Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 22, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Evidence of magnetic superatoms could open doors to new spin electronics- "Is that a smartwatch you're not wearing?" Google's may actually appear
- Robot snake automatically wraps around an object when thrown (w/ Video)
- "Dr. Web" anti-virus firm warns of new Mac Trojan
- Researchers develop a way to remotely detect landslides
- Nanotools for neuroscience and brain activity mapping
- Computer simulations yield clues to how cells interact with surroundings
- Out of Africa date brought forward
- Experiments demonstrate unusual melting and recrystallization behavior in one-dimensional electron crystals
- Game of Japanese chess reveals how experts develop their capacity for rapid problem-solving
- Study shows that blocking an inflammation pathway prevents cardiac fibrosis
- Seeing inside a pterosaur skull
- The cash register rings its last sale
- New chemo drug gentler on fertility, tougher on cancer
- Making axons branch and grow to help nerve regeneration after injury
Space & Earth news
Study shows resources giveaway in Latin America: Outdated model tramples human rights, environment
A new study reveals that governments in Latin America have returned to natural resources extraction to fuel development—while paying scant attention to the impact mining, oil exploration and other activities have on the environment or on the people who own the land. The study, which reported on both domestic and international investments, was released at the 14th Rights and Resources Initiative Dialogue on Forests, Governance, and Climate Change bringing stakeholders and indigenous, Afro-descendant and rural community leaders from 13 nations to Bogotá this week.
Icelandic volcano's ash led to more CO2 being absorbed by oceans
(Phys.org) —The Icelandic volcano's ash plume that caused huge air travel disruption across Europe in 2010 resulted in the oceans absorbing more carbon dioxide (CO2) than usual, say scientists.
MESSENGER sees a smoother side of Mercury
During its two years in orbit around Mercury—as well as several more years performing flybys—the MESSENGER spacecraft has taken over 150,000 images of the innermost planet, giving us a look at its incredibly rugged, Sun-scoured surface like never before. But not all areas on Mercury appear so harsh—it has its softer sides too, as seen above in an image released earlier today.
How can basin rocks recorded formation of Dabie orogen?
Deep subduction of continental crust and rapid exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks, and its mechanism have been one of the most important issues of the world's attention in the Dabie orogen. Professor LIU Shaofeng from State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and his co-author set out to tackle this problem. Their study results fully demonstrated that basin sediments recorded Dabie formation process and supplied important trails for Dabie uplifting and exhumation. Their work, entitled "Mesozoic basin development and its indication of collisional orogeny in the Dabie orogen", was published in Chinese Science Bulletin 2013, 58.
Removing orbital debris with less risk
Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) announced today that the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is publishing an article entitled "Removing Orbital Debris With Less Risk" in the March/April edition of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (JSR) authored by Kerry Nock and Dr. Kim Aaron, of GAC, and Dr. Darren McKnight, of Integrity Applications Incorporated, Chantilly, VA. This article compares in-orbit debris removal options regarding their potential risk of creating new orbital debris or disabling working satellites during deorbit operation.
Tokyo cherry trees reach full bloom
Tokyo's cherry trees were in stunning full bloom on Friday, Japan's weather agency said, marking the second earliest blossoming in the capital on record.
South China prepares for more storms after 24 die
Southern China was warned Friday to prepare for more heavy rain and hailstorms after 24 people died when severe weather lashed five provinces, including a "super-tornado" in one city and egg-sized hailstones.
Blue mussels 'hang on' along rocky shores: For how long?
Imagine trying to pitch a tent in a stiff wind. You just have it secured, when a gale lifts the tent—stakes and all—and carries it away.
Huge and widespread volcanic eruptions triggered the end-Triassic extinction
More than 200 million years ago, a massive extinction decimated 76 percent of marine and terrestrial species, marking the end of the Triassic period and the onset of the Jurassic. This devastating event cleared the way for dinosaurs to dominate Earth for the next 135 million years, taking over ecological niches formerly occupied by other marine and terrestrial species.
Supercomputer helps Planck mission expose ancient light
Like archeologists carefully digging for fossils, scientists with the Planck mission are sifting through cosmic clutter to find the most ancient light in the universe.
Another link between CO2 and mass extinctions of species
(Phys.org) —It's has been know that massive increases in emission of CO2 from volcanoes, associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean in the end-Triassic Period, set off a shift in state of the climate which caused global mass extinction of species, eliminating about 34% of genera. The extinction created ecological niches which allowed the rise of dinosaurs during the Triassic, about 250-200 million years ago.
Researchers develop a way to remotely detect landslides
(Phys.org) —Seismologists from Columbia University in New York have developed a way to detect landslides using a combination of seismic data and data collected from satellite images. The technique can be used, the team writes in their paper published in the journal Science, to remotely detect the biggest landslides that have the most impact on people.
Technology news
DOCOMO to field test solar-powered green base stations
NTT DOCOMO, INC., Japan's leading mobile operator, announced that from April, it will begin field testing three conventional mobile-network base stations that have been installed with solar panels, high-capacity rechargeable batteries and green power controllers.
Low-power operating system for many: Core LSI for embedded applications
Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has developed an innovative, low power operating system (OS) for many-core processors, targeting application in embedded systems, including automotive products and digital consumer products. An evaluation of the OS on the company's own many-core processor recorded a 24.6% power reduction against the standard OS when running a super resolution program that scaled 1920×1080 pixel images to 3840×2160 resolutions. Details of the new OS were presented at "Design, Automation & Test in Europe (DATE 2013)" in Grenoble, France on March 20.
Google chief says Internet freedom key for Myanmar
Google chairman Eric Schmidt has some advice for Myanmar's budding web community—don't let the government control the Internet.
Marin Software rises in debut on the NYSE
(AP)—Shares of Marin Software climbed nearly 27 percent in their first day as a publicly traded company.
Tom Cruise sets up page on Russian social network
(AP)—Tom Cruise has become the first Hollywood star to set up a page on the popular Russian social network Vkontakte.
Dell buyout intrigue heightens as deadline looms (Update)
Michael Dell is about to find out if other bidders think his company is worth more than he does.
Marriage of technologies makes drivers greener
(Phys.org) —Following a slight modification of the old adage "If you can't beat them join them," a Simon Fraser University researcher says that if you marry plug-in electric vehicles with green technology, you have a winner.
Africa is land of opportunity for Microsoft
When Microsoft announced recently that it was starting a big push to grow its market in Africa, it cited the continent's big growth opportunities, calling Africa a "game changer in the global economy."
Mobile wallet technology raises privacy, security concerns
Your smart phone already serves as a portable office, media player, newspaper, GPS, camera and social network hub. Now it can replace your wallet, too.
Home remodeling goes social as tech startup transforms industry
Home remodeling, one of the biggest industries in the country, is being transformed by the Internet with a push from a fast-growing startup in Silicon Valley.
Google to Congress: Time to change email laws
Google Inc. is calling on the U.S. Congress to update laws related to email and other forms of electronic communications, calling the current rules outdated and inconsistent.
A study of switchgrass for home heating in the Northeast
(Phys.org) —President Barack Obama wants U.S. scientists to pursue an "all-of-the-above" strategy in developing new sources of domestic energy. Agricultural Research Service agronomist Paul Adler is providing complete cost-benefit breakdowns for using switchgrass pellets instead of fuel oil to heat homes and businesses in the Northeast.
Electrical engineering professor's research finds more space on cell phone spectrum
A UT Arlington electrical engineering professor is developing a system in a cell phone could automatically locate available space within a bandwidth, reducing or eliminating "dead spots" in coverage.
Bosch to abandon solar energy business
(AP)—German engineering company Bosch said Friday that it is abandoning its solar energy business, because there is no way to make it economically viable amid overcapacity and huge price pressure in the industry.
Apple, Microsoft defend Australian pricing at inquiry
Technology giants including Apple and Microsoft on Friday defended their pricing policy in Australia at an official inquiry launched over concerns that they were overcharging customers.
SKorea misidentifies China as cyberattack origin
(AP)—In an embarrassing twist to a coordinated cyberattack on six major South Korean companies this week, investigators said Friday they wrongly identified a Chinese Internet Protocol address as the source.
When energy-saving becomes a game
(Phys.org) —A smartphone application bringing gaming dimensions to energy awareness has helped householders in Finland, Sweden and Italy reduce their electricity consumption by up to 19%.
EU 'looking at' Apple practices following queries
European Union competition watchdogs said Friday they were "looking into" potential anti-trust issues at iPad and iPhone giant Apple, following queries raised by telecommunications operators.
'Veronica Mars' campaign rattles movie industry
(AP)—After years of hope, stalled efforts and studio frustration, "Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas watched a long-held dream come to fruition in a sudden digital rush.
ICANN clears 27 non-English domain name suffixes
(AP)—The agency in charge of Internet addresses says it's given preliminary approval for 27 new suffixes—all in Chinese, Arabic and other languages besides English.
IBM researchers find new molecular technique to charge memory chips
IBM today announced a materials science breakthrough at the molecular level that could pave the way for a new class of non-volatile memory and logic chips that would use less power than today's silicon devices like cell phones. Rather than using conventional electrical means to charge today's semiconductors, IBM's scientists discovered a new way to power chips using tiny ionic currents, which are streams of charged molecules that can mimic the event-driven way in which the human brain operates. The research is published today in the journal Science.
Personality clue to 'wind turbine syndrome'
(Phys.org) —Public concern about new technology infrastructure like mobile phone masts has been shown to trigger reports of ill health… and recently even the new 'green' technology of wind turbines has been blamed for medically unexplained non-specific symptoms.
The cash register rings its last sale
(AP)—Ka-ching! The cash register may be on its final sale. Stores across the U.S. are ditching the old-fashioned, clunky machines and having salespeople—and even shoppers themselves—ring up sales on smartphones and tablet computers.
"Dr. Web" anti-virus firm warns of new Mac Trojan
(Phys.org) —Dr. Web, the Russian anti-virus firm has issued an announcement regarding malware infecting Mac computers—called Trojan.Yontoo.1, it makes its way to users' computers by tricking them into downloading it. Once installed, it tracks the user's Internet history and injects ads into websites, generating revenue for the people who created and unleashed the malware.
Medicine & Health news
Government decision to promote abstinence for drug users 'is about saving money not science'
The UK government's decision to promote abstinence for drug users "is about saving money not science" argues a senior doctor in the BMJ today.
Smoking affects fracture healing
In a new study presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), researchers reviewed existing literature on smoking and the healing of fractures involving long bones (bones that are longer than they are wide).
Study highlights variations in spinal component costs
In a study, presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), researchers obtained and compared the hospital purchasing records from 45 academic medical centers on the unit costs and volume of spinal products – pedicle screws (PS), anterior cervical plates (ACP) and posterior interbody cages – purchased from a total of seven vendors.
FDA: Georgia pharmacy recalling all sterile drugs
(AP)—The Food and Drug Administration says a Georgia compounding pharmacy that distributed a drug linked to eye infections is now recalling all of its injectable medicines following a federal inspection.
Stayin' alive—delivering resuscitation messages to the public
Four out of five cardiac arrests happen at home, and unless the public are trained in resuscitation many people die before emergency services get to them.
Health care quality measurement for doctors' offices needs improvement
In its 2001 report Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine outlined six domains of quality in medical care: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency and equity. But, Dr. Tara Bishop writes in a new viewpoint article published online March 21, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), current quality measures for the outpatient setting do not include all of these domains. As a result, quality measurement and quality improvement efforts in the outpatient setting have neglected critical areas of high quality care.
Advances in inflammatory bowel disease—what's new, what's next
Every five years, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) gathers top researchers in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to set the research agenda for the next five years. The findings and recommendations of these expert workgroups are presented in a series of detailed "Challenges in IBD Research" reports, now available in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, official journal of the CCFA.
Study calls for research on the efficacy and safety of vena cava filters
An evaluation of practice patterns in California hospitals showed a large variation in the use of metal devices called inferior vena cava filters, or VCFs, despite little evidence of their safety and effectiveness.
Men and women get sick in different ways
At the dawn of third millennium medical researchers still know very little about gender-specific differences in illness, particularly when it comes to disease symptoms, influencing social and psychological factors, and the ramifications of these differences for treatment and prevention. Medical research conducted over the past 40 years has focused almost exclusively on male patients.
Swiss healer gets 13 years jail for infecting 16 with HIV
A Swiss court on Friday sentenced a self-proclaimed healer to almost 13 years in prison for injecting 16 people with HIV-tainted blood and infecting them with the virus.
UN seeks to end toilet 'taboo'
The United Nations launched a campaign Friday to lift a deadly taboo on talking about toilets and to turn the world into an "open defecation-free zone."
Masks galore: Japanese ward off pollen, pollution
(AP)—On the sidewalks and the subways it's clear: Japan is becoming a sea of surgical masks. It's about pollen, about germs and even a little about China, its polluting rival across the sea.
German firm on trial over faulty French breast implants
Proceedings against a German safety standards firm that gave defective breast implants the all clear kicked off Friday in France, with millions of euros claimed in damages.
Pathologists identify patterns of mutations to help inform design of future trials
Molecular driven therapeutic targets have resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma. However, in early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgical resection remains the treatment of choice with adjuvant chemotherapy. In a recent study published in the April 2013 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology, researchers identified patterns of mutations in early stage node negative lung adenocarcinoma.
FDA proposes new rules for heart defibrillators
(AP)—The Food and Drug Administration will require makers of heart-zapping defibrillators to submit more data on their safety and effectiveness following years of recalls of the emergency devices.
MLB sues Fla. clinic over banned player drugs
(AP)—Major League Baseball is suing a now-shuttered South Florida clinic and its operators, accusing it of providing banned performance-enhancing drugs to players.
North Dakota lawmakers move to ban abortion
(AP)—North Dakota lawmakers moved Friday to outlaw abortion in the state by passing a bill defining life as starting at conception.
EU prosecutor adds charges in Kosovo organs case
(AP)—A European Union prosecutor has added charges to an indictment against 7 Kosovars suspected in an illegal kidney transplantation scheme.
Common antibiotic linked to heart problems in patients with lung conditions
The antibiotic clarithromycin – widely used for treating lower respiratory tract infections like pneumonia and acute exacerbations (sudden worsening) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – may be associated with an increased risk of heart problems, finds a study published in the BMJ today.
Road traffic pollution as serious as passive smoke in the development of childhood asthma
New research conducted in 10 European cities has estimated that 14% of chronic childhood asthma is due to exposure to traffic pollution near busy roads.
Additional research must be done to ensure safety of pit latrines, new study says
Pit latrines are one of the most common human excreta disposal systems globally, and their use is on the rise as countries aim to meet the sanitation-related target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Strong evidence supports the use of these basic toilets as a way to improve human health. However, improperly designed pit latrines can actually allow disease-causing microbes or other contaminants to leach into the groundwater. The contaminated water puts people, and especially children, at risk of developing potentially life-threatening diarrheal diseases.
Hip replacement reduces heart failure, depression and diabetes risk
In addition to improving life quality and diminishing pain, total hip replacement (THR) is associated with reduced mortality, heart failure, depression and diabetes rates in Medicare patients with osteoarthritis, according to a new study presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The procedure also is cost effective with the 7-year costs of THR only $6,366 higher than the cost of treating an osteoarthritis patient for hip pain without THR.
Study finds long nerve grafts restore function in patients with brachial plexus injury
A study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) challenges a widely held belief that long nerve grafts do poorly in adults with an axillary nerve injury. Investigators found that the outcomes of long nerve grafts were comparable to those of modern nerve transfers. Both procedures restored function. The axillary nerve supplies the deltoid muscle of the shoulder and an important rotator cuff muscle. It's part of the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that runs down from the neck and across the shoulder.
Impact of budget sequestration on health care discussed
(HealthDay)—The impact of sequestration will have far-reaching consequences in health care, according to a perspective piece published online March 20 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The immune system can delay healing of bone fractures
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have succeeded in demonstrating an association between delayed bone fracture healing and increased concentration of specific immune cells in the blood of the patient. Results of the study show that the adaptive immune system responds to the fracture in a similar way as to an infection and attempts to fight against it. The study appears in the current issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.
New technology is key to better epilepsy treatment
(Medical Xpress)—University of Adelaide scientists are making a major impact on the understanding and diagnosis of epilepsy, which will lead to individualised treatments for sufferers.
Research on immune-cell therapy could strengthen promising melanoma treatment
A new study of genetically modified immune cells by scientists from UCLA and the California Institute of Technology could help improve a promising treatment for melanoma, an often fatal form of skin cancer.
Researchers define how a gene mutated in Parkinson's disease may normally function to ensure neuronal health
(Medical Xpress)—Cell biologists studying Parkinson's disease are training their sights on mitochondria, the energy source of the cell, whose activity in neurons appears to go awry in this devastating neurodegenerative illness. A neuron needs its mitochondria to be healthy and mobile, particularly during their continual cycles of fission and fusion in which damaged bits are removed and healthy mitochondria are renewed.
More than 200,000 UK children start smoking every year (w/ Video)
Around 207,000 children aged 11-15 start smoking in the UK every year according to new research published today (Friday).
Preschoolers know good vs. bad sources of info
(Medical Xpress)—Young children are not like sponges just soaking up information. They can actively evaluate what people know and go to the "experts" for information they want, reports a Cornell study published in a special issue of Developmental Psychology (Vol. 49:3).
Scientists provide insights into incurable brain disease
(Medical Xpress)—Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Griffith University and University of Queensland scientists researching a degenerative brain disease have developed a new way to understand its progression and safely test potential treatments.
Feeling sick makes us less social online too
(Medical Xpress)—When it comes to posting on social media, there are few areas of our lives that are off limits.
Trend of falling cohort birth rates reverses: Women born in 1970s will finally have more babies than previous cohorts
(Medical Xpress)—The average number of children women have over their lifetimes appears to be rising or to have stopped its decline in many countries characterized by low birth rates in the last decades. In many countries, including Germany, the US, the UK, and Japan, cohort fertility has been rising recently for those women born in the 1970s when compared to earlier generations. This is the result of new projections performed by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock, Germany, for 37 developed countries with a prolonged history of fertility below the replacement-level of 2.1 children per woman.
'Clinical trials in a dish' may be more reliable than standard way of measuring drug effects on heart, researchers say
(Medical Xpress)—Last week, the common antibiotic Zithromax received a new warning label from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicating it could cause dangerous arrhythmias in people with pre-existing heart conditions. Today, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine describe a "clinical trial in a dish" using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells to predict whether a drug will dangerously affect the heart's function. The technique may be more accurate than the current in vitro drug-safety screening assays used by pharmaceutical companies, say the researchers, and may better protect patients from deadly side effects of common medications.
Mapping blank spots in the cheeseboard maze
(Medical Xpress)—During spatial learning, space is represented in the hippocampus through plastic changes in the connections between neurons. Jozsef Csicsvari and his collaborators investigate spatial learning in rats using the cheeseboard maze apparatus.
Even a little pot use ups college dropout risk
(HealthDay)—College students who use marijuana and other illegal substances, even occasionally, are more likely to leave school than students who don't dabble in drugs, new research finds.
Ranting on websites may just make you angrier
(HealthDay)—It's so tempting. You read something on a website about a button-pushing issue that makes you mad and you've got to respond. Before you know it, you're verbally sparring with a stranger. But you may want to think twice before jumping into the fray.
From teens' sleeping brains, the sound of growing maturity
Listening in on the electrical currents of teenagers' brains during sleep, scientists have begun to hear the sound of growing maturity. It happens most intensively between the ages of 12 and 16 1/2: After years of frenzied fluctuation, the brain's electrical output during the deepest phase of sleep - the delta, or slow-wave phase, when a child's brain is undergoing its most restorative rest - becomes practically steady.
Novel method accurately predicts disease outbreaks
A team of scientists from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed a novel method to accurately predict dengue fever outbreaks several weeks before they occur.
Atherosclerosis: Specific microRNAs promote inflammation
(Medical Xpress)—Atherosclerosis, an inflammatory reaction, is at the root of the most common forms of cardiovascular disease. Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich have now identified a microRNA that plays a prominent role in the process, and offers a promising target for new therapies.
Modest changes in military dining facilities promoted healthier eating
The prevalence of obesity within the military is currently 13 percent. This rising epidemic, also rampant throughout the general population, could result in military career setbacks, negatively impact operational readiness, and jeopardize Department of Defense operations. To combat the epidemic, a team of researchers chose the military cafeteria as the venue to observe and evaluate eating behavior and the positive impact of modest changes to promote healthy eating and food selection. The results are captured in a new report published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Judges side with FDA in rejecting stem cell device
(AP)—A federal appeals court is siding with the Food and Drug Administration in a case brought by medical device maker Cytori, ruling that the agency was correct to reject fast-track approval for two company devices used to process adult stem cells.
CDC: 105 US children died this flu season
(AP)—Health officials say the flu season is winding down, and it has killed 105 children—about the average toll.
Alterations in brain activity in children at risk of schizophrenia predate onset of symptoms
Research from the University of North Carolina has shown that children at risk of developing schizophrenia have brains that function differently than those not at risk.
Physically active health-care providers more likely to give physical activity counseling
Physically active healthcare providers were more likely than their inactive counterparts to advise patients to lead an active lifestyle in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions.
Malaria drug treatment breakthrough
An international study, involving researchers from Griffith University's Eskitis Institute, has discovered a molecule which could form the basis of powerful new anti-malaria drugs.
Nerve mapping technology improves surgery for compressed nerves
Nerve mapping technology allows surgeons to determine whether surgery has been effective for relieving pressure from compressed nerves, which often function poorly and cause sciatica or pain and weakness in muscles supplied by the nerve.
Researchers identify the molecules allowing mice to sniff out the genes of other mice
(Medical Xpress)—It's a theory much discussed in the media – that animals and humans are able to smell certain genes linked to the immune system – which in turn influences their choice of mate. The genes in question are known as MHC (major histocompatibility complex) genes. Selecting a mate with very different MHC genes from one's own makes sense, because your offspring will then have a greater variety of immunity genes – and a correspondingly greater resistance to disease. But until now, no scent offering information about MHC genes had been discovered among those emitted by humans and animals.
Learning from Lassa virus: Researchers discover gene mutations that can result in a congenital disorder
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers have known that two seemingly distant human maladies—a devastating set of hereditary disorders called Walker-Warburg syndrome and infection with the virus that causes hemorrhagic Lassa fever—both involve a cellular protein involving sugar.
Game of Japanese chess reveals how experts develop their capacity for rapid problem-solving
(Medical Xpress)—The superior capability of experts to rapidly solve problems depends largely on their intuition, and it has long been known that this is related to experience and training. Although many psychological models relating to the development of intuition have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, none have been validated, and the underlying neural mechanisms remain a mystery.
Study shows that blocking an inflammation pathway prevents cardiac fibrosis
(Medical Xpress)—New research from UC Davis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that blocking an enzyme that promotes inflammation can prevent the tissue damage following a heart attack that often leads to heart failure.
New chemo drug gentler on fertility, tougher on cancer
A new gentler chemotherapy drug in the form of nanoparticles has been designed by Northwestern Medicine® scientists to be less toxic to a young woman's fertility but extra tough on cancer. This is the first cancer drug tested while in development for its effect on fertility using a novel in vitro test.
Making axons branch and grow to help nerve regeneration after injury
(Medical Xpress)—One molecule makes nerve cells grow longer. Another one makes them grow branches. These new experimental manipulations have taken researchers a step closer to understanding how nerve cells are repaired at their farthest reaches after injury. The research was recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Nanotools for neuroscience and brain activity mapping
(Medical Xpress)—The ambitious and controversial Brain Activity Map (BAM), initiative instituted by a small group of researchers last year, has been steadily gaining momentum. Earlier this week, a proof-of-principle Zebrafish BAM was demonstrated with astounding clarity by a pair of researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Biology news
Dietary changes can improve detection dogs' sniffers
From sniffing out bombs and weapons to uncovering criminal evidence, dogs can help save lives and keep the peace. Now, researchers have uncovered how to improve dogs' smelling skills through diet, by cutting protein and adding fats.
Miniature horse aids Alaska boy with special needs
(AP)—A miniature horse named Zoe is helping a special needs preschooler at an Alaska elementary school deal with mobility problems.
Live tracking of vulnerable South Atlantic seabirds
(Phys.org)—Real-time information showing the locations of the threatened frigatebird is now available online thanks to a new Darwin Initiative funded study led by the University of Exeter and Ascension Island Government Conservation Department.
S.Africa puts up shark net at popular beach after attacks
South African authorities put up a shark exclusion net Friday at a popular beach in Cape Town, a first in the city as they try to avert further deadly attacks.
Acoustic monitoring of Atlantic cod reveals clues to spawning behavior
For decades researchers have recorded sounds from whales and other marine mammals, using a variety of methods including passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to better understand how these animals use sound to interact with each other and with the environment. Now, for the first time, researchers report using this technology to record spawning cod in the wild.
When a gene is worth 2
The notion that each gene can only codify for a single protein has been challenged for some years. Yet, the functional outcomes that may result from genes encoding more than one protein are still largely unknown.
Differences between frog species reveal how developmental patterns are related to species diversity
(Phys.org) —The development of embryos follows different patterns in different species, with specific events taking place at different times in relation to each other. Such differences can provide insight into how processes in development fit together, and how developmental patterns relate to reproductive adaptations.
Genetic analysis saves major apple-producing region of Washington state
(Phys.org) —In August 2011, researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were presented with a serious, and potentially very costly, puzzle in Kennewick, Wash. Since Kennewick lies within a region near the heart of Washington state's $1.5 billion apple-growing region, an annual survey of fruit trees is performed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to look for any invading insects. This time the surveyors discovered a crabapple tree that had been infested by a fruit fly that they couldn't identify.
Bacterial byproduct offers route to avoiding antibiotic resistance
(Phys.org) —As public health officials sound the alarm about the global spread of drug-resistant bacteria, researchers are working to develop more effective antibiotics to counter this dangerous trend. Now, results from a team including a Princeton University scientist offer a possible solution that uses the bacteria's own byproducts to destroy them.
Certain bacteria suppress production of toxic shock toxin: Probiotic potential looms
Certain Streptococci increase their production of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, sometimes to potentially dangerous levels, when aerobic bacteria are present in the vagina. But scientists from the University of Western Ontario have discovered certain strains of lactobacillus bacteria are capable of dampening production of that toxin according to research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Invasive species: Understanding the threat before it's too late
(Phys.org) —Catching rides on cargo ships and fishing boats, many invasive species are now covering our shorelines and compromising the existence of our native marine life.
Computer simulations yield clues to how cells interact with surroundings
(Phys.org) —Your cells are social butterflies. They constantly interact with their surroundings, taking in cues on when to divide and where to anchor themselves, among other critical tasks.
Robot snake automatically wraps around an object when thrown (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Biorobotics laboratory have adapted one of their robotic snakes to cause it to automatically wrap itself around an object after being thrown. Upon impact, the snake immediately wraps its body around the target—in the test cases, a light pole and tree branch, and holds on, supporting itself.
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