Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 22, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Sony patent proposes camera button to send vital-signs info- Google-owned Motorola Mobility on job hunt for wearables director
- SIM sleuth finds security flaw that may affect 750M phones
- Researchers use DNA origami technique to build nanoantennas with docking sites
- CIA co-sponsoring geoengineering study to look at reversing global warming options
- Thin, flexible glass for energy storage
- Declining sea ice strands baby harp seals
- Coherence activity in neuronal cultures from noise focusing
- Underwater propulsion from a 3D printer
- A scientific experiment is able to create a wave that is frozen in time
- From obscurity to dominance: Tracking the rapid evolutionary rise of ray-finned fish
- A new method for clicking molecules together
- New research reveals that people who migrate to wealthier countries aren't any happier
- "Valleytronics" – a new type of electronics in diamond
- Scientists capture pitch drop on camera for first time (w/ Video)
Space & Earth news
Haze from Indonesian fires returns to Malaysia
Haze blanketed parts of Malaysia on Monday, weeks after the region suffered its worst pollution from forest fires in Indonesia in more than a decade.
Fires in Eastern Russian and Siberia
Forest fires are burning north and east of Russia's Irkutsk Oblast. The Irkutsk Oblast is located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers.
Gold rush-era discards could fuel cellphones, TVs (Update)
(AP)—Across the U.S. West, early miners digging for gold, silver and copper had no idea that one day something else very valuable would be buried in the piles of dirt and rocks they tossed aside.
US jets drop unarmed bombs on Great Barrier Reef
US fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in an "emergency jettison" during a training exercise, officials said on Sunday, ruling out any risk to the public or environment.
Wildfires projected to get more common, harder to control
Devastating wildfires the likes of which razed Slave Lake in 2011 will become more common and tougher to control, according to new research from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
Safe livelihoods for informal gold miners in South and Southeast Asia
Safer ways for informal miners in South and Southeast Asia to prospect for gold will be investigated under an Australian Government grant won by The Australian National University (ANU) and Minelab.
What the Earth and Moon Look Like From Saturn
Did you smile and wave at Saturn on Friday? If you did (and even if you didn't) here's how you—and everyone else on Earth—looked to the Cassini spacecraft, 898.4 million miles away.
Fish-tracking robots take to the seas and skies off Portugal
A unique field experiment being conducted off the coast of Portugal this week combines ocean robotics and marine biology in a complex aquatic dance. Researchers are using a fleet of robotic vehicles to track over a dozen Mola mola (ocean sunfish) as they forage across the coastal ocean. During this experiment, engineers and marine biologists are working together to test new techniques for tracking multiple animals in real time, collecting environmental data in the water around each animal, and controlling and coordinating a diverse group of robotic vehicles. Collaborators are also testing advanced capabilities for seafloor mapping and for search and rescue, in concert with local maritime authorities.
Land-clearing Blazes in Indonesia
In Indonesia, land-clearing blazes dot the countryside. Fires for clearing land have been outlowed for all but the smallest landowners, but the "slash-and-burn" practice still persists despite cloaking Southeast Asia in toxic pollution for weeks. Better and more available satellite technology is helping identify culprits behind land-clearing blazes in Indonesia.
Fires in Idaho
Forest fires continue to plague the hot, dry western part of the United States this summer. In Idaho, several fires were spotted by NASA's Aqua satellite on July 20, 2013. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS's thermal bands, are outlined in red.
Geochemical 'fingerprints' leave evidence that megafloods eroded steep gorge
The Yarlung-Tsangpo River in southern Asia drops rapidly through the Himalaya Mountains on its way to the Bay of Bengal, losing about 7,000 feet of elevation through the precipitously steep Tsangpo Gorge.
NASA wants spacesuit repair kit on Russian launch
(AP)—NASA is rushing to get spacesuit repair tools on a launch to the International Space Station this weekend.
First high-resolution national carbon map—Panama
A team of researchers has for the first time mapped the above ground carbon density of an entire country in high fidelity. They integrated field data with satellite imagery and high-resolution airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to map the vegetation and to quantify carbon stocks throughout the Republic of Panama. The results are the first maps that report carbon stocks locally in areas as small as a hectare (2.5 acres) and yet cover millions of hectares in a short time. The system has the lowest demonstrated uncertainty of any carbon-counting approach yet—a carbon estimation uncertainty of about 10% in each hectare overflown with LiDAR as compared to field-based estimates. Importantly, it can be used across a wide range of vegetation types worldwide.
Large coronal hole near the sun's north pole
The European Space Agency/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, captured this image of a gigantic coronal hole hovering over the sun's north pole on July 18, 2013, at 9:06 a.m. EDT. Coronal holes are dark, low density regions of the sun's outermost atmosphere, the corona. They contain little solar material, have lower temperatures, and therefore, appear much darker than their surroundings.
Ancient ice melt unearthed in Antarctic mud
Global warming five million years ago may have caused parts of Antarctica's large ice sheets to melt and sea levels to rise by approximately 20 metres, scientists report today in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Loss of African woodland may impact on climate, study shows
Deforestation in parts of Africa could be reversed with changes to land use, a study suggests.
New study ignites debate over Indonesia's mud volcano
Scientists on Sunday sparked a fresh debate over what triggered Indonesia's Lusi mud volcano, still spewing truckloads of slime more than seven years after it leapt catastrophically into life.
NASA's Hubble sees a stranger in the crowd
The constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) is the largest of the Zodiac constellations, and the second largest overall after Hydra (The Water Snake). Its most appealing feature, however, is the sheer number of galaxies that lie within it. In this picture, among a crowd of face- and edge-on spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies, lies NGC 4866, a lenticular galaxy situated about 80 million light-years from Earth.
Sea level rise: New iceberg theory points to areas at risk of rapid disintegration
In events that could exacerbate sea level rise over the coming decades, stretches of ice on the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland are at risk of rapidly cracking apart and falling into the ocean, according to new iceberg calving simulations from the University of Michigan.
Most flammable boreal forests in North America become more so
A 2,000-square-kilometer zone in the Yukon Flats of interior Alaska – one of the most flammable high-latitude regions of the world, according to scientists – has seen a dramatic increase in both the frequency and severity of fires in recent decades. Wildfire activity in this area is higher than at any other time in the past 10,000 years, the researchers report.
CIA co-sponsoring geoengineering study to look at reversing global warming options
The CIA along with NASA and NOAA is reportedly funding a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) project whose goal is to study several geoengineering options aimed at reversing global warming. Dana Liebelson and Chris Mooney have written an article which has been printed in both Slate and MotherJones claiming that William Kearney, a spokesman for NAS told them that the CIA is the "US intelligence community" member identified on the NAS web site describing the project.
Technology news
Syria: Pro-Assad group hacks messaging networks
(AP)—Syrian state television claims that a pro-government group has hacked into two social messaging networks and seized records of local users.
UAE: Egypt-based computer hackers foiled
(AP)—Officials in the United Arab Emirates say they have thwarted an attempt by Egypt-based hackers to bring down UAE government websites in apparent retaliation for backing the forces that ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
British PM ups pressure on Internet firms over child porn
British Prime Minister David Cameron will on Monday demand Internet search engines take action to block queries about child sex abuse, threatening legislation if they fail to comply.
New mobile health provision services that could change your life
Mobile eHealth is the practice of medicine and public health provision supported by mobile communication devices. Most commonly, this involves the use of mobile phones, tablet computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) for direct communication with health providers or accessing health-related information.
Efficient lightweight motors for electric vehicles
Large-scale implementation of electric mobility requires low-cost and flexible production of efficient electric drives. New lightweight construction concepts may reduce vehicle weight and, hence, energy consumption during acceleration. While lightweight construction of the car body has meanwhile become state of the art, future work will focus on reducing the weight of electric motors. Development of technologies for series production is the objective of the "ProLeMo" project, in which Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is one of the partners.
Loeb to sell 40M Yahoo shares as he leaves board
(AP)—Activist investor Dan Loeb is leaving Yahoo's board with a windfall after a 15-month stint that vindicated his crusade to shake up the long-slumping company under new leadership.
Google invests in Glass chipmaker Himax
Google Inc. is investing in a Taiwanese microchip maker that makes chips used in its Google Glass, the eyeglass-enabled devices it is testing that can shoot photos and video and access the Internet.
Netflix gains 630K subscribers as 2Q earnings soar
(AP)—Netflix's second-quarter earnings more than quadrupled as the revival of the comedy series "Arrested Development" attracted more subscribers.
Merkel urges global data protection deal
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come out strongly in favour of an international agreement to protect electronic data, following revelations by fugitive former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden about US surveillance programme PRISM.
Music streaming hits 70% of market in pioneering Sweden
Music streaming companies now account for 70 percent of all music bought in Sweden, home of Spotify, the world leader in the field, official industry figures revealed on Sunday.
Apple software developers site hacked
Computer and software giant Apple said it took its software developers website offline after it was hacked, warning that personal information about its users may have been stolen.
Electric fishes spark safer power line technology
Melbourne researchers have invented and patented a way of detecting and locating potential electrical faults along large stretches of power line before they occur.
Using bluetooth to track crowds at the Paléo music festival
For her semester project, an EPFL Master's student applied a different approach to tracking the flow of the crowds at the Paléo music festival – using cell phone data and statistics.
The eco-race to beat congestion
Want to combat congestion? Then eco-race your way to the Cube.
Technology to suppress the degradation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules that causes output decline
Atsushi Masuda of Collaborative Research Team and Kohjiro Hara of Collaborative Module-Reliability Research Team, the Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, have developed a technology that suppresses output decline in crystalline silicon solar cells caused by potential-induced degradation (PID), by coating the glass substrate with a thin film of titanium oxide-based composite metal compound, in collaboration with Sustainable Titania Technology Inc.
App security testing tool
"Please contact the administrator." This error message usually flashes up on the monitor when employees want to install new software on their office computer. The reason is simple. Companies want to protect themselves and their computers against viruses and other malware, and make sure that confidential business information does not go astray. What is standard practice with fixed desktop computers is rather more difficult to implement with mobile smartphones.
Facebook says 'simple' app used by 100 million
US social network giant Facebook said Monday it has surpassed 100 million users a month using an application designed for "simple" mobile phones widely used in developing nations.
NSA revelations reframe digital life for some
In Louisiana, the wife of a former soldier is scaling back on Facebook posts and considering unfriending old acquaintances, worried an innocuous joke or long-lost associate might one day land her in a government probe. In California, a college student encrypts chats and emails, saying he's not planning anything sinister but shouldn't have to sweat snoopers. And in Canada, a lawyer is rethinking the data products he uses to ensure his clients' privacy.
Scientists use game to generate database for analysis of drawing
The fingers of thousands of people who created sketches of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on their iPhones can collectively guide and correct the drawing strokes of subsequent touchscreen users in an application created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research.
Cybercrime costs up to $500 bn: study
Cybercrime costs the global economy between $100 billion and $500 billion annually, according to a study released Monday which acknowledged more data is needed for precise estimates.
UK seeks automatic blocks on online porn
(AP)—Internet service providers in Britain will be asked to automatically block access to pornography sites unless customers opt in, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday.
TV-over-Internet service Aereo will expand to Utah
(AP)—Aereo, which provides broadcast television over the Internet for $8 a month, says it will expand to Utah next month.
World's cheapest computer gets millions tinkering
It's a single circuit board the size of a credit card with no screen or keyboard, a far cry from the smooth tablets that dominate the technology market.
Secret court OKs continued US phone surveillance
(AP)—A secret U.S. intelligence court renewed an order Friday to continue forcing Verizon Communications to turn over hundreds of millions of telephone records to the government each day in its search for foreign terror or espionage suspects.
Driverless tractors till German high-tech farm
As the harvest nears, the employees of German farmer Klaus Muenchhoff are busy making the final checks on imposing tractors ready to roll into the golden fields.
Underwater propulsion from a 3D printer
Octopods, which are also known as octopuses or squid, are considered to be the most intelligent invertebrates. In fact, they have been referred to as the "sages of the sea". They are capable of learning; they can open tin cans, and can even tell patterns apart. They are also clever when it comes to protecting themselves from their enemies.
Solar-powered sterilization technology
Rice University nanotechnology researchers have unveiled a solar-powered sterilization system that could be a boon for more than 2.5 billion people who lack adequate sanitation. The "solar steam" sterilization system uses nanomaterials to convert as much as 80 percent of the energy in sunlight into germ-killing heat.
Thin, flexible glass for energy storage
A new use for glass is being developed by researchers in Penn State's Materials Research Institute that could make future hybrid-electric and plug-in electric vehicles more affordable and reliable.
Sony patent proposes camera button to send vital-signs info
Sony has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a way for smartphone users to tag the photos they take with their vital signs. The patent proposes a "camera button with integrated sensors," where the user can tag photos with vital sign information such as blood pressure and body temperature. It's all about integrated sensors.
SIM sleuth finds security flaw that may affect 750M phones
Yet another path to smartphone break-ins and fraud? Trouble-seeking cryptographer and security researcher Karsten Nohl, the managing director of Security Research Labs, based in Berlin, Germany, has revealed that some mobile SIM cards can be compromised as they carry encryption and software flaws. How massive is the potential damage? We are talking about a vulnerability that could affect 750 million phones. Nohl's company has an ominous front page with a note showing handwriting, "Forever yours, Sim." The elegant note was below a headline, "SIM cards are prone to remote hacking." Nohl can back that up. He and his team tested close to 1,000 SIM cards for vulnerabilities, exploited by sending a hidden SMS.
Medicine & Health news
Analysis: 40-year-old US abortion fight heats
(AP)—Abortion opponents have fought back vigorously in the 40 years since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized the procedure. Now, their battle is gaining ground in some states where new laws are creating stringent barriers to a woman ending her pregnancy.
New case of H7N9 bird flu confirmed in China: Xinhua
A 61-year-old woman from northern China was confirmed Saturday as having contracted the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus, state media reported.
Older patients need special care in emergency departments
A large international study led by the Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine at The University of Queensland suggests that emergency departments should focus their attention on the needs of frail older people.
Coping strategies for new nurses
(Medical Xpress)—Empowering graduate nurses with self-coping strategies to help them adjust to the workforce is the focus of a new Flinders University research project.
'Miracle' mum gives gift of life
An Aberdeenshire woman will today (Thursday July 18), hand over a donation to the Aberdeen Fertility Centre who helped her conceive the two 'miracle babies', she feared she might never have.
Call for better sugary foods import data as obesity rises
Better collection of data on food sugar levels will provide ammunition for the ongoing battle against rising obesity according to researchers at The University of Western Australia.
Study finds that TAML activators don't interfere with development of zebrafish embryos
A family of molecules developed at Carnegie Mellon University to break down pollutants in water is one step closer to commercial use. Study results published online in the journal Green Chemistry show that the molecules, which are aimed at removing hazardous endocrine disruptors from water sources, aren't endocrine disruptors themselves as they proved to be non-toxic to developing zebrafish embryos.
Researchers identify 146 contemporary medical practices offering no net benefits
While there is an expectation that newer medical practices improve the standard of care, the history of medicine reveals many instances in which this has not been the case. Reversal of established medical practice occurs when new studies contradict current practice. Reporters may remember hormone replacement therapy as an example of medical reversal. A new analysis published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings documents 146 contemporary medical practices that have subsequently been reversed.
Physician bonuses help drive increases in surgery with minimal patient benefit
Financial incentives for Ontario surgeons are likely a key factor driving greater use of laparoscopic colon cancer surgery, says a study led by a McMaster University surgeon.
Scientists to study novel mechanisms of epileptic seizures to identify targets for therapy
Ten percent of Americans experience a seizure in their lifetime, with three million diagnosed with epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder. Anticonvulsant medications can mitigate the hyperactivity of neurons that leads to seizures, but not without severe side effects, including cognitive impairment.
Dog bite infection costs Canadian her arm, legs
A rare infection resulting from a dog bite cost an Ottawa woman her left arm and both legs, a Canadian newspaper said Monday.
Former prisoners more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions
Complications of diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and other preventable conditions are more likely to land former prisoners in the hospital, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the July 22 online issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
BMC surgeon recommends off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting be abandoned
In a Special Report in the current issue of Circulation, Boston Medical Center cardiothoracic surgeon Harold Lazar, MD, has found that off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery has failed to show any significant improvement in short-term morbidity or mortality as compared to the traditional on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. He recommends that the technique be abandoned, unless surgeons who perform off-pump surgery can show that their own results are as good as results reported with the traditional on-pump surgery.
Parents' experiences with pediatric retail clinics examined
Parents who had established relationships with pediatricians still accessed care for their children at retail clinics (RCs), typically located in large chain drugstores, mostly because the clinics were convenient, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.
Study examines use of transthoracic echocardiography
A study of the use of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at an academic medical center suggests that although 9 in 10 of the procedures were appropriate under 2011 appropriate use criteria, less than 1 in 3 of the TTEs resulted in an active change in care, according to a report of the research by Susan Matulevicius, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
No benefit associated with echocardiographic screening in the general population
A study in Norway suggests echocardiographic screening in the general public for structural and valvular heart disease was not associated with benefit for reducing the risk of death, myocardial infarction (heart attack) or stroke, according to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.
US judge delays state's abortion law
(AP)—A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a new North Dakota law that bans abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected—as early as six weeks into pregnancy, calling the law "clearly invalid and unconstitutional."
Study links mental illness to early death in people with epilepsy
People with epilepsy are ten times more likely to die early, before their mid-fifties, compared with the general population, according to a 41 year study in Sweden published today in the Lancet and part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Antioxidants—too much of a good thing?
In older men, a natural antioxidant compound found in red grapes and other plants—called resveratrol—blocks many of the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, according to research published in The Journal of Physiology.
To savor the flavor, perform a short ritual first
Birthday celebrations often follow a formula, including off-key singing, making a birthday wish while blowing out candles, and the ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake. New research suggests that this ritual not only makes the experience more memorable, but might also improve the taste of the cake.
Program may hold promise for reducing avoidable hospital readmissions
Recent federal legislation imposes financial penalties on hospitals that experience excessive patient readmissions within 30 days. A new study published today in the Journal of Hospital Medicine looks at the potential of a program designed to improve the discharge process and prevent avoidable rehospitalizations.
Cold caps tested to prevent hair loss during chemo
(AP)—The first time Miriam Lipton had breast cancer, her thick hair fell out two weeks after starting chemotherapy. The second time breast cancer struck, Lipton gave her scalp a deep chill and kept much of her hair—making her fight for survival seem a bit easier.
'Alarming' rise in children injured by falling TVs
(AP)—Falling televisions sent nearly 200,000 U.S. children to the emergency room over 20 years, and the injury rate has climbed substantially for these sometimes deadly accidents, a study found.
Hormones may usher abused girls into early adulthood
During the sort of tense situation that makes palms sweat and voices quaver, children and young adults are typically awash in cortisol, a stress hormone that sounds an alarm and prepares the body for fight-or-flight responses to danger.
Skipping breakfast may be healthy way to shed weight
If you skip breakfast, don't worry about overeating at lunch or the rest of the day, report Cornell nutritional scientists July 2 in the journal Physiology and Behavior. In fact, nixing breakfast a few times a week may be a reasonable strategy to shed pounds, they say.
Best to be straightforward with parents of overweight and obese kids
University of Otago research into how best to engage parents of overweight and obese children has found motivational interviewing (MI) offers no real advantages over usual care—that of simply giving feedback in a straightforward and non-judgemental way.
Eight in 10 now survive skin cancer
(Medical Xpress)—More than eight out of 10 people diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, will now survive the disease, compared to only around five in 10 in the early 70s, according to a new report from Cancer Research UK.
New nano coating could preserve vaccines and save millions of lives
(Medical Xpress)—The delivery and storage of vaccines poses a big challenge for public health officials in remote locations and the developing world. Most vaccines are stable below or around room-temperature, but they degrade over time if not refrigerated.
Screening Aussie toddlers' diets
A Flinders University researcher has developed a new risk assessment tool to identify Australian toddlers with poor diets.
Study lays groundwork for norovirus anti-viral treatments
An animal model of the human norovirus created at the University of Michigan Health System lays the groundwork for understanding the biology of the pesky virus and developing antiviral drug treatment.
Anti-antibiotics
Antimicrobial peptides are natural antibiotics found in all multicellular organisms. These molecules are viewed as potential drug candidates in the post-antibiotic era because widespread microbial resistance against them has yet to emerge.
Study highlights female cancer patients unhappy with insufficient fertility support
Young female cancer patients are unhappy about the way fertility preservation options are discussed with them by doctors before starting cancer treatment, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Sheffield and The Children's Hospital, Sheffield.
World's first IVF baby born after preimplantation genome sequencing is now 11 months old
The largest genomic institute of the world, BGI Shenzhen, China (hereinafter BGI), together with Reproductive & Genetic Hospital CITIC-XIANGYA (hereinafter CITIC-XIANGYA) announced today that they have successfully applied Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to detect in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos with genetic abnormalities. The successful application of preimplantation sequencing (the most advanced form of preimplantation genetic screening, PGS) opens a new chapter in the field of human assisted reproduction, providing new hopes for IVF couples.
Plain packaging reduces allure of cigarettes: study
Scientists on Monday said they had evidence that plain packaging for cigarettes diminishes the appeal of smoking, as anti-tobacco campaigners suggest.
Burundi's longest cholera epidemic kills at least 17
A cholera epidemic in Burundi, the longest in the small central African country's history, has killed at least 17 people in 10 months, a top health official told AFP Monday.
Could turning on a gene prevent diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 % of cases of diabetes around the world, afflicting 2.5 million Canadians and costing over 15 billion dollars a year in Canada. It is a severe health condition which makes body cells incapable of taking up and using sugar. Dr. Alexey Pshezhetsky of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, affiliated with the University of Montreal, has discovered that the resistance to insulin seen in type 2 diabetics is caused partly by the lack of a protein that has not previously been associated with diabetes. This breakthrough could potentially help to prevent diabetes.
When cells are consumed by wanderlust
(Medical Xpress)—In experiments on zebrafish, Freiburg researchers have demonstrated that the same proteins that lead to the formation of metastases in humans also cause the cells to migrate during embryonic development. The study was conducted by a team headed by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Driever and Prof. Dr. Thomas Brabletz and including researchers from the Department of Developmental Biology, the Department of Visceral Surgery at the University Medical Center, and the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies. The scientists hope their findings on cell migration in zebrafish will open up new perspectives for research on proteins that control metastasis and thus the malignancy of cancer.
Socioeconomic disparities linked to use of eye care
(HealthDay)—People with age-related eye disease such as cataracts or glaucoma are less likely to see an eye care provider if they are in a low socioeconomic position, according to research published online July 18 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Chemoprophylaxis found to be safe after spine trauma surgery
(HealthDay)—Thromboembolic chemoprophylaxis seems to be safe and efficacious in at-risk trauma patients having spinal stabilization surgery, according to a retrospective review published in the July 15 issue of Spine.
Lifestyle factors linked to less aggressive prostate cancer
(HealthDay)—Adherence to lifestyle recommendations intended to reduce the risk of cancer generally is associated with a lower risk of highly aggressive prostate cancer in men newly diagnosed with the disease, according to a study published online July 16 in Nutrition and Cancer.
Homemade blowgun darts pose choking dangers for teens
(HealthDay)—It seems kids will never stop coming up with creative ways to injure themselves, if the cases of three teen boys and their homemade blowguns are any indication.
New hope for hormone resistant breast cancer
A new finding provides fresh hope for the millions of women worldwide with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Australian scientists have shown that a specific change, which occurs when tumours become resistant to anti-oestrogen therapy, might make the cancers susceptible to treatment with chemotherapy drugs.
82 percent of adults support banning smoking when kids are in the car
A new poll shows 82 percent of adults support banning smoking in cars when children under 13 are riding in the vehicle.
Surprise finding shows oxytocin strengthens bad memories and can increase fear and anxiety
It turns out the love hormone oxytocin is two-faced. Oxytocin has long been known as the warm, fuzzy hormone that promotes feelings of love, social bonding and well-being. It's even being tested as an anti-anxiety drug. But new Northwestern Medicine research shows oxytocin also can cause emotional pain, an entirely new, darker identity for the hormone.
Teen eating disorders increase suicide risk
Is binge eating a tell-tale sign of suicidal thoughts? According to a new study of African American girls, by Dr. Rashelle Musci and colleagues from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in the US, those who experience depressive and anxious symptoms are often dissatisfied with their bodies and more likely to display binge eating behaviors. These behaviors put them at higher risk for turning their emotions inward, in other words, displaying internalizing symptoms such as suicide. The study is published online in Springer's journal, Prevention Science.
Protein complex linked to cancer growth may also help fight tumors, researchers say
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital in China have discovered a gene expression signature that may lead to new immune therapies for lung cancer patients. They found that NF-κB, a protein complex known to promote tumor growth, may also have the ability to boost the immune system to eliminate cancerous cells before they harm, as well as promote antitumor responses.
New protocol developed to decontaminate human fetal tissues used for cell transplantation
The use of central nervous system fetal tissues derived from routine elective abortions to provide stem cells for transplantation procedures aimed at restoring damage done by neurodegenerative diseases is an established therapy. However, fetal tissue microbial contaminants have been known to cause brain infections in cell transplantation recipients. Now, a research team from Germany has developed a "washing" technique that decontaminates the fetal tissues from which stem cells are derived.
Melatonin pre-treatment is a factor that impacts stem cell survival after transplantation
When melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, was used as a pre-treatment for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) prior to their transplantation into the brains of laboratory animals to repair damage from stroke, researchers in China found that the stem cells survived longer after transplantation. Previous studies had shown that 80 percent of transplanted MSCs died within 72 hours of transplantation. By contrast, the melatonin pre-treatment "greatly increased" cell survival, said the researchers.
Hospice workers struggle on front lines of physician-assisted death laws
Laws that allow physician-assisted death in the Pacific Northwest have provisions to protect the rights of patients, doctors and even the state, but don't consider the professionals most often on the front lines of this divisive issue – hospice workers who provide end-of-life care.
How to manage concussions (w/ Video)
Concussions, the most common traumatic brain injury, can have serious long-term health effects; therefore, diagnosis and management of these injuries are important. A primer published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides physicians with current approaches to diagnosing and managing concussions in patients.
Integrative medicine interventions found to significantly reduce pain, improve quality of life
An integrative approach to treating chronic pain significantly reduces pain severity while improving mood and quality of life, according to a new study from the Bravewell Practice-Based Research Network (BraveNet) published last month in BioMed Central Complementary and Alternative Medicine journal. Researchers found a reduction in pain severity of more than 20 percent and a drop in pain interference of nearly 30 percent in patients after 24 weeks of integrative care. Significant improvements in mood, stress, quality of life, fatigue, sleep and well-being were also observed.
Breastfed children are less likely to develop ADHD later in life, research finds
We know that breastfeeding has a positive impact on child development and health —including protection against illness. Now researchers from Tel Aviv University have shown that breastfeeding could also help protect against Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescents.
Study finds depletion of alveolar macrophages linked to bacterial super-infections
A recent study published in the July issue of the Journal of Immunology helps explain why some humans contract bacterial super-infections like pneumonia with influenza. The research was led by Le Bonheur Pediatrician-in-Chief Jon McCullers, MD – an infectious disease specialist who is also chair of the Department of Pediatrics for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and adjunct faculty at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
30 million girls risk genital mutilation: UNICEF
More than 125 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation, and 30 million more girls are at risk in the next decade, UNICEF said Monday.
Vaccinating boys plays key role in HPV prevention
Improving vaccination rates against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in boys is key to protecting both men and women, says new research from University of Toronto Professor Peter A. Newman from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
Studies suggest new key to 'switching off' hypertension
A team of University of California, San Diego researchers has designed new compounds that mimic those naturally used by the body to regulate blood pressure. The most promising of them may literally be the key to controlling hypertension, switching off the signaling pathways that lead to the deadly condition.
Vascular complications of fungal meningitis after contaminated spinal injections
A case series by researchers at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., examined three patients with ischemic stroke who later received a diagnosis of fungal meningitis attributed to epidural injections of contaminated methylprednisolone for low back pain.
Novel 'top-down' mechanism repatterns developing brain regions
Dennis O'Leary of the Salk Institute was the first scientist to show that the basic functional architecture of the cortex, the largest part of the human brain, was genetically determined during development. But as it so often does in science, answering one question opened up many others. O'Leary wondered what if the layout of the cortex wasn't fixed? What would happen if it were changed?
New research shows weight a factor in graduate school admissions
Want to go to graduate school? Your weight could determine whether or not you receive an offer of admission.
Scientists prove ticks harbor Heartland virus, a recently discovered disease in the United States
Scientists have for the first time traced a novel virus that infected two men from northwestern Missouri in 2009 to populations of ticks in the region, providing confirmation that lone star ticks are carrying the recently discovered virus and humans in the area are likely at risk of infection. The findings were published online today in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
2 kids in Ontario allegedly poisoned at daycare
(AP)—Canadian police have arrested a home daycare operator for allegedly poisoning two young children.
For a healthy brain, don't let the trash pile up
Recycling is not only good for the environment, it's good for the brain. A study using rat cells indicates that quickly clearing out defective proteins in the brain may prevent loss of brain cells.
Failure to destroy toxic protein—not buildup of protein itself—contributes to Huntington's disease
Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's. Names forever linked to what they represent: diseases that ravage the brain's neurons and leave entire regions to wither and die. These and other so-called neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the buildup of toxic proteins that lead to the death of neurons. But now, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered that the progression of disease is not due to the buildup of toxins itself, but rather in the individual neurons' ability to flush these toxins out. Further, they have identified a therapeutic target that could boost this ability, thereby protecting the brain from the diseases' deadly effects.
MS research could help repair damage affecting nerves
Multiple sclerosis treatments that repair damage to the brain could be developed thanks to new research.
A first in front line immunity research
Monash University researchers have gained new insight into the early stages of our immune response, providing novel pathways to develop treatments for diseases from multiple sclerosis to cancer.
A flip of the mitotic spindle has disastrous consequences for epithelial cells
Constructing a body is like building a house—if you compromise structural integrity, the edifice can collapse. Nowhere is that clearer on a cellular level than in the case of epithelial sheets, single layers of cells that line every body cavity from the gut to mammary glands. As long as epithelial cells pack tightly and adhere to their neighbors, the cellular business of building tissue barriers and constructing ducts goes smoothly. But if epithelial cells fail to hold together, they die, or worse, produce jumbled masses resembling tumors known collectively as carcinomas.
Common stem cell in heart and lung development explains adaption for life on land
The evolution of adaptations for life on land have long puzzled biologists – are feathers descendents of dinosaur scales, how did arms and legs evolve from fins, and from what ancient fish organ did the lung evolve?
A bad alliance: Rare immune cells promote food-induced allergic inflammation in the esophagus
Food is an integral part of life; but, for some, it can be harmful. Allergic inflammation caused by inappropriate immune responses to some types of food has become a major public health issue. Over the past ten years, the prevalence of food allergies has increased by nearly 20 percent, affecting an estimated six million people in the U.S.
Stem cell advance boosts prospects for retina treatment
Blind mice have been able to see once more in a laboratory exploit that marks a further boost for the fast-moving field of retinal therapy, according to a study published on Sunday.
Proteomics can improve breast cancer treatment
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a protein that could help physicians decide what type of therapy patients with hormone driven breast cancer should go through. In a study, published in Nature Communications, they show that high levels of a protein called retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) in breast tumors can be linked to an insufficient response to the cancer drug tamoxifen. The findings are based on a novel proteomics technique, developed at the Science for Life Laboratory.
Mixing drugs and alcohol for better asthma inhalers
(Medical Xpress)—Asthma inhalers could soon become much more effective, thanks to a clever new way of making the particles they deliver invented by a Melbourne chemical engineer and his team.
Coherence activity in neuronal cultures from noise focusing
A research led by researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB) and published on Nature Physics enables to establish a basic mechanism of collective of self-organization of cultured neuronal networks. Authors have been able to determine the physical origin of neurons' collective dynamics, which takes place spontaneously.
Learning a language depends on good connection between regions of the left hemisphere of the brain
Language is a uniquely human ability. The average person's vocabulary consists of about thirty thousand words, although there are individual differences in the ability to learn a new language. It has long been believed that language acquisition depends on the integration of the information between motor and auditory representation of words in the brain, but the neural mechanisms that lie behind learning new words remained unclear.
Chips that mimic the brain
No computer works as efficiently as the human brain – so much so that building an artificial brain is the goal of many scientists. Neuroinformatics researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have now made a breakthrough in this direction by understanding how to configure so-called neuromorphic chips to imitate the brain's information processing abilities in real-time. They demonstrated this by building an artificial sensory processing system that exhibits cognitive abilities.
Gallo Center scientists identify key brain circuits that control compulsive drinking in rats
A research team led by scientists from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco has identified circuitry in the brain that drives compulsive drinking in rats, and likely plays a similar role in humans.
Evolution picks up hitchhikers
In a twist on "survival of the fittest," researchers have discovered that evolution is driven not by a single beneficial mutation but rather by a group of mutations, including ones called "genetic hitchhikers" that are simply along for the ride. These hitchhikers are mutations that do not appear to have a role in contributing to an organism's fitness and therefore its evolution, yet may play an important role down the road.
Biology news
Gardens help refugees take root in the US
Bending over a garden blooming with zinnia, Nidda Haseeb Al Dafrawi breathes in the fragrant perfume of the flowers and closes her eyes.
Whale meat ship returns to Iceland
A shipment of 130 tonnes of fin whale meat has been sent back to Iceland, as jubilant animal rights activists on Sunday highlighted the "pointlessness" of the trade.
Researchers study effects of pesticides on honeybee health
Virginia Tech researchers are gathering valuable information about the impact of pesticide exposure on honey bee colony health in Virginia, helping both the apicultural and agricultural industries to reduce the loss of managed bee colonies.
Marine reserves help boost reef shark numbers
Researchers from The University of Western Australia have used non-destructive stereo video technology to obtain proof that marine reserves can have positive effects on reef shark populations.
Major global analysis offers hope for saving the wild side of staple food crops (w/ Video)
Global efforts to adapt staple foods like rice, wheat and potato to climate change have been given a major boost today as new research shows the whereabouts of their wild cousins –which could hold beneficial qualities to help improve crops and make them more productive and resilient.
Sustainably exploiting the sea's treasure trove
Researchers are looking at environmentally friendly ways of extracting valuable bioactive molecules from marine-based organisms.
Stinky corpse flower blooms in Washington
A towering plant that smells like rotting meat and is native to the Indonesian rainforest is in full bloom in the US capital, drawing throngs of tourists, officials said Monday.
Iberian lynx threatened by climate change
Climate change could drive the Iberian lynx ‒ the world's most threatened cat – to extinction within 50 years, despite substantial ongoing conservation efforts, a new international study has found.
Current efforts will not save the world's most endangered cat
Almost 100 million euros has been spent so far on conservation efforts for the last 250 remaining Iberian lynxes in the wild. But the charismatic species is likely to go extinct within 50 years because the current management plans do not account for the effects of climate change. If they did, the population might increase instead concludes a new international study with participation from the Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen. The study highlights the importance of integrating climate models in management plans for biodiversity.
Sex chromosome shocker: The 'female' X a key contributor to sperm production
Painstaking new analysis of the genetic sequence of the X chromosome—long perceived as the "female" counterpart to the male-associated Y chromosome—reveals that large portions of the X have evolved to play a specialized role in sperm production.
Research update: Genome editing becomes more accurate
Earlier this year, MIT researchers developed a way to easily and efficiently edit the genomes of living cells. Now, the researchers have discovered key factors that influence the accuracy of the system, an important step toward making it safer for potential use in humans, says Feng Zhang, leader of the research team.
From obscurity to dominance: Tracking the rapid evolutionary rise of ray-finned fish
Mass extinctions, like lotteries, result in a multitude of losers and a few lucky winners. This is the story of one of the winners, a small, shell-crushing predatory fish called Fouldenia, which first appears in the fossil record a mere 11 million years after an extinction that wiped out more than 90 percent of the planet's vertebrate species.
Declining sea ice strands baby harp seals
Young harp seals off the eastern coast of Canada are at much higher risk of getting stranded than adult seals because of shrinking sea ice cover caused by recent warming in the North Atlantic, according to a Duke University study.
How to survive without sex: Rotifer genome reveals its strategies
How a group of animals can abandon sex, yet produce more than 460 species over evolutionary time, became a little less mysterious this week with the publication of the complete genome of a bdelloid rotifer (Adineta vaga) in the journal Nature.
Bees 'betray' their flowers when pollinator species decline
Remove even one bumblebee species from an ecosystem and the impact is swift and clear: Their floral "sweethearts" produce significantly fewer seeds, a new study finds.
In nature, dolphins 'whistle' by name
Wild bottlenose dolphins design unique signature whistles to identify themselves, and they answer when a close cohort calls them by name, researchers said Monday.
Climate forecasts shown to warn of crop failures
Climate data can help predict some crop failures several months before harvest, according to a new study from an international team, including a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
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