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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 31, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Towards a global quantum network: Photoelectron trapping in double quantum dots- Eye movements reveal rhythm of memory formation
- Bird brains predate birds themselves: 'Flight-ready' brain was present in some non-avian dinosaurs
- 'Highway from hell' fueled Costa Rican volcano
- Study shows some spiders have individualized personalities
- US intel program XKeyscore monitors Internet: leak (Update)
- Gene decoding obeys road traffic rules
- First experimental signs of a New Physics beyond the Standard Model
- Robots strike fear in the hearts of fish
- Physicists discover theoretical possibility of large, hollow magnetic cage molecules
- Tiny, brightly shining silicon crystals could be safe for deep-tissue imaging
- 3-D molecular syringes: Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium
- Study offers promising new direction for organ regeneration and tissue repair
- NSA chief talks at hackers' conference in Vegas
- Using gold and light to study molecules in water
Space & Earth news
At least 10 dead as record heatwave hits Shanghai
More than 10 people have died in China's commercial hub Shanghai, a local health official said Wednesday as the city grapples with its highest temperatures in at least 140 years.
Cadmium poisoning from China factory kills 26: report
At least 26 villagers have died from cadmium poisoning and hundreds more fallen ill since 2009 near a disused factory in central China, local media said Wednesday, underscoring the country's mounting pollution challenge.
Australia: Greenhouse emissions stable over decade as GDP grew 31%
There has been no growth in greenhouse gas emissions in Australia over the last decade, despite economic growth of 31% over the same period, a new report has found.
A modern approach to coastal management
Coastal areas are vital economic hubs for communities, industry, agriculture, trade and tourism. But as coastal economies continue to develop and the effects of climate change become more apparent, the risk of long-term environmental damage also grows.
Climate changes will produce wine winners and losers
In the not too distant future, your favorite French wine may not come from its namesake region or even from France!
Cleaning up behind the fashion industry
A reagent capable of removing colour left in the waste water used in the textile industry is an improvement, but choosing quality dyes would lead to less pollution alltogether.
Citizen scientists rival experts in analyzing land-cover data
Over the past 5 years, IIASA researchers on the Geo-Wiki project have been leading a team of citizen scientists who examine satellite data to categorize land cover or identify places where people live and farm. These data have led to several publications published in peer-reviewed journals.
Satellite sees Flossie fizzle fast
Tropical Depression Flossie fizzled fast on July 30 in the Central Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery on July 31 showed remnant clouds northwest of the Hawaiian Island chain.
New models developed by researchers to provide 7.5 days of wave predictions
Mariners and ocean recreationalists in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands will benefit from new high-resolution wave forecasts offered by the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS). The new forecasts provide 7.5 days of predicted wave height, period and direction—updated twice per day.
Marine life gets drowned out as oceans get noisier
A PhD student from the Department of Physics who recently returned from a trip to lay microphones on the ocean floor off the west coast of Canada is warning of the dangers to marine life from increased ocean noise.
Is life on Mars related to life on Earth?
The idea that there is life on other worlds is humbling and exciting, and finding life on another world would change everything. This has been a driving force for scientists for decades. We find life wherever we find water on Earth, in pools of boiling water, inside glaciers, even in nuclear reactors.
Rare atmospheric phenomenon observed
Cameras operated by the Armagh Observatory have recorded one of the very few observations from the UK and Ireland of a very rare atmospheric phenomenon known as a 'sprite'. The detection, which was made around the time of the exceptional thunderstorm that affected Dublin on the 24/25th July 2013, shows a carrot-shaped flash of light, known as a 'sprite', rising high above the thunderclouds as seen from Armagh.
Modern-day colliers' canaries
Much like the miners' canaries of yesteryear, birds are once again warning of potentially damaging substances in the former South Wales coalfield.
Sand dunes swallowing Anakin Skywalker's hometown
New research describes a fast-moving sand dune in Tunisia that is spilling onto the streets of the Star Wars set used to portray Anakin Skywalker's childhood home.
Sediment trapped behind dams makes them 'hot spots' for greenhouse gas emissions
With the "green" reputation of large hydroelectric dams already in question, scientists are reporting that millions of smaller dams on rivers around the world make an important contribution to the greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Their study, showing that more methane than previously believed bubbles out of the water behind small dams, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
NASA finds powerful storms in quickly intensifying Tropical Storm Gil
No sooner had Tropical Storm Flossie dissipated then another tropical cyclone called Tropical Depression 7E formed yesterday, July 30, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. NASA's TRMM satellite saw "hot towers" in the storm's center early on July 31, that indicated it would likely strengthen, and it became Tropical Storm Gil hours later.
NASA technologist makes traveling to hard-to-reach destinations easier
Traveling to remote locations sometimes involves navigating through stop-and-go traffic, traversing long stretches of highway and maneuvering sharp turns and steep hills. The same can be said for guiding spacecraft to far-flung destinations in space. It isn't always a straight shot.
Could planting trees in the desert mitigate climate change?
As the world starts feeling the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and consequent global temperature rise, researchers are looking for a Plan B to mitigate climate change. A group of German scientists has now come up with an environmentally friendly method that they say could do just that. The technique, dubbed carbon farming, consists in planting trees in arid regions on a large scale to capture CO2. They publish their study today in Earth System Dynamics, a journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).
Polar ecosystems vulnerable to sunlight
(Phys.org) —Slight changes in the timing of the annual loss of sea-ice in polar regions could have dire consequences for polar ecosystems, by allowing a lot more sunlight to reach the sea floor.
Dawn of carnivores explains animal boom in distant past
(Phys.org) —A science team that includes researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has linked increasing oxygen levels and the rise and evolution of carnivores (meat eaters) as the force behind a broad explosion of animal species and body structures millions of years ago.
Gravitational tide the secret of Saturn's weird moon
Enceladus, a white moon of Saturn with ice-spewing volcanoes, owes its strangeness to tides of gravitational forces exerted by its mother, a study in Nature said on Wednesday.
New Explorer mission chooses the 'just-right' orbit
Principal Investigator George Ricker likes to call it the "Goldilocks orbit"—it's not too close to Earth and her Moon, and it's not too far. In fact, it's just right.
'Highway from hell' fueled Costa Rican volcano
If some volcanoes operate on geologic timescales, Costa Rica's Irazú had something of a short fuse. In a new study in the journal Nature, scientists suggest that the 1960s eruption of Costa Rica's largest stratovolcano was triggered by magma rising from the mantle over a few short months, rather than thousands of years or more, as many scientists have thought. The study is the latest to suggest that deep, hot magma can set off an eruption fairly quickly, potentially providing an extra tool for detecting an oncoming volcanic disaster.
Technology news
Lawsuit alleges Apple shortchanges store workers
A proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Apple has been mistreating thousands of employees who haven't been paid while forced to wait in line to show they aren't trying to steal an iPhone, iPad or other merchandise from the company's bustling stores.
Origami unfolds a new tissue engineering strategy
Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, has been around for more than a millennium, but associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering Carol Livermore is now using it to create solutions in an emerging multidisciplinary field in medicine: tissue engineering.
Facebook passes IPO price for 1st time since IPO (Update)
Facebook's stock price has passed its $38 IPO price for the first time since its rocky initial public offering more than a year ago.
Starbucks to partner with Google to upgrade Wi-Fi
Starbucks says it's reached a deal to partner with Google that will allow it to offer its customers dramatically faster Wi-Fi service.
Fully-owned NBCUniversal boosts Comcast 2Q results
The decision by Comcast Corp., the country's largest cable company, to buy out General Electric in NBCUniversal looks like a smart one, as the media conglomerate posted strong results for the second quarter.
Navy turns to UAVs for help with radar, communications
Scientists recently launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from a research vessel in a significant experiment that could help boost the Navy's radar and communications performance at sea.
Yen fall returns Nintendo to profit (Update)
Nintendo is making money again courtesy of a weaker yen but its business selling game machines is ailing, with sales of its flagship Wii U console still lackluster.
Panasonic's April-June net profit up by 8 fold (Update)
Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic Corp. said Wednesday its quarterly earnings surged more than eight-fold, helped by the weaker yen and a one-time boost from a change in its corporate pension scheme.
NSA chief to talk at hackers' conference in Vegas
Hackers will be in the audience when the head of the U.S. National Security Agency makes a scheduled speech before an annual conference at a Las Vegas Strip resort.
NEC's quarterly loss swells as it abandons smartphones
NEC said Wednesday its net loss swelled in the three months to June, as the Japanese information technology giant announced plans to exit its once-dominant smartphone business.
Toshiba swings to profit as devices sell well
Japan's Toshiba on Wednesday reported $54 million in net profit for the April-June quarter, reversing a quarterly loss a year earlier, thanks to a weak yen and brisk sales of electronic devices.
Recognizing people by the way they walk
Recognizing people by the way they walk can have numerous applications in the fields of security, leisure or medicine. Ramon Mollineda, lecturer at the Department of Computing Languages and Systems at the Universitat Jaume I, is working with his team in the development of this new biometric technique that takes into account the way a person walks and his/her silhouette. The technique offers significant advantages as recognition can be done remotely and does not require the cooperation of the subject. Detecting suspicious behaviour (video surveillance), access control to buildings or to restricted areas and demographic analysis of a population in terms of gender and age range are just some of the possible applications of this technology.
Suburban sprawl to power cities of the future
A city's suburbs could hold the solution to dwindling fuel supplies by producing enough energy to power residents' cars and even top up power resources, pioneering new research has found.
Dell panel rejects proposed vote system change
The committee set up to consider a buyout of beleaguered computer giant Dell rejected a proposal intended to boost a go-private proposal, according to a letter released Wednesday.
Key factors for wireless power transfer
What happens to a resonant wireless power transfer system in the presence of complex electromagnetic environments, such as metal plates? A team of researchers explored the influences at play in this type of situation, and they describe in the American Institute of Physics' journal AIP Advances how efficient wireless power transfer can indeed be achieved in the presence of metal plates.
US declassifies surveillance order amid snooping debate
The Obama administration on Wednesday declassified a court order authorizing collection of millions of US phone records, even as it faced new disclosures about the reach of its secret electronic surveillance programs.
US investigates IBM's cloud computing revenue (Update)
IBM says federal regulators are looking into how the company reports sales for its cloud-computing business.
Man-made quakes could lead to safer, sturdier buildings
Earthquakes never occur when you need one, so a team led by Johns Hopkins structural engineers is shaking up a building themselves in the name of science and safety.
US leads government demands for Twitter user data
Twitter revealed on Wednesday that government demands for information about users rose in the first half of this year, with US authorities accounting for more than three-quarters of the requests.
Yahoo snaps up e-commerce app startup
Yahoo on Wednesday said it bought e-commerce platform start-up Lexity, racking up its 20th acquisition since Marissa Mayer became chief last year.
Microsoft Office comes to Android, but not tablets
Microsoft is bringing a pared-down version of its Office software to Android phones, but it won't work on Android tablets just as it doesn't on iPads.
Cleaning solar panels often not worth the cost, engineers find
Don't hire someone to wash your dirty solar panels. That's the conclusion of a study recently conducted by a team of engineers at the University of California, San Diego. Their findings were published in the July 25 online issue of Solar Energy.
Georgia Tech uncovers iOS security weaknesses
Researchers from the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) have discovered two security weaknesses that permit installation of malware onto Apple mobile devices using seemingly innocuous applications and peripherals, uncovering significant security threats to the iOS platform.
Researchers successfully spoof an $80 million yacht at sea (w/ Video)
This summer, a radio navigation research team from The University of Texas at Austin set out to discover whether they could subtly coerce a 213-foot yacht off its course, using a custom-made GPS device.
US intel program XKeyscore monitors Internet: leak (Update)
A secret surveillance system known as XKeyscore allows US intelligence to monitor "nearly everything a typical user does on the Internet," according to leaked documents published on Wednesday.
NSA chief talks at hackers' conference in Vegas
The head of the U.S. National Security Agency defended the government's much-criticized surveillance program against hecklers among a crowd of computer systems analysts Wednesday, but also had a challenge for them: If you don't like it, lend your talent to build a better one.
Medicine & Health news
Bayer Q2 profits jump on new drugs, lower charges (Update)
German drug and chemicals company Bayer AG says net profit rose 75 percent in the second quarter thanks to lower one-time charges and strong sales of new products including anti-clotting drug Xarelto and cancer drug Stivarga.
Bill urges schools to stock anti-allergy drug
The House has passed a bill aimed at helping schools better prepare for severe, sometimes life-threatening, allergic reactions caused by eating peanuts or other food products.
Honduras declares emergency after dengue kills 16
Honduras' government has declared a state of emergency due to a dengue fever outbreak that has killed 16 people and sickened 12,000.
Namibia forced to roll back free condom programme
Reduced donor funding has forced the Namibian government to shrink the supply of free condoms, a government report said Tuesday, threatening the country's fight against sexually transmitted diseases.
Sex differences in kidney gene expression
Male and female rats show different patterns of kidney gene expression throughout their lives, a study in the open access journal Biology of Sex Differences reveals. The finding could help explain some of the gender differences observed in human renal disease, and lead to improved biomarkers of kidney function.
Taking rejection out of organ transplant operations
Organ transplant operations save lives. But for recipients, treatment does not end with an operation - they must take medication for the rest of their lives.
First in-depth study of secondary breast cancer patients finds current care inadequate
A qualitative study following the experiences of 10 women living with secondary breast cancer in the UK has identified evidence of poor care for this much overlooked group.
Need for debate on when babies should eat solids
A University of Adelaide researcher says it's time for Australia's health authorities to rethink advice on how long women breastfeed their children exclusively.
High risk of death for young people after release from prison
Young people just released from prison are up to 20 times more likely to face death than those in the community, a new study has found.
Johns Hopkins Children's Center begins fecal transplants in children with a type of drug-resistant diarrhea
Call it therapeutic poop, if you will, but the best hope yet for an effective treatment of childhood infections with the drug-resistant bacterium C. difficile may come straight from the gut, according to recent research.
Rabies outbreak jumps species in Taiwan
Pet owners in Taiwan were rushing to inoculate their animals on Wednesday after the first case of rabies in a shrew was confirmed, fuelling fears that an outbreak of the disease is spreading between species.
Male Holocaust survivors have a longer life-expectancy
Male Holocaust survivors have a longer life expectancy compared to those who didn't experience the Holocaust, according to a recent study conducted at the University of Haifa jointly with Leiden University. The results have just been published in PLOS ONE. This is the first study to examine data on the entire Jewish Polish population that immigrated to Israel before and after World War II, using the population-wide official database of the National Insurance Institute of Israel. "Holocaust survivors not only suffered grave psychosocial trauma but also famine, malnutrition, and lack of hygienic and medical facilities, leading us to believe these damaged their later health and reduced life expectancy. Surprisingly, our findings teach us of the strength and resilience of the human spirit", said the leading professor of this research, Prof. Avi Sagi-Schwartz, from the Dept. of Psychology and the Head of the Center for the Study of Child Development at Haifa University.
New poll shows minority populations support clinical trials to improve health of others
Altruism is a strong motivating factor for clinical trial participation in the general population and even more so among several minority groups. A significant percentage of African-Americans (61%), Hispanics (57%) and Asians (50%) say it's very important to participate as a volunteer in a clinical trial to improve the health of others, compared to 47% of non-Hispanic whites, according to a new national public opinion poll commissioned by Research!America.
Increased fluctuation in blood pressure linked to impaired cognitive function in older people
Higher variability in visit-to-visit blood pressure readings, independent of average blood pressure, could be related to impaired cognitive function in old age in those already at high risk of cardiovascular disease, suggests a paper published today in BMJ.
Cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetics with dangerously low blood sugar levels
Type 2 diabetics who have severe hypoglycaemia are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a paper published today in BMJ suggests.
Stem cells in urine easy to isolate and have potential for numerous therapies
Could harvesting stem cells for therapy one day be as simple as asking patients for a urine sample? Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine and colleagues have identified stem cells in urine that can be directed to become multiple cell types.
Exercise is good for you, but it won't cut hot flashes
Exercise has proven health benefits, but easing hot flashes isn't one of them. After participating in a 12-week aerobic exercise program, sedentary women with frequent hot flashes had no fewer or less bothersome hot flashes than a control group. This randomized, controlled study from the MsFLASH Research Network was published today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society.
Autism symptoms not explained by impaired attention
Autism is marked by several core features—impairments in social functioning, difficulty communicating, and a restriction of interests. Though researchers have attempted to pinpoint factors that might account for all three of these characteristics, the underlying causes are still unclear.
There's something you can do to reduce your risk of stroke
Many people who have had a stroke believe that their family history is the main reason for it, regardless of how well they look after themselves. While a family history of cardiovascular disease does increase your risk of stroke or heart attack, it doesn't make it your destiny.
UK court rules against euthanasia (Update)
A British appeals court upheld a law against euthanasia in rejecting appeals from two severely disabled men who argued that doctors should be allowed to legally kill them.
Japan university reveals more claims of fabricated drug data
A Japanese university Wednesday said it would retract a study that touted the effectiveness of a blood pressure drug made by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis because it was based on fabricated data.
Cellular 'stress sensor' that also modulates metabolism could offer therapeutic target for diabetes
An organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) helps to process newly synthesized proteins destined for delivery to the cell membrane. When the ER becomes overloaded and begins to accumulate poorly folded proteins, an 'ER stress' response ensues. ER stress tends to occur in obesity and other metabolic disorders. Now, research from Stephen Cohen and colleagues at the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology has revealed a potential therapeutic target linking ER stress to the onset of diabetes.
Words and actions: The cerebral connection between language and movements
According to some neuroscientists the linguistic and the motor systems are strictly "tied up". That is to say, for instance, that to understand the word "drinking" our brain sets in motion the same cerebral structures used to perform the action of drinking. This assumption is connected to the theories of embodied cognition, according to which the nature of the human mind in the final analysis is modeled upon the body, its shape, the way it interacts with the world, and so on. Some studies, however, have called into question the dependence of the linguistic system on the motor one, actually uncovering a dissociation between the two domains. Paola Mengotti, of SISSA, and other colleagues have put to the test a theoretical model to account for such inconsistencies. The model was developed by Raffaella Rumiati, a neuroscientist of SISSA who has coordinated the research just published in the journal Brain.
Obesity doesn't reduce chance of getting pregnant with donor eggs
In women who use donor eggs to become pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF), those who are obese are just as likely to become pregnant as normal weight women, according to a new report.
Researcher uses micro-fabricated blood vessels to study tumor growth and anti-angiogenic cancer therapy
Researchers have established a 3-D microfluidic system to study a biological process known as endothelial sprouting. This process represents an early step in new blood vessel growth called angiogenesis.
Using interdisciplinary tools to find cure for human herpes virus
Human herpes virus, commonly known as herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), is like that friend who ends up crashing on your couch and never leaves.
Work, school buffer post-traumatic stress for young cancer patients
Young adults with cancer should try to stay occupied with school, work and other activities during the year after their diagnosis to become less vulnerable to post-traumatic stress symptoms, say University of Michigan researchers.
Preventing the 'Freshman 15' via the Web
A new study published in the July/August 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior evaluated the motivational effects of Project WebHealth, a web-based health promotion intervention developed to prevent excessive weight gain in college students. Researchers found that specific procedures and components of Project WebHealth successfully motivated students to improve their weight-related health behaviors and that the level of motivation differed by gender.
Ancient viruses that function in early human development may play role in cancer
The St. Laurent Institute, a non-profit medical research institute focused on the systems biology of disease, today announced in a study published in the July edition of Genome Biology, that genetic matter, previously ignored by the scientific community, may play an important role in cancer. The study, "VlincRNAs controlled by retroviral elements are a hallmark of pluripotency and cancer" found that novel non-coding parts of the human genome known as vlincRNAs (very long intergenic, non-coding RNAs) triggered by ancient viruses, participate in the biology of stem cells, and in the development of cancer. Importantly, the group of researchers from U.S., Europe and Russia found that the elimination of these vlincRNAs caused the death of cancer cells.
Saliva samples can reveal serious illnesses
Current research at Malmö University's Faculty of Odontology in Sweden shows that cancer and other serious illnesses leave traces of their presence in patients' saliva. In the future, it may be possible to detect serious illnesses in their early stages with the help of a simple saliva test.
Brain maps to benefit epileptic surgery
(Medical Xpress)—A brain imaging research team led by Simon Fraser University neuroscientist Dr. Ryan D'Arcy has found a new way to help surgeons more accurately plan for surgical treatment in epilepsy.
One size doesn't fit all: Ethnic birth weight chart better for infant care
One size chart doesn't fit all when it comes to evaluating birth weight and health outcomes of newborns.
Another scientific proof of the difference in social perception between men and women
"The Love Hormone", Oxytocin affects men and women differently in social contexts- in men it improves the ability to identify competitive relationships whereas in women it facilitates the ability to identify kinship. "These findings are in agreement with previous studies on the social differences between the sexes: women tend to be more communal and familial in their behavior, whereas men are more inclined to be competitive and striving to improve their social status", said Prof. Simone Shamay-Tsoory from the Dept. of Psychology at the University of Haifa who led the research.
Sensitive parenting can boost premature children's school performance
Sensitive parenting helps protect against the negative effects of being born prematurely on children's school success, a new study has found.
Decoding mechanisms of cell orientation in the brain
When the central nervous system is injured, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) migrate to the lesion and synthesize new myelin sheaths on demyelinated axons. Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Cell Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have now discovered that a distinct protein regulates the direction and movement of OPC toward the wound. The transmembrane protein NG2, which is expressed at the surface of OPCs and down-regulated as they mature to myelinating oligodendrocytes, plays an important role in the reaction of OPC to wounding. The results of this study have recently been published in the renowned Journal of Neuroscience.
The naked mole-rat's secret to staying cancer free
A team of researchers from the University of Rochester (NY) and the University of Haifa discovered the naked mole rat's unique mechanism to staying cancer free- a super sugar called high-molecular-mass Hyaluronan (HMM-HA). When secreted by the naked mole rat's cells, this molecule prevents cells from overcrowding and forming tumors. Researchers now say using naked mole-rat HMM-HA in the clinic could open up new avenues for cancer prevention and life extension in humans.
Breast-feeding rates up; 77 percent of moms try
Health officials say breast-feeding rates continue to inch up: Now more than 3 in 4 mothers try to breast-feed their newborns.
Risk factors for lumbar spine Fx ID'd in U.S. military cohort
(HealthDay)—The overall incidence rate of lumbar fractures was 0.38 per 1,000 person-years from 2001 to 2010 among a U.S. military cohort, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
New therapy improves life span in melanoma patients with brain metastases, researchers find
In a retrospective study, Saint Louis University researchers have found that patients with melanoma brain metastases can be treated with large doses of interleukin-2 (HD IL-2), a therapy that triggers the body's own immune system to destroy the cancer cells.
Cross-country collaboration leads to new leukemia model
Eight years ago, two former Stanford University postdoctoral fellows, one of them still in California and the other at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) in Cambridge, began exchanging theories about why patients with leukemia stop producing healthy blood cells. What was it, they asked, that caused bone marrow to stop producing normal blood-producing cells?
HIV answers raise new ethical questions
The Food and Drug Administration's approval last year of the drug Truvada for prevention of HIV infection was a milestone in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but experts are cautioning that it is only the beginning of new ethical concerns for health care professionals, policy makers, researchers and those taking Truvada to prevent HIV infection.
Genetic link to gestational diabetes
New Northwestern Medicine research on the genetics of diabetes could one day help women know their risk for developing gestational diabetes before they become pregnant—and lead to preventive measures to protect the health of offspring.
Boomers hit hardest by 'Great Recession'
A new study shows what many middle-aged Californians privately suspect: They are the first to lose their jobs and the health benefits that come with those jobs when hard times hit.
One in three US youths report being victims of dating violence
About one in three American youths age 14-20 say they've been of victims of dating violence and almost one in three acknowledge they've committed violence toward a date, according to new research presented at the American Psychological Association's 121st Annual Convention.
Cleveland Clinic study finds lowest risk treatment for severe carotid and coronary disease
Of the three most common treatment approaches for patients with severe carotid and coronary artery disease, patients who underwent stenting of the carotid artery followed by open heart surgery had the best outcomes, according to a retrospective study from Cleveland Clinic published online today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Anemia linked to increased risk of dementia
Anemia, or low levels of red blood cells, may increase the risk of dementia, according to a study published in the July 31, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
First global analysis reveals alarming rise in peripheral artery disease with over a quarter of a billion cases worldwid
The number of people with peripheral artery disease worldwide has risen dramatically (by 23.5 percent) in just 10 years, from about 164 million in 2000 to 202 million in 2010, according to the first robust global estimates, published in The Lancet.
Placebo effects of different therapies not identical
Not all placebos are equal, and patients who respond to one placebo don't always respond to others, according to research published July 31 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Jian Kong from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and colleagues from other institutions.
Lunch with company reduces cognitive control, may increase social harmony
Lunch at a restaurant with friends reduces cognitive control more than lunch eaten alone at a desk does, according to research published July 31 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Werner Sommer from the Humboldt University at Berlin, Germany, and colleagues from other institutions.
New 3-D colonoscopy eases detection of precancerous lesions
MIT researchers have developed a new endoscopy technology that could make it easier for doctors to detect precancerous lesions in the colon. Early detection of such lesions has been shown to reduce death rates from colorectal cancer, which kills about 50,000 people per year in the United States.
BMJ editorial: India's research participant protection policy
In an editorial published online today in BMJ, Johns Hopkins bioethicist Jeremy Sugarman and other experts warn that action is urgently needed to deal with possible unintended consequences of India's new policy protecting research participants.
Fertility therapy not associated with long-term cardiovascular disease
Women who gave birth following fertility treatment had no long-term increased risk of death or major cardiovascular events compared to women who gave birth without fertility therapy, according to new research by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Women's College Hospital.
Understanding the effects of genes on human traits
Recent technological developments in genomics have revealed a large number of genetic influences on common complex diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, cancer or schizophrenia. However, discovering a genetic variant predisposing to a disease is only a first step. To apply this knowledge towards prevention or cure, including tailoring treatment to the patient's genetic profile –also known as personalized medicine – we need to know how this genetic variant affects health.
FASD impacts brain development throughout childhood and adolescence not just at birth
Medical researchers at the University of Alberta recently published findings showing that brain development is delayed throughout childhood and adolescence for people born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Controlling contagion by restricting mobility
In an epidemic or a bioterrorist attack, the response of government officials could range from a drastic restriction of mobility—imposed isolation or total lockdown of a city—to moderate travel restrictions in some areas or simple suggestions that people remain at home. Deciding to institute any measure would require officials to weigh the costs and benefits of action, but at present there's little data to guide them on the question of how disease spreads through transportation networks.
BPA exposure disrupts human egg maturation
As many as 20 percent of infertile couples in the United States have unexplained reasons for their infertility. Now, new research led by Catherine Racowsky, PhD, director of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), shows that exposure to BPA (Bisphenol-A) could be a contributing factor as to why some infertile couples are having difficulty conceiving. The study will be published online on July 31, 2013 in the journal Human Reproduction.
Take urine, add mouse cells and grow a new tooth
(Medical Xpress)—How to grow new teeth for people who are missing teeth because of old age, accidents, or disease has been an area of interest among researchers. Scientists in China say they have grown teeth out of human urine. The announcement was made Tuesday about their research results, published in the open-access, peer-reviewed Cell Regeneration journal. They were able to generate the structures from human urine induced pluripotent stem cells.
A new tool for brain research
Physicists and neuroscientists from The University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham have unlocked one of the mysteries of the human brain, thanks to new research using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).
Variants at gene linked to kidney disease, sleeping sickness resistance
(Medical Xpress)—A new study led by University of Pennsylvania researchers involves a classic case of evolution's fickle nature: a genetic mutation that protects against a potentially fatal infectious disease also appears to increase the risk of developing a chronic, debilitating condition.
Scientists analyze genetic makeup of human and mouse embryos in unprecedented detail
(Medical Xpress)—UCLA scientists, in collaboration with teams in China, have used the powerful technology of single-cell RNA sequencing to track the genetic development of a human and a mouse embryo at an unprecedented level of accuracy.
New protein discovered with vast potential for treatment of cancer and other diseases
In cancer research, discovering a new protein that plays a role in cancer is like finding a key and a treasure map: follow the clues and eventually there could be a big reward. At least that's the hope from a new study published in the journal Nature that discovered a novel protein called ceramide-1 phosphate transport protein (CPTP)—a finding that could eventually lead to the development of new drugs to treat a variety of cancers and other conditions involving inflammation and thrombosis, or blood clotting.
Study offers promising new direction for organ regeneration and tissue repair
Because most human tissues do not regenerate spontaneously, advances in tissue repair and organ regeneration could benefit many patients with a wide variety of medical conditions.
The flexible tail of the prion protein poisons brain cells
For decades, there has been no answer to the question of why the altered prion protein is poisonous to brain cells. Neuropathologists from the University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich have now shown that it is the flexible tail of the prion protein that triggers cell death. These findings have far-reaching consequences: only those antibodies that target the tail of the prion protein are suitable as potential drugs for combating prion diseases.
Gene decoding obeys road traffic rules
One of life's most basic processes—transcription of the genetic code—resembles road traffic, including traffic jams, accidents and a police force that controls the flow of vehicles. This surprising finding, reported recently by Weizmann Institute researchers in Nature Communications, might facilitate the development of a new generation of drugs for a variety of disorders.
Digest this: Cure for cancer may live in our intestines
Treating a cancerous tumor is like watering a houseplant with a fire hose—too much water kills the plant, just as too much chemotherapy and radiation kills the patient before it kills the tumor.
New signal stabilizes atherosclerotic plaques
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease with accumulation of cholesterol in the vessel walls. The atherosclerotic plaque is built up throughout life and when it ruptures it leads to heart attack or stroke. T cells are important immune cells able to direct the immune response; they are present in the plaques at all stages and signal to other cells through contact or secretion of cytokines, a type of hormone-like signal molecules. In the present study the researchers have identified a cytokine produced by T cells that can stabilize atherosclerotic plaques and protect them from rupture.
Eye movements reveal rhythm of memory formation
(Medical Xpress)—Quick eye movements, called saccades, that enable us to scan a visual scene appear to act as a metronome for pushing information about that scene into memory.
Biology news
Mexico's peyote casts mind-bending spell on tourists
Gisele Beker, a 26-year-old Argentinian, trudged for hours in scorching sun to the sprawling Wirikuta desert, craving peyote, the cactus hallucinogen locals in Mexico deem sacred.
The quiet buzz of wild bees
Have you been enjoying eating blueberries this summer? If yes, you can thank wild bees. How much thanks do they deserve? Well, that's a question being asked by Professor Taylor Ricketts, director of UVM's Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.
'Perfect' food for 'perfect' prawns
Australian researchers have developed a food additive for farmed prawns that will mean prawn lovers will have access to more sustainable prawns that still taste great.
Citizens 'can help save our wildlife'
Farmers and city people can play a key role in saving Australia's native animals and plants by small changes to the way they manage their paddocks and backyards.
DuPont wins fight for South African seed company
After a nearly three-year battle with South African regulators, DuPont Co. said Wednesday that it has completed the purchase of a majority stake in South Africa's Pannar Seed. The deal greatly expands the chemical and seed company's access to new markets, and will help it boost research efforts and seed availability for farmers in Africa.
Rubber slat mats could improve animal well-being
New research shows that rubber slat mats could improve swine health. In a new study in the Journal of Animal Science, researchers in Europe studied how different types of flooring affects claw and limb lesions, locomotion and flooring cleanliness.
Chanel, UCSB's corpse flower, blooms and causes a big stink
Chanel, UC Santa Barbara's corpse flower, has finally spread her odiferous wings, broadcasting a stench that smells like a cross between rotting flesh and Limburger cheese. "It's disgusting," said UCSB junior Connor Way, who visited Wednesday morning. "It's pretty nasty."
Fungal biology: Finding yeast's better half
Scientists long believed that the fungal pathogen Candida albicans was incapable of producing haploid cells—which contain only one copy of each chromosome, analagous to eggs and sperm—for mating. Mixing of genes in sexual reproduction helps generate the diversity that is the raw material for evolution, and C. albicans' inability to reproduce sexually appeared to give it a disadvantage. An international research team, including Yue Wang at the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore, has now found viable haploid strains of C. albicans. The finding illuminates C. albicans' evolution and pathogenicity.
Invasive Gramineae species propagate by wildfire in the Mediterranean and aid its spread
Researchers in the Biological Station of Doñana (CSIC) have studied the extent to which alien invasive plants benefit from fires in Mediterranean regions. Their results indicate that many grasses and certain trees are spread by wildfire, species which in turn increase the frequency of fires, as occurs with Eucalyptus trees in Portugal and Galicia.
Mangroves could survive sea-level rise if protected
Human activity is currently a bigger threat to mangroves, and the natural defences they provide against storm surges and other coastal disasters, than rising sea levels, according to a new study.
A beautiful pest: Invasive marine worm spotted in Sydney
Marine scientists at the Australian Museum have sounded the alarm over an invasive underwater worm discovered in Sydney's Botany Bay—the farthest north the pest has ever been spotted in NSW.
Hide, ambush, kill, eat: The giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis kills a fish
The giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis is the largest European true bug and the largest European water insect. The adult bugs reach an impressive 8 cm in length, and the largest representatives of the same family are even bigger - up to almost 12 cm. A new article published in the open access journal Zookeys provides detailed information on karyotype and the chromosome behavior, the male reproductive system of the species, as well as interesting insights into the life habits and the distribution of the species on the Balkans.
Computational biology: Cells reprogrammed on the computer
Scientists at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg have developed a model that makes predictions from which differentiated cells – for instance skin cells – can be very efficiently changed into completely different cell types – such as nerve cells, for example. This can be done entirely without stem cells. These computer-based instructions for reprogramming cells are of huge significance for regenerative medicine. The LCSB researchers present their results today in the prestigious scientific journal Stem Cells.
The pathway to potato poisons
In 1924, Science magazine reported on a fatal case of potato poisoning: James B. Matheney of Vandalia, Illinois, had gathered about one and a half bushels of tubers, which had turned green due to sunlight exposure. Two days after eating the potatoes, most of his family—wife, two daughters and four sons—showed symptoms of poisoning; the only exceptions were James himself, who didn't eat the potatoes, and a breast-fed baby boy. His wife, aged 45, died a week later, followed by their 16-year-old daughter. The other five members of the family recovered.
Aquatic playground can turn water tanks into fish schools
Raising fish in tanks that contain hiding places and other obstacles can make the fish both smarter and improve their chances of survival when they are released into the wild, according to an international team of researchers.
Field study shows tigers in India follow corridors between groups to maintain gene flow
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers working in India has found that tigers living in separate geographic areas mate with tigers from other groups by traversing natural corridors. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team explains how they analyzed tiger DNA samples from different groups to learn more about their mating patterns.
Robots strike fear in the hearts of fish
(Phys.org) —The latest in a series of experiments testing the ability of robots to influence live animals shows that bio-inspired robots can not only elicit fear in zebrafish, but that this reaction can be modulated by alcohol. These findings may pave the way for new methodologies for understanding anxiety and other emotions, as well as substances that alter them.
3-D molecular syringes: Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium
Abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea—these symptoms could point to an infection with the bacterium Yersinia. The bacterium's pathogenic potential is based on a syringe-like injection apparatus called injectisome. For the first time, an international team of researchers including scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany, has unraveled this molecular syringe's spatial conformation. The researchers were able to demonstrate that the length of Yersinia's injectisome's basal body, which crosses the bacterial cell wall, is adjustable—very likely an adaptation to physical stress.
Study shows some spiders have individualized personalities
(Phys.org) —Researchers studying the Stegodyphus sarasinorum spider in India have found that individual specimens have different personality traits from one another. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team report that some spiders in the field study exhibited more "boldness" than did others.
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