Learn how to achieve accurate simulation results with the shortest computational time possible. Check out the various meshing techniques engineers are using in this recent blog series from COMSOL: http://goo.gl/lxlbVd
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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 20, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- The galaxy's ancient brown dwarf population revealed- Study shows 'solar powered' sea slugs can survive long term in the dark
- Physicists break theoretical time barrier on bouncing droplets (w/ Video)
- Team uncovers secrets of Mars' birth from unique meteorite
- Ancient Siberian genome reveals genetic origins of Native Americans
- Ancient giant sloth bones suggest humans were in Americas far earlier than thought
- Chandra helps confirm evidence of jet in Milky Way's black hole
- Hydrogen cars could be headed to showroom near you
- Neurons in brain's 'face recognition center' respond differently in patients with autism
- Engineers cut time to 3D-print heterogeneous objects from hours to minutes (w/ Video)
- Listen to this: Study upends understanding of how humans perceive sound
- Ancient Roman glass inspires modern science
- Scientists define brain network behind attention, daydreaming
- Finding Occam's razor in an era of information overload
- Invasive sparrows immune cells sharpen as they spread
Space & Earth news
Mid-Atlantic rocket launch gives East rare view
A rocket has streaked along the eastern U.S. early evening sky in an unusual sight as NASA put a smartphone and 28 other tiny satellites into orbit.
Sophisticated computer algorithms mimicking the law of physics are used to forecast global air pollution levels
Air quality is not a local problem. Like clouds moving through the sky, pollution is transported from one location to another by wind patterns in the atmosphere. With each breath we inhale vital oxygen, but also small amounts of potentially harmful gases and small particles. These components directly affect our health, and can be carcinogenic. Observations, both from satellite and from the ground, can provide a snapshot of the air quality. The trouble is that they have no real predictive capability. Now, thanks to a EU-funded project called MAC-II, it is now possible produce a forecast, analogous to meteorological forecast, but for air pollution.
Flying robot will provide a unique view of the world's most biodiverse ecosystem
Soaring over a dense canopy of trees, a flying, insect-like robot developed by Wake Forest researchers will give an unprecedented look at Peru's tropical cloud forest, one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems.
Tropical Cyclone Helen headed for landfall in India
Tropical Cyclone 04B has strengthened and been renamed "Helen" as it slowly nears landfall in southeastern India.
X-Class solar flare: Nov. 19
Adding on to a series of solar flares throughout October and November, the sun emitted another significant solar flare on Nov. 19, 2013, peaking at 5:26 a.m. EST. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however—when intense enough—they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.
Phosphorus threatens existence of endangered plants
Plant species that persist in areas with low availability of phosphorus invest little in sexual reproduction. Due to the increase of phosphorus in their habitats and the fragmentation of low-phosphorus areas, these plant species, which already are on the 'red list', are under threat of going extinct. This issue was raised by researchers of Utrecht University, Wageningen University and other universities in their publication in Nature.
Happy birthday, space station
The International Space Station celebrates its birthday today, 15 years after the first module was launched in 1998.
Swarm mission control ready for triple launch
After months of intensive training, the Swarm mission control team are ready for liftoff on Friday. The team will carefully shepherd the trio of magnetic explorers through their critical launch and early orbit phase, ready to react to any problem.
NASA tests space launch system autopilot technology on F/A-18 jet
An F/A-18 research jet simulated various flight conditions that NASA's Space Launch System may experience as it makes its way from the launch pad to space, to evaluate the rocket's flight control system. The tests are helping engineers design a system that can autonomously adjust to unexpected conditions during flight.
Report details high costs of Philippine typhoons for families, baby girls
Tropical cyclones hitting the Philippines inflict more and longer-lasting economic loss than generally recognized, and are linked to dramatic increases in mortality rates for infant girls for up to 24 months after a typhoon, according to a study co-authored by a UC Berkeley assistant professor of public policy.
Britain to join US in ending coal power support abroad
Britain said Wednesday it would join the United States in a charge to curb financial aid for building coal-fired power plants abroad.
Framework could improve southeast rainfall forecasts
Summer rainfall in the southeastern United States is vitally important to the region's agriculture, economy and ecology. But accurately forecasting how much rain may fall in an upcoming season can be tricky because of the complicated physical processes and environmental factors that determine its intensity.
Evidence of destruction in Tacloban, Philippines
When Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013, it pounded the island of Leyte with winds near 315 kilometers (195 miles) per hour and a tremendous storm surge. In Tacloban, winds blew a wall of water ashore that may have been as much as 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) high. Much of the city sits less than 5 meters (16 feet) above sea level. These false-color images hint at the impact of the storm surge and winds on the city.
TRMM satellite sees Melissa's tropical transition
Once a subtropical storm, now a tropical storm, Melissa made the transition on Nov. 20 as NASA's TRMM satellite passed overhead and measured rainfall rates within the storm.
Building TCTE: The perfect combination of enthusiasm, spare parts and resources
Building and delivering an instrument ready for spaceflight in five months was achieved with a little bit of luck, ingenuity, determination and available spare parts. Scientists had to act quickly in order to find a way to continue the total solar energy output measurements that NASA began in 1978.
Forests buffer the effects of climate change on plants
Collaborative research involving scientists from Trinity College Dublin has shown that forests are able to limit the effect of climate change on the plants in their communities, such that different species are favoured in these habitats rather than in more open areas.
Study finds more spending on fire suppression may lead to bigger fires
The "firefighting trap" is a term often used by business managers to describe a shortsighted cycle of problem-solving: dealing with "fires," or problems, as they arise, but failing to address the underlying cause, thereby increasing the chance that the same problem will crop up in the future.
Connection found between nitrogen levels in water and toxic algae production
(Phys.org) —Scientists have long known that phosphorus fuels growth of algae in lakes and streams. Wisconsin Sea Grant researchers have found that nitrogen levels are a factor in whether or not these algae – specifically, blue-green algae –produce toxins. The findings, published in PLOS ONE have parts of the scientific community buzzing.
Rediscovered Apollo data gives first measure of how fast moon dust piles up
When Neil Armstrong took humanity's first otherworldly steps in 1969, he didn't know what a nuisance the lunar soil beneath his feet would prove to be. The scratchy dust clung to everything it touched, causing scientific instruments to overheat and, for Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, a sort of lunar dust hay fever. The annoying particles even prompted a scientific experiment to figure out how fast they collect, but NASA's data got lost.
Physicist's journey reveals smaller asteroids could cause bigger problems
Once in a lifetime, a physicist may get a chance to test his theories and simulations in a real-life event that changes the course of his scientific life. But rarely does that opportunity literally fall from the sky.
Chandra helps confirm evidence of jet in Milky Way's black hole
(Phys.org) —Astronomers have long sought strong evidence that Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, is producing a jet of high-energy particles. Finally they have found it, in new results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope.
The galaxy's ancient brown dwarf population revealed
(Phys.org) —A team of astronomers led by Dr David Pinfield at the University of Hertfordshire have discovered two of the oldest brown dwarfs in the Galaxy. These ancient objects are moving at speeds of 100-200 kilometres per second, much faster than normal stars and other brown dwarfs and are thought to have formed when the Galaxy was very young, more than 10 billion years ago. Intriguingly the scientists believe they could be part of a vast and previously unseen population of objects. The researchers publish their results in the Oxford University Press journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Team uncovers secrets of Mars' birth from unique meteorite
As NASA prepares to launch a new Martian probe, a Florida State University scientist has uncovered what may be the first recognized example of ancient Martian crust.
Technology news
Yahoo offers $1B of debt, adds $5B to buyback fund
Yahoo Inc. says it plans to sell $1 billion in convertible senior notes in a private placement and will use the money to buy back shares and for other purposes.
Haiti's prime minister tours Silicon Valley
From Google to Facebook to Apple, Haiti's Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe plans to spend Wednesday on a whirlwind tour through Silicon Valley's most elite tech campuses, hoping to convince some of the world's wealthiest and most successful corporate executives to share support and innovation with the poorest country in the Americas.
Israel's new missile defense system passes test
Israel successfully tested its newest missile defense system on Wednesday, a key step toward making the third and final leg of the country's three-part defense system operational by next year, the defense ministry said.
Ultra-low power 100 gbps ethernet IC developed
Each day, billions of people surf the Internet for information, entertainment, and education. The Internet contains an immeasurable amount of information and knowledge generated every minute all around the world, which is readily available to everyone at the quick click of a computer mouse. The real magic of the Internet, however, lies in data centers where hundreds of billions of data are stored and distributed to a designated user around the clock.
Crowdsourcing app fights food loss in Africa
Each year Africa sustains post-harvest losses of fruit and vegetables worth US$48 billion, while half of the world's undernourished people live on that continent. A majority of the post-harvest losses occur during crop transport, due to issues such as (unforeseen) delays and poor road conditions. Researchers from the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) at the University of Twente have developed the smartphone app Cheetah in collaboration with the IT company Decos. This app helps reduce crop loss by providing food transporters, growers and traders with relevant (satellite) information. "If we are able to reduce post-harvest loss by just one percent in Africa by using the app, we will already have saved US$480 million annually." Cheetah recently won the App Challenge of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Improved port accuracy and safety through novel technology
Galileo, the multi-billion euro global navigation satellite system funded by the EU, will soon provide highly accurate and precise position measurements on Europe's roads. But the primary mode of international trade - the maritime industry, responsible for nearly 90 percent of world trade - still relies on outdated technology with limited precision capacity at a high cost and with low efficiency.
Something new under the sun: Argonne makes sustainability strides
Argonne grew a fine crop of solar panels last summer. The lab built a 95-kilowatt solar farm onsite, which powers the laboratory's emergency operations center and saves about $9,400 and 94 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The solar array doubles as a test bed for scientific research.
NY Times puts video news updates on website
The New York Times on Wednesday unveiled short video newscasts on its website, updated at least three times daily, as part of its effort to compete in the digital space.
Tribune Co. to cut 700 newspaper jobs
US media giant Tribune Co. said Wednesday it would slash 700 jobs at its newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, to cope with the industry's slump.
Israeli restaurant: Turn off phone, get discount
A restaurant owner in an Arab village outside of Jerusalem says he is on a mission to save culinary culture by making diners a simple offer: Turn off your cellphone and get a 50 percent discount.
Researchers use CT and 3-D printers to recreate dinosaur fossils
Data from computed tomography (CT) scans can be used with three-dimensional (3-D) printers to make accurate copies of fossilized bones, according to new research published online in the journal Radiology.
Taiwan firm sues Samsung for patent infringement
A Taiwanese electronics company said Wednesday it has filed a lawsuit against South Korean tech giant Samsung for allegedly infringing on its optics technology patents.
Russian Internet titan Mail.ru targets US
Russian Internet titan Mail.ru hit the US market with email, text messaging and gaming applications for mobile devices.
Jury set to decide how much Samsung owes Apple
A Silicon Valley jury asked a judge for calculators Tuesday to help it determine how much Samsung Electronics owes Apple for copying key features of the iPhone and iPad.
Monolithic ultrasonic integrated circuits
Ultrasonography based on traditional bulk piezoelectric transducers has been established as an inexpensive and safe medical imaging modality. By borrowing techniques from the microelectronics industry, the performance of the ultrasound transducer can be dramatically improved and new applications become feasible. Dr. Arman Hajati and his co-workers from Fujifilm Dimatix (FDMX), Santa Clara CA, have developed a high performance ultrasound transducer technology. This novel transducer technology is based on an array of three-dimensional micromachined semi-ellipsoidal piezoelectric domes made of the high-quality PZNT thin film developed at FDMX. This work is published in the journal Applied Physics Letters on November 11, 2013.
UCD researchers develop low-cost crime scene evidence gatherer
Lero researchers at University College Dublin have developed a low cost device that can help police forces in developing countries or with limited budgets to capture digital and computer data at crime scenes.
New software to allow more and larger images on Wikipedia
Researchers have developed new software that will allow users to put more and larger images on Wikipedia.
New tech could be "Mr. Fusion" for biofuel
A new technology from Argonne may remind viewers of Mr. Fusion of Back to the Future fame, only with a biofuel twist: put in your waste and out comes diesel fuel.
The linguistic clues that reveal your true Twitter identity
Twitter is awash with trolls, spammers and misanthropes, all keen to ruin your day with a mean-spirited message or even a threat that can cause you genuine fear. It seems all too easy to set up an account and cause trouble anonymously, but an emerging field of research is making it easier to track perpetrators by looking at the way they use language when they chat.
Understanding how hydration affects color-changing windows can boost their efficiency
Electrochromic materials dynamically alter how they transmit light in response to an applied electrical signal. Engineers are currently working to turn these compounds into 'smart windows' for buildings that change from transparent to colored states at the flick of a switch. Such devices can help to prevent heat loss and maximize the amount of natural light passing through windows. Sing Yang Chiam from the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore and co-workers have discovered how to improve the manufacturing and performance of smart windows by elucidating the critical roles that water molecules play during coloration.
Bitcoin value jumps, after US authorities appear positive
Call it a speculative bubble or the rise of a currency of the future: the bitcoin jumped in value Tuesday after US authorities appeared to give the virtual money their blessing.
Social media startups' value is enormous, if you trust investors
Snapchat is not even 3 years old. It's run by a couple of 20-somethings with no prior business experience. And it has never made a cent.
Google brings All Access music subscription service to iPhone
Half a year after launching for Android, Google Play Music All Access is now available to iPhone users.
With new leadership, online video site Hulu changes TV strategy
The online video site Hulu once had ambitions of ushering in the future of television by shaking up the status quo.
Andy Jassy steers fast-growing Web unit for Amazon
Most consumers think of Amazon.com as an online bookseller or, increasingly, as a digital marketplace where they can buy everything from diapers to giant flat-panel TVs.
Roman emperor's virtual villa to be unveiled Friday
Indiana University's first archaeo-informaticist, Bernie Frischer, will bring to life one of the Roman Empire's best-known and best-preserved imperial villas—Hadrian's Villa—during a public launch of the Digital Hadrian's Villa Project on Friday, Nov. 22, in Washington, D.C.
Deezer aims to enter US market in 2014
Online music streaming service Deezer aims to expand to the United States next year, one of the last remaining untapped markets for the French pioneer of legal music services, the company's co-founder said Wednesday.
Apple space ship campus cleared for take-off
Apple's plan to build a shimmering flying-saucer shaped headquarters got final clearance for take-off late Tuesday, after a tax break granted the technology titan was trimmed.
Reagan's role in NSA's hack of Google and Yahoo
Back when Yahoo was something hollered at a rodeo and no one could conceive of Googling anything, President Ronald Reagan signed an executive order that extended the power of U.S. intelligence agencies overseas, allowing broader surveillance of non-U.S. suspects. At the time, no one imagined he was granting authority to spy on what became known as Silicon Valley.
Malware up, hackers bypass security safeguards, survey says
Malicious software is on the rise both on computers and mobile devices, fueled in part by hackers' ability to bypass a key security measure, researchers said Wednesday.
New modelling technique could bypass the need for engineering prototypes
A new modelling technique has been developed that could eliminate the need to build costly prototypes, which are used to test engineering structures such as aeroplanes.
Driven to distraction: Carmakers mull gadget risks
Talking on the phone while driving is illegal in a growing number of countries, but with the explosion of in-car technologies the potential for drivers being distracted is greater than ever.
Toyota vows fuel cell model by 2015 in green push
Toyota is promising a mass-produced fuel cell car by 2015 in the latest ambitious push to go green by an industry long skeptical about the super-clean technology that runs on hydrogen.
Ring and bracelet system designed to help the hearing-impaired
(Phys.org) —Take rings, add a bracelet, and you have a helping mechanism for the hearing-impaired in a novel design. For people who have hearing handicaps and do not know sign language, the ring and bracelet system can help them out, both in communicating what they need to say and in getting messages they can read. First, a Sign Language Ring behaves as a translating device that picks up motion and gestures and translates them into words, delivered through voice by the bracelet. The bracelet can translate spoken words into its readable display panel for the wearer to read. After use, the rings can be set into the bracelet for storage.
Google, Mozilla are tweaking browsers for Web-based games
As electronic titans Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. spend billions of dollars redesigning the video game console, the next leap forward in digital games may come from the unlikeliest of places.
Carnegie Mellon computer searches web 24/7 to analyze images and teach itself common sense
A computer program called the Never Ending Image Learner (NEIL) is running 24 hours a day at Carnegie Mellon University, searching the Web for images, doing its best to understand them on its own and, as it builds a growing visual database, gathering common sense on a massive scale.
Engineers cut time to 3D-print heterogeneous objects from hours to minutes (w/ Video)
Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a faster 3D printing process and are now using it to model and fabricate heterogeneous objects, which comprise multiple materials.
Hydrogen cars could be headed to showroom near you
Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world's transportation of the future.
Medicine & Health news
Hospital treatment for patients who self-harm in England is 'as variable as ever'
Hospital management of patients who self-harm in England has barely changed in the past 10 years despite the introduction of clinical guidelines a new study shows.
Supreme Court lets Texas abortion law stay for now
A third of Texas' abortion clinics will stay closed after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in an ongoing legal dispute over a tough new law that Planned Parenthood claims unconstitutionally restricts women's rights.
Saudi announces new MERS death
Saudi health authorities on Wednesday announced a new MERS death, raising to 54 the number of people killed by the coronavirus in the country with the most fatalities.
Air pollution puts the health of school children at risk, study found
A recently completed study by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 310 children in 12 schools across the territory found the air pollution level along the travelling routes from home to schools and particulate levels outside school both at a very high level, and most of the school children have lung function weaker than the predicted levels.
Taking care of mom and dad
There are some 50 million informal caregivers in the United States providing unpaid care to older family members. Some help out a couple of hours a week while others are available around the clock. These informal caregivers, most of whom are spouses or children, save billions of dollars, but take on a financial and physical burden.
Hedgehog's long snout finds a cure
In 2013 the European Medicines Agency approved the use of a new anti-cancer drug, Erivedge, developed by Genentech in collaboration with the Cambridge (Mass) based biotech company Curis Inc, for the treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), the most common cancer amongst Caucasians. This decision followed similar approval for its clinical use in the USA by the FDA in 2012. The drug works by targeting a transmembrane protein called Smoothened that is a pivotal component of the intracellular pathway that transduces the activity of a secreted signaling protein known as Sonic hedgehog (Shh;1). Shh plays a key role in initiating the development of hair follicles, being the signal by which epidermal cells of the hair placode induce the dermal papilla in the underlying mesenchyme. The role of Shh in hair development was originally reported in one of a steady stream of papers that followed the discovery of the SHH gene in the labs of Philip Ingham, Andrew McMahon and Cliff Tabin, t! he result of a three way transatlantic collaboration funded by HFSP in 1993.
Could saving the traditional pub be the answer to Britain's binge drinking problem?
A research study finds evidence for the traditional pub as a site for restrained and responsible social interaction for young adults. The UK government wants further controls to restrict high street bars but on the other hand is concerned about the decline in the number of traditional public houses or pubs. A recent article published in Planning Theory & Practice, "Young adults and the decline of the urban English pub: issues for planning," by Marion Roberts (University of Westminster) & Tim Townshend (Newcastle University), discusses whether the English Planning System should distinguish between pubs for the "public good" and licensed premises associated with "social ills?"
High frequency source ablation effective in treating atrial fibrillation
High frequency source ablation is as safe and effective as a more standard ablation treatment for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, according to a late-breaking clinical trial presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.
Older people recovering from a hip fracture experience barriers for mobility in the home environment
About half of hip fracture patients reported barriers for mobility when entering the home or in the outdoor home environment. One year after the fracture, many people still experienced barriers, especially in the outdoor environment.
Five decades on, Spain court convicts thalidomide maker
A court ordered the German maker of the banned pregnancy drug thalidomide to compensate Spanish victims who suffered birth defects from it in the 1960s, in a ruling released Wednesday.
Top hospitals reduce readmissions by preventing complications across all diagnoses
Checking back into the hospital within 30 days of discharge is not only bad news for patients, but also for hospitals, which now face financial penalties for high readmissions. The key to reducing readmissions may be focusing on the whole patient, rather than the specific conditions that caused their hospitalizations, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.
More mastectomy, less radiation in male breast CA management
(HealthDay)—Surgical management of male breast cancer (MBC) is considerably different from that of female breast cancer (FBC), according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
Linking risk factors and disease origins in breast cancer
Researchers from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have found that epigenetic changes to DNA are associated with aging in disease-free breast tissues and are further altered in breast tumors. Epigenetic changes describe heritable alterations caused by mechanisms other than by changes in DNA sequence. The discovery, published in the February 2014 issue of Epigenetics, illustrates how cancer and aging are tightly interconnected processes by identifying epigenetic alterations present in the normal aging breast that may increase disease risk in cancer-free individuals.
EORTC head and neck cancer trial shows assessing HRQOL is valuable to both patients and their doctors
In Europe in 2012, there were an estimated 39,900 new cases of laryngeal cancer and 99,600 new cases of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers (Feraly et al.). The estimated number of deaths from laryngeal and oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers were 19,800 and 43,700, respectively. These types of cancers can negatively affect the health related quality of life (HRQOL), because they induce symptoms that may interfere with daily life.
New health economics study highlights long-term benefits of rotator cuff surgery
Each year, close to 2 million people in the United States visit their doctor for shoulder pain associated with a rotator cuff injury. Approximately one-third of rotator cuff tears will require surgery, with the remaining injuries benefiting from nonsurgical treatment including pain medication and rehabilitation exercises. To help physicians determine the best treatment for each patient, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recently released Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) covering five different treatments for rotator cuff injuries.
Involving patients in their nurses' shift change reduces medical errors and satisfies patients
At shift change, incoming and outgoing nurses transfer accountability by exchanging information about the patients under their charge. Called bedside handover, this process empowers patients and allows them to become active partners in their own care.
Women prescribed combination HRT should use caution when taking apigenin supplement, study finds
Hormone replacement therapies, or medications containing female hormones that substitute those no longer produced by the body, are often prescribed to reduce the effects of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms in women. Research and clinical trials on hormone replacement therapies have indicated a higher incidence of tumors, especially breast cancer, in post-menopausal women who take synthetic hormones; therefore, doctors have become more reluctant to prescribe the treatment. In 2011, studies conducted by University of Missouri researchers found that a natural compound called apigenin, which is found in celery, parsley, and apples, could reduce the incidence of tumor growth in women receiving hormone replacement therapy. Now, based on subsequent studies conducted by MU researchers, they are recommending that women not ingest pure apigenin as a supplement.
Limited patient choice next health overhaul issue
After they get the health care website fixed, then what?
Brazil reports 573 deaths from dengue this year
At least 573 people have died from dengue in Brazil so far this year, nearly twice the figure reported in 2012, according to official figures released Wednesday.
Rich countries hit brake for health spending: OECD
A third of the world's rich countries cut health spending between 2009 and 2011, according to a probe of 33 advanced economies published on Thursday.
Some NYC hospitals not taking new health plans
New Yorkers buying a health plan on the state's new insurance exchange should read the fine print if they're interested in seeing some of the city's top doctors.
Synaesthesia is more common in autism
People with autism are more likely to also have synaesthesia, suggests new research in the journal Molecular Autism.
Casual employment is linked to women being childless by the age of 35
Women who have worked in temporary jobs are less likely to have had their first child by the age of 35, according to research published online today (Wednesday) in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction. The study shows that the longer women spent in casual employment, the more likely they were to be childless when they were 35.
Almost two-thirds of women who attempt natural delivery after a c-section are successful
Almost two-thirds of women who attempt a natural delivery after having a caesarean section for their first birth are successful, according to a new study published today (20 November) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Questions raised in US over new anti-cholesterol guidelines
New recommendations to expand the use of cholesterol-lowering medication to millions of adults to reduce heart attacks and strokes overestimated risks faced by that population, according to a new study.
Lung cancer surgery survival rates unchanged since 1950s
No treatment for lung cancer today gives us significantly better chances of survival than chest surgery from 60 years ago, according to a medical historian from The University of Manchester.
Media coverage of HPV vaccine boosts reports of adverse effects
The number of adverse events associated with the HPV vaccine reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appeared to be related to media coverage and online controversy about the vaccine, finds a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Teens from military families suffer from deployments
It is widely known that deployment is stressful for military families, including their children. A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health finds that teens from military families are more likely to feel sad or hopeless, have thoughts about suicide and symptoms of depression than teens of civilian families.
Neighbourhood deprivation linked to structural changes in the brain
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers from the University of Glasgow have published findings demonstrating a link between neighbourhood deprivation and brain structure.
Researchers discover idling brain activity in severely brain-injured patients who "wake up" after using a sleep drug
(Medical Xpress)—George Melendez has been called a medical miracle. After a near drowning deprived his brain of oxygen, Melendez remained in a fitful, minimally conscious state until his mother, in 2002, decided to give him the sleep aid drug Ambien to quiet his moaning and writhing. The next thing she knew, her son was quietly looking at her and trying to talk. He has been using the drug ever since to maintain awareness, but no one could understand why Ambien led to such an awakening.
New imaging tool bypasses blade to check for skin cancer
(Medical Xpress)—You have a suspicious mole on your skin. It doesn't hurt, but it looks different than it did six months ago.
Unhealthiest stroke patients are less likely to get optimal care
(Medical Xpress)—Among thousands of hospital patients treated for a "mini stroke," those who were at highest risk for suffering a full-blown ischemic attack were less likely to received optimal care, according to a study led by researchers at Duke Medicine.
Chelation therapy reduces cardiovascular events for older patients with diabetes
Chelation treatments reduced cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, and death in patients with diabetes but not in those who did not have diabetes, according to analyses of data from the National Institutes of Health-funded Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT). However, researchers say more studies are needed before it's known whether this promising finding leads to a treatment option.
Chemotherapy and herpes can help fight cancer, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Combining chemotherapy with a herpes virus has shown promise in killing cancer cells and tumours during initial testing, two complementary McMaster studies have found.
Holiday driving dangerous, more so just before Christmas
(Medical Xpress)—The days just before Christmas, as people rush to buy presents and travel to holiday destinations, can be more dangerous on roadways than the days surrounding Thanksgiving and New Year's, according to a recent study of traffic data by The University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety.
Anti-coagulants work better with genetic testing, study finds
The effectiveness of one of the most widely used anti-coagulant drugs can be improved if genotype testing is carried out before the dose is decided, according to the findings of a new study from the University of Liverpool, and its collaborators, the Universities of Newcastle and Uppsala.
After heart attack, mental stress affects the heart more in women under 50
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers have found that women younger than 50 with a recent heart attack are more likely to experience restricted blood flow to the heart (myocardial ischemia) in response to psychological stress.
Effective messaging could lead to more flu shots for pregnant women and children
Well-crafted messages about flu vaccination delivered through a message-framed, community-based approach, rather than through standard vaccination information sheets, could make it more likely for pregnant women in minority populations to plan immunizations for themselves and their infants, according to a study by researchers at Emory University.
Cheaters use cognitive tricks to feel good about themselves
Most people believe that they are moral and good. They also believe cheating on a partner is wrong. So how do cheaters live with themselves after their infidelity? Understanding how they reconcile their indiscretions with their beliefs about themselves can help us figure out why "good people" cheat.
Study reveals higher levels of control and support at work increases wellbeing
Research from Queen Mary University of London reveals positive aspects of working life – such as high levels of control at work, good support from supervisors and colleagues, and feeling cared for – support higher levels of wellbeing among Britain's workers.
Predicting human body height from DNA
Predicting adult body height from genetic data is helpful in several areas such as pediatric endocrinology and forensic investigations. However, despite large international efforts to catalogue the genes that influence the stature of humans, knowledge on genetic determinants of adult body height is still incomplete. Now DNA-based prediction of taller-than-average body height is feasible, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands and Sweden in an article published in Springer's journal Human Genetics.
Blood vessel tangles in brain best left alone, study suggests
Patients with a condition that causes blood vessels in the brain to form an abnormal tangle could be helped by the findings of new research.
Risk of hospitalized fall injury up for seniors with diabetes
(HealthDay)—Older adults with diabetes, especially those treated with insulin, are at increased risk of injurious falls requiring hospitalization, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in Diabetes Care.
AHA: Case vignette weighs pre-sport cardiac screening
(HealthDay)—Two questions relating to cardiac screening for high school students before participation in competitive sports are discussed in a case vignette published online Nov. 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Heart Association's 2013 Scientific Sessions, held from Nov. 16 to 19 in Dallas.
Light could replace shock to regulate hearts
So many Americans experience dangerous fluctuations in heartbeat that about 400,000 times a year a device is implanted in their chests to keep a normal rhythm.
Smokers who quit cut heart disease risk faster than previous estimates
Cigarette smokers who are over 65 years of age may be able to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths to the level of never-smokers when they quit faster than previously reported, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.
Coffee may help perk up your blood vessels
The caffeine in a cup of coffee might help your small blood vessels work better, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.
Insomnia linked to mortality risk
Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, affects up to one-third of the population in the United States. In new findings, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have found that some insomnia symptoms are associated with an increased risk of mortality in men. These findings are published online in Circulation and will appear in an upcoming print issue.
Study finds differences in brains of children with nonverbal learning disability
A Michigan State University researcher has discovered the first anatomical evidence that the brains of children with a nonverbal learning disability – long considered a "pseudo" diagnosis – may develop differently than the brains of other children.
Scientists far from finish line in understanding anemia in female athletes
When Kaitlyn Patterson's fatigue progressed to hyperventilating even during slow runs, and then forced her to quit high school distance running for the season, she knew something was very wrong.
Study shows diet alone can be significant source of arsenic
Diet alone can be a significant source of arsenic exposure regardless of arsenic concentrations in drinking and cooking water, a Dartmouth College-led study finds.
New research gives clues of antibiotic use and resistance in US children's hospitals
Two studies published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology show antibiotic resistance patterns for children have held stable over a seven-year period and surgical patients in U.S. children's hospitals account for 43 percent of all antibiotic use in children's hospitals, presenting an opportunity for targeted intervention.
Excessive testosterone raises mortality risk in older men
Older men whose testosterone levels were neither low nor high tended to live longer, according to new research accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Metabolically healthy obesity does not guarantee clean bill of health
Obese people who are currently metabolically healthy face a higher risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new research accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Virtual sailing simulator shows key role of recreation
Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today the results of a pilot study demonstrating use of a virtual therapeutic sailing simulator as an important part of rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury (SCI). Published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, findings show that using a hands-on sailing simulator over a 12-week period helped participants safely learn sailing skills in a controlled environment, ultimately improving their quality of life by gaining the ability to participate in a recreational sport.
PTSD raises risk for obesity in women
Women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) gain weight more rapidly and are more likely to be overweight or obese than women without the disorder, find researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health. It is the first study to look at the relationship between PTSD and obesity over time. Results appear online in JAMA Psychiatry.
Study finds brain abnormalities linked to impaired self-awareness in cocaine addiction
New research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reveals long-term cocaine abuse may be associated with deficits in parts of the brain involved in monitoring and overseeing one's own behavior. The findings call into question the long-held clinical assumption that addicted individuals continue their compulsive drug use because of oppositional denial or lying, or because of careless minimization of their problems. The findings are published online Nov. 20 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Brain still injured from concussion after symptoms fade
After a mild concussion, special brain scans show evidence of brain abnormalities four months later, when symptoms from the concussion have mostly dissipated, according to research published in the November 20, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Frequent breaks from sedentary behavior makes kids healthier
Canadian kids spend more than half their waking hours engaged in sedentary behaviour—watching television, playing video games or just sitting around. Studies involving adult populations suggest that breaks in sedentary time are associated with reduced global health risks. Today these findings have been replicated in a study involving children between the ages of 8 and 11 as published in PLOS ONE.
Study is first to explain type of antimalarial drug resistance
A Georgetown University professor published in the online journal PLOS ONE the first study explaining why drugs designed to fight off malaria stop working in some people with the disease.
Current practice may over-diagnose vitamin D deficiency
The current "gold standard" test for measuring vitamin D status may not accurately diagnose vitamin D deficiency in black individuals. In an article in the Nov. 21 New England Journal of Medicine, a team of researchers report finding that genetic differences in a vitamin D carrier protein referred to as D-binding protein may explain the discrepancy between the prevalence of diagnosed vitamin D deficiency in black Americans – based on measuring the molecule 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) – and a lack of the usual symptoms of vitamin deficiency.
Too much weekly sport seems to be as bad as too little for teen wellbeing
Too much weekly sport seems to be as bad as too little for teen well-being, suggesting there's an inverted U shaped relationship between the two, finds research published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Sudden steep drop in blood pressure on standing from lying down may predict atrial fibrillation
Results of a Johns Hopkins-led study have identified a possible link between a history of sudden drops in blood pressure and the most common form of irregular heartbeat.
Aging impacts epigenome in human skeletal muscle
Our epigenome is a set of chemical switches that turn parts of our genome off and on at strategic times and locations. These switches help alter the way our cells act and are impacted by environmental factors including diet, exercise and stress. Research at the Buck Institute reveals that aging also effects the epigenome in human skeletal muscle. The study, appearing on line in Aging Cell, provides a method to study sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of muscle mass that begins in middle age.
Surgeons emotionally affected by surgical complications
(HealthDay)—Many surgeons are profoundly emotionally affected by surgical complications, according to a study published in the December issue of the British Journal of Surgery.
Kidney procedure might help ease tough-to-treat high blood pressure
(HealthDay)—A new therapy may help lower tough-to-treat high blood pressure in people with chronic kidney disease, a new study finds.
USPSTF identifies high priority evidence gaps for older adults
(HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has produced their third annual report for Congress identifying high-priority evidence gaps specifically relating to the care of older adults.
Connections in the brains of young children strengthen during sleep, study finds
While young children sleep, connections between the left and the right hemispheres of their brain strengthen, which may help brain functions mature, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.
Study finds potential key to learning a new language
A new study by University of Houston (UH) researchers may lead to dramatic changes in the way language is taught and learned – especially a second language. These findings are important because statistics show 60 percent of the children in the Houston Independent School District are non-native English speakers, a category on the rise across the United States.
Early data show potential for investigational bioengineered vessel as dialysis graft
An investigational, man-made blood vessel used in vascular grafts for kidney dialysis patients may potentially show encouraging early results among study patients in Poland, according to preliminary data reported Wednesday by a researcher at Duke Medicine.
Large dishes increase how much cereal kids request, eat, and waste
Smaller bowl sizes may be the next weapon in the battle against childhood obesity, says a new Cornell study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics which found children not only ask for more food to fill larger bowls, but they also eat 52 percent more.
Size, connectivity of brain region linked to anxiety level in young children
Prolonged stress and anxiety during childhood is a risk factor for developing anxiety disorders and depression later in life. Now, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown that by measuring the size and connectivity of a part of the brain associated with processing emotion—the amygdala—they can predict the degree of anxiety a young child is experiencing in daily life.
'Undruggable' mutation meets its match: Six-year effort yields first drug to target important cancer gene
In the field of drug design, the protein K-Ras is legendary. It's been on everyone's "target" list for more than 30 years due to its status as the most commonly mutated oncogene in human cancers. Despite this high profile, K-Ras has earned a reputation in scientific circles as being "undruggable" because many pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic laboratories have failed to design a drug that successfully targets the mutant gene.
Promising target found for better brain cancer drugs
(Medical Xpress)—The deadliest brain cancer requires grueling treatment with bleak prospects for survival. Cornell researchers have discovered a key component to how these aggressive tumors grow that could lead to better solutions.
Scientists define brain network behind attention, daydreaming
Stanford neuroscientists have for the first time traced how three brain networks mediate the mind's internal focus and its processing of stimuli from the outside world.
Neurons in brain's 'face recognition center' respond differently in patients with autism
In what are believed to be the first studies of their kind, Cedars-Sinai researchers recording the real-time firing of individual nerve cells in the brain found that a specific type of neuron in a structure called the amygdala performed differently in people who suffer from autism spectrum disorder than in those who do not.
Listen to this: Study upends understanding of how humans perceive sound
A key piece of the scientific model used for the past 30 years to help explain how humans perceive sound is wrong, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Tiny antisense molecules increase 'good cholesterol' levels in obese primates
A strategy developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based investigators to increase levels of beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has been shown for the first time to be effective in non-human primates. The approach uses tiny antisense sequences to block the action of microRNAs that would otherwise inhibit a protein required for generation of HDL, the "good cholesterol" that helps remove harmful lipids from the body. The report appears in the November 20 Science Translational Medicine.
Study reveals how variant forms of APOE protein impact risk of Alzheimer's disease
Carrying a particular version of the gene for apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the major known genetic risk factor for the sporadic, late-onset form of Alzheimer's disease, but exactly how that variant confers increased risk has been controversial among researchers. Now an animal study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators shows that even low levels of the Alzheimer's-associated APOE4 protein can increase the number and density of amyloid beta (A-beta) brain plaques, characteristic neuronal damage, and the amount of toxic soluble A-beta within the brain in mouse models of the disease. Introducing APOE2, a rare variant that has been associated with protection from developing Alzheimer's disease, into the brains of animals with established plaques actually reduced A-beta deposition, retention and neurotoxicity, suggesting the potential for gene-therapy-based treatment.
Large study links nut consumption to reduced death rate
In the largest study of its kind, people who ate a daily handful of nuts were 20 percent less likely to die from any cause over a 30-year period than were those who didn't consume nuts, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Long-term unemployment may accelerate aging in men
Men who are unemployed for more than two years show signs of faster ageing in their DNA, a new study has found.
Biology news
Launch of E-Biothon, a networked platform for the acceleration and advancement of bioinformatics research
France has always been at the forefront of medical research, particularly as regards major "epidemics" and pathologies of our time such as AIDS, cancer and diabetes. The genetic and proteomic analysis of viruses or of patients appears to play an increasing role in helping to develop new treatments. Recent technological advances, such as high-throughput sequencers, enable biology researchers to have access to massive amounts of raw data (petabytes of data are generated every year) on the composition of viruses, bacteria and the human species. Analyzing this data to make sense of it is a daunting task that requires huge computer processing capacity.
Plant more native tress to increase rainfall in South West
Water research experts have called for urgent reforestation to mitigate climate change caused by the widespread land clearing which occurred in Western Australia up until the 1980s.
Where in Europe will the next insect pest infestation occur?
Climate change means that Europe's insect pest invasion is going to get worse. Scientists in the Department of Biology at the University of Fribourg, in collaboration with the Swiss Research Station Agroscope ART and the University of Neuenburg, have discovered factors which have an effect on the probability of insect pests taking hold in Europe.
Cows chomping on fresh grass and red clover silage produce omega milk
Fat is an important ingredient that has a material impact on the nutritional value, texture, taste, shelf-life and producer price of milk. However, milk products are a significant source of saturated fatty acids in the Western diet. How should dairy cattle be fed for their milk to contain more unsaturated fatty acids?
Urban bushland vital to Perth's birds
In a unique study of Perth and its surrounds, researchers have found the fragmentation of natural bushland is linked to an alarming decline in the numbers of native land birds.
A living desert underground
Hidden underneath the hilly grasslands studded with ocotillos and mesquite trees in southeastern Arizona lies a world shrouded in perpetual darkness: Kartchner Caverns, a limestone cave system renowned for its untouched cave formations, sculpted over millennia by groundwater dissolving the bedrock and carving out underground rooms, and passages that attract tourists from all over the world.
New technology could help food crops thrive in crowded fields
(Phys.org) —With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the world's farmers are going to need to produce a lot more food—but without using much more farmland, as the vast majority of the world's arable land is already being used for agriculture.
Parasites: Rulers of the Reef
Because "she" spawns every fourth day, I knew she would spawn today. I rolled out of bed at the chime of my reliable Winnie the Pooh alarm clock, slid into my wetsuit, grabbed my underwater flashlight, and stumbled into the kitchen at the Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados to make my coffee, proud to be awake even before the roosters announced the onset of dawn.
Right at the museum: Collections give clues on climate change
We know museums attract visitors who come to view and wonder at their vast array of displays, but they are also used by expert researchers – locally and abroad – who make use of the ever-growing collections.
Computational approach reveals myriad of protein pairs that combine to regulate gene activity
Transcription factor (TF) proteins switch particular genes on and off by homing in on specific sequences of nucleotides scattered throughout the genome. In some cases, this regulation is a team effort, where pairs of TFs—or 'dimers'—come together to modulate one target gene.
National survey finds frog abnormalities rare
A 10-year study shows some good news for frogs and toads on national wildlife refuges. The rate of abnormalities such as shortened or missing legs was less than 2 percent overall—indicating that the malformations first reported in the mid-1990s were rarer than feared. But much higher rates were found in local "hotspots," suggesting that where these problems occur they have local causes. The results were published Nov. 18 in the journal PLOS ONE.
Scientists identify a new ancestral enzyme that facilitates DNA repair
Every day, the human body produces new cells to regenerate tissues and repair those that have suffered injury. Each time this happens, the cells make copies of their DNA that they will pass on to the resulting daughter cells. This process of copying the DNA, also called replication, is very delicate, given that it can generate severe alterations in the DNA that are associated with malignant transformation or ageing.
The closest relatives of papaya are four species from Mexico and Guatemala
For many decades, researchers thought the closest relatives of papaya were certain trees from the Andes, the so-called highland papayas. A study employing DNA sequences from all species of the papaya family instead revealed that the closest relatives of papaya are three herbaceous species and a small tree with stinging hairs occurring from Mexico to Guatemala and El Salvador. The stingy-haired tree in fact is only known from cloud forests in the Sierra de Juarez in Oaxaca, southern Mexico.
Three new wafer trapdoor spiders from Brazil
Scientists discover three new gorgeous species of the wafer trapdoor genus Fufius – F. minusculus, F. jalapensis, and F. candango. The discovery of the three new species, published in the open access journal ZooKeys, paves the road to understanding the morphological variability of the species in this little known mygalomorph genus.
Let's just harvest invasive species—problem solved?
Although invasive Asian carp have been successfully harvested and served on a dinner plate, harvesting invasive plants to convert into ethanol isn't as easy.
Tiny crystals could revolutionize structural biology studies
For structural biologists, the first step in determining a protein's precise molecular structure is often the hardest: coaxing the protein to grow into the orderly, three-dimensional crystals that are the starting material for most structural studies. For particularly difficult cases, it can take years to generate usable crystals – and sometimes the protein never crystallizes despite intense effort. Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists have developed a new method that generates a high-resolution protein structure from crystals one-million times smaller than those needed for X-ray crystallography, the most common method for determining protein structure.
Birds predict weather change and adjust behaviour by reading barometric pressure
(Phys.org) —A new study from Western University's Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR) proves through experimentation that birds can predict changes in the weather by reading the rise and fall of barometric pressure.
Invasive sparrows immune cells sharpen as they spread
When invasive species move into new areas, they often lose their natural enemies, including the microbes that make them sick. But new research from evolutionary biologists at the University of South Florida has found that adjustments in the immune system may help house sparrows, one of the world's most common bird species, thrive in new areas.
What composes the human heart? Researchers crunch the numbers
A foundational study published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) this week by researchers at the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine have identified the optimal structure and cell ratio associated with heart function – and the discovery has already led the team to another research first: the engineering of the first-ever living, three-dimensional human arrhythmic tissue.
Aging erodes genetic control, but that's flexible
Biologists at Brown University have found a way to measure the effects of aging by watching the ebb and flow of chromatin, a structure along strands of DNA that either silences or permits gene expression. In several newly published experiments they show that gene silencing via chromatin in fruit flies declines with age.
The last croak for Darwin's frog
Deadly amphibian disease chytridiomycosis has caused the extinction of Darwin's frogs, believe scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), Chile.
Impacts of plant invasions become less robust over time
Among the most impressive ecological findings of the past 25 years is the ability of invasive plants to radically change ecosystem function. Yet few if any studies have examined whether ecosystem impacts of invasions persist over time, and what that means for plant communities and ecosystem restoration.
Study shows 'solar powered' sea slugs can survive long term in the dark
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from Germany and the Netherlands has found that at least two species of sea slug thought to be able to endure long periods of starvation by gleaning energy from the sun has found that the slugs can live for long periods of time without food and with or without sunlight. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, the team describes experiments they conducted with the slugs and then outline their findings.
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