Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 10, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Culinary biomimicry- New device achieves self-biased solar hydrogen generation through microbial electrohydrogenesis at lab scale
- Mix of graphene nanoribbons, polymer has potential for cars, soda, beer
- Innate virus-killing power discovered in mammals
- Watery asteroid discovered in dying star points to habitable exoplanets
- Sticks and stones: Brain releases natural painkillers during social rejection
- Researchers discover how microbes survive in freezing conditions
- Stem cell breakthrough could set up future transplant therapies
- Previously unstudied gene is essential for normal nerve development
- Super-enhancers seen as 'Rosetta Stone' for dialog between genes and disease
- Elephants know what it means to point, no training required
- Experiment explores innate visual behavior in mice
- New study: Does putting your feet up = power?
- Scientists uncover mechanism for natural plant immunity
- European hunter-gatherers and immigrant farmers lived side-by-side for more than 2,000 years
Space & Earth news
Wetland restoration in the northern Everglades: Watershed potential and nutrient legacies
To most people, restoration of Florida's Everglades means recovering and protecting the wetlands of south Florida, including Everglades National Park. But what many don't realize is how intimately the fortunes of the southern Everglades are tied to central Florida's Lake Okeechobee and lands even further north.
Minamata: The dark side of Japan's industrialisation
Minamata was the site of Japan's worst ever industrial poisoning and is regarded as the dark side of Japan's rapid modernisation during the 20th Century.
Discovering our oceans: A new era of ocean research drilling has dawned
During the past decades the findings of scientific ocean drilling expeditions have fundamentally changed the way we look at our blue planet. Today we have a much better grasp of how processes like earthquakes and tsunamis develop; ocean drilling made it possible to prove the theory of plate tectonics and we know a lot more about climate change and the limits of life deep below the seafloor. However, many issues remain to be solved. Hence the launch, on October 1st, of a new era of ocean research drilling: over the next decade, the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) will focus on scientific challenges that are of immediate interest to society.
Regenerative practices to achieve more fertile soil and pastures with greater plant biodiversity
To obtain healthier, more fertile pastures with greater plant biodiversity is the aim of the LIFE Regen Farming project, led by Neiker-Tecnalia, the Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and Development. The aim of the initiative is to identify, demonstrate and transfer best practices in pasture management and propose that stockbreeders and farmers adopt regenerative agriculture techniques that will allow the soil to be managed more effectively and more sustainably. For this project, Neiker-Tecnalia's partners are the Navarrese Institute of Food Technologies and Infrastructures (INTIA) and the Municipal Public Corporation of Orduña Town Council (Urdeñuderra S.L.). The research has been chosen as part of the European Commission's LIFE+ programme.
Russia replaces space agency chief in reform bid (Update)
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday replaced the head of the state space agency as Russia scrambles to turn around the once-pioneering industry after a series of high-profile setbacks.
The tundra—a dark horse in planet Earth's greenhouse gas budget
There are huge amounts of organic carbon in the soil beneath the tundra that covers the northernmost woodless areas of the planet. New research findings from Aarhus University show that the tundra may become a source of CO2 as the climate becomes warmer.
Minamata mercury treaty signed at UN conference (Update)
Delegates from some 140 countries and territories Thursday signed a United Nations treaty to control mercury near the site of Japan's worst industrial poisoning, after Tokyo pledged $2 billion to help poorer nations combat pollution.
The science of saving Venice
(Phys.org) —How will regions around the world adapt to an increase in sea levels? A project looking at how Venice can manage its rising waters is a remarkable case study for flood-prone environments elsewhere.
'Punish thy neighbor': Game theory shows the way to control climate change
A week ago the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) delivered to massive media coverage an unsettling message – climate change is real, humans are the main cause of it, and unless we stop the warming of the planet, in 50 years life as we know will be no more. The problem now is that despite innumerous attempts, world consensus on how to do it has proved impossible to reach. But, with perfect timing, research now out in Nature Climate Change by a Portuguese team, well known for their studies on cooperation, claims to not only to have identified the root of the problem, but also to have a solution. Now, they just need to be listened to.
High-tech research in the high Sierra
As the legend holds, a violent escape from Nevada State Prison in 1871 concluded in a true-life Wild West shootout in California, not far from Mammoth Mountain. The immediate surroundings were renamed accordingly—Convict Creek, Convict Lake and Mount Morrison, after a slain member of the posse that ambushed the inmates.
As sea level rises, Everglades' freshwater plants perish
Just inland from the familiar salt-loving mangroves that line the Southern tip of the Florida Peninsula lie plant communities that depend on freshwater flowing south from Lake Okeechobee. These communities provide critical habitats to many wildlife species, and as salt water intrudes, it could spell problems for freshwater plants and animals alike.
Pulp friction cleans up 'Brockovich' chemical
A byproduct of the manufacture of pulp using the sulfite process for making paper, sodium lignosulfonate, can be used to immobilize and soak up toxic chromium compounds from soil and water, according to research published in the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development.
Unregulated, agricultural ammonia threatens national parks' ecology
Thirty-eight U.S. national parks are experiencing "accidental fertilization" at or above a critical threshold for ecological damage, according to a study published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics and led by Harvard University researchers. Unless significant controls on ammonia emissions are introduced at a national level, they say, little improvement is likely between now and 2050.
Scott Carpenter, second US astronaut in orbit, dies (Update)
Scott Carpenter, the second American to orbit the Earth, was guided by two instincts: overcoming fear and quenching his insatiable curiosity. He pioneered his way into the heights of space and the depths of the ocean floor.
NASA troubleshooting Jupiter-bound spacecraft
NASA says it'll spend the next several days diagnosing a problem with the Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft that appeared after it buzzed past Earth to propel itself toward the giant planet.
Diamonds in the sky: Scientists find Jupiter and Saturn are awash in diamonds
Recent work by planetary scientists has indicated that the deep atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn may contain chunks of diamond floating in a liquid hydrogen/helium fluid.
Jupiter-bound craft runs into problem after flyby (Update)
NASA's Jupiter-bound spacecraft hit a snag Wednesday soon after it used Earth as a gravity slingshot to hurtle toward the outer solar system, but mission managers said it's on course to arrive at the giant planet in 2016.
Soft shells and strange star clusters
The beautiful, petal-like shells of galaxy PGC 6240 are captured here in intricate detail by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, set against a sky full of distant background galaxies. This cosmic bloom is of great interest to astronomers due to both its uneven structure, and the unusual clusters of stars that orbit around it—two strong indications of a galactic merger in the recent past.
'Stadium waves' could explain lull in global warming
One of the most controversial issues emerging from the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) is the failure of global climate models to predict a hiatus in warming of global surface temperatures since 1998. Several ideas have been put forward to explain this hiatus, including what the IPCC refers to as 'unpredictable climate variability' that is associated with large-scale circulation regimes in the atmosphere and ocean. The most familiar of these regimes is El Niño/La Niña, which are parts of an oscillation in the ocean-atmosphere system. On longer multi-decadal time scales, there is a network of atmospheric and oceanic circulation regimes, including the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Study finds that Pluto satellites' orbital ballet may hint of long-ago collisions
A large impact 4 billion years ago may account for the puzzling orbital configuration among Pluto's five known satellites, according to a new model developed by planetary scientists from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).
3-D model reveals new information about iconic volcano
The volcano on the Scottish peninsula Ardnamurchan is a popular place for the study of rocks and structures in the core of a volcano. Geology students read about it in text books and geologists have been certain that the Ardnamurchan volcano have three successive magma chambers. However, an international group of researchers, lead from Uppsala University has now showed that the volcano only has one single magma chamber.
Researchers use centuries of data to map Earth's westward magnetic field drift
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers from France and Denmark has combined data obtained over the past several centuries to create a model depicting the westward drift of the Earth's magnetic field. In so doing as they explain in their paper published in the journal Nature, the team believes it might be possible to predict where the field will drift in the future.
Iron in the Earth's core weakens before melting
The iron in the Earth's inner core weakens dramatically before it melts, explaining the unusual properties that exist in the moon-sized solid centre of our planet that have, up until now, been difficult to understand.
Team suggests complex relationship between phosphorus levels and nitrogen removal in lakes
In the land of 10,000 lakes, one lake has been the starting place for research with implications for big lakes around the world. According to a study published online this week in Science, University of Minnesota researchers, building from studies of nitrogen levels in Lake Superior, uncovered a good news/bad news scenario for lake health that has long-term, global implications for pollution control efforts.
Watery asteroid discovered in dying star points to habitable exoplanets
Astronomers have found the shattered remains of an asteroid that contained huge amounts of water orbiting an exhausted star, or white dwarf. This suggests that the star GD 61 and its planetary system – located about 150 light years away and at the end of its life – had the potential to contain Earth-like exoplanets, they say.
Technology news
Brazil to host Internet governance summit next year
Brazil, which has slammed massive US electronic spying on its territory, said Wednesday it would host a global summit on Internet governance in April.
Impact of ageing on smart phone use to be examined
Age-related difficulties in texting and emailing on smart phones will be investigated by a University of Strathclyde academic.
Lab tackles electric blackouts
Switzerland and Cameroon are establishing a joint laboratory in Yaoundé. EPFL (Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) and ENSPY (Ecole nationale supérieure polytechnique de Yaoundé) will work together to develop technologies for stabilizing and improving electricity grids.
Vancouver steps up as next tech hot spot
If you follow the money, the Northwest's hottest startup is now 140 miles north of Seattle. Called HootSuite, it's a 370-employee company at the heart of a resurgent startup community in Vancouver.
Site uses social media to track illness
You might not consider Tweets such as "Missing the Redskins game because of the flu, ugh :( #worstday" as groundbreaking advancement in science, but Graham Dodge, founder and CEO of the disease-tracking site Sickweather.com, thinks they are.
What does Microsoft need in its next CEO?
Does Microsoft Corp. need co-CEOs to succeed Steve Ballmer? Or does it need a benevolent dictator?
Apple threatened by growth of prepaid smartphone plans
In a shift that could become a big threat to Apple Inc., U.S. consumers are increasingly signing up for a type of wireless service plan popular around the world that's traditionally not been in favor here - prepaid accounts.
T-Mobile to eliminate international data fees
T-Mobile is eliminating fees for using data and texting services in more than 100 countries and capping charges for international voice calls.
Huffington Post launches German edition
The Huffington Post, with its mix of online news, gossip and opinion, launched a German edition Thursday, vowing to be among the top five German information portals within five years.
Fukushima decontamination insufficent, says Greenpeace
Japan's efforts to scour areas around Fukushima have been insufficient, pressure group Greenpeace said Thursday, as the government considers letting some residents return to homes near the crippled nuclear plant.
Students create E.coli camera for international competition
(Phys.org) —A team of students from the University of Exeter are making their final preparations before taking part in a prestigious international synthetic biology competition.
Full speed ahead for electric vehicles
After bringing electromobility to its home community, Fraunhofer IAO's branch lab in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is teaming up with the University of Stuttgart's Institute for Human Factors and Technology Management IAT to do the same for a neighbor. In September 2013, three electric vehicles joined the fleet serving the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research – Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), part of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Researchers patent a guardrail barrier made with Mediterranean tapeweed residues
Researchers at the University of Alicante have developed a guardrail barrier from seagrass residues in order to minimize the risk of injuries on roads.
New app aims to keep tabs on mobile wallet
For those who use a mobile wallet, a new app aims to help keep track of when electronic cash is running low.
Hybrid cars are a status symbol of sorts for seniors, consumer study shows
Paying extra bucks to "go green" in a hybrid car may pay off in self-esteem and image for older drivers, as well as give a healthy boost to the environment, according to a Baylor University study.
TV-over-Internet service Aereo to come to Android
Aereo, a service that delivers broadcast television stations over the Internet, will come to Android devices on Oct. 22.
World's biggest book fair explores self-publishing trend
Authors are increasingly opting to self-publish as a way to reach readers and sidestep potentially thorny relations with a publisher, industry players at the world's biggest book fair said Thursday.
FT moves to single print edition, many digital editions
The Financial Times is moving to a single print edition and increasing the number of digital editions, editor Lionel Barber said on Thursday.
Google: EU privacy spat will 'play itself out' (Update)
Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman, said Thursday that he respects but disagrees with complaints about his company's privacy policies made by data protection authorities in six European countries.
BlackBerry founders looking at buying company (Update 2)
BlackBerry founders Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin are weighing taking over the distressed smartphone company as it searches for a savior.
Twitter faces new pressure to boost global ad revenue
Fans of "Castle in the Sky" in Japan set a world record in August when they sent 143,199 tweets in a single second while watching a rerun of the 1986 anime classic on television.
Online video use surges, survey finds
Americans are using the Internet more for video, both to post their own snippets and to view videos of others, a survey showed Thursday.
Facebook no longer lets users hide from search
Facebook is getting rid of a privacy feature that let users limit who can find them on the social network.
Next-gen dining may mean an order of floating sushi (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —A company in Japan has an interesting answer to what might be a next step in touchscreens. In fact, its approach may change our concept of a screen, with the company's concept of floating-image displays that permit the user to interact, The company is Asukanet and the device is called the Aerial Imaging Plate. As the name suggests, this is a device to project an image into the air. The image appears to float around from light that passes through it. In a demo of the product, Asukanet CEO Yukio Fukuda said, "At first sight, our AI Plate just looks like a sheet of glass. But in fact, it's an optical device, designed to reflect light twice. An ordinary mirror just reflects things, but the AI Plate forms an image from light passing through the plate, at the same distance beyond the plate as the object is from the plate."
Economist finds that biofuels, contrary to claims, do not meaningfully affect what drivers pay at the pump
If you have stopped at a gas station recently, there is a good chance your auto has consumed fuel with ethanol blended into it. Yet the price of gasoline is not substantially affected by the volume of its ethanol content, according to a paper co-authored by an MIT economist. The study seeks to rebut the claim, broadly aired over the past couple of years, that widespread use of ethanol has reduced the wholesale cost of gasoline by $0.89 to $1.09 per gallon.
Several top websites use device fingerprinting to secretly track users
(Phys.org) —A new study by KU Leuven-iMinds researchers has uncovered that 145 of the Internet's 10,000 top websites track users without their knowledge or consent. The websites use hidden scripts to extract a device fingerprint from users' browsers. Device fingerprinting circumvents legal restrictions imposed on the use of cookies and ignores the Do Not Track HTTP header. The findings suggest that secret tracking is more widespread than previously thought.
Dutch team wins Australian solar car race
Dutch team Nuon on Thursday crossed the finish line in an epic 3,000-kilometre (1,860-mile) solar car race across the Australian outback ahead of Japan's Tokai University, avenging their 2011 defeat.
New device achieves self-biased solar hydrogen generation through microbial electrohydrogenesis at lab scale
A novel device that uses only sunlight and wastewater to produce hydrogen gas could provide a sustainable energy source while improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment.
Medicine & Health news
Osteoporosis is a major threat to women and their future independence, new report warns
According to a new report published today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), women may expect to live longer but their quality of life will be seriously jeopardized if action to protect their bone health is not taken. Postmenopausal women are the most vulnerable to osteoporosis and fractures. Worldwide, an estimated 200 million women are affected by osteoporosis and around one in three women aged over 50 will suffer from a fracture due to the disease.
NIH admits a dozen critically ill despite shutdown
The government's partial shutdown has halted most enrollment into research studies at the National Institutes of Health's famed hospital. But some desperately ill patients have managed to get in.
Poll: Rollout of health exchanges gets thumbs down
The government's new health insurance marketplaces are drawing lots of rotten tomatoes in early reviews. But people are at least checking them out.
Scientist looks at eating patterns, biological clocks
When you eat could have as much impact on your health as what you eat. That's the conclusion reached by researchers in an ongoing series of papers and studies funded as part of a major grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Tackling allergies through collaborative research and education
The EU-funded Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), launched in 2004, has become a leading force in the battle against allergic diseases. The network is still expanding, with over 60 centres in more than 20 European countries.
UK census reveals stark divide in health of nation
Researchers at The University of Manchester have shown how ethnic minority groups in England and Wales have been consistently more unhealthy than the majority White population.
Teva Pharma plans to cut about 5,000 employees (Update)
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. plans to cut about 5,000 employees mostly by the end of next year as part of a restructuring designed to slim the drugmaker's business and make it more efficient.
Nursing intervention helps mentally ill people with HIV
(Medical Xpress)—Having trained nurses follow up on medication use with mentally ill patients who are HIV positive was effective both at improving the patients' quality of life and biological markers for the human immunodeficiency virus, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mobility limitation due to a lack of balance confidence
A fall and subsequent injury decreases a person's balance confidence and increases his or her fear of falling. People aged over 60 years who had sustained a hip fracture and had a lower sense of balance confidence, also experienced difficulty in walking outdoors and climbing stairs. In addition, compared to those with higher balance confidence, they perform less well in walking and balance tests. This was found in a study performed at the Gerontology Research Center in collaboration with the Central Finland Health Care District. The participants in this project were 130 older people who had sustained a hip fracture due to a fall and lived independently.
US health spending projected to grow an average of 5.8 percent annually through 2022
New estimates released 9/18/13 from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) project that aggregate health care spending in the United States will grow at an average annual rate of 5.8 percent for 2012-22, or 1.0 percentage point faster than the expected growth in the gross domestic product (GDP). The health care share of GDP by 2022 is projected to rise to 19.9 percent from its 2011 level of 17.9 percent.
Increased risk of depression linked to mountaintop coal mining
People who live among the destructive environmental effects of mountaintop coal mining face an increased risk of major depression. The results of a study conducted in the coal mining regions of Central Appalachia that explored the relationship between psychological health and environmental degradation are published in Ecopsychology.
New hepatitis C drug shows potential in phase 2 trials
The addition of danoprevir to the current treatment regimen for patients with hepatitis C leads to high rates of remission, according to a new article in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. The current standard of care for hepatitis C patients includes a combination of peginterferon and ribavirin.
A silent epidemic: Minor traumatic brain injury
In the United States, approximately 1.4 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Of those injuries, three out of four are minor TBI (mTBI)—a head injury that causes a temporary change in mental status including confusion, an altered level of consciousness, or perceptual or behavioral impairments.
'Pouchitis' after ulcerative colitis surgery linked to changes in gene expression
"Pouchitis" developing after surgery for ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with changes in gene expression, which increase along with disease severity, reports a study in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, official journal of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).
Study sounds alarm over shock suicide rate among French farmers
Suicides amongst French farmers are running at a rate of nearly one every two days, the first in-depth study of the issue revealed on Thursday.
UCLA neuroscientist's book explains why social connection is as important as food and shelter
Facebook and gossip might seem like a waste of time, but they actually serve a basic human need. A growing body of research shows that the need to connect socially with others is as basic as our need for food, water and shelter, writes UCLA professor Matthew Lieberman in his first book, "Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect," published this week by Crown Publishers.
Security Council urges UN to combat Haiti cholera
The Security Council urged the United Nations on Thursday to keep up efforts to combat cholera in Haiti in a resolution extending the mandate of the peacekeeping force whose soldiers have been widely blamed for starting the epidemic.
Canada upholds law against assisted suicide (Update)
British Columbia's appeals court overturned a lower court ruling Thursday that found Canada's law against physician-assisted suicide to be unconstitutional.
Study finds racial and social disparities in kidney allocation among young transplant recipients
Among younger kidney transplant recipients, a disproportionate number of African Americans and individuals with less education receive organs that are of lower quality or are considered marginal, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings suggest that there are racial and social disparities in the allocation of transplanted organs that need to be addressed.
Geographic location may help explain why Hispanics face disparities in kidney transplantation
In the United States, Hispanics with kidney failure are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to receive a kidney transplant largely due to their blood type and because of where they live, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings highlight the need to implement new deceased donor organ allocation policies that distribute organs over wider geographic areas to help reduce barriers to transplantation for Hispanics.
Two die of MERS in Saudi capital ahead of annual hajj (Update)
Two Saudis have died in Riyadh after they contracted the MERS virus, health authorities announced Thursday, as the kingdom prepares to host some two million Muslim pilgrims for the annual hajj.
Blueberry power: Eat your way to a better workout
Drop and give me 20. But don't forget to eat your blueberries before and after you complete those push-ups.
Obesity found to be higher in preschoolers suspected of being maltreated
Obesity rates among preschoolers who have been investigated by child protective services for alleged maltreatment are nearly three times as high as children in the general population, a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois suggests.
Childbirth not significant contributor to later sexual dysfunction
(Medical Xpress)—Childbirth is not a major contributor to sexual dysfunction in women later in life, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco researchers.
Re-writing the research on the treatment of infection
(Medical Xpress)—A major breakthrough in the search for alternatives to antibiotics and the treatment of infection could provide microbiologists with a whole new insight into the way germs co-exist with or attack humans.
New research suggests that high dietary intake of polyphenols are associated with longevity
It is the first time that a scientific study associates high polyphenols intake with a 30% reduction in mortality in older adults. The research, published on Journal of Nutrition, is the first to evaluate the total dietary polyphenol intake by using a nutritional biomarker and not only a food frequency questionnaire.
Drugs fail to meet hormone targets in control of rare growth disorder
Over a quarter of UK patients treated for growth hormone-producing tumours do not achieve 'safe' growth hormone (GH) levels, according to a 30 year UK multi-centre study of clinical management of the rare disease acromegaly. The findings by the Society for Endocrinology UK Acromegaly Register, published in the November issue of Clinical Endocrinology, show that drugs to control acromegaly often fail to bring the disease completely under control in routine clinical practice.
Awakening genes that suppress tumors
(Medical Xpress)—When genes that normally suppress tumor growth are themselves suppressed, cancer cells can grow and proliferate uncontrollably. A new study led by a researcher at Yale University has uncovered the pathway through which some of these tumor suppressor genes are inactivated—a finding that could have implications for treatment of certain cancers. The study appears online in the journal Genes and Development, published by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
New study links depression in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients to reduced striatal dopamine synthesis
According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, up to 60% of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit mild to moderate depression, which is often underdiagnosed. It is unclear whether depression results from having a debilitating disease or reflects a parallel abnormal change in the brain caused by PD pathophysiology.
Genes protect themselves against being silenced
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers have settled a century-old debate over whether occurrence of DNA methylation acts to silence gene expression, or if genes are turned off by other means before they are methylated.
How does your whisky taste?
Manipulating people's senses with environmental triggers can have a significant effect on the taste of whisky. An experiment, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Flavour, reveals that participants' ratings of the smell, taste and flavour of a whisky changed by ten to twenty percent depending on the environment they were drinking it in. These results have implications on the environments where people consume food and drink.
Origin of MERS coronavirus identified
The newly emerged Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has circulated in bats for a substantial time, before making the species leap to humans, according to research published in BioMed Central's open access publication Virology Journal. By analysing the genome of various bat species, scientists show that bat DPP4 genes have adapted significantly as they evolved, suggesting a long-term arms race between the bat and the virus.
Depression and poor diet during pregnancy 'can affect child cognitive function'
(Medical Xpress)—New research led by King's College London shows that women who are depressed during pregnancy are more likely to have an unhealthy diet – which can negatively impact on their children's cognitive functioning in later life.
School body image lessons improve teen body esteem
(Medical Xpress)—Training teachers to deliver body image lessons to teenagers in schools could help improve body esteem and reduce the risk of eating disorders, according to new research by King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry.
Farmers lose their hearing at alarming rates
(Medical Xpress)—Bruce Breuninger's 350-acre centennial farm sprawls beneath the ceramic blue sky, quiet but for the occasional bird call and Dudley the dog's aimless barking.
Liver transplant recipients' cancer risk
Liver transplant recipients are more susceptible to cancer, especially skin cancers, new Flinders University research shows.
New test for Down syndrome: Symposium outlines promising, less-invasive diagnosis method
A new, noninvasive screening test for Down syndrome would allow some women with high-risk pregnancies to avoid amniocentesis and in the future may provide detection early enough for treatment to improve some babies' cognitive function, a Tufts University neonatal genetics expert told a symposium at Harvard Medical School on Tuesday.
Limited evidence that facial procedures improve quality of life
(Medical Xpress)—Despite the rapid rise in facial cosmetic procedures, there are few studies that investigate their psychological impact on patients, especially among those who undergo minimally invasive procedures using botulinum toxin and fillers to address wrinkles. According to a systematic literature review by researchers with the Perel man School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published in JAMA Dermatology, limited research does suggest that a number of psychosocial areas improve after patients undergo facial cosmetic procedures. However, those studies often lacked control groups or failed to follow patients over time, weakening the study validity.
Suicidal talk on Twitter mirrors suicide rates
(Medical Xpress)—Heart-breaking accounts of cyber bullying and suicide seem all too common, but a new study offers hope that social media can become an early warning system to help prevent such tragedies.
Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect children at school
(Medical Xpress)—New research from The University of Queensland has found that women who regularly drink as little as two glasses of wine per drinking session while pregnant can adversely impact their child's results at school.
Study shows drug taking in team sports is not the norm
Athletes are less likely to be tempted to take drugs if they are part of a team, according to research from sport experts at the University of Stirling.
Want to get some sleep? Charge up by shutting down
Bedtime hasn't been this difficult since you were a toddler—throwing your tired self on the floor in a tantrum, insisting you weren't ready for the day to end.
New criteria enhances prostate surgery outcomes
A new method to pre-operatively identify transition zone prostate cancer has enabled surgeons to adopt a more targeted surgical approach to treatment.
Action is needed now to lower the content of aluminium in infant formulas
New research from Keele University shows that infant formulas are still heavily contaminated with aluminium.
Maintenance mechanism that prevents stem cells aging discovered
A team of researchers at the Molecular Neurobiology Unit of the University of Valencia, led by Professor of Cell Biology Isabel Fariñas, just published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the results of a research that may shed light on the maintenance of stem cells in the adult brain, and their activity to produce new neurons throughout life.
Weight loss through the use of intestinal barrier sleeves
Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati, USA, have discovered that the placement of a non-permeable tube in the small intestine leads to reduced nutrient absorption and consequently to reduced obesity and enhanced glucose metabolism. These findings are published in the current issue of the British medical journal Gut.
We may make mistakes interpreting the emotions of others, but our brain can corrects us
When we are sad the world seemingly cries with us. On the contrary, when we are happy everything shines and all around people's faces seem to rejoyce with us. These projection mechanisms of one's emotions onto others are well known to scientists, who believe they are at the core of the ability to interpret and relate to others. In some circumstances, however, this may lead to gross mistakes (called egocentricity bias in the emotional domain EEB), to avoid them cerebral mechanisms are activated about which still little is known.
Scientists find potential new targets for anti-inflammatory therapies
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified key signaling proteins in the inflammation process that contribute to the development of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, sepsis and inflammatory bowel diseases. The finding highlights possible new ways of treating these inflammation disorders, which sicken or kill millions of people around the world each year.
Eat more, weigh less: Worm study provides clues to better fat-loss therapies for humans
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered key details of a brain-to-body signaling circuit that enables roundworms to lose weight independently of food intake. The weight-loss circuit is activated by combined signals from the worm versions of the neurotransmitters serotonin and adrenaline, and there are reasons to suspect that it exists in a similar form in humans and other mammals.
Researchers identify liver cancer progenitor cells before tumors become visible
For the first time, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have isolated and characterized the progenitor cells that eventually give rise to malignant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors – the most common form of liver cancer. The researchers found ways to identify and isolate the HCC progenitor cells (HcPC) long before actual tumors were apparent.
Study finds high-risk travelers account for nearly one in five persons seeking pre-travel advice
Researchers from Boston University Schools of Medicine (BUSM) and Public Health (BUSPH) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found that high-risk travelers account for nearly 20 percent of patients using the five clinics of the Boston Area Travel Medicine Network (BATMN). The study, which appears online in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, also found that these travelers often visited destinations with malaria and typhoid risk.
A genetic variation that could protect skin from sun damage fuels testicular cancer
A Ludwig Cancer Research study published in Cell today identifies a common mutation that dramatically increases the risk for testicular cancer—and describes a likely molecular mechanism by which it exerts that effect. The researchers also suggest why, despite its potential lethality, the genetic variation has been favored by natural selection to become common in light-skinned people. It appears this mutation might aid the tanning of Caucasian skin in response to sunlight, protecting it from UV radiation, which can burn and cause cancer.
Molecule produced during exercise boosts brain health
Research has shown that exercise is good for the brain. Now investigators have identified a molecule called irisin that is produced in the brain during endurance exercise and has neuroprotective effects. Researchers were able to artificially increase the levels of irisin in the blood to activate genes involved in learning and memory. The findings, published online October 10 in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism, may be useful for designing drugs that utilize this exercise-induced molecule to guard against neurodegenerative diseases and improve cognition in the aging population.
Circadian rhythms in skin stem cells protect us against UV rays
Human skin must cope with UV radiation from the sun and other harmful environmental factors that fluctuate in a circadian manner. A study published by Cell Press on October 10th in the journal Cell Stem Cell has revealed that human skin stem cells deal with these cyclical threats by carrying out different functions depending on the time of day. By activating genes involved in UV protection during the day, these cells protect themselves against radiation-induced DNA damage. The findings could pave the way for new strategies to prevent premature aging and cancer in humans.
How a ubiquitous herpesvirus sometimes leads to cancer
You might not know it, but most of us are infected with the herpesvirus known as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). For most of us, the virus will lead at worst to a case of infectious mononucleosis, but sometimes, and especially in some parts of the world, those viruses are found in association with cancer. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on October 10 have found that the difference between a relatively harmless infection and a cancer-causing one lies at least partly in the viral strain itself.
Overweight and obese children face high risk of hypertension
High body weight in children and adolescents is strongly associated with the likelihood of hypertension, according to a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published today in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension.
Nobel Prize winner reports new model for neurotransmitter release
In a Neuron article published online October 10th, recent Nobel Laureate Thomas C. Südhof challenges long-standing ideas on how neurotransmitter gets released at neuronal synapses. On October 7th, Südhof won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, alongside James Rothman and Randy Schekman, for related work on how vesicles—such as those in neurons that contain neurotransmitter—are transported within cells.
New antiviral response discovered in mammals
Many viral infections are nipped in the bud by the innate immune response. This involves specific proteins within the infected cell that recognize the virus and trigger a signalling cascade – the so-called interferon response. This activates a protective mechanism in neighbouring cells and often results in the death of the primarily infected cell.
The Cancer Genome Atlas exposes more secrets of lethal brain tumor
When The Cancer Genome Atlas launched its massively collaborative approach to organ-by-organ genomic analysis of cancers, the brain had both the benefit, and the challenge, of going first.
Preventable risk factors pose serious threat to heart health of childhood cancer survivors
For childhood cancer survivors, risk factors associated with lifestyle, particularly hypertension, dramatically increase the likelihood of developing serious heart problems as adults, according to a national study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Brain development differs in children who stutter
(Edmonton) A new study by a University of Alberta researcher shows that children who stutter have less grey matter in key regions of the brain responsible for speech production than children who do not stutter.
Meta-analysis indicates widespread use of vitamin D supplements to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults unjustified
Taking vitamin D supplements does not improve bone mineral density at the total hip, spine, forearm, or in the body as a whole, a large meta-analysis involving more than 4,000 healthy adults published in The Lancet has found. With close to half of adults aged 50 and older using vitamin D supplements, the authors conclude that continuing widespread use of these supplements to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults is needless.
Scientists shed light on the brain mechanisms behind a debilitating sleep disorder
Normally muscles contract in order to support the body, but in a rare condition known as cataplexy the body's muscles "fall asleep" and become involuntarily paralyzed. Cataplexy is incapacitating because it leaves the affected individual awake, but either fully or partially paralyzed. It is one of the bizarre symptoms of the sleep disorder called narcolepsy.
As demand dwindles, blood banks make big changes
Blood centers across the United States are laying off staff and changing their collection systems in response to a drop in demand for blood.
History of falls linked to post-surgery complications in seniors
(HealthDay)—Seniors who've had one or more falls in the six months prior to surgery are at increased risk for poorer outcomes after their operation, according to a new study.
Breast cancer patients have unrelated plastic surgery after reconstruction
(HealthDay)—Some breast cancer patients who've had breast reconstruction after mastectomy also undergo cosmetic surgery in an effort to further boost their self-image and self-esteem, according to a new study.
Patient satisfaction a poor proxy after spine surgery
(HealthDay)—In a group of patients undergoing elective spine surgery to treat degenerative conditions, patient satisfaction with care received was a poor proxy and correlated poorly with outcomes, complications, and quality of life following surgery, according to research published in the September issue of The Spine Journal.
Antibiotic resistance ups Salmonella hospitalizations
(HealthDay)—Because of antibiotic resistance, 42 percent of patients stricken with Salmonella tied to a California chicken farm have required hospitalization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
ASPS: Breastfeeding after implants won't cause sagging
(HealthDay)—Among women with breast implants, breastfeeding does not worsen the degree of sagging due to pregnancy, according to a study presented at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, held from Oct. 11 to 15 in San Diego.
Urine biomarkers reveal mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic kidney disease
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified 13 metabolites – small molecules produced by cellular metabolism – that are significantly different in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease compared to healthy controls.
New theory of synapse formation in the brain
The human brain keeps changing throughout a person's lifetime. New connections are continually created while synapses that are no longer in use degenerate. To date, little is known about the mechanisms behind these processes. Jülich neuroinformatician Dr. Markus Butz has now been able to ascribe the formation of new neural networks in the visual cortex to a simple homeostatic rule that is also the basis of many other self-regulating processes in nature. With this explanation, he and his colleague Dr. Arjen van Ooyen from Amsterdam also provide a new theory on the plasticity of the brain – and a novel approach to understanding learning processes and treating brain injuries and diseases.
Store foods safely to prevent illness
(HealthDay)—Proper food storage is essential to prevent foodborne illnesses, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
Steady rise in thyroid cancer not explained by better screening, study says
(HealthDay)—Better detection alone doesn't explain the dramatic increase in thyroid cancer cases seen in the United States over the past three decades, a new study says.
Lab mice breakthrough offers Alzheimer's hope (Update)
Scientists on Thursday said they had tested a drug that in mice prevented the death of brain cells, boosting hopes in the fight against Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Enigmatic neurons help flies get oriented
As a tiny fruit fly navigates through its environment, it relies on visual landmarks to orient itself. Now, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm Research Campus have identified neurons deep in the fly's brain that tune in to some of the same basic visual features that neurons in bigger animals such as humans pick out in their surroundings. The new research is an important milestone toward understanding how the fly brain extracts relevant information about a visual scene to guide behavior.
I'm ok, you're not ok: The right supramarginal gyrus plays an important role in empathy
(Medical Xpress)—Egoism and narcissism appear to be on the rise in our society, while empathy is on the decline. And yet, the ability to put ourselves in other people's shoes is extremely important for our coexistence. A research team headed by Tania Singer from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has discovered that our own feelings can distort our capacity for empathy. This emotionally driven egocentricity is recognised and corrected by the brain. When, however, the right supramarginal gyrus doesn't function properly or when we have to make particularly quick decisions, our empathy is severely limited.
A new tool for visualizing DNA, protein sequences
(Medical Xpress)—A group of researchers and students from UConn and Harvard Medical School have developed a new Web program that will help scientists visually analyze DNA and protein sequence patterns faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Genes predispose some people to focus on the negative
(Medical Xpress)—A new study by a University of British Columbia researcher finds that some people are genetically predisposed to see the world darkly.
Malaria, toxoplasmosis: Toward new lines of research?
A study realized by teams from the Institut Pasteur, the Institut Cochin and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology of the University of Glasgow, could redefine part of the present lines of research toward a treatment against the parasites responsible for malaria and toxoplasmosis.
Super-enhancers seen as 'Rosetta Stone' for dialog between genes and disease
Having recently discovered a set of powerful gene regulators that control cell identity in a few mouse and human cell types, Whitehead Institute scientists are now showing that these regulators—which they named "super-enhancers"—act across a vast array of human cell types and are enriched in mutated regions of the genome that are closely associated with a broad spectrum of diseases.
Previously unstudied gene is essential for normal nerve development
Our ability to detect heat, touch, tickling and other sensations depends on our sensory nerves. Now, for the first time, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified a gene that orchestrates the crucially important branching of nerve fibers that occurs during development. The findings were published online today in the journal Cell.
Newly discovered gene regulator could precisely target sickle cell disease
A research team from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and other institutions has discovered a new genetic target for potential therapy of sickle cell disease (SCD). The target, called an enhancer, controls a molecular switch in red blood cells called BCL11A that, in turn, regulates hemoglobin production.
Sticks and stones: Brain releases natural painkillers during social rejection
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," goes the playground rhyme that's supposed to help children endure taunts from classmates. But a new study suggests that there's more going on inside our brains when someone snubs us – and that the brain may have its own way of easing social pain.
New study: Does putting your feet up = power?
(Medical Xpress)—A new set of studies by researchers at three universities led by University at Buffalo psychologist Lora E. Park, PhD, has found that the previously assumed link between expansive body postures and power is not fixed, but depends on the type of posture enacted and people's cultural background.
Biology news
Seafood lovers 'can help save our reefs'
Seafood lovers can play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the world's coral reefs and their gorgeously-coloured fish, says a leading marine scientist.
Second orangutan dies at Indonesian 'death zoo'
An endangered Borneo orangutan died Thursday at Indonesia's "death zoo", the latest in a series of suspicious animal deaths that have prompted calls to close the notorious facility.
Killing of rare white moose sparks outrage
The killing of a rare white "spirit" moose, considered to be sacred by some Canadian aboriginal groups, sparked outrage Thursday.
What does a whale and a human have in common?
The immune system of the blue whale is as good as the human's and other land mammals; the species is healthy and could resist an epidemic of bacteria or fungi. Disclosed in the first study of its kind to be carried out globally by researchers at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN).
Light at night, melatonin and bird behaviour
Low light levels, similar to those found in urban areas at night, can have a significant effect on melatonin production in birds at night. This suggests that melatonin could be mediating changes in bird behaviour at night. Reporting in BioMed Central's open access journal Frontiers in Zoology, the researchers suggest that altered melatonin production may cause birds to interpret increased light during the night as shorter nights.
As climate changes, animals move fast to escape the heat
Australia is already feeling the effects of climate change, with record-breaking temperatures not just over summer, but over the past 12 months as well. Research suggests that such events are many times more likely thanks to climate change.
Gene movements observed in vivo
Certain parts of DNA are highly mobile and their dynamic motion participates in controlling gene expression. The research team working under Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, an Inserm research director at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, has just developed a method of observing the organisation and movements of the genome in time and space. The researchers succeeded in marking then monitoring parent genes during cell division.
Stomach cells naturally revert to stem cells
New research has shown that the stomach naturally produces more stem cells than previously realized, likely for repair of injuries from infections, digestive fluids and the foods we eat.
Massive spruce beetle outbreak in Colorado tied to drought
A new University of Colorado Boulder study indicates drought high in the northern Colorado mountains is the primary trigger of a massive spruce beetle outbreak that is tied to long-term changes in sea-surface temperatures from the Northern Atlantic Ocean, a trend that is expected to continue for decades.
Google Street View is new arm against alien species
Google Street View can be a useful weapon in the costly and time-consuming fight against invasive species, French biologists said on Thursday.
How red crabs on Christmas Island speak for the tropics
Each year, the land-dwelling Christmas Island red crab takes an arduous and shockingly precise journey from its earthen burrow to the shores of the Indian Ocean where weeks of mating and egg laying await.
Early bird catches the worm...for dinner
(Phys.org) —Birds, such as great and blue tits, scout for food in the morning but only return to eat it in late afternoon to maximise their chances of evading predators in the day without starving to death overnight, Oxford University research has found.
Experiment explores innate visual behavior in mice
When you're a tiny mouse in the wild, spotting aerial predators—like hawks and owls—is essential to your survival. But once you see an owl, how is this visual cue processed into a behavior that helps you to avoid an attack? Using an experimental video technique, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have now developed a simple new stimulus with which they can spur the mouse's escape plans. This new stimulus allows the researchers to narrow down cell types in the retina that could aid in the detection of aerial predators.
Stem cell breakthrough could set up future transplant therapies
A new method for creating stem cells for the human liver and pancreas, which could enable both cell types to be grown in sufficient quantities for clinical use, has been developed by scientists.
Elephants know what it means to point, no training required
When people want to direct the attention of others, they naturally do so by pointing, starting from a very young age. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on October 10 have shown that elephants spontaneously get the gist of human pointing and can use it as a cue for finding food. That's all the more impressive given that many great apes fail to understand pointing when it's done for them by human caretakers, the researchers say.
Scientists uncover mechanism for natural plant immunity
Scientists in Norwich and China have, for the first time, uncovered exactly how an immune receptor mediating plants' natural immunity to bacteria works.
Researchers discover how microbes survive in freezing conditions
Most microbial researchers grow their cells in petri-dishes to study how they respond to stress and damaging conditions. But, with the support of funding from NASA, researchers in LSU's Department of Biological Sciences tried something almost unheard of: studying microbial survival in ice to understand how microorganisms could survive in ancient permafrost, or perhaps even buried in ice on Mars.
Innate virus-killing power discovered in mammals
Scientists have a promising new approach to combating deadly human viruses thanks to an educated hunch by University of California, Riverside microbiology professor Shou-Wei Ding, and his 20 years of research on plants, fruit flies, nematodes and mice to prove his theory true.
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