Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 15, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Organic semiconductor transistor made of a single nanoparticle achieves highest mobility yet- Apple looking to smarten up Siri with patent application for crowd sourcing
- New hologram technology created with tiny nanoantennas
- Microsoft is exploring data centers powered by fuel cells
- Wild gorilla spotted using pole as a ladder
- Ocean acidification: First demonstration that ocean's CO2 uptake can impair digestion in a marine animal
- NATO puts its faith in new high-tech HQ
- Rising concerns over tree pests and diseases
- Revisiting quantum effects in MEMS
- Tasmania home to first alpine sword-sedge
- 'Super Wi-Fi' heading for US campuses
- Variation of halogens in martian soil calls for an atmosphere-surface cycle
- Researchers find HIV protein may impact neurocognitive impairment in infected patients
- Researchers develop algorithm to identify individual grains in planetary regolith
- Study identifies molecule critical to healing wounds
Space & Earth news
'Coal summit' stokes trouble at climate talks
Poland on Thursday defended a contested "coal summit" that will be staged in Warsaw next week alongside climate talks on curbing Earth-warming fossil fuels.
NASA, Boeing finish tests of 757 vertical tail with advanced technology
NASA's Ames Research Center and NASA's Langley Research Center, in partnership with The Boeing Co., have completed wind tunnel testing of a full-scale Boeing 757 vertical tail model equipped with active flow control technology.
Japan dials back climate change emissions target
(AP)—Japan's decision to drastically scale back its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions could hurt efforts to craft a global deal to fight climate change, delegates at U.N. talks said Friday.
EU, island states bitter at Japan's reduced carbon goal
Europe and the world's small island nations reacted with dismay, and green groups with fury, after Japan on Friday slashed its goal for curbing carbon emissions.
Iceberg the size of Manhattan could threaten shipping
An iceberg the size of Manhattan has broken off a glacier in Antarctica and could survive long enough to drift into international shipping lanes, scientists said Thursday.
New theoretical models aid the search for Earth-like planets
Researchers from Bern have developed a method to simplify the search for Earth-like planets: By using new theoretical models they rule out the possibility of Earth-like conditions, and therefore life, on certain planets outside our solar system – and limit their search by doing so.
Rescuing the Hubble space telescope
In the past two decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has produced thousands of staggering images of the universe—capturing colliding galaxies, collapsing stars, and pillars of cosmic gas and dust with its high-precision cameras. These images have driven many scientific discoveries, and have made their way into popular culture, having been featured on album covers, fashion runways, and as backdrops for sci-fi television episodes.
Red states support climate legislation, too, analysts find
While politicians often assume that people in "red" and "blue" states have very different ideologies regarding climate change, an analysis of surveys measuring Americans' opinions tells a different story.
R/V Sikuliaq to winter in Great Lakes, test 'hybrid' underwater vehicle
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) research vessel (R/V) Sikuliaq will spend its first winter on the Great Lakes before making the long journey to its home port in Seward, Alaska. Sikuliaq, pronounced "see-KOO-lee-ack," is slated to arrive in Alaska during spring 2015.
Researcher helping solve moon's water puzzles
One of the things Dr. Richard Miller thinks is coolest about working as part of a team investigating the origin and mapping of water on the lunar poles is that he can look up at night or when the moon rises during the day and see the object of his research.
Pilbara water and climate prospects examined
THE CSIRO is part-way through a systematic investigation of the Pilbara's future climate and water resources.
Success of climate talks vital for 2°C target
This is shown by the first comprehensive multi-model-based assessment of so-called Durban Platform scenarios, conducted by a team of international scientists led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) in Italy. The Durban Platform is the current negotiation track at the Warsaw climate talks that aims to reach a global climate agreement by 2015 to come into effect in 2020.
Image: WISE catalog just got wiser
NASA's WISE mission has released a new and improved atlas and catalog brimming with data on three-quarters of a billion objects detected during two full scans of the sky.
New study: Dust, warming portend dry future for the Colorado River
Reducing the amount of desert dust swept onto snowy Rocky Mountain peaks could help Western water managers deal with the challenges of a warmer future, according to a new study led by researchers at NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Electron beams and radio signals from the surface of the Sun
The sun emits light, but it also emits particle beams. A scientist at the Swedish Insitute of Space Physics (IRF) in Uppsala has revealed how these beams generate radio waves. These radio waves can tell us about the outer layers of the sun and the interstellar medium without going there. In particular, the radio emissions are produced in small packages, and their shapes are determined by the density changes in the solar wind.
How astronauts can explore the Martian moon Phobos
Humans would spend more than a year orbiting and bouncing on the Martian moon Phobos under a mission concept developed by students at the International Space University.
How do we balance needs of energy, water, and climate?
In deciding how best to meet the world's growing needs for energy, the answers depend crucially on how the question is framed. Looking for the most cost-effective path provides one set of answers; including the need to curtail greenhouse-gas emissions gives a different picture. Adding the need to address looming shortages of fresh water, it turns out, leads to a very different set of choices.
Ocean acidification: First demonstration that ocean's CO2 uptake can impair digestion in a marine animal
Ocean acidification impairs digestion in marine organisms, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Researchers from Sweden and Germany have studied the larval stage of green sea urchins Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. The results show that the animals have problems digesting food in acidified water.
Variation of halogens in martian soil calls for an atmosphere-surface cycle
In the November issue of Icarus, researchers from LSU's Department of Geology & Geophysics and Stony Brook's Department of Geosciences assess the details of halogen variability and an unusual process that may influence it. The group, led by LSU's Suniti Karunatillake, investigated the potential for an existing halogen cycle on Mars, which would alter the current paradigm of halogens distributed mostly by water-related processes.
Researchers develop algorithm to identify individual grains in planetary regolith
Instruments on the Curiosity Mars rover not only measure the chemistry of rocks, elemental abundances of soils and wind speeds, but also take an incredible number of images from both mast-mounted cameras and up-close imaging systems mounted to robotic arms. The process of analyzing soil images can be daunting, particularly when there are thousands of images and when the particles can be on the order of only 5-10 pixels wide. A team of researchers, led by Suniti Karunatillake at LSU's Department of Geology and Geophysics, and including Stony Brook University, USGS-Flagstaff AZ, and Rider University, developed an image analysis and segmentation algorithm specifically to aid planetary scientists with this very basic, but often difficult, task.
Safety in numbers? Not so for corals
Traditionally, it was assumed that corals do not face a risk of extinction unless they become very rare or have a very restricted range. A team of scientists from the University of Hawaii – Manoa (UHM), Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has revealed that global changes in climate and ocean chemistry affect corals whether scare or abundant, and often it is the dominant, abundant corals with wide distributions that are affected the most.
NASA-led firefly mission to study lightning (w/ Video)
Somewhere on Earth, there's always a lightning flash. The globe experiences lightning some 50 times a second, yet the details of what initiates this common occurrence and what effects it has on the atmosphere – lightning may be linked to incredibly powerful and energetic bursts called terrestrial gamma ray flashes, or TGFs—remains a mystery. In mid-November, a football-sized mission called Firefly, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, will launch into space to study lightning and these gamma ray flashes from above.
Technology news
India, Pakistan agree: emotional Google ad a hit
(AP)—An emotional advertisement for Google's search engine has become a hit in India and Pakistan by surprisingly invoking a searing and traumatic period in the shared history of the South Asian archrivals. Officially debuting on television Friday, the commercial already has been viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube.
Retailers take on Silicon Valley
(AP)—Software engineers wearing jeans and flip flops test the latest smartphone apps. Walls and windows double as whiteboards where ideas are jotted down. And a mini basketball net is in the center of it all.
Hacker linked to Anonymous gets 10-year sentence
A computer programmer linked to the online hacktivist group Anonymous who pleaded guilty to hacking the intelligence firm Stratfor was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Electronics for safe, efficient electric vehicles
For decades, futurists have been predicting that the use of electric vehicles (EVs) will overtake conventional vehicles, providing clean, green and cheap transport for all. Although increasing numbers of electric vehicles are being sold in Europe, the internal combustion engine still remains king of the road. EU-funded researchers are trying to change that, developing technology that promises to significantly improve the range and efficiency of EVs without compromising comfort or safety.
British capital gets approval for .london domain
(AP)—The British capital has won approval to use the .london domain, making it one of a growing number of major cities which claim their own chunk of the World Wide Web.
Comcast to sell films, shows via set-top box
(AP)—Comcast Corp. plans to start selling movies and TV shows from its set-top box before the end of the year. That's according to a person familiar with the matter.
Cropland Capture game brings citizen science to global food research
Cropland Capture, a new game version of IIASA's long-running GeoWiki project, engages citizen scientists in global land cover research, helping researchers identify farmland around the world. These data are essential for understanding global food security, identifying yield gaps, and monitoring crops affected by droughts.
South Africa cemeteries to microchip tombstones
(AP)—Amid a rash of tombstone thefts from cemeteries in Johannesburg, a company will be offering relatives of the deceased a high-tech solution: microchips that can be inserted into the memorial that will sound an alarm and send a text message to their cell phones if it is disturbed.
UK warns of ransom scam targeting 10s of millions
(AP)—British officials issued an unusually stark alert about a cyberscam that locks users out of their computers unless they pay a ransom, saying Friday that tens of millions of people may soon be targeted.
Amazon enters original TV fray with 'Alpha House'
Online retail giant Amazon jumped on the original Internet TV programming bandwagon Friday with a character-driven political sitcom created by the man behind the "Doonesbury" comic strip.
Facebook: ad policy unchanged, users in control
Facebook said Friday that ads on the social network featuring user endorsements and pictures were nothing new, and that members remain in control of their own content and images.
'Super Wi-Fi' heading for US campuses
So-called "Super Wi-Fi," a new kind of wireless broadband, got a boost Thursday with the announcement that the technology would become available to hundreds of US colleges and universities.
NATO puts its faith in new high-tech HQ
Looking to a new role, NATO is pressing ahead with a high-tech, high-security headquarters to replace the supposedly temporary residence it ended up having to use for 50 years.
Whither the teakettle whistle: Breakthrough in breakfast musings
Despite decades of brewing tea in a whistling kettle, the source and mechanism of this siren sound of comfort has never been fully described scientifically. Acknowledging the vibrations made by the build-up of steam escaping through two metal spout plates is about as far as the explanation went—and was good enough for most people.
Microsoft is exploring data centers powered by fuel cells
(Phys.org) —Fuel cell powered data centers may not be ready today but Microsoft is exploring the idea in a vision of data centers that one day can get out from under reliance on the electricity grid. Microsoft has released a paper discussing the fuel cell-based data center power distribution system. "No More Electrical Infrastructure: Towards Fuel Cell Powered Data Centers" is authored by Ana Carolina Riekstin, Sean James, Aman Kansal, Jie Liu, and Eric Peterson. The authors said that "If the FCs are placed close to power consumption units, at the servers or racks, we can completely eliminate the power distribution system in the data center, including the power backup generation system. So, no data center wide electrical infrastructure is required."
Apple looking to smarten up Siri with patent application for crowd sourcing
Apple Inc. of Cupertino California has applied for a patent on new technology that if employed could boost the accuracy of answers provided by Siri, the digital personal assistant that comes with its line of Smartphones. According to the patent application, Apple is looking to improve upon answers that Siri gives by offering a second go that would include looking through other websites, databases, or even asking other people that seem to be in a position to know. Such an option, the company notes, would lie outside the realm of instantaneous results that Suri normally provides, extending wait times to hours, days, or even weeks.
Medicine & Health news
Leading health and philanthropic organizations outline plan to address global preterm birth burden
Leading researchers and global health organizations today issued a call-to-action to advance a comprehensive research agenda to address the global burden of preterm birth, which has become the leading cause of newborn deaths worldwide.
Treatment of pelvic nodes individualized by inclusion of sentinel nodes is feasible with IMRT, says
Arnhem, The Netherlands- Treatment of pelvic nodes individualized by inclusion of sentinel nodes (SN) can be easily integrated into an IMRT-based treatment strategy, according to the new study conducted by a group of researchers from Tübingen and Munich in Germany. The target volume concept seems to correctly cover individual pelvic nodes, which is indicated by the absence of any nodal recurrence within five years of follow-up.
Exercise training is effective as 'prehabilitation' before surgery in an elderly population
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) assessment and exercise training in an elderly population is safe and well tolerated, according to the results of a new feasibility study, conducted in the UK.
Multicenter study underscored the need of a uniform approach to the treatment of BCa
New study, involving eight Italian research centres, concluded that an aligned approach to the treatment of advanced bladder cancer is much needed, while confirming previously published results on survival estimates of associated salvage therapies.
Study examines clinical predictors of acute urinary symptoms after radiotherapy for prostate cancer
An interim study by Italian researchers showed that using a modelling programme together with IPSS and dosage measure can predict the severity of acute urinary symptoms in patients with early prostate cancer who underwent radiotherapy.
Research shows medication errors common on admission to mental health units
Research published today in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy shows that medication errors occurred in 212 of 377 of patients (56.2 per cent) admitted to the assessment ward, between March to June 2012.
Study unveils SINE's potential of re-activating tumour fighting proteins within a cell
New study suggests that selective blockade of CRM1-dependent nuclear export represents a completely novel, tumour metastasis-selective approach for the treatment of advanced metastatic prostate cancers.
Condemned man's wish raises ethical questions
(AP)—An eleventh-hour request by a death row inmate to donate his organs is raising troubling moral and medical questions among transplant experts and ethicists.
Czechs in quandary over legal medical marijuana
(AP)—Just three years ago, the only thing that Zdenek Majzlik knew about cannabis was that it's good stuff for making rope. Today, the 67-year-old retired nuclear power plant employee is an experienced grower who cultivates pot for his daughter who has multiple sclerosis.
Identical twins share breast cancer, rare surgery
(AP)—Identical twins who both had breast cancer are recovering after rare reconstruction surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Lack of younger enrollees threatens exchanges
(AP)—Health care enrollments in several states suggest too few young, healthy people are signing up—a problem that if it spreads could undermine the financial viability of the federal law.
British experts warn of rise in genital cosmetic surgery
British gynaecologists warned on Friday that increasing numbers of teenage girls and women are undergoing genital cosmetic surgery, driven in part by unrealistic images of how they should look based on pornography.
Britain's Princess Anne suggests eating horsemeat
She may be known for her love of horses, but Britain's Princess Anne has now suggested that her compatriots should consider eating the animals like the French.
Britain's oldest resident dies aged 113
Britain's oldest resident died on Thursday just a few weeks short of her 114th birthday, her local member of parliament said.
Technology helps Nigeria's fight against polio
Mahmud Zubairu scrutinises the computer screen in front of him, watching the progress of healthcare workers as they fan out across Nigeria's northern Kano state where polio runs high.
House vote pressures White House on health care (Update)
(AP)—Republicans in the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Friday to expand President Barack Obama's plan to fix a key provision in his health care overhaul, a move that could ultimately undermine the law and the administration's top legislative achievement.
Computer automation system improves autism screening rate
An automated system developed by researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University to help pediatricians focus on the specific health needs of each patient in the short time allotted for preventive care improves autism screening rates by identifying at-risk children at the 24-month visit. Nationwide children typically are not diagnosed with autism until age 4½ or 5 years.
Boys a bit more likely than girls to be born early
Boys are slightly more likely to be born premature than girls, and they tend to fare worse, says a new report on the health of the world's newborns.
Baby illnesses tied to parents nixing newborn shot
Health officials are reporting four Tennessee cases of a rare infant illness that have been linked to parents refusing a routine shot for newborns.
Study finds two drugs aren't better than one for kidney disease
(HealthDay)—Two drugs are not always better than one, a new study indicates.
FDA approves implanted brain stimulator for epilepsy
(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday gave its approval to a new implanted device that lowers the rate of seizures among people with epilepsy.
Enrollment in SNAP does not substantially improve food security or dietary quality
Millions of families in the United States struggle to provide nutritionally adequate meals due to insufficient money or other resources. To combat food security issues, over one in seven Americans currently rely upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest federal nutrition program, to provide monetary support for nutrition. In the past, SNAP has been shown to reduce poverty among the poorest Americans and generate economic activity. However, according to a new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, SNAP benefits alone may not be enough to provide its beneficiaries with the long-term food security or dietary quality they need.
Researching the roles of rare genetic variants in disease
As scientists work toward further personalizing medical treatment through genomics, heritability—the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors—is key to understanding more precisely how a person's DNA contributes to risk factors for such hereditary diseases as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's syndrome and various cancers.
Probing question: Is sitting bad for your health?
Think you're healthy because you work out? Although your exercise regimen is good for your body, it may not be enough to counteract the negative effects of sitting.
A decline in creativity? It depends on how you look
Research in recent years has suggested that young Americans might be less creative now than in decades past, even while their intelligence—as measured by IQ tests—continues to rise.
Jailed teens with incarcerated parents unlikely to find success without help
Without intervention, jailed teens whose parents have a history of incarceration are doomed to struggle for the rest of their lives, a new study says.
Pitt team aims to change tissue microenvironment to fend off cancerous tumors
The magic to killing cancer cells might not be in the bullet, but in the gunpowder that accompanies it, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), partner with UPMC CancerCenter. Instead of developing new drugs that directly target tumors, they have been working on adjuvant agents that alter the immunological microenvironment around the tumor to boost the effectiveness of existing drugs and the effectiveness of each patient's immune responses against cancer.
Age changes how young children read social cues
From infancy, children learn by watching and imitating adults. Even when adults show them how to open a latch or solve a puzzle, for example, children use social cues to figure out what actions are important. But children read these cues differently depending on their age: Older children, interestingly, are more likely, not less likely, to faithfully imitate actions unnecessary to the task at hand, reports Cornell research.
Consumers want ingredient details, study shows
When a food label reads "Partially hydrogenated oils," consumers want all the gory details – even the stuff about "bad cholesterol" and "heart disease" – a Cornell study of shopping behavior has found.
Gene testing for heart diseases now available
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now offers genetic testing to help diagnose and treat patients with heart disorders that can lead to sudden death.
Can games have positive effects on young people's lives?
Researchers from Birmingham City University and Birmingham Children's Hospital are exploring how computer games and game based learning can be applied in the healthcare sector in a bid to boost young people's understandings of medical conditions that they may be living with and how to best to care for themselves.
Why video games make healthy stocking stuffers
Don't feel guilty for stuffing Sonic in the Santa sack - video games can be good for your children's mental health.
Vigorous workouts give more bang for buck
A one hour high-intensity workout provides the same fitness benefits as 50 hours of walking, a major Flinders University study has found.
Five flu myths debunked
Scientists and flu researchers with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Southern Research Institute shot down five common but wrong flu myths this week during an influenza seminar sponsored by the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and the Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center.
The benefits of a spotless mind
Alzheimer's disease is an age-related memory disorder characterized by the accumulation of clumps of the toxic amyloid-β (Aβ) protein fragment in the extracellular space around neurons in the brain. Drugs that help to 'clean up' cells by inducing autophagy—the degradation of unnecessary cellular components—are known to lower Aβ levels within cells and have been shown to rescue memory deficits in mice. A team of researchers including Per Nilsson and Takaomi Saido from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have now found that autophagy also plays an important role in secreting Aβ from the cell into the extracellular space.
Sofrito contains substances that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
The combination of tomato, olive oil, garlic and onion in a sofrito increases the amount of polyphenols and carotenoids. These bioactive compounds respectively help to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This is contained in a study carried out by the University of Barcelona and the CIBERobn network, Spain, which confirms sofrito as an essential part of the Mediterranean diet.
New research finds potential risk for millions in Africa believed resistant to vivax malaria
Provocative new research shows that the Plasmodium vivax parasite, responsible for nearly 20 million cases of malaria in 2010, may be "rapidly evolving" to overcome the natural resistance conferred by a blood type found in millions of Africans, scientists reported today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).
Vivax malaria may be evolving around natural defense
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute have discovered recent genetic mutations in a parasite that causes over 100 million cases of malaria annually—changes that may render tens of millions of Africans who had been considered resistant, susceptible to infection.
Protein quality: Research shows the superiority of whey protein
As science continues to support the role of protein in building and maintaining lean muscle, maintaining weight and aging healthy, consumers are embracing the important role of protein in the diet. But not all proteins are created equal and it turns out that protein quality really does matter.
Team-based approaches needed to fight high blood pressure
Uncontrolled high blood pressure rates continue to grow despite the availability of proven treatments, but collaborative approaches can be effective in fighting this deadly disease, according to a science advisory from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nanoparticles to probe mystery sperm defects behind infertility
A way of using nanoparticles to investigate the mechanisms underlying 'mystery' cases of infertility has been developed by scientists at Oxford University.
ASCO concurs with cancer care ontario for CRC follow-up
(HealthDay)—The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has endorsed Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) guidelines for colorectal cancer survivor follow-up care, according to a study published online Nov. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
ACEP: emergency care providers have poor hand hygiene: survey
(HealthDay)—Only 13 percent of emergency medical personnel say they clean their hands before touching patients, according to the results of a survey presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians, held from Oct. 14 to 17 in Seattle.
Could weight-loss surgery help slow aging for some?
(HealthDay)—Beyond slimming the waistlines of morbidly obese patients, weight-loss surgery also may help reverse the aging process in some patients, turning back the clock on a key sign of decline in the body's cells, a small, early study suggests.
Coconut oil is the latest food trend offering health claims
Coconut oil is returning to the kitchen, thanks to a boost from those in the nutrition business who have taken a fresh look at the numbers.
Heart surgeons see innovations with tiny new pumps
A new generation of cardiac devices scheduled for human trials in Europe and the United States next year has heart surgeons talking about a possible sea change in the treatment of patients suffering from the most severe level of heart failure, which affects 150,000 to 200,000 Americans a year and kills thousands.
Chronic diseases hinder good cancer survival rates
There are many people in this position and the number is increasing; cancer patients who not only have to fight against cancer, but also suffer from other diseases. So-called comorbidity is a large and growing problem, not least because we are becoming older and age increases the risk of contracting cancer as well as other diseases.
Ambiguous results in screening for celiac disease among young people
Most children who undergo screening to detect gluten intolerance, celiac disease, can handle it well. However, many people feel that the discovery of the disease and the treatment they receive does not provide a better quality of life. Katrina Nordyke will address this topic as she defends her PhD thesis at Umeå University on November 15.
Student invention delivers better, safer heart shocks
Johns Hopkins undergraduate students have invented a system to shock a dangerously irregular heart back into normal rhythm more safely and effectively.
Can certain herbs stave off Alzheimer's disease?
Enhanced extracts made from special antioxidants in spearmint and rosemary improve learning and memory, a study in an animal model at Saint Louis University found.
Persistent gene therapy in muscle may not require immunosuppression
Successful gene therapy is based on the effective delivery and maintained expression of healthy copies of a gene into tissues of individuals with a disease-associated genetic mutation. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have shown promise in early clinical trials as effective therapies for several genetic diseases, including Leber congenital amaurosis, Parkinson disease, and hemophilia.
Drug offers promising approach to improve outcome for children with high-risk leukemia
Combining the drug gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) with conventional chemotherapy may improve the outcome of bone marrow transplantation for some children battling high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The results appear in the current edition of the journal Cancer.
Inflammatory skin damage in mice blocked by bleach solution, study finds
Processes that age and damage skin are impeded by dilute bleach solution, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Tipping the balance between senescence and proliferation
An arrest in cell proliferation, also referred to as cellular senescence, occurs as a natural result of aging and in response to cellular stress. Senescent cells accumulate with age and are associated with many aging phenotypes, and removal of these cells by the immune system is important for preventing cancer and other disorders. The tumor suppressor p53 coordinates a signaling network that is important for cell arrest. p53 is produced as various isoforms as the result of alternative splicing and promoter usage. One isoform, p53β, accelerates cellular arrest, while another isoform, Δ133p53 represses replicative senescence in cultured cells.
'What could possibly go wrong?' A lot
The Tough Mudder, an extreme sports event that bills itself as "probably the toughest event on the planet," resulted in injuries ranging from multiple electrical burns to seizure-induced Todd's paralysis. A case series of serious injuries sustained by participants in one such race was reported online today in Annals of Emergency Medicine "Unique Obstacle Race Injuries at an Extreme Sports Event: A Case Series."
Study finds donor age not a factor in most corneal transplants
Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Corneas from donors over age 71 perform slightly less well, but still remain healthy for the majority of transplant recipients after 10 years, the study found.
Mandatory calorie postings at fast-food chains often ignored or unseen, does not influence food choice
Posting the calorie content of menu items at major fast-food chains in Philadelphia, per federal law, does not change purchasing habits or decrease the number of calories that those customers consume, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center reported today at the Obesity Society's annual scientific meeting, held in Atlanta, Georgia. The results echo those conducted by the same researchers among low-income neighborhoods in New York City before and after calorie-labels were mandated there in July 2008.
New technique for developing drugs to treat serious illnesses
An international team of researchers led by the University of Leicester has "harnessed the power of evolution" to create a new drug for possible use against heart disease, inflammation and other illnesses.
Researcher advances retinal implant that could restore sight for the blind
People who went blind as a result of certain diseases or injuries may have renewed hope of seeing again thanks to a retinal implant developed with the help of FIU's W. Kinzy Jones, a professor and researcher in the College of Engineering and Computing.
Researchers find HIV protein may impact neurocognitive impairment in infected patients
A protein shed by HIV-infected brain cells alters synaptic connections between networks of nerve cells, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota. The findings could explain why nearly half of all patients infected with the AIDS virus experience some level of neurocognitive impairment.
Study identifies molecule critical to healing wounds
Skin provides a first line of defense against viruses, bacteria and parasites that might otherwise make people ill. When an injury breaks that barrier, a systematic chain of molecular signaling launches to close the wound and re-establish the skin's layer of protection.
Biology news
Victoria University recreates traditional Māori vegetable garden
Space is being cleared and prepared for planting behind the University's Māori Studies (Te Kawa a Māui) building.
What's the buzz? Online bee guide features Wisconsin pollinators
The next time you take a bite of a crisp fall apple, you might take a moment to reflect on the unique Wisconsin partnership that made it possible: farmers and bees.
After years of drought, beef prices may rise in the coming months
While the beef industry is worth more than $12-billion a year to Nebraska's economy, the state's meat lovers could find themselves having to pay more for steak and hamburger this winter.
US destroys six-ton ivory stockpile
The United States has destroyed six tons of confiscated elephant ivory, in a move wildlife groups hailed as a bold message to criminal traffickers that the ivory is worthless.
Hundreds of rare primates seized in Indonesia
Hundreds of slow lorises have been seized on Indonesia's Java island as animal smugglers were about to send the protected primates to markets to be sold as pets, officials said on Friday.
Feral camel management across remote Australia – a successful outcome
Landscapes, people, industries and cultural assets, are safer and healthier as a result of a complex project to manage one of the nation's pests - feral camels.
The ash dieback fungus, Chalara fraxinea, might have a mechanism to define territory and to combat viruses, research sho
The fungus which causes Chalara dieback of ash trees has the potential to defend itself against virus attacks, research by British scientists has shown.
Scientists describe two new gorgonian soft coral species
Gorgonians are a type of soft corals easily distinguishable by the complex branching shape, which has also probably inspired their name, coming from the Gorgon Medusa- a creature from the Greek mythology that had hair made of venomous snakes. The existence of Medusa outside myth might be debatable, but gorgonian corals do exist and decorate our ocean with complex patterns and vibrant colors.
Building 'nanomachines' in biological outer space
Cambridge scientists have uncovered the mechanism by which bacteria build their surface propellers (flagella) – the long extensions that allow them to swim towards food and away from danger. The results, published this week in the journal Nature, demonstrate how the mechanism is powered by the subunits themselves as they link in a chain that is pulled to the flagellum tip.
Clam found to be over 500 years old
Further research following a field trip carried out by Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences in 2006 has led us to identify the age of a clam more accurately.
A major hub for cell-fate decisions
In a recently published study, LMU researchers show that, in a nerve-cell lineage in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a single protein controls the rate of cell-cycle progression, and decides whether cells divide, differentiate or die.
Rising concerns over tree pests and diseases
New research has found that the number of pests and disease outbreaks in trees and forests across the world has been increasing.
Tasmania home to first alpine sword-sedge
Researchers from the University of New England (Australia) and the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney (Australia), have discovered a high-altitude species of sedge from south-western Tasmania. A small clumping plant, Lepidosperma monticola grows on mountains including Mount Field and Mount Sprent. It is unique in the genus in being the only species essentially restricted to alpine vegetation. At less than seven centimetres tall, this Tasmanian endemic is also the smallest known species of Lepidosperma.
Wild gorilla spotted using pole as a ladder
A team of researchers working at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Karisoke Research Center in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda (in association with the Max Planck Institute for Anthropology and the University of Western Australia) is reporting in the journal Behavioural Processes that they have witnessed possible tool use by a mountain gorilla—it used a bamboo pole to serve as a ladder to help its offspring climb into a difficult place. This marks just the third instance of an eyewitness report of a gorilla using tools in the wild.
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