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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 25, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Getting here from there: Mitochondrial genome clarifies North American migration models- A first: Stanford engineers build computer using carbon nanotube technology
- 'Jekyll and Hyde' star morphs from radio to X-ray pulsar and back again
- Scientists create never-before-seen form of matter
- Using nanocapsules to deliver vaccines to lungs
- New evidence suggests earliest trilobites were able to partially roll up their bodies
- Free-standing 3D skeletal muscle constructs created in the lab
- Atmospheric oxygenation three billion years ago
- Global study reveals new hotspots of fish biodiversity
- With carbon nanotubes, a path to flexible, low-cost sensors
- How engineers revamped Spitzer to probe exoplanets
- The 'in-law effect': Male fruit flies sleep around but females keep it in the family
- 'X-shape' not true picture of chromosome structure, new imaging technique reveals
- Discovery offers bio-solution to severe canola crop losses
- Fish fossil yields jaw-dropping data on Man's past
Space & Earth news
Pollution deadlier than road accidents in Sao Paulo
Air pollution kills more people annually than road accidents in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous city which will host the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, a study found.
Massive quake in southwest Pakistan kills 210 (Update)
Rescuers struggled Wednesday to help thousands of people injured and left homeless after their houses collapsed in a massive earthquake in southwestern Pakistan the day before as the death toll rose overnight to 210.
EU water law could sink mine plan in Romania: minister
The fate of a Canadian gold mine project in the heart of Transylvania that has sparked public anger and massive protests hangs on a river protected by European law, Romanian Environment Minister Rovana Plumb said Tuesday.
Border's Mexicali tops Mexico City in pollution
Move over, Mexico City, a think tank study says the country's most damaging air pollution is in the border city of Mexicali.
ALMA observatory opens window to universe's darkest secrets
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Chilean Andes allows astronomers to peer into some of the darkest and furthest parts of the universe, unveiling some of its previously hidden secrets.
Investigating mercury pollution in Indonesia
Professor Takanobu Inoue of Toyohashi Tech's Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering has been conducting field surveys of mercury poisoning in Indonesia for over a decade. His findings have serious implications and the situation is not improving.
How do we talk about climate change? The need for strategic conversations
With media bias polarising the conversation about climate change into 'catastrophic' and 'sceptical' camps, new research published in Environmental Education Research, exposes just how important the ways in which environmental educators talk about climate change is in influencing public engagement.
NOAA, government and academia partners deploy underwater robots to improve hurricane science
A fleet of underwater robots is descending into waters off the east coast to collect data that could help improve storm intensity forecasts during future hurricane seasons. Several regions of the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) are partnering to deploy 12 to 16 autonomous underwater robotic vehicles, also known as gliders, from Nova Scotia to Georgia.
QUT develops software to reduce greenhouse gases
Technology developed at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane aims to help Australia reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its agricultural landscape.
NOAA launches website holding millions of chemical analyses from Deepwater Horizon oil spill
NOAA announced the release of a comprehensive, quality-controlled dataset that gives ready access to millions of chemical analyses and other data on the massive Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The dataset, collected to support oil removal activities and assess the presence of dispersants, wraps up a three year process that began with the gathering of water samples and measurements by ships in the Gulf of Mexico during and after the oil release in 2010.
Sands of time running out for rare Canadian desert
As desertification creeps into parts of the world, a rare stretch of sand in Canada's vast western plains is oddly doing the reverse—slowly sprouting with vegetation.
Deep sea ecosystem may take decades to recover from Deepwater Horizon spill
The deep-sea soft-sediment ecosystem in the immediate area of the 2010's Deepwater Horizon well head blowout and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will likely take decades to recover from the spill's impacts, according to a scientific paper reported in the online scientific journal PLoS One.
New adsorbent is more effective, environmentally friendly for treating wastewater
A novel new adsorbent for removing emerging contaminants from wastewater that is more effective, reusable and environmentally friendly, has been developed by researchers in Temple University's Water and Environmental Technology (WET) Center.
Tapping a valuable resource or invading the environment? Research examines the start of fracking in Ohio
A new study is examining methane and other components in groundwater wells, in advance of drilling for shale gas that's expected over the next several years in an Ohio region. Amy Townsend-Small, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor of geology, will present on the study on Sept. 27, at the 10th Applied Isotope Geochemistry Conference in Budapest, Hungary.
Smallest plankton grow fastest with rising CO2
Could the future of the ocean depend on its smallest organisms? An experiment conducted as part of the European project EPOCA, coordinated by Jean-Pierre Gattuso of the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (CNRS/UPMC), has shown that pico- and nanoplankton benefit from increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the seawater, causing a disruption in the food chain. Two climate regulation processes are also affected: carbon export to the deep ocean and production of dimethyl sulfide, a gas that counteracts the greehouse effect. The study was conducted in the Arctic by a team of researchers, mainly from GEOMAR, CNRS and UPMC, supported by the Institut Polaire Français. These results have been published in a special issue of Biogeosciences.
Long-term study reveals: The deep Greenland Sea is warming faster than the world ocean
Since 1993, oceanographers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), have carried out regularly expeditions to the Greenland Sea on board the research ice breaker Polarstern to investigate the changes in this region. The programme has always included extensive temperature and salinity measurements. For the present study, the AWI scientists have combined these long term data set with historical observations dating back to the year 1950. The result of their analysis: In the last thirty years, the water temperature between 2000 metres depth and the sea floor has risen by 0.3 degrees centigrade.
NASA satellites see Typhoon Pabuk's shrinking eye close
Typhoon Pabuk's eye was clear on visible and infrared NASA satellite imagery on Sept. 24, and one day later high clouds covered the center and Pabuk's eye was "closed." Satellite data also showed that Pabuk's eye shrunk by about 5 nautical miles in the last day.
Pakistan quake island unlikely to last: experts
A small island of mud and rock created by the huge earthquake that hit southwest Pakistan has fascinated locals but experts—who found methane gas rising from it—say it is unlikely to last long.
Dams provide resilience to Columbia River basin from climate change impacts
Dams have been vilified for detrimental effects to water quality and fish passage, but a new study suggests that these structures provide "ecological and engineering resilience" to climate change in the Columbia River basin.
In new report, climate experts to warn of sea peril
UN experts are expected to warn on Friday that global warming will hoist sea levels higher than was projected six years ago, threatening millions of lives.
LROC coordinates of robotic spacecraft 2013 update
Repeat imaging of anthropogenic (human-made) targets on the Moon remains a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) priority as the LRO Extended Science Mission continues. These continuing observations of historic hardware and impact craters are not just interesting from a historical standpoint - each image adds to our knowledge of lunar science and engineering, particularly cartography, geology, and photometry.
Massive quake creates island off Pakistan coast
(AP)—Alongside the carnage of Pakistan's massive earthquake came a new creation: a small island of mud, stone and bubbling gas pushed forth from the seabed.
The cool glow of star formation: First light of powerful new camera on APEX
A new instrument called ArTeMiS has been successfully installed on APEX—the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. APEX is a 12-metre diameter telescope located high in the Atacama Desert, which operates at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths—between infrared light and radio waves in the electromagnetic spectrum—providing a valuable tool for astronomers to peer further into the Universe. The new camera has already delivered a spectacularly detailed view of the Cat's Paw Nebula.
Flame retardants in blood drop after state ban
A class of flame retardants that has been linked to learning difficulties in children has rapidly declined in pregnant women's blood since the chemicals were banned in California a decade ago, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco.
China's synthetic gas plants would be greenhouse giants
Coal-powered synthetic natural gas plants being planned in China would produce seven times more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional natural gas plants, and use up to 100 times the water as shale gas production, according to a new study by Duke University researchers.
Did autocells lead to life?
The origin of life on Earth is still a hotly-debated topic. There are many different theories on how life was kick-started, as well as various experiments underway attempting to understand the processes involved. For example, a reverse engineering approach can be used by stripping away cells until the simplest possible system is left. However, evolution has ultimately hampered our understanding of life's origins as it has washed away the traces of the first forms of life, making it impossible to retrace life's early steps. This means that even the simple systems left after the reverse engineering approach are still too complicated to bear a resemblance to the first forms of life.
Voyager 1 magnetic data surprise intrigues researchers
(Phys.org) —A University of Alabama in Huntsville graduate student and a recent UAH doctoral graduate are exploring surprising data from Voyager 1's crossing of the heliopause into the interstellar medium of our galaxy.
Moon is younger than first thought
Improved age data for the Moon suggests that it is much younger than previously believed according to scientists presenting at a Royal Society discussion meeting entitled Origins of the Moon this week (23 September). Professor Richard Carlson of the Carnegie Institution of Washington will say that Earth's Moon is more likely between 4.4 and 4.45 billion years old rather than 4.56 billion years old, as previously thought.
A unique glance into the Sun's atmosphere
Three months after the flight of the balloon-borne solar observatory Sunrise, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany now present unique insights into the central layer of the Sun's atmosphere, the chromosphere. The Sunrise-data provide the first high-resolution images of this region, lying between the Sun's visible surface and the corona, in ultraviolet light. More prominently than in earlier images, structures with a size of a few hundred kilometres such as bright points or strongly elongated fibrils occurring in close proximity to sunspots become visible in these wavelengths.
How engineers revamped Spitzer to probe exoplanets
(Phys.org) —Now approaching its 10th anniversary, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has evolved into a premier observatory for an endeavor not envisioned in its original design: the study of worlds around other stars, called exoplanets. While the engineers and scientists who built Spitzer did not have this goal in mind, their visionary work made this unexpected capability possible. Thanks to the extraordinary stability of its design and a series of subsequent engineering reworks, the space telescope now has observational powers far beyond its original limits and expectations.
Atmospheric oxygenation three billion years ago
Oxygen appeared in the atmosphere up to 700 million years earlier than we previously thought, according to research published today in the journal Nature, raising new questions about the evolution of early life.
American, two Russians take shortcut to space
An American and two Russians blasted off Thursday for the International Space Station atop a Soyuz rocket that will slash more than a day off the usual travel time.
'Jekyll and Hyde' star morphs from radio to X-ray pulsar and back again
Astronomers have uncovered the strange case of a neutron star with the peculiar ability to transform from a radio pulsar into an X-ray pulsar and back again. This star's capricious behavior appears to be fueled by a nearby companion star and may give new insights into the birth of millisecond pulsars.
Technology news
Sun, water, CO2 and algae: A recipe for biofuel?
Plant-based biofuels were initially hailed as the answer to all problems posed by traditional fossil fuels. Supply is unlimited and they are also neutral to emissions harmful to the environment also. But using plants has led to other problems, which a team of European scientists hopes to get around by using aquatic organisms to create fuels from the sun, carbon dioxide (CO2) and water.
Technology to automatically detect explosive substances adhering to carry-on luggage
Hitachi has developed explosives detection technology to automatically inspect for explosive substances adhering to luggage to strengthen security in public facilities such as airports. As a result of this technology, inspection of carry-on luggage which previously took time as it required an inspector to wipe the luggage can be carried out in a minimum of approximately five seconds. By combining this explosive detection equipment with the conventionally installed X-ray inspection equipment, it will be possible to successively conduct inspection for both dangerous items as well as explosive substances without slowing down the flow of visitors to important facilities. This development was conducted under the "R&D Program for Implementation of Anti-Crime and Anti-Terrorism Technologies for a Safe and Secure Society" in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Funds for integrated promotion of social system reform and research and development.
Reports: Alibaba drops HK IPO plan, looks to US
News reports say Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has dropped plans to sell shares in Hong Kong, with the company now looking at an IPO in New York.
Fashion goes high-tech at futuristic Guy Laroche show
Timeless classics on Wednesday got a makeover for spring/summer 2014 at Paris fashion week in a futuristic science fiction-inspired collection from Guy Laroche, marrying versatile high-tech fabrics with traditional silks.
Experts urge caution on popular 'skin rash' apps
More than 200 mobile apps for diagnosing skin rashes and moles are now on the market, and US researchers Wednesday urged caution in relying on them over a doctor's advice.
Court rules Apple, local firm can use iPhone in Brazil
A court has ruled that Apple can use the trademark iPhone in Brazil, ending the exclusive rights Brazilian firm Gradiente had been given by INPI, the Latin American nation's intellectual property office.
Internet radio becoming more mainstream, survey says
Internet radio's drumbeat is getting louder. More than half of Americans who go online listen to Internet radio services, and consumers who use them are using them more often, indicating the industry has become increasingly mainstream, according to a new study by Edison Research.
Tweets reveal news readership patterns around the world
For many international news followers, having a cup of coffee while reading the morning newspaper has turned into scrolling a Twitter feed to catch up on important news as it happens throughout the day. In a new article published in SAGE Open, researchers used data collected from Twitter to study readers' news preferences across the globe and discovered that different countries have stronger preference towards different types of articles – American and British readers are more drawn to opinion and world news, Spaniards to local and national news, Brazilians to sports and arts, and Germans to politics and economy.
New speech recognition model: Hidden Conditional Neural Fields
Toyohashi Tech researchers propose the Hidden Conditional Neural Fields (HCNF) model for continuous speech recognition. The model is a combination of the Hidden Conditional Random Fields (HCRF) and a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), that is, an extension of Hidden Markov Model (HMM).
Establishing basic formulas for squeezing wireless energy from radio frequency systems
Radio-frequency (RF) wave rectifier circuits play an invaluable role in extracting the appropriate DC voltage and current in wireless energy applications, such as mobile power supplies and environmental energy harvesting.
Pirate Bay Swede's hacking, fraud sentence reduced (Update)
A Swedish court has dismissed part of the hacking and fraud charges against the founder of the popular file-sharing website Pirate Bay and reduced his prison sentence from two years to one.
Autonomous vehicle technology could help blind to navigate
Navigation devices used by blind people today lack the ability to operate indoors and other areas where GPS is not available, and are unable to help the user deal with items that aren't part of maps, such as crowds and cars. Auburn University is building a prototype device under contract to the Federal Highway Administration that can address both problems, combining technology that it developed for Department of Transportation with technology that Draper Laboratory developed for soldiers and unmanned vehicles.
15% in US shun Internet; most intend to stay offline
Despite a seemingly unstoppable move to digital lifestyles, some 15 percent of Americans don't use the Internet, and most are quite content to remain offline, a survey shows.
EU says school children lack e-learning facilities
With 63 percent of Europe's nine-year-olds in schools missing vital digital equipment, the European Commission launched a vast plan Wednesday to promote e-learning from primary school to universities.
US spy chief defends 'noble' mission, denounces leaks (Update)
The head of the National Security Agency Wednesday defended US surveillance programs as part of a "noble" mission to protect the nation and said reports on them were "sensationalized."
France probes Apple's business practices
France's finance ministry is probing sale conditions set on iPhone distributors by Apple, a source close to the case said Wednesday.
European Commission: Google decision near
Europe's top competition official says his agency is close to a decision in its three-year investigation into whether Google Inc. has abused its dominant position in Internet searches to unfairly thwart competition.
NASA tests space radar for finding buried victims
A portable radar device that can sense live victims beneath a collapsed structure was inspired by the same technology used to detect distant objects in space, NASA said Wednesday.
Twitter launches emergency alerts
Twitter on Wednesday launched a system for emergency alerts which can help spread critical information when other lines of communication are down.
Facebook, Twitter battle in 'real-time' arena
Want to see what people are saying online, right now, about the newest iPhone software? You could always search for "#iOS7" on Twitter. But now you can also click the same hashtag on Facebook.
Twitter IPO could help it compete with tech giants
Just days before telling the world that his company had filed to sell stock to the public, Dick Costolo delivered a short talk on leadership at a technology conference in San Francisco.
Apple app directs drivers to Alaska airport runway
An Alaska airport official says a glitch in the Apple Maps app on newer iPhones and iPads guides people up to a runway at the facility, instead of sending them on the proper route to the terminal.
US Fed probing market trades before policy release
The US Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it is looking into allegations that traders received information about its policy decision last week ahead of the official release time.
Switzerland leads in global energy ranking
Switzerland and a handful of countries in Europe led the way in a global ranking Tuesday of energy efficiency, access to resources and environmental sustainability.
Australia researchers unveil 'attention-powered' car
Australian road safety researchers on Wednesday unveiled a pioneering "attention-powered car" which uses a headset to monitor brain activity and slow acceleration during periods of distraction.
'Eraser' law will let California kids scrub online past
Teenagers' nightmarish propensity to post underage party hijinks, flesh-flashing and nasty commentary online have found a dream come true in California, which will soon let them erase their tracks.
Air Force school looks to Locata GPS antenna technology
(Phys.org) —The Air Force Institute of Technology, or AFIT, is the Air Force's graduate school of engineering and management as well as its institution for technical professional continuing education. Earlier this month, AFIT and Locata, based in Canberra, Australia, announced an R&D deal to build and demonstrate new Locata multipath mitigation technology for use in GPS receivers. Locata, which also has an office in Las Vegas, has attracted interest within and beyond the Air Force for advancements made in global positioning system receivers. "This cooperation is expected to leverage many years of proprietary Locata ground-based technology development to bring completely new capabilities to satellite-based GPS receivers," said the AFIT announcement.
2.15 seconds: Students break 0-100 acceleration world record
The DUT Racing team from TU Delft, The Netherlands, has broken the world record for acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h for electric cars. The previous record stood at 2.68 seconds, but as of today the record is now held by the TU Delft students with 2.15 seconds. 'We thought that under these conditions we'd be happy with 2.30, but we really didn't expect 2.15,' says team manager Tim de Moree.
Buses fueled by natural gas a better option now, study finds
The local bus system could reduce its costs and emit significantly fewer pollutants by converting its fleet to one powered by natural gas, a cleaner fuel now in greater supply and more affordable, Purdue University energy economist Wally Tyner reports in a study.
Medicine & Health news
Unstable chromosomes linked to less favorable response to RT and surgery in prostate cancer patients
Detailed evaluation of a prostate cancer tumor biopsy may predict treatment outcomes for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) or surgery for prostate cancer, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting. The study results indicate that patients who have abnormal levels of breaks at common fragile sites (CFSs), sites within the chromosomes that are sensitive to DNA damage, are more likely to have their cancer to return—treatment failure. These CFS break abnormalities are usually associated with instability of the cell's DNA, a phenomenon that is particularly associated with cancer.
Melatonin stimulates appearance of 'beige fat' that can burn calories instead of storing them
Melatonin is a natural hormone segregated by the body and melatonin levels generally increase in the dark at night. It is also found in fruit and vegetables like mustard, Goji berries, almonds, sunflower seeds, cardamom, fennel, coriander and cherries.
Sex trafficking and exploitation of minors serious problems in the US, says new report
Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors are serious problems in the United States with long-term adverse consequences for children and society as a whole, and federal agencies should work with state and local partners to raise awareness of these issues and train professionals who work with youths to recognize and assist those who are victimized or at risk, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. Minors who are prostituted or sexually exploited in other ways should be treated as victims rather than arrested and prosecuted as criminals, as they currently are in most states, the report says.
Canadian doctor makes posthumous assisted suicide plea (Update)
A Canadian microbiologist who reassured a frightened nation during the 2003 SARS crisis, has ignited a controversial debate with a posthumous plea on Wednesday for assisted suicide.
ACP provides overview of health insurance marketplaces
(HealthDay)—The opportunities and challenges presented by health care reform are discussed in an article published online Sept. 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
New 'Smart Rounds' improves safety of radiation therapy
The North Shore-LIJ Health System Department of Radiation Medicine has developed a novel process to optimize the safety and efficacy of radiation therapy and is presenting this data at the 55th Annual Meeting of in American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Atlanta, GA.
Do elite 'power sport' athletes have a genetic advantage?
A specific gene variant is more frequent among elite athletes in power sports, reports a study in the October issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Family Resiliency Center helps study how food-bank clients afford basic non-food items
Many families struggle to afford basic non-food household goods, such as personal care, household, and baby-care products, according to a new nationwide Feed America study that benefited from assistance from the University of Illinois Family Resiliency Center (FRC).
Fat grafting helps patients with scarring problems, reports
Millions of people with scars suffer from pain, discomfort, and inability to perform regular activities. Some may have to revert to addicting pain medicine to get rid of their ailments. Now, and with a new methodology, such problems can be treated successfully. A technique using injection of the patient's own fat cells is an effective treatment for hard, contracted scars resulting from burns or other causes, reports a study in the September issue of The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
New study identifies preferred method to assess patient reactions to radiation therapy
The North Shore-LIJ Health System Department of Radiation Medicine presented a novel study to evaluate the reliability of different systems used by caregivers to assess toxicity for patients receiving radiation therapy. The study will be presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology in Atlanta, GA.
Pharmacy research can help raise health literacy standards, say experts
Limited health literacy can lead to difficulties in patients' self-care activities such as taking prescribed medications. Since a considerable amount of health information changes hands in the pharmacy setting, research by pharmacists into evaluating which tools are effective in practice can make a valuable contribution to goals set by the 2010 US National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and lead to improvements in communications and health care, say experts in this special themed issue on "Pharmacy, Medication Use, and the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy," published in the journal Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
'Traffic light' test could prevent hundreds of people developing alcohol-related cirrhosis
A simple 'traffic light' test that detects hidden liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in high risk populations could reduce harmful drinking rates and potentially prevent hundreds of alcohol-related deaths a year.
Abiraterone acetate delays quality of life decline in men with metastatic prostate cancer
Abiraterone acetate, a recently FDA-approved drug used to treat men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, significantly delays progression of pain and quality of life deterioration when taken in conjunction with prednisone.
Cocaine exposure in the womb: The brain structure is intact but development is off track
Prenatal cocaine exposure affects both behavior and brain. Animal studies have shown that exposure to cocaine during in utero development causes numerous disruptions in normal brain development and negatively affects behavior from birth and into adulthood.
Cancer: Lymphoma-linked risk factor identified
Follicular lymphoma is often caused by a translocation between chromosomes 14 and 18, resulting in the overexpression of a cancer-causing gene called BCL-2. A research team co-led by A*STAR scientists recently revealed another role played by genetics in this slow-growing type of blood cancer. They found that a single amino acid variation encoded by an immunity-related gene called HLA-DRB1 helps to explain why some people are at elevated risk of contracting the disease.
Feelings forge stronger memories, research shows
Bad experiences enhance memory formation about places, scientists at The University of Queensland have found.
20-year study: Happier marriages mean healthier spouses
(Medical Xpress)—"In sickness and in health." Happier marriages make for healthier spouses, whether they're still honeymooning or they're approaching their golden wedding anniversary.
Scientists build a 'brain stethoscope' to turn seizures into music
Josef Parvizi was enjoying a performance by the Kronos Quartet when the idea struck. The musical troupe was midway through a piece in which the melodies were based on radio signals from outer space, and Parvizi, a neurologist at Stanford Medical Center, began wondering what the brain's electrical activity might sound like set to music.
Uncovering factors at the heart of muscle weakness
The most cited professor at Kanazawa University, Ikumi Tamai, has dedicated his career to investigating the molecules and genes responsible for cardiomyopathy, muscle weakness, and Reye's syndrome. His key discoveries relate to human organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs), their associated genes and their roles in the body.
Study finds link between commonly prescribed statin and memory impairment
New research that looked at whether two commonly prescribed statin medicines, used to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad cholesterol' levels in the blood, can adversely affect cognitive function has found that one of the drugs tested caused memory impairment in rats.
Research finds X doesn't always mark the spot
Research from the University of Bath has found a greater number of 'escaping genes' on the X chromosome than have been previously detected, with implications for the understanding of mental impairment in humans.
Sheep's mucosa shows the way to more effective medicine for severe neurological diseases
A big challenge in medical science is to get medicine into the brain when treating patients with neurological diseases. The brain will do everything to keep foreign substances out and therefore the brains of neurological patients fight a constant, daily battle to throw out the medicine prescribed to help the patients.
Researchers identify epigenetic 'signatures' in immune cell populations
Researchers based in the Keele University Research Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine and at the Haywood Rheumatology Centre in Stoke-on-Trent, in the UK, have identified fundamental differences between specific immune cell populations purified from whole blood.
Health Check: The low-down on eating vs juicing fruit and veg
Eating more fruits and vegetables is the foundation stone of any healthy diet, with the national dietary guidelines recommending adults eat two pieces of fruit and five to six serves of veggies and legumes a day.
Exercise benefits people with asthma
Appropriate exercise programs can provide valuable benefits to people with asthma, helping to reduce the severity of attacks or prevent them entirely, finds a new evidence review in The Cochrane Library. The review also found that, contrary to fears that patients and parents of asthmatic children sometimes have, exercise does not generally worsen the condition.
Physicians experience increased effort, uncertainty in cross-coverage of radiation oncology patients
Radiation oncology physicians who encounter an unfamiliar case when cross covering for another physician experience higher levels of perceived workload and may perhaps also effects on performance, according to research conducted at the University of North Carolina.
New knowledge on molecular mechanisms behind breast cancer
Researchers at University of Copenhagen have gained more insight into the molecular mechanisms of importance for, for example, cancer cell growth and metastasis. The research objective is improved and more targeted drugs. The findings have just been published in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.
Genetic makeup and diet interact with the microbiome to impact health
A Mayo Clinic researcher, along with his collaborators, has shown that an individual's genomic makeup and diet interact to determine which microbes exist and how they act in the host intestine. The study was modeled in germ-free knockout mice to mimic a genetic condition that affects 1 in 5 humans and increases the risk for digestive diseases. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
New approach to treating human brain cancer could lead to improved outcomes
A new experimental approach to treating a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma has been developed by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham). The method targets cancer stem cells—the cells that are critical for maintaining tumor growth—and halts their ability to proliferate by inhibiting enzymes that are essential for tumor progression. The process destroys the ability of the cancer cells to grow and divide, paving the way for a new type of treatment for patients with this disease.
Study shows over 200 mobile apps related to dermatology
A surge of mobile apps related to dermatology has allowed scores of smart phone users to track and diagnose a wide range of skin diseases but doctors are urging caution, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Study shines new light on consequences of preterm births
An unprecedented study of preterm birth suggests that only some of the problems previously associated with preterm birth are actually caused by preterm birth itself.
Intensity modulated proton therapy reduces need for feeding tubes by 50 percent
A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center found that the use of feeding tubes in oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) cancer patients treated with intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) decreased by more than 50 percent compared to patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This suggests that proton therapy may offer vital quality of life benefits for patients with tumors occurring at the back of the throat.
HEALTH REFORM: If you're an uninsured worker, it's your chance to get covered
(HealthDay)—Craig Smith is a 32-year-old Ph.D. candidate in religious education who doesn't really know what the new health insurance exchanges will offer or what the coverage will cost. But he's eager to find out.
Report: Health-reform plans seem to have lower-than-expected premiums
(HealthDay)—Americans who buy health insurance through the new state marketplaces that open on Oct. 1 may see lower premiums than initially projected, federal health officials said Tuesday.
Eating fish, nuts may not help thinking skills after all
Contrary to earlier studies, new research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may not benefit thinking skills. The study is published in the September 25, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish such as salmon and in nuts.
Restricting antibiotics could be key to fighting 'superbug'
New ways are needed to fight the infection Clostridium difficile and better use of antibiotics could be key, according to the authors of ground-breaking research.
Michigan's Medicaid expansion: A model for pragmatic, bipartisan health reform?
Michigan's newly expanded Medicaid program could act as a model for other states to achieve bipartisan health care reform even in a heated national political climate, says the head of the University of Michigan's health policy institute in an article published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Novel drug prevents common viral disease in stem-cell transplant patients, study finds
A new drug can often prevent a common, sometimes severe viral disease in patients receiving a transplant of donated blood-making stem cells, a clinical trial led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital indicates.
New mechanism for protein misfolding may link to ALS
Proteins play important roles in the human body, particularly neuroproteins that maintain proper brain function.
Cancer cells propagated from early prostate cancer
A team of cancer researchers at the University of California, San Diego has identified the existence of precursor cells in early prostate cancers. These cells are resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy, and may drive the subsequent emergence of recurrent or metastatic prostate cancer.
Heart health danger highlighted as global survey finds one in four people report not knowing how much they walk each day
More than a quarter of people who took part in a new multi-country survey said they did not know how much time they spent briskly walking at a speed faster than normal. As the World Health Organization reports that global levels of physical activity are declining , the six country survey reveals that between 14 and 37 per cent of adults don't pay any attention to one of the simplest things most of us can do to protect our heart health – walking.
Getting an expected award music to the brain's ears
Several studies have shown that expecting a reward or punishment can affect brain activity in areas responsible for processing different senses, including sight or touch. For example, research shows that these brain regions light up on brain scans when humans are expecting a treat. However, researchers know less about what happens when the reward is actually received—or an expected reward is denied. Insight on these scenarios can help researchers better understand how we learn in general.
Drivers who test positive for drugs have triple the risk of a fatal car crash
Drugged driving has been a safety issue of increasing public concern in the United States and many other countries but its role in motor vehicle crashes had not been adequately examined. In a new study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, researchers assessed the association of driver drug use, as well as the combination of drugs and alcohol, with the risk of fatal crash. They found that drug use is associated with a significantly increased risk of fatal crash involvement, particularly when used in combination with alcohol. The study provides critical data for understanding the joint effect of alcohol and drugs on driving safety.
Study finds no connection between autism, celiac disease
(HealthDay)—A large, new study finds no linkage between the digestive disorder celiac disease and autism.
Finding may help doctors pinpoint likelihood of kidney transplant failure
(HealthDay)—Kidney transplant patients who develop a specific type of antibody response may be at particular risk of having the organ fail within a few years, a new study suggests.
New robotic leg gets closer to the real thing, study says
(HealthDay)—Scientists report early progress in efforts to create better robotic legs that will sense nerve signals and know how their users want to move.
Study shows maths experts are 'made, not born'
(Medical Xpress)—A new study of the brain of a maths supremo supports Darwin's belief that intellectual excellence is largely due to "zeal and hard work" rather than inherent ability.
Using nanocapsules to deliver vaccines to lungs
Many viruses and bacteria infect humans through mucosal surfaces, such as those in the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and reproductive tract. To help fight these pathogens, scientists are working on vaccines that can establish a front line of defense at mucosal surfaces.
Free-standing 3D skeletal muscle constructs created in the lab
(Medical Xpress)—Industrial robots can do incredible things, but their control systems are still incredibly complex. They rely largely on rotary electric power that is feedback-controlled, usually through precision optical encoders. Advances in artificial muscle technology, which could potentially simplify robot design, have been steady, but slow. With an eye towards building integrated bionic systems, researchers have been trying to construct devices based on real nerve and muscle. Most efforts so far have been limited to two-dimensional tissue culture systems which depend on adherence to a flat substrate for their integrity. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have recently fabricated free-standing, contractile muscle units from neural stem cells which they seeded on top of skeletal muscle. Their new paper, published in the journal Biomaterials, describes how these aligned fiber constructs can be stimulated to contract and generate significant force by chemical acti! vation of the neurons—just like the real thing.
Biology news
Environmental threat turned sustainable business for the Gulf of California
Considered a threat to the biodiversity of marine ecosystems of the Gulf of California, the cannonball jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris is intended to be exploited commercially throughout the Mexican Pacific coast where it occurs, thanks to fishing potential discovered by producers of Sonora and researchers at the Biological Research Center of the Northeast (CIBNOR).
Gardens used to reduce landslides
With a technology developed at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the slopes of the roads could become monumental gardens, reducing the number of landslides and isolation between populations.
Europe-wide studies into cormorant-fishery conflicts published
Findings from a major Europe-wide study into cormorant-fishery conflicts were published this week, providing one of the most detailed ecological and socio-economic investigations of these fish-eating birds, their impacts and implications for their management.
A plant believed to be endemic to Morocco appears in Spain for the first time
Polygala webbiana is a species which was thought to be exclusive to North Africa. However, researchers from the Real Jardín Botánico (Royal Botanic Gardens of Madrid), and the Alcalá and Coimbra Universities have discovered specimens of this plant in Andalucía.
Whale mass stranding attributed to sonar mapping for first time
An independent scientific review panel has concluded that the mass stranding of approximately 100 melon-headed whales in the Loza Lagoon system in northwest Madagascar in 2008 was primarily triggered by acoustic stimuli, more specifically, a multi-beam echosounder system operated by a survey vessel contracted by ExxonMobil Exploration and Production (Northern Madagascar) Limited.
A new technique for panoramic, very-high-resolution, time-lapse photography for plant and ecosystem research
Ever wonder what plants do when you're not around? How about an entire forest or grassland? Not even the most dedicated plant researcher can be continuously present to track environmental effects on plant behavior, and so numerous tools have been developed to measure and quantify these effects. Time-lapse photography has been used to study many aspects of plant behavior, but typically only a few plants can be captured with a single camera at the desired level of detail. This limitation has, for the most part, confined such observations to the laboratory.
Introducing species to change ecosystems is a balancing act
Species hold ecosystems in a delicate balance. From time to time humans introduce non-native species to an ecosystem, because they may be needed for domestic work, as pets, for carrying loads or even for killing previously introduced species. In each case, their introduction changes how the ecosystem works. And sometimes things go wrong, leading to the decline of many native species.
Location map for signaling protein identifies key molecular targets in human embryonic stem cells
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) retain the ability to form any cell type in the body. They do this thanks to the interplay of many proteins, including one involved in cell signaling known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2, or ERK2. By detailing all the sites in the genome where ERK2 binds, a team led by A*STAR scientists has now mapped the regulatory network by which this enzyme keeps hESCs in a state of self-renewing pluripotency.
Invasion in the desert: Why some plant species are survivors
(Phys.org) —Max Li, a University of Arizona doctoral student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is studying mechanisms that determine how competing desert plants can coexist with each other and what factors can cause the destruction of this stable coexistence.
Toxin-producing bacteria integrated into a pest insect
A small cicada-like insect called the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) threatens the world's citrus industries, transmitting an incurable and lethal citrus disease. This notorious pest harbors two bacterial species within cells specially prepared for the purpose of symbiosis. Whereas these symbionts are believed to be essential for the host psyllid, their functional roles are not known.
New genus of electric fish discovered in 'lost world' of South America
A previously unknown genus of electric fish has been identified in a remote region of South America by a team of international researchers including University of Toronto Scarborough professor Nathan Lovejoy.
Hunting species: Not just a numbers game
In the race to describe all of Earth's species before they go extinct it has been suggested that one species that is thriving is taxonomists.
A day in the life of the mysterious odd-clawed spider Progradungula otwayensis
A recent paper published in the open access journal Zookeys provides a first-time glimpse in the natural history of the enigmatic spider species Progradungula otwayensis. Lurking in the hollows of old myrtle beech trees and thus hard to collect, this extraordinary spider is an endemic species confined strictly to the beautiful Great Otway National Park (Victoria, Australia).
Aussie diggers linked to ecosystem decline
A new Murdoch University-led study has highlighted the relationship between the loss of Australian digging mammals and ecosystem decline.
Sustainable livestock production is possible: New research advocates use of pastures with shrubs and trees
Consumers are increasingly demanding higher standards for how their meat is sourced, with animal welfare and the impact on the environment factoring in many purchases. Unfortunately, many widely-used livestock production methods are currently unsustainable. However, new research out today from the University of Cambridge has identified what may be the future of sustainable livestock production: silvopastoral systems which include shrubs and trees with edible leaves or fruits as well as herbage.
Selective breeding of foxes reveals why with humans, beauty rules
"What is beautiful is good"—but why? A recent article in The Quarterly Review of Biology provides a compelling physiological explanation for the "beauty stereotype": why human beings are wired to favor the beautiful ones.
New study offers hope for halting incurable citrus disease
The devastating disease Huonglongbing, or citrus greening, looms darkly over the United States, threatening to wipe out the nation's citrus industry, whose fresh fruit alone was valued at more than $3.4 billion in 2012.
Physicist develop model for studying tissue pattern formation during embryonic development
A team of scientists, including M. Lisa Manning, assistant professor of physics in Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences, has developed a model for studying tissue—specifically how it organizes into organs and layers during embryonic development.
The 'in-law effect': Male fruit flies sleep around but females keep it in the family
Male fruit flies like to have a variety of sexual partners, whereas females prefer to stick with the same mate – or move on to his brothers.
Research duo discover first instance of non-human primates whispering to each other
(Phys.org) —Psychology researchers Rachel Morrison and Diana Reiss of The City University of New York have discovered the first instance of non-human primates whispering to one another. In their paper published in Zoo Biology, the two describe how they recorded vocalizations of captive tamarin monkeys and found that when threatened they sometimes revert to whispering to one another to avoid being overheard.
Researchers discover new microbe near Chilean coastal fault line
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from McMaster and the University of Concepcion are shining a light on rare sulfur-loving microbes off the coast of Chile.
'X-shape' not true picture of chromosome structure, new imaging technique reveals
A new method for visualising chromosomes is painting a truer picture of their shape, which is rarely like the X-shaped blob of DNA most of us are familiar with.
Global study reveals new hotspots of fish biodiversity
Teeming with millions of species, tropical coral reefs have been long thought to be the areas of greatest biodiversity for fishes and other marine life—and thus most deserving of resources for conservation.
Discovery offers bio-solution to severe canola crop losses
A genetic discovery by a University of Calgary-led international research team offers a solution to a long-standing "green seed problem" that causes millions of dollars annually in canola crop losses.
Using genes to rescue animal and plants from extinction
(Phys.org) —With estimates of losing 15 to 40 percent of the world's species over the next four decades – due to climate change and habitat loss, researchers ponder in the Sept. 26 issue of Nature whether science should employ genetic engineering to the rescue.
Missouri ponds provide clue to killer frog disease
The skin fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), also known as amphibian chytrid, first made its presence felt in 1993 when dead and dying frogs began turning up in Queensland, Australia. Since then it has sickened and killed frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians worldwide, driving hundreds of species to extinction.
Torrent frog has advantage attaching to rough, wet surfaces
Torrent frogs use their toes, belly, and thighs to attach to rough, wet, and steep surfaces, according to results published September 25 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Thomas Endlein from the Centre for Cell Engineering at the University of Glasgow and colleagues from other institutions.
To bloom or not to bloom? Researchers discover how flowering time is affected by temperature
Too early or too late blooming can have serious consequences for plants: It may reduce the seed harvest and jeopardize the reproductive success of an entire season. In order not to miss the optimal time of flowering, plants have therefore evolved an extensive control system that involves several dozen genes. Under the leadership of Markus Schmid, molecular geneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, and in collaboration with the group of Richard Immink, of Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) in the Netherlands, an international team of researchers has studied two key genes that regulate flowering time in response to ambient temperature. According to their report in the current issue of Nature magazine online, they uncovered a clever molecular mechanism.
Getting here from there: Mitochondrial genome clarifies North American migration models
(Phys.org) —It is generally agreed that the ancestors of modern Native Americans were Asian peoples who migrated to North America from Siberia and Beringia – a region proximate to the Bering Strait, Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea – over the so-called Bering Land Bridge, which was exposed, and therefore connected Asia with North America, at various times during the Pleistocene ice ages. At the same time, the question of whether this occurred through one or several streams of migration has long been a topic of considerable debate, with analyses based primarily on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) – which is directly inherited from in a maternal lineage – tending to coalesce around a model that hypothesized three distinct migratory streams (known as tripartite migration), which was originally proposed by combining anthropometric, genetic, and linguistic data. Recently, however, researchers at Università di Perugia and Università di Pavia, Italy (and a range of other instituti! ons) evaluating these migratory models used mitochondrial genomes, or mitogenomes, to show that although the primary genetic signature was contributed by the first arrival, it was later modified not only my multiple addition migratory streams, but by local population dynamics as well. The scientists thus concluded that a standard three-wave model was too simplistic to account for the mitogenomic diversity revealed by their analysis.
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