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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 14, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Reexamination of Allende meteorite reveals isotopic evidence of supernova- Ancient bug's last supper of blood still in fossil
- A blueprint for restoring touch with a prosthetic hand
- Power from the sea? Triboelectric nanogenerator extracts energy from ocean waves
- Football-shaped particles bolster the body's defense against cancer
- Drug could stop marijuana cravings
- Birth gets the brain ready to sense the world
- Sex over survival: Reproductive trait in fish impedes tissue regeneration
- World record: Wireless data transmission at 100 Gbit/s
- From football to flies: Lessons about traumatic brain injury
- Young apes manage emotions like humans, study says
- Why does maximum heart rate drop with age?
- Compound derived from vegetables shields rodents from lethal radiation doses
- New species of giant Amazonian fish reported
- Device speeds concentration step in food-pathogen detection
Space & Earth news
Ocean and climate: The new theory
Is this the end of a scientific paradigm on the effects of climate change? It would seem that global warming is not intensifying the rise of cold deep water, a phenomenon known as 'upwelling', characteristic of certain coastal zones. For over twenty years, specialists have believed that climate change is reinforcing the trade winds at the origin of these phenomena, thereby cooling the surface water. A new study, led by a team from the IRD and its partners, off the coast of West Africa, has shown that this is not the case for the ecosystem of the 'Canary Current'. On the contrary, it reveals that the coastal waters from Morocco to Senegal have been getting warmer for the past 40 years.
Onward and upward as China marks 10 years of manned spaceflight
China marks 10 years since it first sent a human into space Tuesday, with its ambitious programme rocketing ahead while rival NASA is largely closed due to the US government shutdown.
Australia to see worse drought thanks to intensifying El Niño
New research by the Bureau of Meteorology – published shows El Niño will intensify between 2050 and 2100 thanks to climate change.
Research maps where stars are born
(Phys.org) —A University of Arizona-led group of astronomers has completed the largest-ever survey of dense gas clouds in the Milky Way – pockets shrouded in gas and dust where new stars are being born.
Researchers suggest ozone hole responsible for warming in southern Africa
(Phys.org) —An international team of researchers has concluded that a two decade early summer surface-air warming in southern Africa is likely due to the ozone hole over Antarctica. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes how ozone hole size variations cause changes to wind patterns in the southern hemisphere and why they believe it leads to heating up southern African.
Reexamination of Allende meteorite reveals isotopic evidence of supernova
(Phys.org) —A combined team of researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Arizona State University has found isotopic evidence of a supernova inside of a meteorite that fell to Earth in 1969. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the team describes how isotopes found in the Allende meteorite differ from those found on Earth or on the moon, suggesting they came directly from a supernova rather than from a debris field that followed.
Technology news
Designing optimal menus with no effort
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and Saarland University have constructed a menu optimizer for a GUI builder. Based on a model of user performance, MenuOptimizer evaluates the efficiency of the current menu and suggests improvements, hence enabling the design of better menu systems with significantly less effort.
Vodafone completes buyout of German cable operator
British telecoms firm Vodafone says it has completed its 7.7 billion-euro ($10 billion) takeover of Germany's biggest cable operator, Kabel Deutschland.
Lab evaluates safety impacts of advanced car headlight systems
Crash risks while driving at night are higher than during the daytime, but most roadways in the U.S. do not have roadway lighting. In fact, many state and local governments find it difficult to pay for installing, operating and maintaining roadway lighting. Despite these concerns, the proportion of nighttime driving is not likely to go down in today's round-the-clock economy, making car headlights increasingly important to nighttime driving safety. Through its Transportation Lighting and Safety program, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is evaluating the potential for new lighting technologies and approaches to improve driving safety at night, including new car headlight systems.
Greek foreign ministry says emails hacked
Greece's foreign ministry on Monday said its internal email system had been penetrated by hackers and that an investigation was under way to determine the extent of the damage.
Ford, University of Michigan open new battery lab (Update)
Ford Motor Co. and the University of Michigan are opening a new battery research and manufacturing lab that they hope will speed the development of batteries for electric and hybrid cars.
Physics give rise to a new fly rod
A new Norwegian fishing rod is about to be launched onto the world market. The inventor calls it fly fishing's equivalent of carving skis.
Realistic war games have collateral damage of their own
The Red Cross has called for makers of videogames to more actively embed and interrogate the laws of war by, for example, punishing players for killing civilians or using torture to gain information. However, attempts to explore war in a more sophisticated way in video games are often greeted with criticism from the media. It seems like the industry just can't win.
Research investments, growing markets prompt rise in energy patents, study finds
Innovation in energy technology is booming, according to a new paper in PLOS One that examines what factors set the pace for energy innovation.
Ensuring cultural heritage protection
Transit exhibitions and artwork loaning may lead to mistreatments or damages of art pieces, exposure to sudden environmental changes and to the risk of fraud.
Smarter video searching and indexing
A new framework being created by a PhD student and academics from the University of Lincoln, UK, will enable people to search for videos on the internet, using images rather than text.
BuzzFeed goes global in French, Spanish, Portuguese
BuzzFeed announced plans Monday for French, Spanish and Portuguese editions in a push to expand the footprint of the US-based social news website.
Facebook buys Israeli startup Onavo (Update)
Facebook will acquire an Israeli start-up called Onavo, the Tel Aviv-based firm said Monday, in a deal reportedly worth up to $200 million.
IAEA to advise Japan on Fukushima clean-up
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency met Japanese officials Monday as part of a mission to assess clean-up efforts at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
BlackBerry seeks to reassure customers in new campaign
BlackBerry is launching a campaign aiming to reassure its customers it intends to stay in business, brushing aside suggestions of its impending demise.
Accelerometer in phone has tracking potential, researchers find
(Phys.org) —The smartphone's paths to security vulnerability continue to capture the attention of security researchers. Currently, the focus is turning to the rise in sensors being designed into smartphones, and their potential role in breach of privacy. Researchers want to learn more about how data-producing sensors may raise security risks, and a recent finding turns its focus on accelerometers. A team at Stanford discovers that an accelerometer can help identify the smartphone in seconds. According to a detailed account of the research in SFGate, the discovery involves a Stanford University research team who last year set out to test if devices could be identified via various smartphone sensors. Hristo Bojinov, a PhD candidate in computer science and part of the group, said the intent was to raise awareness among device makers, designers and policy professionals how sensors might be an avenue for tracking. They did find flaws in phone sensors which, potentially, adver! tisers could exploit.
Brazil announces secure email to counter US spying
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced Sunday that her government was creating a secure email system to try and shield official communications from spying by the United States and other countries.
Microsoft's phone update to feature driving mode
Microsoft is updating its Windows software for cellphones to accommodate larger devices and make it easier for motorists to reduce distractions while driving.
Taking the Internet underwater
(Phys.org) —Wireless networks span the globe. But like a frightened toddler, they don't go underwater.
Global energy meet highlights challenge of growing demand
The challenge of providing sustainable energy to a growing global population at a minimal environmental impact dominated debate at the World Energy Congress on Monday.
Medicine & Health news
Catching up on health care
Amid intense political controversy, a federal government shutdown, and technical challenges, health insurance exchanges opened across the country on Oct. 1, a key step in implementing the Affordable Care Act.
The chikungunya virus and its risk to Australia
Chikungunya is a virus transmitted to people by mosquitoes; it usually causes a non-fatal but debilitating illness.
How the gut gets its villi
Villi are small epithelial protrusions that serve to increase the surface area of the gut for efficient nutrient absorption. The mechanism of their formation during development was recently revealed by a study published in Science. The investigations, carried out by two research groups at Harvard University, were complemented by computational modelling carried out at the University of Jyväskylä and funded by the Academy of Finland.
Kidney failure can complicate long-term outcomes in children receiving solid-organ transplants
Children who undergo transplants of solid organs have a high risk of developing advanced kidney disease, according to a new national study. Among these children, the highest risk is in those receiving lung or intestinal transplants, followed by heart and then liver transplants. The researchers say their findings reinforce the importance of continued screening of kidney function in pediatric transplant recipients.
Irregular bedtimes linked to behavioral problems in children
Researchers from UCL have found that children with irregular bedtimes are more likely to have behavioural difficulties.
Adolescent's weight, socioeconomic status may affect cancer later in life
Overweight adolescents were twice as likely as their normal weight peers to later develop esophageal cancer in a recent study from Israel. The study, which is published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, also found that lower socioeconomic status as well as immigration from higher risk countries were important determinants of gastric cancer.
Muslim hajj crowds thinned by virus concerns
Muslims from across the world poured Sunday into a sprawling tent city in the Saudi desert before the start of the annual Islamic hajj pilgrimage, but the number of the pilgrims this year has been reduced in part by concerns over a respiratory virus centered in the Arabian peninsula.
Study ties chemical to possible miscarriage risk
New research suggests that high levels of BPA, a chemical in many plastics and canned food linings, might raise the risk of miscarriage in women prone to that problem or having trouble getting pregnant.
Radiation experts confirm polonium on Arafat clothing
Swiss radiation experts have confirmed they found traces of polonium on clothing used by Yasser Arafat which "support the possibility" the veteran Palestinian leader was poisoned.
Two forms of Parkinson's disease identified
Why can the symptoms of Parkinson's disease vary so greatly from one patient to another? A consortium of researchers, headed by a team from the Laboratoire CNRS d'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales, is well on the way to providing an explanation. Parkinson's disease is caused by a protein known as alpha-synuclein, which forms aggregates within neurons, killing them eventually. The researchers have succeeded in characterizing and producing two different types of alpha-synuclein aggregates. Better still, they have shown that one of these two forms is much more toxic than the other and has a greater capacity to invade neurons. This discovery takes account, at the molecular scale, of the existence of alpha-synuclein accumulation profiles that differ from one patient to the next. These results, published on October 10 in Nature Communications, represent a notable advance in our understanding of Parkinson's disease and pave the way for the development of specific therapies ta! rgeting each form of the disease.
How multiple factors affect children's appetite and food intake
During Thanksgiving, a veritable festival of food, many Canadians will overindulge at the dinner table. But at other times, our food choices seem to be governed by several rules. Some are classics – eat five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit a day. And some are new – drink chocolate milk after a hard workout in the gym. But are those rules one-size-fits-all for the entire population? For example, should all children, regardless of their weight and size, follow the same nutrition guidelines?
Heat waves pose asthma risk spike for babies
(Medical Xpress)—Babies are at an increased risk of having an asthma attack during a heat wave, new research into the effects of weather events on the debilitating respiratory condition has uncovered.
Understanding culprits behind fibroid tumors
(Medical Xpress)—Tremendous progress has been made in understanding how uterine fibroid tumors—the most common tumor in women – start and grow. A new paper in the New England Journal of Medicine synthesizes the latest research on the role of the hormone progesterone, stem cells and tumor mutations that together offer a new direction for research and drug development.
Multiple Sclerosis: Functional change in brain as cause of cognitive disorders
Over the course of the disease, multiple sclerosis is very often combined with a deteriorating memory and attention deficits. Researchers at the University Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the MedUni Vienna have now demonstrated by means of a meta-analysis of functional image data that increased activations in the involuntary attention system in the brain are responsible for these disorders in MS patients.
Muscles and meth: Drug analog identified in 'craze' workout supplement
An international team of scientists have identified potentially dangerous amounts of methamphetamine analog in the workout supplement Craze, a product widely sold across the U.S. and online. The study, published in Drug Testing and Analysis, was prompted by a spate of failed athletic drug tests. The results reveal the presence of methamphetamine analog N,α- DEPEA, which has not been safely tested for human consumption, in three samples.
Cultural differences may explain why some don't get HPV vaccines
A new study explores why girls in minority groups and low-income families, who are most at risk for cervical cancer, may not be getting the human papillomavirus or HPV vaccine.
ADHD drug effective for people with dependency
People with ADHD and substance dependence rarely respond as they should to ADHD medication. A randomised study from Karolinska Institutet now shows that it is possible to obtain the desired efficacy by administering the drug in higher doses. The results of the study are published in the scientific journal Addiction.
Understanding inflammation
German scientists at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin for he first time have solved the 3-dimensional structure of the protein LBP and it´s genetic variant. This finding may help certain patients to better survive severe infectious diseases. The results have been published in the recent issue of the journal Immunity.
Study shows non-hallucinogenic cannabinoids are effective anti-cancer drugs
New research has shown that the non-hallucinogenic components of cannabis could act as effective anti-cancer agents.
Suited for treatment of brain damage
For those with brain damage or neurological disorders - such as MS or Parkinson's - treatment could be as close as the wardrobe.
Spain court hears case against German maker of Thalidomide (Update)
A Madrid court on Monday heard Spain's first lawsuit against German firm Grunenthal, the manufacturer of the morning sickness drug thalidomide which caused birth defects in thousands of babies.
Taiwan looks to first vaccine against fatal H7N9 avian flu
Taiwan is scheduled to roll out its first vaccine against the H7N9 strain of avian flu in late 2014, after the island confirmed the first outbreak of the deadly virus earlier this year, researchers said Monday.
Study finds earlier is better for measles immunization first dose
Children receiving measles-containing vaccines at 12-15 months of age have a lower increased risk of fever and seizures than those who receive them at 16-23 months of age, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals more likely to provide guideline-recommended treatment
Award-winning Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke hospitals are more likely than Primary Stroke Center certified hospitals to provide all the recommended guideline-based care for patients, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Doctors should routinely evaluate patients' physical activity habits
Doctors should evaluate your physical activity habits as routinely as checking your blood pressure and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, the American Heart Association recommends in a scientific statement published in its journal Circulation.
Pay for nonprofit hospital CEOs varies around US; Average more than $500k
Compensation for chief executive officers at nonprofit hospitals varies around the country but averaged almost $600,000 in a study of top executives at nearly 2,700 hospitals, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Courses of prenatal corticosteroids not associated with increased death of children
Multiple courses of prenatal corticosteroids, compared with a single course, taken by pregnant women to help prevent preterm birth was associated with no increase or decrease in the risk of death or disability for their children at age 5, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics.
Hospital report cards for hospital-acquired bedsores: How good are the grades?
The data Medicare uses to publicly report hospital rates of patients developing pressure ulcers (or bedsores) is not an accurate source for comparing hospitals on how well they prevent the condition, says a new University of Michigan study.
EU study finds exposure to even low levels of air pollution during pregnancy increases risk of lower birthweight babies
Exposure to common air pollutants and traffic during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of restricted fetal growth, even at levels well below those stipulated in current European Union air-quality directives, according to one of the largest studies of its kind, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Communication factors aid cancer diagnosis disclosure
(HealthDay)—Ensuring disclosure of a gynecological cancer diagnosis takes place in a private setting and that the conversation lasts for more than 10 minutes improves patient satisfaction, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Performance enhancing drug use common in young males
(HealthDay)—Many male youths are using appearance and performance enhancing drugs (APEDs), which include anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, and are finding them easily accessible online, according to a report published by the Digital Citizens Alliance.
Study discusses how to create value in insurance marketplaces
(HealthDay)—Based on experience from other markets, health insurance exchange marketplaces can create greater value for consumers, according to research published in the September issue of Health Management, Policy and Innovation.
Bile protein may help detect pancreatic cancer
(HealthDay)—A protein "biomarker" in bile correctly identifies pancreatic cancer and may detect the cancer earlier than some markers in blood, according to a new study.
Gene makeup may help explain amputees' chronic pain
(HealthDay)—Soldiers with certain gene variations seem more likely than others to have chronic pain after limb amputation, a small study says.
New test may spot which embryos stand greatest chance of survival
(HealthDay)—Doctors have unveiled a new test for determining which embryos have the best chance of survival.
Alternative medicine often used by youth with headache
(HealthDay)—Youth with headache frequently use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a study published online Oct. 14 in Pediatrics.
Crohn's and colitis may be tied to risk of heart attack, stroke
(HealthDay)—People with inflammatory bowel disease may be at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.
New evidence that aging tumor cells may be an effective cancer treatment
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have shown that diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) may be susceptible to treatment by re-activating the normal aging program in tumor cells so they can no longer divide. The study, published in Nature Communications, details a novel, tumor-suppressive role for the Smurf2 protein—which typically plays an "enforcer" role in cellular aging, also called senescence —in a subset of DLBCL. Identification of this novel function for Smurf2 provides a new therapeutic target for treating this cancer.
New discovery in quest for better drugs
Scientists have combined cutting edge computer modelling with pharmacology and medicinal chemistry to reveal new insights into how the body interacts with novel drug treatments, in research that could lead to the creation of drugs that are more targeted and with fewer side effects.
What's in a face? Researchers find patterns of neural activity in brain region that plays role in recognizing traits
When you meet people for the first time, what's the first thing you think you notice? Is it their hair color, or eye color? Maybe it's whether they're wearing a suit or a T-shirt and jeans, or whether they have a firm handshake.
Research reveals gene 'language' critical in infant brain development
In what they're calling a 'biological surprise', a team of expert international geneticists led by a University of Otago researcher have discovered a key piece of information about how the human brain is put together and how such a complex piece of wiring assembles itself in utero.
Drug could stop marijuana cravings
(Medical Xpress)—In the US, more people seek treatment for marijuana abuse than for abuse of cocaine or heroin. However, there are no approved treatments for marijuana addiction. Robert Schwarcz of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and his colleagues, including a group from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, have found a drug that appears to decrease the pleasurable effects of THC, marijuana's active ingredient, and could therefore prevent a psychological addiction to marijuana. The research appears in Nature Neuroscience.
Birth gets the brain ready to sense the world
Neurons that process sensory information such as touch and vision are arranged in precise, well-characterized maps that are crucial for translating perception into understanding. A study published by Cell Press on October 14 in the journal Developmental Cell reveals that the actual act of birth in mice causes a reduction in a brain chemical called serotonin in the newborn mice, triggering sensory maps to form. The findings shed light on the key role of a dramatic environmental event in the development of neural circuits and reveal that birth itself is one of the triggers that prepares the newborn for survival outside the womb.
From football to flies: Lessons about traumatic brain injury
Faced with news of suicides and brain damage in former professional football players, geneticist Barry Ganetzky bemoaned the lack of model systems for studying the insidious and often delayed consequences linked to head injuries.
Compound derived from vegetables shields rodents from lethal radiation doses
Georgetown University Medical Center researchers say a compound derived from cruciferous vegetable such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli protected rats and mice from lethal doses of radiation.
Why does maximum heart rate drop with age?
Researchers at the University of Colorado have new insight into the age-old question of why maximum heart rate (maxHR) decreases with age. This decrease in maxHR not only limits the performance of aging athletes but it is also a leading cause for nursing home admittance for otherwise-healthy elderly individuals who no longer have the physical capacity required for independent living. We say we're just getting old and slowing down, but exactly what is it that is slowing down?
Adult stem cells help build human blood vessels in engineered tissues
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a protein expressed by human bone marrow stem cells that guides and stimulates the formation of blood vessels.
A blueprint for restoring touch with a prosthetic hand
New research at the University of Chicago is laying the groundwork for touch-sensitive prosthetic limbs that one day could convey real-time sensory information to amputees via a direct interface with the brain.
Biology news
Australia's wilderness 'risks being loved to death'
With 28 million visitors camping, tramping, biking, 4W driving, riding and picnicking in them every year, Australia's iconic nature areas are at risk of being loved to death.
Beyond genetics: Mining biological networks for new treatments for disease
Our genes define us and every other living organism. They hold essential information to build and maintain an organism's cells and pass genetic traits to offspring - everything from eye and hair colour to susceptibility or resistance to disease.
Recipe for food sovereignty
The actors of the food supply chain need to adapt their practice to ensure both safe and sustainable production while retaining their say on food sovereignty
A bacterium reveals the crucible of its metallurgical activity
An international consortium led by CEA researchers in collaboration with the CNRS, has succeeded in characterizing the structure and function of a protein involved in the production of magnetite nanomagnets in magnetotactic bacteria. This protein, MamP, is crucial to the metallurgical activity of the bacterium. It is this protein that gives the magnetite its magnetic properties. This work constitutes an important advance in the understanding of these bacteria and the magnetite biomineralization process. It is expected to result in the development of additional biotechnological applications for these nanomagnets, especially in the fields of medical imaging and the decontamination of water. These results were published on the Nature website on October 6, 2013.
Pandoravirus: Missing link discovered between viruses and cells
Researchers at IGS, the genomic and structural information laboratory (CNRS/Aix-Marseille University), working in association with the large-scale biology laboratory (CEA/Inserm/Grenoble Alpes University) have just discovered two giant viruses which, in terms of number of genes, are comparable to certain eukaryotes, microorganisms with nucleated cells. The two viruses – called "Pandoravirus" to reflect their amphora shape and mysterious genetic content – are unlike any virus discovered before. This research appeared on the front page of Science on July 19, 2013.
Boomboxes amplify predatory bird sounds and are used as cues
Using boomboxes to amplify predator bird sounds in the wild, University of Florida researchers have found that smaller birds listen to vocal cues to avoid areas populated by predators.
Geneticist breeds new hope for chickpeas
Eric von Wettberg, professor in the FIU Department of Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the effects of domestication on wild chickpea genes.
Choreographed origami: Folding ribosomal RNA requires paired tagging sequence
the cell's protein factories – is like a strictly choreographed dance, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered. To build these factories, other 'machines' inside the cell have to produce specific RNA molecules and fold them into the right shape, then combine the folded RNA with proteins to form a working ribosome. Like a budding origami artist pencilling in the folds, the cell uses tags called methyl groups to help mark where and how an RNA molecule should be folded.
Sex over survival: Reproductive trait in fish impedes tissue regeneration
New research on the reproductive habits of zebrafish offers an explanation as to why some animals' bodies repair tissues. The research team previously noticed that male zebrafish regenerate their pectoral fins poorly, as compared to females. Their latest findings, publishing in the October 14 issue of the Cell Press journal Developmental Cell, reveal the basis for this sex-specific regenerative deficiency: structures that are used to improve reproductive success. The scenario represents an example of the tradeoffs between reproduction and survival.
Young apes manage emotions like humans, study says
Researchers studying young bonobos in an African sanctuary have discovered striking similarities between the emotional development of the bonobos and that of children, suggesting these great apes regulate their emotions in a human-like way. This is important to human evolutionary history because it shows the socio-emotional framework commonly applied to children works equally well for apes. Using this framework, researchers can test predictions of great ape behavior and, as in the case of this study, confirm humans and apes share many aspects of emotional functioning.
New species of giant Amazonian fish reported
(Phys.org) —A new species of the giant fish arapaima has been discovered from the central Amazon in Brazil, raising questions about what other species remain to be discovered and highlighting the potential for ecological problems when animals are relocated from their native habitats.
Device speeds concentration step in food-pathogen detection
(Phys.org) —Researchers have developed a system that concentrates foodborne salmonella and other pathogens faster than conventional methods by using hollow thread-like fibers that filter out the cells, representing a potential new tool for speedier detection.
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