Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 5, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Do glial connectomes and activity maps make any sense?- Interstellar winds buffeting our solar system have shifted direction
- Engineers make golden breakthrough to improve electronic devices
- New model of Earth's interior reveals clues to hotspot volcanoes
- Scientists confirm existence of largest single volcano on Earth (Update)
- Clues in coral bleaching mystery
- Space around others perceived just as our own
- Slowing the ageing process—it's in your genes
- Prion-like proteins drive several diseases of aging
- People who lie while texting take longer to respond
- Made-to-order materials: Engineers focus on the nano to create strong, lightweight materials
- Certification of aquaculture: One of the strategies to sustainable seafood production
- US, British spy agencies crack Web encryption
- Blue-green algae a five-tool player in converting waste to fuel
- Coldest brown dwarfs blur lines between stars and planets
Space & Earth news
UN: Rising reuse of wastewater in forecast but world lacks data on 'massive potential resource'
Amid growing competition for freshwater from industry and cities, coupled with a rising world shortage of potash, nitrogen and phosphorus, an international study predicts a rapid increase in the use of treated wastewater for farming and other purposes worldwide.
Closing the water cycle
Combining advanced wastewater treatment technologies may enable industrial companies to use water in a more sustainable way. But the approaches are mainly suited for high-income countries.
NASA selects top 96 asteroid initiative ideas
NASA has chosen 96 ideas it regards as most promising from more than 400 submitted in response to its June request for information (RFI) about protecting Earth from asteroids and finding an asteroid humans can explore.
New technique to assess the cost of major flood damage to be unveiled at international conference
A new approach to calculating the cost of damage caused by flooding is to be presented at the International Conference of Flood Resilience: Experiences in Asia and Europe at the University of Exeter.
Report reveals missed opportunities to save water and energy
Water and wastewater managers are missing substantial opportunities to save energy and money, according to a report published Wednesday (Sept. 4) by Water in the West, a research center at Stanford University. The report, "Water and Energy Nexus: A Literature Review," also identifies the amount of water used to extract resources such as natural gas, oil and coal, and to generate electricity.
NASA satellite animation records birth of Tropical Storm Gabrielle near Puerto Rico
One hour before midnight Eastern Daylight Time on Sept. 4, Tropical Depression 7 strengthened into Tropical Storm Gabrielle just 70 miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico. NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured the development and NASA's GOES Project created an animation that showed the developing storm.
NASA sees 'hot towers' in newborn Tropical Depression 12e hinting at intensification
Tropical Depression 12E formed off the southwestern coast of Mexico at 5 a.m. EDT on Sept. 5. Just 40 minutes before, NASA's TRMM satellite passed overhead and saw some "hot towers" around the center, indicating that the low pressure area that was previously known as System 99E would strengthen.
TS Gabrielle downgraded to depression in Caribbean
Tropical Storm Gabrielle was downgraded to a depression Thursday as it lashed the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico with heavy rains and swirled toward the Dominican Republic.
Sept. 5, 2013 update 2—Satellite data shows a very active tropical Atlantic, Gabrielle weakens
Tropical Storm Gabrielle has weakened to a depression by 11 a.m. EDT on Sept. 5, while three other low pressure areas struggle to develop in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured a panoramic view of all four systems while NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on Gabrielle and an adjacent low.
New Zealand re-examines ambitious Antarctic plans
New Zealand said on Thursday it may revise its plans to create the world's largest ocean sanctuary off Antarctica after they were blocked by Russia earlier this year, amid concerns the proposal may be scaled-back.
Tackling an Ice Age mystery
In the northern hemisphere, ice sheets ebb and flow in 100,000-year cycles, driven by varying amounts of sunlight falling on Earth's surface as its orbit and orientation toward the sun changes. But astronomical variations alone cannot explain why ice ages develop gradually but end quickly, in a few thousand years. Though the last ice age saw several peak-periods of sunlight, it was the last one—about 10,000 years ago—that caused the ice to withdraw from much of Europe and North America.
Air pollution worsened by climate change set to be more potent killer in the 21st century
This century, climate change is expected to induce changes in air pollution, exposure to which could increase annual premature deaths by more than 100,000 adults worldwide. Based on the findings from a modelling study published in Springer's journal Climatic Change, lead author Dr. Yuanyuan Fang, formerly at Princeton University and now at the Carnegie Institute for Science at Stanford, urges, in the face of future climate change, stronger emission controls to avoid worsening air pollution and the associated exacerbation of health problems, especially in more populated regions of the world.
Research examines changing role of patents in natural gas industry
New research from Penn State and the University of Alberta suggests that patents related to hydraulic fracturing—or fracking—can be used in the industry to limit the availability of information about the fluids expended as part of the natural gas extraction process.
U-M technical reports examine hydraulic fracturing in Michigan
University of Michigan researchers today released seven technical reports that together form the most comprehensive Michigan-focused resource on hydraulic fracturing, the controversial natural gas and oil extraction process commonly known as fracking.
Global warming has increased risk of record heat, scientists say
Drought shriveled crops in the Midwest, massive wildfires raged in the West and East Coast cities sweltered. The summer of 2012 was a season of epic proportions, especially July, the hottest month in the history of U.S. weather record keeping.
Overgrazing turning parts of Mongolian Steppe into desert
Overgrazing by millions of sheep and goats is the primary cause of degraded land in the Mongolian Steppe, one of the largest remaining grassland ecosystems in the world, Oregon State University researchers say in a new report.
Deep-ocean carbon sinks: Study involves basic research on dark ocean microorganisms
Although microbes that live in the so-called "dark ocean"—below a depth of some 600 feet where light doesn't penetrate—may not absorb enough carbon to curtail global warming, they do absorb considerable amounts of carbon and merit further study.
NASA aims for moon again to probe thin atmosphere
NASA is headed back to the moon, this time to explore its thin atmosphere and rough dust.
Researcher explores relationship between landscape simplification and insecticide use
A new UCSB study that analyzed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture data spanning two decades (1987-2007) shows that the statistical magnitude, existence, and direction of the relationship between landscape simplification –– a term used for the conversion of natural habitat to cropland –– and insecticide use varies enormously year to year.
Pacific flights create most amount of ozone
The amount of ozone created from aircraft pollution is highest from flights leaving and entering Australia and New Zealand, a new study has shown.
Study shows China's clean-water program benefits people, environment
The brown, smog-filled skies that engulf Beijing have earned China a poor reputation for environmental stewardship. But despite China's dirty skies, a study led by Stanford environmental scientists has found that a government-run clean water program is providing substantial benefit to millions of people in the nation's capital.
No evidence of planetary influence on solar activity
In 2012, Astronomy & Astrophysics published a statistical study of the isotopic records of solar activity, in which Abreu et al. claimed that there is evidence of planetary influence on solar activity. A&A is publishing a new analysis of these isotopic data by Cameron and Schüssler. It corrects technical errors in the statistical tests performed by Abreu et al. They find no evidence of any planetary effect on solar activity.
Researchers find evidence that suggests not all sulfur in the Earth's mantle came from meteorites
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from Université Paris Diderot has found evidence that contradicts the prevailing view among scientists that virtually all of the sulfur found in the Earth's mantle came from chondrites. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes how they found differences in sulfur proportions in soil samples taken from beneath the South Atlantic sea-bed compared to those of chondrites.
Clues in coral bleaching mystery
Coral reefs are tremendously important for ocean biodiversity, as well as for the economic and aesthetic value they provide to their surrounding communities. Unfortunately they have been in great decline in recent years, much of it due to the effects of global climate change. One such effect, called bleaching, occurs when the symbiotic algae that are essential for providing nutrients to the coral either lose their identifying photosynthetic pigmentation and their ability to perform photosynthesis or disappear entirely from the coral's tissue. Without a healthy population of these algae, the coral cannot survive.
Powerful jets blowing material out of galaxy: Process limits growth of central black hole and rate of star formation
Astronomers using a worldwide network of radio telescopes have found strong evidence that a powerful jet of material propelled to nearly light speed by a galaxy's central black hole is blowing massive amounts of gas out of the galaxy. This process, they said, is limiting the growth of the black hole and the rate of star formation in the galaxy, and thus is a key to understanding how galaxies develop.
Scientists confirm existence of largest single volcano on Earth (Update)
A University of Houston (UH) professor led a team of scientists to uncover the largest single volcano yet documented on Earth. Covering an area roughly equivalent to the British Isles or the state of New Mexico, this volcano, dubbed the Tamu Massif, is nearly as big as the giant volcanoes of Mars, placing it among the largest in the Solar System.
Coldest brown dwarfs blur lines between stars and planets
(Phys.org) —Astronomers are constantly on the hunt for ever-colder star-like bodies, and two years ago a new class of such objects was discovered by researchers using NASA's WISE space telescope. However, until now no one has known exactly how cool their surfaces really are - some evidence suggested they could be room temperature.
New model of Earth's interior reveals clues to hotspot volcanoes
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have detected previously unknown channels of slow-moving seismic waves in Earth's upper mantle, a discovery that helps explain "hotspot volcanoes" that give birth to island chains such as Hawaii and Tahiti.
Interstellar winds buffeting our solar system have shifted direction
Scientists, including University of New Hampshire astrophysicists involved in NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, have discovered that the particles streaming into the solar system from interstellar space have likely changed direction over the last 40 years.
Technology news
US study finds online privacy concerns on the rise
Americans are sharing more personal information online than ever, but they also want to better control who can see it, according to a study released Thursday by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project.
PayPal app adds more mobile wallet features
PayPal is updating its mobile app, adding features such as the ability to place an order ahead of time and pay with it while at the restaurant table.
With Google's Photo Sphere, users contribute photos of remote spots
Mounted on cars, bikes and even snowmobiles, Google Street View cameras have been scouring the globe taking panoramic pictures of roads, alleys and buildings.
Yahoo unveils new logo in turnaround makeover (Update)
Yahoo has refreshed its logo for the first time since shortly after the Internet company's founding 18 years ago.
Japan's radioactive water leaks: How dangerous?
New revelations of contaminated water leaking from storage tanks at the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant have raised alarm, coming just weeks after Japanese officials acknowledged that radioactive water has been seeping into the Pacific from the plant for more than two years, The government announced this week that it would contribute 47 billion yen ($470 million) to build an underground "ice wall" around the reactor and turbine buildings and develop an advanced water treatment system. A look at the problem, and the potential risks to fish and the humans who eat them.
Cheaper Chinese solar panels are not due to low-cost labor
A study of the photovoltaic industries in the US and China shows that China's dominance in solar panel manufacturing is not driven solely by cheaper labour and government support, but by larger-scale manufacturing and resulting supply-chain benefits.
Program introduces electric rental cars in Orlando (Update)
Visitors to Orlando often try new things while on vacation: thrilling roller coasters, luxury hotels, different cuisines.
Coal more risky than renewables
Coal-fired electricity may have little or no economic future in Australia, even if carbon capture and storage becomes commercially available, a new analysis has found.
Authentic brain waves improve driver security
One-time entry authentication methods, such as passwords, iris scanners and fingerprint recognition are fine for simple entry whether to a protected building or a private web page. But, a continuous biometric system is needed in some circumstances such as authenticating drivers of vehicles carrying valuable commodities and money, and even public transport vehicles and taxis. Now, such a system based on scanning the driver's brain waves described in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Biometrics could make hijacks of such vehicles a thing of the past.
Study IDs trouble areas, aims to speed up construction projects
Research from North Carolina State University identified factors that cause construction site managers to schedule more time than necessary for specific tasks. Understanding these factors and whether they can be reduced or eliminated could help the industry complete construction projects more quickly.
Arresting model stops cars
Researchers in China have developed a mathematical model that could help engineers design a flexible vehicle-arrest system for stopping cars involved in criminal activity or terrorism, such as suspect car bombers attempting break through a check point, without wrecking the car or killing the occupants.
Lenovo sees PC market growth in hybrid models (Update)
(AP)—Lenovo is hoping hybrid computers—which can turn from laptops into tablets with a flip of the lid—will spur growth in the ailing PC market and win back consumers who are attracted by sleek, lightweight tablets, the company said Thursday.
Facebook in fresh privacy row with new policy
Facebook is drawing fire from privacy activists again, after unveiling a new policy which could turn users' data and pictures into advertising.
Verizon plans $25 bn debt offering: source
Verizon plans a record $25 billion debt offering as it gathers financing to buy Vodafone's stake in their Verizon Wireless joint venture, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
Jury rules for Microsoft in patent trial with Motorola
The jury in a long-running patent trial between Microsoft and Motorola decided in favor of Microsoft on Wednesday, saying Motorola Mobility breached its agreements to provide licenses to certain of its patents on fair and reasonable terms.
Street View shows Japan nuclear evacuation zone
New explorable images from the Japanese coast devastated by an enormous tsunami have been posted online, allowing web users to see how the disaster changed the area.
Privacy fears cause more to cover online tracks
Amid growing fears about online surveillance and data theft, Americans are increasingly taking steps to remove or mask their digital footprints on the Internet, a study showed Thursday.
Study examines viral reach of hashtags on Facebook
(Phys.org) —Facebook analysts EdgeRank Checker have performed analysis of over 35,000 posts to discover the level of viral impact of Facebook's hashtags, The discovery is, well, zero. "We decided to dig into the data to see the impact of hashtags on the news feed," blogged EdgeRank Checker earlier this week. Data released showed results from analysis of 500 Pages that posted with and without hashtags during the month of July. The Pages posted over 35,000 times. Of those 35,000-plus posts, over 6,000 had hashtags. The results: No extra exposure, no viral reach from posts with hashtags. But here is the kicker: The study found that posts without hashtags performed better than posts with hashtags.
Google argues for right to continue scanning Gmail (Update)
Google's attorneys say their long-running practice of electronically scanning the contents of people's Gmail accounts to help sell ads is legal, and are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to stop the practice.
Precomputing speeds up cloth imaging
(Phys.org) —Creating a computer graphic model of a uniform material like woven cloth or finished wood can be done by modeling a small volume, like one yarn crossing, and repeating it over and over, perhaps with minor modifications for color or brightness. But the final "rendering" step, where the computer creates an image of the model, can require far too much calculating for practical use. Cornell graphics researchers have extended the idea of repetition to make the calculation much simpler and faster.
Sudoku saves photographers from copyright theft
A new watermarking technology based on a system akin to the permutation rules used to solve the numeral puzzles known as Sudoku has been developed by computer scientists in Malaysia. Writing in the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing the team reports how their system could resist attempts to "crop" the watermark in more than nine times out of ten cases.
US, British spy agencies crack Web encryption
US and British intelligence agencies have cracked the encryption that secures a wide range of online communications including emails, banking transactions and phone conversations, according to newly leaked documents.
Medicine & Health news
Cholera kills eight in southern Nigeria
Cholera has killed eight people in southern Nigeria and ten others have been hospitalised, health officials said Thursday, in the latest outbreak to hit the country following a heavy rainy season.
New study to provide insights into young Europeans' health-related diet and lifestyle choices
Why do some children live on a diet of fast food while others eat healthily? What causes a teenager to choose a hamburger over a salad? Why do some choose to exercise whilst others do not? What are the health consequences of a poor diet, lack of physical activity and other risk factors? And is it possible to steer children and their families towards healthier lifestyle choices? Those questions and many more are investigated by far-reaching research into the dietary and lifestyle behaviour of young Europeans.
British Vogue tells teens: fashion shoots aren't real
Their skin is flawless, their make-up perfect and their hair sleek, but to teenage girls hoping to emulate fashion models, British Vogue has a message—it's not real.
EU Parliament delays key vote on tobacco controls
The European Parliament delayed Thursday a key vote on proposals to clamp down on tobacco industry marketing aimed at women and youngsters.
Why do black women have a higher risk of death from heart disease than white women?
Among a group of women with symptoms of angina who were tested for a suspected coronary blockage, nearly 3 times as many black women as white women died of heart disease. The study determined whether differences in the women's angina symptoms could affect the risk of death in these two groups, and the researchers report their findings in Journal of Women's Health.
New recommendations for standardizing studies of thyroid hormone and disease from ATA taskforce
Despite tens of thousands of studies in the literature on the thyroid gland, thyroid hormone, and thyroid disease, lack of standardization in study design makes it difficult to compare the results and apply them to the development of improved diagnostic and treatment approaches. A new report from the American Thyroid Association's Taskforce on Approaches and Strategies to Investigate Thyroid Hormone Economy includes 70 specific recommendations and accompanying commentaries on a range of topics. The report is available free online on the Thyroid website.
Health information laws can be coordinated with health system delivery improvements under EPSDT
A new analysis by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) examines the relationship between health information laws and health system improvements for children and adolescents under Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit. EPSDT ensures comprehensive coverage of children's health care needs, and its benefits are of particular importance for children and adolescents with physical and mental health conditions that can lead to lifelong disability when not addressed during the developmental years.
US study finds children's use of e-cigarettes is up (Update)
(AP)—Children—like adults—are increasingly trying electronic cigarettes, according to the first large U.S. study to gauge use by teenage students.
Study expands use of biomarker for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury
A biomarker test developed initially to identify early acute kidney injury (AKI) after surgery has been shown to successfully detect AKI in emergency room patients with a variety of urgent health issues.
Medical students learn practical skills with unique tools
The pregnant patient was first confused, then unresponsive. All of a sudden, she started to shake.
Dishonest deeds lead to 'cheater's high,' as long as no one gets hurt, study finds
People who get away with cheating when they believe no one is hurt by their dishonesty are more likely to feel upbeat than remorseful afterward, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Use of low-dose steroid creams during pregnancy won't affect baby, study says
(HealthDay)—Women who apply prescription steroid creams such as cortisone to ease a medical issue during pregnancy should not worry that the medication will affect their baby, a new study finds.
Docs rarely discuss sunscreens with patients, study finds
(HealthDay)—Even if you've suffered skin cancer in the past, it's unlikely your doctor will mention sunscreen during the average office visit, a new study finds.
Exercise key to a longer, happier life
(Medical Xpress)—Sustained physical activity can add years to life and substantially improve the quality of those years, according to the latest results of a long-term study into more than 12,000 elderly Western Australian men.
Brain clues reveal risk of psychotic illness
(Medical Xpress)—New research has shown that people with psychotic illness show similar brain changes to immediate family members who present no signs of illness.
Smokers at increased risk for non-life threatening health conditions and reduced quality of life in old age
(Medical Xpress)—Smokers and former smokers who survive into old age are at a heightened risk for non-life threatening ailments that can reduce quality of life and expand the need for health services, according to a cohort study led by Benjamin A. Shaw, UAlbany associate professor in the School of Public Health.
Majority of teens think prescription stimulant use is a problem among peers, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Two-thirds of young people surveyed said the use of prescription stimulants is a moderate-to-large problem among youth, according to a new University of Florida study. Nearly 15 percent said they had used a prescription stimulant, the study shows, and almost 12 percent reported diverting medications by giving their stimulants to a peer or taking someone else's pills.
A matter of miles: New maps to show differences in life expectancy within US cities
Where you live can make a big difference in how long you live, even compared to your neighbors in an adjacent zip code. Maps released by the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health at the request of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) show large differences in life expectancy in the United States across neighborhoods of cities and across rural areas.
Smoking + asthma + pregnant = a dangerous combination
(Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Adelaide has shown for the first time that pregnant women who smoke as well as having asthma are greatly increasing the risk of complications for themselves and their unborn children.
A small molecule may help reduce damage in aging-related heart attacks
(Medical Xpress)—A small molecule developed at Yale University to limit damage done by ischemia – restricted blood flow – during heart attacks or surgery has been shown to reduce by 40 percent the amount of heart muscle damaged by myocardial infarction in animal studies by University at Buffalo pharmacologists.
Sleep deprivation increases food purchasing the next day
People who were deprived of one night's sleep purchased more calories and grams of food in a mock supermarket on the following day in a new study published in the journal Obesity, the official journal of The Obesity Society. Sleep deprivation also led to increased blood levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger, on the following morning; however, there was no correlation between individual ghrelin levels and food purchasing, suggesting that other mechanisms—such as impulsive decision making—may be more responsible for increased purchasing.
Children with behavioral problems more at risk of inflammation
Children with behavioral problems may be at risk of many chronic diseases in adulthood including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, as well as inflammatory illnesses (conditions which are caused by cell damage).
What scientists can see in your pee
Researchers at the University of Alberta announced today that they have determined the chemical composition of human urine. The study, which took more than seven years and involved a team of nearly 20 researchers, has revealed that more than 3,000 chemicals or "metabolites" can be detected in urine. The results are expected to have significant implications for medical, nutritional, drug and environmental testing.
Combo of social media, behavior psychology leads to HIV testing, better health behaviors
(Medical Xpress)—Can social media be used to create sustainable changes in health behavior? A UCLA study published Sept. 3 in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrates that an approach that combines behavioral science with social media and online communities can lead to improved health behaviors among men at risk of HIV infection.
Research helps people with social phobia face their fears
(Medical Xpress)—Social anxiety disorder – which can include being afraid of speaking in public, fear of interacting with people, and intense nervousness at being the center of attention – affects millions of people each year.
Social media app motivates users to exercise for longer
A Facebook app aimed at encouraging exercise through peer group support and the use of pedometers has found participants in a pilot trial increase their physical activity by almost three hours a week.
Studies highlight impact of addiction, housing on crime
A Simon Fraser University-led study of more than 31,000 B.C. offenders has found that offenders with mental disorders are not as strongly associated with repeating crime as may be commonly thought. Meanwhile the odds of recidivism are significantly higher among those with substance use or co-occurring disorders.
Drug resistance-associated genes: A cornerstone for the control and protection against tuberculosis
BGI in collaboration with Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other Chinese institutes, have completed the genome sequencing of 161 Mycobacterium tuberculosis that can cause an infectious disease tuberculosis (TB). The study published online in Nature Genetics provides an invaluable resource for researchers to better understand the genetic basis underlying drug resistance TB.
Young adults with autism found to have difficulty transitioning into employment
A study published in the September 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more difficulty transitioning into employment than their peers with different disabilities.
Wide range of differences, mostly unseen, among humans
No two human beings are the same. Although we all possess the same genes, our genetic code varies in many places. And since genes provide the blueprint for all proteins, these variants usually result in numerous differences in protein function. But what impact does this diversity have? Bioinformatics researchers at Rutgers University and the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have investigated how protein function is affected by changes at the DNA level. Their findings bring new clarity to the wide range of variants, many of which disturb protein function but have no discernible health effect, and highlight especially the role of rare variants in differentiating individuals from their neighbors.
What is the brain telling us about the diagnoses of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder?
We live in the most exciting and unsettling period in the history of psychiatry since Freud started talking about sex in public.
Programmed cell death activates latent herpesviruses
Researchers have found that apoptosis, a natural process of programmed cell death, can reactivate latent herpesviruses in the dying cell. The results of their research, which could have broad clinical significance since many cancer chemotherapies cause apoptosis, was published ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.
Rare brain disease concerns in US after death
Public health officials believe one person in the U.S. has died of a rare, degenerative brain disease, and they say there's a remote chance up to 13 others in multiple states were exposed to the fatal illness through surgical equipment.
Body's 'safety procedure' could explain autoimmune disease
Monash University researchers have found an important safety mechanism in the immune system that may malfunction in people with autoimmune diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis, potentially paving the way for innovative treatments.
Some immune cells appear to aid cancer cell growth, study finds
The immune system is normally known for protecting the body from illness. But a subset of immune cells appear to be doing more harm than good.
Cell death protein could offer new anti-inflammatory drug target
Scientists in Melbourne, Australia, have revealed the structure of a protein that is essential for triggering a form of programmed cell death, making possible the development of new drugs to treat chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
New coating may reduce blood clot risk inside stents
Coating artery-opening stents with a new compound may someday eliminate a common side effect of the treatment, according to preliminary research in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Peering into genetic defects, scientists discover a new metabolic disease
An international team of scientists, including University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado researchers, has discovered a new disease related to an inability to process Vitamin B12.
Molecular marker predicts patients most likely to benefit longest from two popular cancer drugs
Johns Hopkins scientists have identified a molecular marker called "Mig 6" that appears to accurately predict longer survival—up to two years—among patients prescribed two of the most widely used drugs in a class of anticancer agents called EGFR inhibitors.
Molecular beacons light path to cardiac muscle repair
Pure cardiac muscle cells, ready to transplant into a patient affected by heart disease.
Intervention for NICU moms reduces their trauma, anxiety
(HealthDay)—An intervention aimed at reducing parental trauma and redefining the parental experience for those with very premature newborns is both feasible and cost-effective, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Pediatrics.
Raw produce-related 2011 listeriosis outbreak investigated
(HealthDay)—The 2011 outbreak illustrated that raw produce, including cantaloupe, can be a vehicle for transmission of listeriosis, according to research published in the Sept. 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Continuation phase cognitive therapy beneficial in depression
(HealthDay)—For patients with major depressive disorder, continuation phase cognitive therapy (C-CT) and fluoxetine prevent relapse; and, a cognitive behavioral prevention (CBP) program provides lasting benefits for some adolescents at risk for depressive disorders, according to two studies published online Sept. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Processing speed drops after medulloblastoma diagnosis
(HealthDay)—Among key cognitive functions, processing speed (PS) shows the poorest outcomes five years after diagnosis of pediatric medulloblastoma, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Lessons learned from cantaloupe-listeria outbreak
(HealthDay)—Of all the dangerous bacteria lurking in foods, perhaps the most deadly is listeria, and the lesson from a 2011 outbreak is to always handle food safely, U.S. health officials say.
Researchers describe new form of irritable bowel syndrome
UCLA researchers have described a new form of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that occurs after an acute bout of diverticulitis, a finding that may help lead to better management of symptoms and relief for patients.
Research findings point to new therapeutic approach for common cause of kidney failure
New research has uncovered a process that is defective in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, a common cause of kidney failure. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), point to a new potential strategy for preventing and treating the disease.
US drinking water sanitation still a concern: CDC
(HealthDay)—While U.S. water sanitation has improved, bacteria-laden drinking water continues to cause disease outbreaks, according to a report released Thursday by federal health officials.
Antiviral drug may extend brain cancer survival, researchers say
(HealthDay)—A drug used against a common virus may lengthen the lives of people with a deadly form of brain cancer, a preliminary study suggests.
Scientists find new gene linked to ovarian cancer
Cancer Research UK scientists have found a gene in mice that could protect against ovarian cancer and, if faulty, may increase the chance of developing the disease, according to research published in Nature.
Researchers develop 'SMART' vaccines that are safe, effective
(Medical Xpress)—The question facing pathobiologist Paulo Verardi is not whether vaccines are effective in controlling disease – they are – it is how they can be made both highly safe and highly effective at the same time.
Thwarting herpes, scientists open antiviral drug path
While herpesviruses infect most animals – including humans – with incurable disease, Cornell researchers have found a genetic trail to thwart its reproductive powers, cutting its infective powers by a factor of up to 10,000.
Slowing the ageing process—it's in your genes
Imagine being able to take a drug that can reduce the rate at which you age. Research by Massey University senior lecturer in genetics Dr Austen Ganley is making this dream one step closer to reality.
Prion-like proteins drive several diseases of aging
Two leading neurology researchers have proposed a theory that could unify scientists' thinking about several neurodegenerative diseases and suggest therapeutic strategies to combat them.
Space around others perceived just as our own
A study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has shown that neurons in our brain 'mirror' the space near others, just as if this was the space near ourselves. The study, published in the scientific journal Current Biology, sheds new light on a question that has long preoccupied psychologists and neuroscientists regarding the way in which the brain represents other people and the events that happens to those people.
Inner-ear disorders may cause hyperactivity
Behavioral abnormalities are traditionally thought to originate in the brain. But a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found that inner-ear dysfunction can directly cause neurological changes that increase hyperactivity. The study, conducted in mice, also implicated two brain proteins in this process, providing potential targets for intervention. The findings were published today in the online edition of Science.
Gut bugs may hold key to weight control, mouse study suggests
(HealthDay)—The bacteria living in your digestive system may be the last thing on your mind, but a new study in mice raises the prospect that obese people might get benefits through the transfer of a thinner person's gut germs.
Do glial connectomes and activity maps make any sense?
(Medical Xpress)—"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." This so-called "law of the instrument" has shaped neuroscience to core. It can be rephrased as, if all you have a fancy voltmeter, everything looks like a transient electrical event. No one in the field understands this more Douglass Fields, an NIH researcher who has re-written every neuroscience dogma he has turned his scrupulous eye to. In a paper published yesterday in Nature, Fields questions the conventional wisdom that informs recent efforts to map the brain's connectivity, and ultimately, its electrical activity. In particular, he questions the value of making detailed maps of neurons, while at the same time neglecting the more abundant, and equally complex "maps" that exist for glia.
Biology news
Identification of a plant-specific nanomachine regulating nuclear movement
A group led by Professor Ikuko Hara-Nishimura (Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science) revealed the molecular mechanism underlying nuclear movement in plants.
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf: Is the dingo friend or foe?
Another attack on Fraser Island – the flashpoint for dingo management issues – has highlighted our complex relationship with these animals once again.
Study shows wheat breeding programs increased yields by 26 percent over 26-year period
Any producer will tell you, growing a healthy, high-yielding wheat crop takes skill and hard work. Quality drought-tolerant varieties that are resistant to pests and disease are important. And cooperation from Mother Nature in terms of temperature and precipitation doesn't hurt, either.
Washington's new panda cub is a girl, zoo says
The giant panda cub born 13 days ago at the National Zoo in Washington is female and she has a live-in dad, the zoo said Thursday.
Researchers determine digestibility of blood products as feed in weanling pigs
Because weanling pigs do not tolerate great quantities of soybean meal in the diet, alternative sources of protein must be used. Blood products, such as blood meal and plasma protein, are common ingredients in weanling pig diets and are considered high-quality sources of amino acids. Researchers at the University of Illinois have determined the amino acid digestibility of five blood products produced in the U.S. to provide swine producers with guidance for the use of these products in formulating diets.
S.Africa's rhino poaching toll passes 600 for the year
Poachers have killed more than 600 rhinos in South Africa so far this year, figures showed Thursday, with losses close to the total number of animals slaughtered in 2012.
Pacific nations agree to cut bluefin tuna catches
Asia-Pacific fishing nations and territories agreed on Thursday to cut catches of young bluefin tuna by 15 percent, with an agreement environmentalists said would not stop overfishing.
Brown algae reveal antioxidant production secrets
Brown algae contain phlorotannins, aromatic (phenolic) compounds that are unique in the plant kingdom. As natural antioxidants, phlorotannins are of great interest for the treament and prevention of cancer and inflammatory, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers at the Végétaux marins et biomolécules (CNRS/UPMC) laboratory at the Station biologique de Roscoff, in collaboration with two colleagues at the Laboratoire des sciences de l'Environnement MARin (Laboratory of Marine Environment Sciences) in Brest (CNRS/UBO/IFREMER/IRD) have recently elucidated the key step in the production of these compounds in Ectocarpus siliculosus, a small brown alga model species. The study also revealed the specific mechanism of an enzyme that synthesizes phenolic compounds with commercial applications. These findings have been patented and should make it easier to produce the phlorotannins presently used as natural extracts in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries! . The results have also been published online on the site of the journal The Plant Cell.
New research explores theories about aging and death in plants
(Phys.org) —According to Benjamin Franklin, "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." But what if Franklin had it wrong—at least about death? University of Georgia ecologist Richard P. Shefferson explored this question in the Journal of Ecology in a special issue he coedited about the latest research on senescence—the physical process of aging and death—in plants and, in particular, the idea that certain plants might be immune from this seemingly universal phenomenon.
Rare whale shark washes ashore near Philippine capital
A dead young whale shark has washed ashore in Manila Bay near the Philippine capital, far from the endangered giant fish's traditional feeding grounds, fishermen and a wildlife official said Thursday.
The African fish that lives fast and dies young
African annual fish take the adage 'live fast, die young' to a whole new level with the discovery that their short lifespan is accompanied by the most rapid sexual maturation of any vertebrate species. The find, reported in the open access journal EvoDevo as part of a series on extreme environments, adds to our knowledge of extremophile lifestyles.
Is that a testes or an iridescent stripe? A female squid's male-like true colors
During his time in Daniel Morse's lab at the University of California Santa Barbara, USA, PhD student Daniel DeMartini has seen many Doryteuthis opalescens squid pass through the lab's doors. These squid provide DeMartini with a steady supply of the iridocyte cells that are responsible for the squid's shimmering opal-like markings. Iridocytes are found in many cephalopods, but what makes those of D. opalescens so special is their ability to adapt and produce a rainbow of different colours from the same cell. Most iridocytes are found in patches across the squid's body but DeMartini recalls: 'We started to notice that some squid had bright iridescent rainbow stripes underneath their fins. Sometimes most of the squid in a batch would have them, sometimes none. After a while we started to realise the rainbow stripes were only seen in the females.' So after a few years of observing this, DeMartini decided to investigate this female-only trait further, publishing his results in! The Journal of Experimental Biology.
Biodiversity where you least expect it: A new beetle species from a busy megacity
the world's 10th largest megacity and 6th largest conurbation, based on official statistics – is not a place one would normally expect to discover new species, even in a country that is known as a biodiversity hotspot.
Female tiger sharks migrate from Northwestern to Main Hawaiian Islands during fall pupping season
A quarter of the mature female tiger sharks plying the waters around the remote coral atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands decamp for the populated Main Hawaiian Islands in the late summer and fall, swimming as far as 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) according to new research from University of Florida and the University of Hawaii. Their report is scheduled for publication in the November 2013 issue of Ecological Society of America's journal Ecology. The authors' manuscript is available as a preprint.
Researchers develop new system to better study behavior, cell function
A team of researchers led by Charles D. Nichols, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has successfully translated a new technology to better study behaviors and cellular function to fruit flies. This powerful genetic tool – Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs – allows scientists to selectively, rapidly, reversibly, and dose-dependently remotely control behaviors and physiological processes in the fly. The fruit fly shares a significant degree of similarity to humans and can be used to model a number of human diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, ALS, mental illness, and more. The research, published on September 5, 2013, is available online in the journal, Cell Reports.
Newly discovered tiger shark migration pattern might explain attacks near Hawaii
The migration of mature female tiger sharks during late summer and fall to the main Hawaiian Islands, presumably to give birth, could provide insight into attacks in that area, according to a University of Florida scientist.
Disease-causing genes spread easily in emerging lethal fungus infection
A rare, emerging fungal disease that is spreading throughout Canada and Northwestern USA can easily pass its deadly genes to related fungal strains within the species but less readily to more distant relatives, according to a study part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Computer-designed proteins recognize and bind small molecules
Computer-designed proteins that can recognize and interact with small biological molecules are now a reality. Scientists have succeeded in creating a protein molecule that can be programmed to unite with three different steroids.
Unravelling the secrets of maleness
New research has identified the key to becoming male is an enzyme that "unravels" DNA to trigger male development of the embryo, a discovery that may give greater insight into intersex disorders.
Switching sexes and rearranging genitals: Tahitian bugs reveal unusual habits
Researchers from Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales have discovered a strange mechanism whereby two species of traumatically inseminating plant bug are able to live together in Tahiti, as published in a new article in The American Naturalist.
Study reveals new insight into how Cheetahs catch their prey
A new research study has revealed that the cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, matches and may even anticipate the escape tactics of different prey when hunting, rather than just relying on its speed and agility, as previously thought.
Protecting 17 percent of Earth's land could save two-thirds of plant species
Protecting key regions that comprise just 17 percent of Earth's land may help preserve more than two-thirds of its plant species, according to a new Duke University-led study by an international team of scientists.
Certification of aquaculture: One of the strategies to sustainable seafood production
Certification of products from aquatic farming - aquaculture – is contributing to sustainable production, but it also has serious limits. Therefore it should be seen as one approach among many for steering aquaculture toward sustainability. This is argued by an international team of researchers in a paper published in Science on September 6, 2013.
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