin Brockovich' toxin found at Japan plant
The toxic chemical made infamous by campaigning single mother Erin Brockovich has been found at up to 15,800 times safety limits in groundwater at a Japanese iron plant, the factory's operator said Thursday.
E-waste recycling—at whose expense?
Computers, tablets and mobile phones are all popular consumer products. The lifespan of these devices is usually short, between two to four years. Shakila Umair, researcher at KTH, travelled to Pakistan to see how these common electronic devices are dismantled and recycled. She investigated the harsh living conditions of people working with e-waste.
Explorers discover deepwater gas seeps off US Atlantic coast: Advanced sonar technology key to discovery and mapping
NOAA ocean explorers used an advanced multibeam sonar mapping system on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer last month to discover and map the first deepwater gas seeps found off the U.S. Atlantic Coast north of Cape Hatteras. The seeps were found at water depths greater than 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). Based on preliminary information, scientists believe the seeps are likely emitting methane gas.
Climate change on world stage: Expert discusses prospects for adopting a plan to confront it
International climate talks wrapped up last week in Qatar. Harvard Professor Robert Stavins attended and characterized the gathering as a qualified success, representing another step in a long process of reaching a workable international agreement.
Eighth Landsat satellite arrives at launch site
An oversized semi-trailer truck carrying NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) has arrived at its launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in preparation for launch. This NASA and U.S. Geological Survey mission will continue a 40-year record of measuring change on the planet from space.
Pics, shoots and leaves: Ecologists turn digital cameras into climate change tools
As digital cameras become better and cheaper, ecologists are turning these ubiquitous consumer devices into scientific tools to study how forests are responding to climate change. And, they say, digital cameras could be a cost-effective way of visually monitoring the spread of tree diseases. The results – which come from 38,000 photographs – are presented at this week's British Ecological Society's Annual Meeting at the University of Birmingham.
Europe launches major British military satellite
A European rocket has launched a major satellite designed to expand telecommunications for the British military from the Kourou space base in French Guiana, flight operators said.
Curiosity rover explores 'Yellowknife Bay'
(Phys.org)—The NASA Mars rover Curiosity this week is driving within a shallow depression called "Yellowknife Bay," providing information to help researchers choose a rock to drill.
The laws of global warming: How to regulate geo-engineering efforts to fight climate change
(Phys.org)—With policymakers and political leaders increasingly unable to combat global climate change, more scientists are considering the use of manual manipulation of the environment to slow warming's damage to the planet.
High winds affect ocean circulation in North Atlantic, says study
(Phys.org)—Gale-force winds that whip around the Greenland coast are driving ocean circulation, confirms a new study on the cover of the Nov. 30 issue of Geophysical Research Letters.
Evidence for active hollows formation on Mercury
A recent image acquired by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft shows the interior of Eminescu, a youngish 130-km (80 mile) wide crater just north of Mercury's equator. Eminescu made science headlines last year with MESSENGER's discovery of curious eroded blotches called "hollows" scattered across its interior and surrounding its central peak, and now it looks like the spacecraft may have spotted some of these strange features in their earliest stages of formation along the inner edge of the crater's rim.
The most remote workplace on Earth
Located in one of the loneliest locations on Earth, the French-Italian Concordia station was captured on high-resolution camera by ESA's Proba-1 microsatellite last month, showing the snow-covered base and 25 square kilometers of the virtually featureless expanse of Antarctic ice surrounding it.
Death of hemlock trees yields new life for hardwood trees, but at what cost to the ecosystem?
Due to the introduction of exotic pests and pathogens, tree species are being eliminated one by one from forest ecosystems. In some cases, scientists can observe immediately how their loss affects the environment, whereas in other cases, creative puzzle solving and analysis reveal unexpected repercussions. In the case of the loss of the hemlock tree, University of Illinois landscape and ecosystem ecologist Jennifer Fraterrigo uncovered a surprising benefit to hardwood species.
NASA sees Cyclone Evan blown apart by wind shear
Cyclone Evan is no more than a remnant low pressure area in the South Pacific Ocean now. NOAA's GOES-15 satellite captured an image of the remnants from its fixed orbit in space on Dec. 20 that showed strong wind shear had basically blown the storm apart.
Trio of complex antarctic science projects reach significant technological milestones 'on the ice'
A trio of very large-scale, National Science Foundation-funded Antarctic science projects—investigating scientifically significant subjects as varied as life in extreme ecosystems, the fate of one of the world's largest ice sheets and the nature of abrupt global climate-change events—have recently each reached important technological milestones that will advance cutting-edge research.
Armchair science: Bag and tag glowing galactic clouds
(Phys.org)—A new galactic game launching today lets citizen scientists identify the glowing clouds where future stars will be born. The online experience, called Clouds, is a new addition to the Milky Way Project, where everyone can help astronomers sort and measure our galaxy. Clouds features images and data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory, a European Space Agency mission with important participation from NASA.
Spiral structure of disk may reveal planets
(Phys.org)—An international team of astronomers has used HiCIAO (High Contrast Instrument for the Subaru Next Generation Optics) to observe a disk around the young star SAO 206462. They succeeded in capturing clear, detailed images of its disk, which they discovered has a spiral structure with two discernable arms. On the basis of their observations and modeling according to spiral density wave theory, the team suspects that dynamic processes, possibly resulting from planets in the disk, may be responsible for its spiral shape. This research may provide the basis for another indirect method of detecting planets.
Clays on Mars: More plentiful than expected
(Phys.org)—A new study co-authored by the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that clay minerals, rocks that usually form when water is present for long periods of time, cover a larger portion of Mars than previously thought. In fact, Assistant Professor James Wray and the research team say clays were in some of the rocks studied by Opportunity when it landed at Eagle crater in 2004. The rover only detected acidic sulfates and has since driven about 22 miles to Endeavour Crater, an area of the planet Wray pinpointed for clays in 2009.
Team studies rare meteorite possibly from the outer asteroid belt
(Phys.org)—Scientists found treasure when they studied a meteorite that was recovered April 22, 2012 at Sutter's Mill, the gold discovery site that led to the 1849 California Gold Rush. Detection of the falling meteorites by Doppler weather radar allowed for rapid recovery so that scientists could study for the first time a primitive meteorite with little exposure to the elements, providing the most pristine look yet at the surface of primitive asteroids.
Technology news
Megaupload New Zealand extradition case delayed again
A US bid to extradite Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom from New Zealand for alleged online piracy has been delayed for a second time and will not be heard until August next year, his lawyers said Thursday.
Spain fines top 3 telecoms companies $159 million
(AP)—Spain's National Competition Commission has fined top telecommunications operators Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange a total of €120 million ($159 million) for abusing their dominant position and charging excessively high prices for texts and multimedia messages.
Clean air: New paints break down nitrogen oxides
Surfaces with photo-catalytic characteristics clean the air off nitrogen oxides and other health-endangering substances. Using a new test procedure, Fraunhofer researchers can find out how the coatings behave during a long-term test. They will introduce the test at the booth of the Fraunhofer Building Innovation Alliance in Booth 131 / 135 in Hall C2 at the Trade Fair BAU that will take place from Jan. 14 - 19, 2013, in Munich, Germany.
Report: Social media talk focuses on gun control
(AP)—A report shows that the school shooting in Connecticut has led to more discussion about gun policy on social media than previous rampages.
China promises to crack down on pirated software
China promised the United States that it would crack down on pirated software as the world's two largest economies looked to ease trade frictions amid political changes.
Google sells Motorola Mobility Home for $2.35 bn
Google announced it is selling the Motorola Mobility Home unit to global communications technology company ARRIS in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.35 billion.
China to overhaul struggling solar panel industry
(AP)—China's government says it will encourage mergers among producers of solar panels to strengthen an industry that has suffered huge losses due to excess production capacity and price-cutting wars.
Privacy expert: Don't like Instagram's new terms of service? Quit.
Instagram, one of the world's most popular photo applications and sharing services, announced on Monday, Dec. 17, that it would change its terms of service and privacy policy early next year, giving the company and its owner, Facebook, the right to use uploaded images in advertisements and other places without a user's consent.
The life-saving real world results of intelligent vehicle systems
Smart automotive technologies that help drivers avoid collisions, navigate and improve fuel efficiency should make Europe's roads safer, ease congestion and reduce pollution. But just how beneficial are they? Potentially very, according to vehicle manufacturers, researchers, automotive suppliers and other stakeholders who answered that question in a landmark EU-funded project.
Supercomputing on the XPRESS track: Sandia aims to create exascale computing operating system
(Phys.org)—In the stratosphere of high-performance supercomputing, a team led by Sandia National Laboratories is designing an operating system that can handle the million trillion mathematical operations per second of future exascale computers, and then create prototypes of several programming components.
With state budgets in red, push for online sales tax gains steam
At The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, N.C., co-owner Tom Campbell says he is losing business as customers come in to photograph his books or jot down notes, conducting their research before they buy the books online to avoid a sales tax.
EU decision on Microsoft probe close: commissioner
The European Commission said Thursday it is close to a decision in its investigation of US giant Microsoft and its failure to provide clients with a choice of Web browser, as it had promised to do.
EU says to set out anti-trust case against Samsung soon
The EU will set out its case against Samsung Electronics "very soon" following an anti-trust probe of the smartphone and mobile tablet market, Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said Thursday.
Free search engine connects classrooms with science and technology
An educational search engine funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has gone mobile just in time for the holidays with the Dec. 16 release of an iPad app.
Internet 'moment of silence' to mark US school tragedy
US tech leaders and celebrities have joined a call for an "Internet moment of silence" Friday to remember the victims of last week's massacre of 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school.
RIM loses BlackBerry subscribers for first time (Update)
BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion, which is already struggling with plunging sales, said Thursday it lost subscribers for the first time in the latest quarter, as the global number of BlackBerry users dipped to 79 million.
Apple appeals decision in case against Samsung
Apple is appealing a judge's refusal to bar Samsung smartphones from the U.S. market after a jury found Samsung used some Apple technology without permission.
Google Play growing fast, survey finds
Google's online Play shop of applications for Android-powered smartphones or tablets is growing fast, a report released Thursday by market tracker Distimo said.
Apple "pinch-to-zoom" patent deemed invalid
A filing in a high-stakes legal battle between Samsung and Apple revealed that a "pinch-to-zoom" patent central to the case has been deemed invalid.
Cellphone, GPS data suggest new strategy for alleviating traffic tie-ups
Researchers from MIT and UC Berkeley tracked traffic in Boston and San Francisco with cell tower and GPS data and analyzed bottlenecks. Their computer analysis suggested a possible strategy for relieving traffic tie-ups: instead of asking all drivers to reduce their driving during commute hours, target those communities whose drivers contribute most to congestion.
Twitter offers users scrapbook of past tweets
Twitter is offering its more than 200 million users a chance to keep a digital scrapbook of all their tweets.
Facebook to charge for some message delivery
Facebook on Thursday began testing the feasibility of charging to guarantee that messages from strangers make it into inboxes of intended recipients at the social network.
Decal-like application process allows thin, flexible solar panels to be applied to virtually any surface
For all their promise, solar cells have frustrated scientists in one crucial regard – most are rigid. They must be deployed in stiff, often heavy, fixed panels, limiting their applications. So researchers have been trying to get photovoltaics to loosen up. The ideal: flexible, decal-like solar panels that can be peeled off like band-aids and stuck to virtually any surface, from papers to window panes.
Freebie tricksters unleash spam botnet using Android phones
(Phys.org)—Cloudmark, a San Francisco based messaging security company, posted a notice on Sunday that an Android trojan is being used to create simple havoc, aka an SMS spam botnet. Cyber-thieves dangling the lure of free access to popular games such as Angry Birds Space and Need for Speed Most Wanted are staging attacks for the purpose of turning victims' Android phones into spam-sending monsters. Smartphone security company, Lookout, also based in San Francisco, is referring to the spammer botnet as SpamSoldier. The company also warned that it is spread through SMS messages that advertise free versions of paid games.
America's top young scientist crafts system to purify water (w/ video)
(Phys.org)—Deepika Kurup, a 14-year-old high school student from Nashua, New Hampshire, has won this year's Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her solar-powered device designed to kill bacteria in water. She now has the title of "America's Top Young Scientist," and a reward of $25,000 for her work. for students in fifth to eighth grade. Kurup entered the prestigious-science competition before she was in high school. This was her second time entering; in an another year's competition she had taken first place in her state.
Medicine & Health news
Physicians admit feeling under qualified and lacking necessary education to treat obesity
Your primary care physician may be your first choice for assistance with most health-related issues, but according a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, primary care physicians agree they may not be the best health care professionals to give weight related counseling. Researchers examined primary care physician perspectives on the causes of and solutions to obesity care and identified differences in these perspectives by number of years since completion of medical school. They found that only 44 percent of primary care physicians reported success in helping obese patients lose weight and that primary care physicians identified nutritionists and dietitians as the most qualified providers to care for obese patients. The results are featured in the December 20, 2012 issue of BMJ Open.
Supportive role models, coping lead to better health in poor teens
Low-income teenagers who have supportive role models and engage in adaptive strategies have lower levels of a marker for cardiovascular risk than low-income teens without such resources, according to a new study.
Philippines raises tobacco, alcohol taxes
The Philippines Thursday raised tobacco and alcohol taxes in a reform President Benigno Aquino hailed as helping to liberate "more Filipinos from the vices of smoking and drinking".
Steroids loom in major-college football
(AP)—With uneven testing for steroids and inconsistent punishment, college football players are packing on rapid weight without drawing much attention from their schools or the NCAA.
Medicare premiums could rise for many retirees
(AP)—Higher Medicare premiums are probably in store for many seniors if there's a budget deal between President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress.
Better growth without acrylamide
Low levels of acrylamide in maternal blood give better foetal growth according to two recent studies from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Most acrylamide intake comes from heat-treated food but it can also be found in tobacco smoke and in the environment.
15 years of brain research: Multisensory speech perception examined
Research on multisensory speech perception in recent years has helped revolutionize our understanding of how the brain organizes the information it receives from our many different senses, UC Riverside psychology professor Lawrence D. Rosenblum writes in the January 2013 issue of Scientific American.
5 tips to stay safe during the marathon
(Medical Xpress)—On the morning January 13th, 2013, 25,000 people will meet at the George R Brown convention center for the biggest one day sporting event in Houston. Many of you will be running 26.2 miles for the first time. "As more people attempt this wonderous feat, the risk for injury to someone in the field goes up," says Dr. Scott Rand, with the Methodist Center for Orthopedic Surgery. The volunteer medical staff does a great job of doing everything possible to ensure your safety, but you can go a long way towards helping yourself and making your run as safe, comfortable and enjoyable as possible if you follow a few simple tips.
Test to provide help for sufferers of olfactory dysfunction
A psychological test, available for the first time, is intended to make the counselling and treatment of patients with olfactory dysfunction significantly easier. The new method has been developed by the University Department of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna.
3 Palestinians dead from swine flu
Three Palestinians in the West Bank have died in the past week from the H1N1 influenza strain known as swine flu, the Palestinian health ministry said on Thursday.
Caricom to launch new health agency in Trinidad
(AP)—A Caribbean trade bloc says it has merged five different health research agencies into a single office that has already attracted nearly $10 million in aid.
Virtual reality and robotics in neurosurgery—promise and challenges
Robotic technologies have the potential to help neurosurgeons perform precise, technically demanding operations, together with virtual reality environments to help them navigate through the brain, according to a special supplement to Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Cultural, social factors identified as barriers to minority participation in stem cell donation
New research examining the role of race and ethnicity in an individual's decision to become a donor for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) identifies several factors associated with varied participation rates in national donor registries across racial/ethnic groups. Results of this first-of-its-kind study are published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
Mount Sinai grad student, 25, named to Forbes '30 Under 30' in Science and Healthcare
Jillian Shapiro, a third-year graduate student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been named to the second annual Forbes "30 Under 30" list in "Science and Health." The honorees "reflect the way that the health care landscape is transforming for the better, opening up to revolutionary new ideas and new approaches," according to the editors of Forbes.
New target for treating prediabetes in patients with kidney disease
Insulin resistance, or prediabetes, in individuals with kidney disease may be caused by the progressive retention of certain compounds that are normally excreted by the kidneys in healthy individuals, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings might be used to prevent insulin resistance in kidney disease patients, which could lower their risk of developing heart problems.
Around two queries a week to UK poisons service concern... snakebites
Snakebite injuries account for around two phone queries every week to the UK National Poisons Information Service, indicates an audit published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Regular family meals together boost kids' fruit and vegetable intake
Regular family meals round a table boosts kids' fruit and vegetable intake, and make it easier for them to reach the recommended five portions a day, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Asthmatics at increased risk of pulmonary embolism
People with asthma have an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, according to new research.
Sibling squabbles can lead to depression, anxiety
Holiday presents will soon be under the tree for millions of adolescents. With those gifts may come sibling squabbles over violations of personal space, such as unwanted borrowing of a fashionable clothing item, or arguments over fairness, such as whose turn it is to play a new video game. Those squabbles represent two specific types of sibling conflict that can have different effects on a youth's emotional health, according to a multi-year study by a University of Missouri psychologist. With these findings, parents can learn how to bring peace to the home and encourage their children's healthy psychological development.
Toddlers' language skills predict less anger by preschool
Toddlers with more developed language skills are better able to manage frustration and less likely to express anger by the time they're in preschool. That's the conclusion of a new longitudinal study from researchers at the Pennsylvania State University that appears in the journal Child Development.
Young offenders who work, don't attend school may be more antisocial
Many high school students work in addition to going to school, and some argue that employment is good for at-risk youths. But a new study has found that placing juvenile offenders in jobs without ensuring that they attend school may make them more antisocial.
Researcher shows diabetes, blood pressure link to colon cancer recurrence, survival
By all accounts, a combination of colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure can be a recipe for medical disaster. Now, a new study led by a surgical oncologist and researcher at Temple University School of Medicine and Fox Chase Cancer Center has shown just how deadly this mix can be. In a retrospective analysis of more than 36,000 patients with colon cancer, investigators showed that those with early stage disease and diabetes or high blood pressure – two components of metabolic syndrome – have a greater risk for the cancer returning after treatment and of dying compared to patients with colon cancer who do not have either condition.
Neuroscience: The extraordinary ease of ordinal series
Familiar categories whose members appear in orderly sequences are processed differently than others in the brain, according to new research published by David Eagleman in the open access journal Frontiers in Neuroscience on December 20th, 2012. The study suggests that ordinal sequences have a strong spatial quality and activate a region of the brain not thought to be directly involved in language acquisition and production. Also, sequences shown in the correct order stimulated less brain activity in comparison to sequences that were not in the correct order, implying that the brain could predict what was coming and needed less activity to understand it.
US shooting revives debate over mental health care
The deadly US shooting rampage last week has revived debate about access to mental health care—a tough issue as state funds dry up and laws make it difficult to treat people against their will.
WHO head warns diseases set to rise
The head of the World Health Organization warned Thursday that infectious diseases will spread more easily in the future due to globalisation, changing lifestyles and rising population densities.
Innovative method to deliver THC: Transmucosal patch increases drug's absorption
(Medical Xpress)—An innovative delivery method for tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive constituent of Cannabis, is being developed at the University of Mississippi.
Brain training could save distracted drivers from road accidents
(Medical Xpress)—It happens to most of us at some point - our eyes are on the road, our mind starts to wander, and several kilometres down the road we're either snapping out of it ... or involved in a road accident.
Stack your plate high this Christmas, but with consideration, author suggests
The author of a new RSC book on the science behind obesity is urging Christmas diners to stack their festive plates high with food.
Ecological approach could help cystic fibrosis sufferers, researchers find
Scientists more used to studying the communities of bacteria that live in natural environments like rivers and soils are helping transform doctors' understanding of a life-threatening illness, and could ultimately shed light on many other health problems too.
People holding guns perceive others with guns, researcher says
(Medical Xpress)—People holding guns perceive other people holding guns, according to a new study published this fall by a Colorado State University researcher.
American Academy of Pediatrics issues policy statement on pesticide exposure in children
(Medical Xpress)—Increasing evidence shows urban and rural children are regularly exposed to low levels of pesticides that can have serious long-term health effects, according to a report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
More than half a million California adults think seriously about committing suicide, study reveals
(Medical Xpress)—More than half a million adults in California seriously thought about committing suicide during the previous year, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Measuring skull pressure without the headache
Space research has developed a new way of measuring the pressure inside your skull using simple sound waves from headphones. The device is an effective early-warning system for patients recovering from head injury or brain surgery.
Toasting your health: Take care with alcohol consumption
(Medical Xpress)—The holidays are a time to consume—food, gifts, and spirits. Here are a few alcohol-related story ideas from The Methodist Hospital. Because alcohol's effects on human physiology are complex, advice about is often contradictory.
First human tests of meth medication completed
(Medical Xpress)—InterveXion Therapeutics LLC and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have successfully completed dosing in the first human safety study of a medication to help methamphetamine users fight their addictions.
Kids don't get a Christmas break from allergies: Pediatric allergist gives tips on how to keep kids healthy
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, candles filling the air with the smell of cinnamon and beloved decorations making their yearly appearance really do help make the season bright. But for kids with allergies these holiday delights can make the atmosphere miserable and even deadly.
New test could help diagnose Alzheimer's disease in live patients
The patient turned 40 over the summer and was already having symptoms that made her neurologist wonder whether she had Alzheimer's disease, the deadly, mind-killing dementia that usually attacks far older people.
A urine test for Kawasaki disease
A set of proteins detected in urine by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital may prove to be the first biomarkers for Kawasaki disease, an uncommon but increasingly prevalent disease which causes inflammation of blood vessels that can lead to enlarged coronary arteries and even heart attacks in some children. If validated in more patients with Kawasaki disease, the markers could make the disease easier to diagnose and give doctors an opportunity to start treatment earlier.
Preventing prostate cancer through androgen deprivation may have harmful effects
Mice deficient in PTEN in the prostate developed stable precancers. Androgen deprivation promoted progression to invasive prostate cancer. Patients with PTEN-deficient prostate precancers may not benefit from androgen deprivation chemoprevention therapy.
Public obsession with obesity may be more dangerous than obesity itself, UCLA author says
Much has been made about who or what is to blame for the "obesity epidemic" and what can or should be done to stem the tide of rising body mass among the U.S. population.
Merck says cholesterol drug failed to show benefit
Drugmaker Merck & Co. said it will not seek U.S. approval for its cholesterol drug Tredaptive and is recommending doctors abroad stop prescribing it to new patients, based on failed study results.
Study identifies powerful infection strategy of widespread and potentially lethal virus
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have mapped the molecular mechanism by which a virus known as cytomegalovirus (CMV) so successfully infects its hosts. This discovery paves the way for new research avenues aimed at fighting this and other seemingly benign viruses that can turn deadly.
How the common fruit fly is helping scientists to study alcohol-related disorders
Scientists have shown how the common fruit fly Drosophila, which possess similar electrophysiological and pharmacological properties as humans, could now be used to screen and develop new therapies for alcohol-related behavioural disorders and some genetic diseases.
Game changing diagnostic and prognostic prostate cancer genetic tests revealed
Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson (KCC) have developed potentially game-changing diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests shown to better predict prostate cancer survival outcomes and distinguish clinically-relevant cancers.
Low vitamin D levels in pregnancy associated with lower birth weights, study finds
Women deficient in vitamin D early in their pregnancies are more likely to deliver babies with lower birth weights, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health research reveals.
Serendipity points to new potential target and therapy for melanoma
(Medical Xpress)—A University of Colorado Cancer Center study in this month's edition of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology describes a new target and potential treatment for melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. MicroRNA can decide which genes in a cell's DNA are expressed and which stay silent. Melanoma tends to lack microRNA-26a, which makes the gene SODD go silent.
Swiss surgeons conduct complex multiple organ transplant
Surgeons in Zurich have carried out a complex, multi-organ transplant, hospital officials said Thursday, claiming the lessons learned would benefit patients with tumours that attack multiple organs.
Antimicrobial resistance up in K. pneumoniae isolates
(HealthDay)—Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) isolates from U.S. inpatients are becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial agents, according to a study published in the January issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Meds adherence self-report valid in type 2 diabetes
(HealthDay)—Self-reported measures of medication adherence in adults with type 2 diabetes are valid, although some self-reports are moderated by depression, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Diabetes Care.
Spanish registry IDs predictors of low back pain improvement
(HealthDay)—For patients with acute or chronic low back pain (LBP), predictors have been identified for clinically relevant improvements in LBP, pain down the leg (LP), and disability at three months, according to research published in the November issue of The Spine Journal.
FDA panel considers 1st drug for chronic fatigue syndrome
(HealthDay)—A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will meet Thursday to consider approval of the first drug to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.
Pair of proteins gets brain cells into shape
Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn have gained new insights into the early phase of the brain's development. In cooperation with researchers of the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, the University of Bonn and other German and international colleagues they identified two proteins that control the formation of cell protuberances. The typical ramifications through which nerve cells receive and forward signals ultimately originate from these outgrowths.
Poison for cancer cells: New method identifies active agents in mixtures of hundreds of substances
In their quest for new agents, pharmaceutical researchers test millions of substances all over the world. They like using color-forming reactions to identify new molecules. However, in intensively colored solutions or in the case of mixtures with multiple substances these tests fail. As part of his doctoral thesis, Martin Stein, member of staff at the Chair of Biochemistry at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen, developed a testing reaction based on magnetic resonance data. It helps find a specific pharmaceutical molecule among hundreds of different substances even in the most turbid of bacterial brews.
Lifestyle changes linked to better outcomes after peripheral intervention
Patients who quit smoking and took an aspirin and statin before undergoing treatment for blocked leg arteries were less likely to suffer a complication six months later, according to new research led by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.
Steering stem cells to become two different building blocks for new blood vessels
(Medical Xpress)—Growing new blood vessels in the lab is a tough challenge, but a Johns Hopkins engineering team has solved a major stumbling block: how to prod stem cells to become two different types of tissue that are needed to build tiny networks of veins and arteries.
Can intuition resolve Christmas gift dilemmas? New research suggests it can help
The clock is ticking and you still haven't decided what to get that special someone in your life for the holidays. When it comes to those last-minute gift-buying decisions for family and close friends, intuition may be the best way to think your way through to that perfect gift.
Study shows heart calcium scan predictive of diabetes-related death from cardiovascular disease
People with Type 2 diabetes have two to four times the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people without the disease. The best way for doctors to predict which diabetes patients are at the greatest risk for heart disease is to use a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test in addition to the most commonly used assessment tool, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Transplanted genetically-modified adipose cells offer potential therapy for liver diseases
Using mesenchymal stromal cells derived from adipose (fat) tissues, genetically modified to express a bioluminescent marker, researchers in Italy have tracked cells after transplantation. The cells were followed from their injection into the spleen of mice modeling liver disease, to their characterization as "hepatic precursors," and to their subsequent migration through the spleen before engrafting at regenerating sites in the liver by bioluminescent imaging.
Research reveals new drug target urgently needed for tuberculosis therapy
One third of the world is infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), a disease that is increasingly difficult to treat because of wide spread resistance to available drugs. Researchers from the Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (CNRS, Université de Toulouse) in Toulouse (France) have identified a fresh target to develop new drugs for TB. The study, published in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens, shows why the target will be important in developing new TB treatments.
New MRI analysis useful in predicting stroke complications caused by clot-busters
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a new way of looking at standard MRI scans that more accurately measures damage to the blood-brain barrier in stroke victims, a process they hope will lead to safer, more individualized treatment of blood clots in the brain and better outcomes.
Extending steroid treatment does not benefit children with hard-to-treat kidney disease
Extending steroid treatment for the most common form of kidney disease in children provides no benefit for preventing relapses or side effects, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings challenge previous assumptions about optimal treatment strategies for this disease.
Cancer diagnosis later in life poses significant risk to offspring
Relatives of family members diagnosed with cancer are still at risk of the disease even if the diagnosis came at an older age, suggests a paper published on BMJ website today.
New study investigates fate and function of cells transplanted to the CNS
When different types of cells are transplanted with the intent of having them aid in repairing central nervous system (CNS) trauma, what is the fate and function of those cells? A Belgian research team carried out research aimed at answering this question by determining how five varieties of cells - neural stem cells, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, dendritic cells, bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and splenocytes - functioned and survived after transplantation in the CNS.
Removing protein 'garbage' in nerve cells may help control two neurodegenerative diseases
Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center say they have new evidence that challenges scientific dogma involving two fatal neurodegenerative diseases—amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)—and, in the process, have uncovered a possible therapeutic target as a novel strategy to treat both disorders.
Protein kinase Akt identified as arbiter of cancer stem cell fate, paper reports
(Medical Xpress)—The protein kinase Akt is a key regulator of cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, survival, and death. New work on Akt's role in cancer stem cell biology from the lab of senior author Honglin Zhou, MD, PhD and Weihua Li, co-first author, both from the Center for Resuscitation Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Xiaowei Xu, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, appears in Molecular Cell. The findings were also highlighted in Nature and Science reviews.
The drugs don't work
(Medical Xpress)—Drugs that do not represent value for money or are medically unproven may be increasingly reaching one of Europe's largest pharmaceutical markets, according to research undertaken by Cambridge sociologist Professor Lawrence King.
Research pinpoints key gene for regenerating cells after heart attack
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have pinpointed a molecular mechanism needed to unleash the heart's ability to regenerate, a critical step toward developing eventual therapies for damage suffered following a heart attack.
First ever 'atlas' of T cells in human body
By analyzing tissues harvested from organ donors, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have created the first ever "atlas" of immune cells in the human body. Their results provide a unique view of the distribution and function of T lymphocytes in healthy individuals. In addition, the findings represent a major step toward development of new strategies for creating vaccines and immunotherapies. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Immunity.
Genomic 'hotspots' offer clues to causes of autism, other disorders
An international team, led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has discovered that "random" mutations in the genome are not quite so random after all. Their study, to be published in the journal Cell on December 21, shows that the DNA sequence in some regions of the human genome is quite volatile and can mutate ten times more frequently than the rest of the genome. Genes that are linked to autism and a variety of other disorders have a particularly strong tendency to mutate.
Study offers new targets for stroke treatments
New research from the University of Georgia identifies the mechanisms responsible for regenerating blood vessels in the brain.
Two novel treatments for retinitis pigmentosa move closer to clinical trials
Two recent experimental treatments—one involving skin-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell grafts, the other gene therapy—have been shown to produce long-term improvement in visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), according to the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) scientists who led the studies. At present, there is no cure for RP, the most common form of inherited blindness.
New whole plant therapy shows promise as an effective and economical treatment for malaria
In the worldwide battle to curtail malaria, one of the most prevalent and deadly infectious diseases of the developing world, drug after drug has fallen by the wayside as the malaria parasite has become resistant to it. Only artemisinin, derived from the sweet wormwood plant, Artemisia annua, remains as an effective treatment, but it is expensive to produce (particularly when combined with other antimalarial medications to make it less prone to resistance) and is frequently in short supply.
Genetic differences may influence sensitivity to pain, study finds
The study, published in PLOS Genetics on 20 December, adds to growing evidence that particular genes are involved in chronic pain and highlights this pathway as a potential target for more effective pain relief treatments for patients.
Biology news
USDA explores using novel genetic labs for faster detection of E. coli
Pina Fratamico is on the quest to find the easiest and fastest way to test for harmful Escherichia coli in ground beef. In an article published in Frontiers in Microbiology on the 20th of December, she explores using a next-generation real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system to discover specific gene targets that indicate the presence of dangerous foodborne pathogens. The results show that assays performed using this PCR system are rapid, sensitive, and reliable.
EU fish quota 'compromise' reached after 48 hours
EU fisheries ministers wound up a tough 48 hours of talks on sustainable fishing with a Thursday breakfast "compromise" on the vexed issue of 2013 quotas.
World first auto cattle muster
An Australian technology company is close to commercialising the world's first fully automated system for mustering and managing cattle in the rangelands.
Affects of climate change to birds worsened by housing development
Although climate change may alter the distributions of many species, changes in land use may compound these effects. Now, a new study by PRBO Conservation Science (PRBO) researcher Dennis Jongsomjit and colleagues suggests that the effects of future housing development may be as great or greater than those of climate change for many bird species. In fact, some species projected to expand their distributions with climate change may actually lose ground when future development is brought into the picture. The study, "Between a rock and a hard place: The impacts of climate change and housing development on breeding birds in California," appears online in the journal Landscape Ecology.
Spanish consumers prefer national fish
What is most important when buying fish: the price, the country of origin, whether it is fresh or frozen or whether it is wild or farm-raised? The average Spanish consumer prefers above all that their fish comes from Spain, according to a study published in the 'Food Quality and Preference' journal. Spain is the largest producer of fish in the European Union but in recent years its population has consumed less fish, especially seafood.
Biologists bore into Canadian termite invasion
Scientists at Western University have discovered why termites wreak havoc on megacities like Toronto and Paris and how new findings may lead to possible pest controls.
Small wasps to control a big pest?
Five species of parasitic wasps have been found associated with the vector of the Pine Wood Nematode. As this sanitary problem has been present for over a decade, new methods to control it are needed, besides trapping the insect and cutting and destroying infested trees. These five species may be candidates for bio-control programs in the future, along with others presented in a systematic key. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
33 new trapdoor spider species discovered in the American southwest
A researcher at the Auburn University Museum of Natural History and Department of Biological Sciences has reported the discovery 33 new trapdoor spider species from the American Southwest. These newly described species all belong to the genus Aptostichus that now contains 40 species, two of which are already famous – Aptostichus stephencolberti and Aptostichus angelinajolieae.
Italian wolves prefer pork to venison
Some European wolves have a distinct preference for wild boar over other prey, according to new research.
Can observations of a hardy weed help feed the world?
As the human population increases, so too do the demands and stresses on agriculture. In the January 2013 issue of International Journal of Plant Sciences, Penn State University Waller Professor of Plant Biology Dr. Sarah Assmann explores how the responses to environmental stresses by one small, genetically diverse plant species might illuminate possible approaches to addressing growing human demand for crop products amid decreasing resources.
Peacock love songs lure eavesdropping females from afar
Deep in the scrublands of Keoladeo National Park in northwest India, one thing was hard for biologist Jessica Yorzinski to ignore: It wasn't the heat. It wasn't the jackals. It was the squawks of peacocks in the throes of passion.
Discovery may pave way to genetically enhanced biofuel crops
Best known for its ability to transform simmering pots of sugared fruit into marmalades and jams, pectin is a major constituent of plant cell walls and the middle lamella, the sticky layer that glues neighboring plant cells together. Pectin imparts strength and elasticity to the plant and forms a protective barrier against the environment. Several different kinds of pectic compounds combine to form pectin. The relative proportion of each of these depends on the plant species, location within the plant, and environment. Pectic compounds decorated with β-1,4-galactan (a chain of six-carbon sugars) are of considerable interest to the biofuels industry, because six-carbon sugars are readily converted into ethanol (biofuel) by fermenting microorganisms. A new study published in The Plant Cell reveals a novel enzyme involved in the production of β-1,4-galactans. This enzyme may be used to engineer plants with more desirable attributes for conversion to biofuel.
Discovery of Africa moth species important for agriculture, controlling invasive plants
In the rain forests of the Congo, where mammals and birds are hunted to near-extinction, an impenetrable sound of buzzing insects blankets the atmosphere.
Low pH levels can eliminate harmful blooms of golden algae, one cause of massive fish kills
(Phys.org)—Baylor University researchers are one step closer to understanding the algae that causes a substantial number of fish deaths in more than 18 states.
Doing the math for how songbirds learn to sing
(Phys.org)—Scientists studying how songbirds stay on key have developed a statistical explanation for why some things are harder for the brain to learn than others.
Biologists design method to monitor global bee decline
A global network of people monitoring bee populations may form an early warning system alerting scientists to dangers threatening the world's food system and economies.
Sync to grow: Oscillation of gene activity may underlie how embryos grow in proportion
(Phys.org)—From a single-cell egg to a fully functional body: as embryos develop and grow, they must form organs that are in proportion to the overall size of the embryo. The exact mechanism underlying this fundamental characteristic, called scaling, is still unclear. However, a team of researchers from EMBL Heidelberg is now one step closer to understanding it. They have discovered that scaling of the future vertebrae in a mouse embryo is controlled by how the expression of some specific genes oscillates, in a coordinated way, between neighbouring cells. Published today in Nature, their findings highlight how important this oscillatory pattern, and its regulation, is to ensure that embryos grow up to become well-proportioned animals.
Origin of life emerged from cell membrane bioenergetics
A coherent pathway which starts from no more than rocks, water and carbon dioxide and leads to the emergence of the strange bio-energetic properties of living cells, has been traced for the first time in a major hypothesis paper in Cell this week.
Dragonflies have human-like 'selective attention'
In a discovery that may prove important for cognitive science, our understanding of nature and applications for robot vision, researchers at the University of Adelaide have found evidence that the dragonfly is capable of higher-level thought processes when hunting its prey.
New study finds that one key mechanism in development involves 'paused' RNA polymerase
For a tiny embryo to grow into an entire fruit fly, mouse or human, the correct genes in each cell must turn on and off in precisely the right sequence. This intricate molecular dance produces the many parts of the whole creature, from muscles and skin to nerves and blood.
Bat genome provides new insights into the evolution of flight and immunity
BGI today announces the online publication in Science of the latest findings through genomic analysis of two distantly related bat species, the Black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) and David's Myotis (Myotis davidii). The work here provides new insight into the genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of flight and immunity of bats, and also opens the way for addressing major gaps into understanding of bat biology and provides new directions for future research.
Researchers uncover major source of evolutionary differences among species
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine researchers have uncovered a genetic basis for fundamental differences between humans and other vertebrates that could also help explain why humans are susceptible to diseases not found in other species.
Chromosome 'anchors' organize DNA during cell division
For humans to grow and to replace and heal damaged tissues, the body's cells must continually reproduce, a process known as "cell division," by which one cell becomes two, two become four, and so on. A key question of biomedical research is how chromosomes, which are duplicated during cell division so that each daughter cell receives an exact copy of a person's genome, are arranged during this process.
Wallace's century-old map of natural world updated
Until today, Alfred Russell Wallace's century old map from 1876 has been the backbone for our understanding of global biodiversity. Thanks to advances in modern technology and data on more than 20,000 species, scientists from University of Copenhagen have now produced a next generation map depicting the organisation of life on Earth. Published online in Science Express today, the new map provides fundamental information regarding the diversity of life on our planet and is of major significance for future biodiversity research.
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