Over 700 multiphysics papers and presentations now available for viewing: http://goo.gl/PCSJqt
Learn about the latest achievements in modeling and simulation in this exclusive online collection of materials presented at the 2013 COMSOL Conferences: http://goo.gl/PCSJqt
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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 27, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Robots may receive urine-powered artificial 'hearts'- Express yourself: Scientists use genetic algorithm to design self-assembling ssDNA-grafted particles
- A Whirling Dervish puts physicists in a spin
- Can plants grow on the moon? NASA plans test in 2015
- Slowly cooled DNA transforms disordered nanoparticles into orderly crystal
- Figures of eight and peanut shells: How stars move at the center of the galaxy
- Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty
- Key protein responsible for controlling communication between brain cells identified
- Genetic mutation increases risk of Parkinson's disease from pesticides
- New clues to memory formation may help better treat dementia
- Cryptic new species of wild cat identified in Brazil
- By targeting enzyme in mosquito-borne parasite, researchers aim to eliminate malaria
- Lakes discovered beneath Greenland ice sheet
- Researchers identify a rescuer for vital tumor-suppressor
- Pills of the future: Scientists develop way to successfully give nanoparticle therapeutics orally
Space & Earth news
Video: Near-miss by asteroid 2013 NJ
Earlier today the near-Earth asteroid 2013 NJ sailed by, coming as close as 2.5 lunar distances—about 960,000 km/596,500 miles.
Ecosystems threatened by fire suppression-only policy
In late July, UC Berkeley fire ecologist Scott Stephens was working in Stanislaus National Forest, gathering data on how a century had altered its character. What he saw were the signs of a clear and present danger.
Researchers study microplastic pollution effect on ocean ecology
Large amounts of plastic are found in the oceans. What are the impacts of miniature plastic particles on fish and crustaceans? And will these have ramifications for the availability of safe seafood?
Image: Webb telescope crew flexes robotic arm at NASA
The robotic arm lifts and lowers a golden James Webb Space Telescope flight spare primary mirror segment onto a test piece of backplane at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
3 Questions: Benjamin Olken on the economic impact of climate change
How is climate change going to affect our economic activity in the future? Many researchers have dug into this subject empirically in recent years, including economists Michael Greenstone and Benjamin Olken of MIT. Now Olken, along with economists Melissa Dell of Harvard University and Benjamin Jones of Northwestern University, has co-authored a lengthy review article for the Journal of Economic Literature, surveying this research and suggesting areas needing further study. Olken sat down with MIT News recently to discuss the climate-economy connection.
NASA watches as India braces for Tropical Cyclone Lehar
Tropical Cyclone Lehar is weakening as it heads for a landfall in eastern India. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the storm nearing the coast today, November 27.
Striking ISON images from Subaru telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam
During an intensive commissioning run, Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), mounted at prime focus on the Subaru Telescope, has successfully imaged the Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) as it journeys toward the Sun. Especially striking in the HSC image are the comet's long tails, which span a distance more than twice the diameter of the full moon (Figure 1).
SWARM trio hits first milestone
Reaching a significant milestone for ESA's magnetic field mission, the Swarm satellites have completed the critical first phase of their new mission.
Image: 1983 ESA Spacelab sled experiment
A test subject sitting on Sled, an ESA experiment launched on Spacelab-1 on 28 November 1983. Sled investigated space sickness by monitoring eye movement as the seat moved horizontally and tilted while cold or hot air was blown into the astronaut's ears.
Scientists want a fire-spotting satellite
As firefighters emerge from another record wildfire season in the Western United States, University of California, Berkeley, scientists say it's time to give them a 21st century tool: a fire-spotting satellite.
Trove of data from Russian 'dash-cam' meteorite
The asteroid impact that burst over Chelyabinsk, Russia, on the morning of February 15 has provided a huge collection of new data that scientists have been analysing since. This week, three papers, two in Nature and one in Science, describe new aspects of the meteorite's airburst, building the most-detailed forensic picture of the events of that morning.
Image: US holiday transportation web seen from orbit
Thanksgiving is a time for family, for feasting, and for gratitude in the United States. It is also a time when the nation's transportation network is clogged with travelers. According to the American Automobile Association, an estimated 43.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more during Thanksgiving week, with the average round trip being 600 miles (1,000 kilometers). More than 90 percent of them will use cars or trucks, while the rest will ride planes or trains.
NASA launches exo-brake parachute from ISS
Mission controllers have confirmed that a small satellite launched from the International Space Station last week has successfully entered its orbit. Soon it will demonstrate two new technologies including an "exo-brake" device to demonstrate a new de-orbit technique as well as a communications system to provide precise information about the spacecraft's position.
Subarctic lakes are drying up at a rate not seen in 200 years
The decrease in snowfall observed in recent years in Canada's subarctic regions has led to worrisome desiccation of the regions' lakes. This is the conclusion arrived at by researchers from Université Laval, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brock University and the University of Waterloo in a study published this week on the website of the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters.
NASA sees Alessia reclaim her crown as a Tropical Storm
The former tropical storm Alessia reclaimed her title on November 27 in the Gulf of Carpentaria, as NASA's TRMM satellite passed overhead and observed heavy rainfall occurring in bands of thunderstorms around the storm's center.
Will comet ISON survive its near brush with the Sun?
US astrophysicists are split over what will happen when the comet ISON passes near the sun Thursday, but a majority think it will break apart.
A fiery drama of star birth and death
The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the closest galaxies to our own. Astronomers have now used the power of ESO's Very Large Telescope to explore one of its lesser known regions. This new image shows clouds of gas and dust where hot new stars are being born and are sculpting their surroundings into odd shapes. But the image also shows the effects of stellar death—filaments created by a supernova explosion.
Europe's billion-star surveyor set for launch
By repeatedly observing a billion stars, with its billion-pixel video camera, the Gaia mission will allow astronomers to determine the origin and evolution of our galaxy whilst also testing gravity, mapping our inner solar system, and uncovering tens of thousands of previously unseen objects, including asteroids in our solar system, planets around nearby stars, and supernovae in other galaxies.
The search for medium-sized black holes
Black holes can be petite, with masses only about 10 times that of our sun—or monstrous, boasting the equivalent in mass up to 10 billion suns. Do black holes also come in size medium? NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is busy scrutinizing a class of black holes that may fall into the proposed medium-sized category.
Indirect study of Earth's core
The center of the Earth is about 6,371 kilometers or 4, 000 miles away, roughly the distance between Phoenix and the North Pole.
Lakes discovered beneath Greenland ice sheet
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, discovered two subglacial lakes 800 metres below the Greenland Ice Sheet. The two lakes are each roughly 8-10 km2, and at one point may have been up to three times larger than their current size.
SOHO shows new images of Comet ISON
As Comet ISON heads toward its closest approach to the sun—known as perihelion—on Nov. 28, 2013, scientists have been watching through many observatories to see if the comet has already broken up under the intense heat and gravitational forces of the sun. The comet is too far away to discern how many pieces it is in, so instead researchers carefully measure how bright it is, which can be used to infer its current state. Less light can sometimes mean that more of the material has boiled off and disappeared, perhaps pointing to a disintegrated comet. But also a disintegrating comet sometimes gives off more light, at least temporarily, so researchers look at the comet's pattern of behavior over the previous few days to work out what it may be doing.
Can plants grow on the moon? NASA plans test in 2015
(Phys.org) —NASA is planning to launch a milestone experiment involving growing plants on the moon. The target date is 2015, when the agency will deposit plants on the moon's surface. The initiative is being driven by the Lunar Plant Growth Habitat team. They intend to use coffee-can sized containers designed to protect the plants against harsh elements of the climate, and will also provide cameras, sensors, and electronics in order to relay information about how the plants fare back to earth. NASA's plan is "to develop a very simple sealed growth chamber that can support germination over a five to-ten day period in a spacecraft on the Moon."
Figures of eight and peanut shells: How stars move at the center of the galaxy
(Phys.org) —Two months ago astronomers created a new 3D map of stars at the center of our galaxy (the Milky Way), showing more clearly than ever the bulge at its core. Previous explanations suggested that the stars that form the bulge are in banana-like orbits, but a paper published this week in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society suggests that the stars probably move in peanut-shell or figure of eight-shaped orbits instead.
Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty
(Phys.org) —Gemini observations support an unexpected discovery in the galaxy Messier 101. A relatively small black hole (20-30 times the mass of our Sun) can sustain a hugely voracious appetite while consuming material in an efficient and tidy manner – something previously thought impossible. The research also affects the long quest for elusive intermediate-mass black holes. The findings are published in the November 28, 2013, issue of the journal Nature.
Technology news
New navigation system for port traffic
The DockingAssist system is a precise, high-speed port navigation system developed in a European research project. DockingAssist has the potential to improve port-area safety and increase overall throughput in port traffic, thereby increasing overall port efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. This autumn, a prototype of DockingAssist was successfully tested at the Port of Cork in Ireland. Due to its WiMAX-based wireless network solution designed by VTT, the system can serve hundreds of vessels in the proximity of major ports.
IBM combines local IT systems with cloud storage
IBM today announced that its inventors have patented a technique for combining Big Data from distributed cloud services with data stored on local IT systems to gain new insights that can enable businesses to more efficiently and effectively market and serve their customers.
Niger cuts off third of mobile phones to stop crime
Niger has deactivated a third of its mobile phone connections to curb anonymous phone calls used for criminal activity, the country's telecoms regulator has announced.
Snapchat finds its niche with disappearing messages
For 13-year-old Coral Fairchild, Snapchat trumps old-style text messaging as the way to socialize with friends in the mobile Internet age.
Imec simplifies i-PERC solar cell processing by implementing laser doping from ALD-Al2O3
Nanoelectronics research centre IMEC announced today that they have developed large area (156x156mm2) i-PERC-type silicon solar cells using a new processing sequence based on laser doping from a thin atomic layer deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer to realize the local aluminum Back Surface Field (BSF) and Ni/Cu plating to form the front contact. The cells achieved average conversion efficiencies of 20.2%.
Harvard materials scientists win award for tiny 3D-printed battery
Materials scientists at Harvard University have been recognized by the printed electronics industry for their work on novel 3D-printed lithium-ion microbatteries the size of a grain of sand.
EU lays down steps US must take to protect data
The EU on Wednesday laid down steps Washington must take to restore trust after a huge spying scandal, including giving EU citizens the right to US legal redress to protect personal data.
World Bank says no money for nuclear power
The World Bank and United Nations on Wednesday appealed for billions of dollars to provide electricity for the poorest nations but said there would be no investment in nuclear power.
New technique for dataset cluster detection
(Phys.org) —A persistent problem for mathematicians trying to understand the structures of networks – in datasets representing relationships among everything from galaxies to people – is community detection: finding groups of related data points, or nodes. A network that contains three groups of nodes is fundamentally different from a network that contains two groups.
Bitcoin rises above $1,000
The virtual currency bitcoin Wednesday broke above $1,000 per unit, quintupling in a month, according to Mt. Gox, which manages trading in bitcoin.
Robots may receive urine-powered artificial 'hearts'
(Phys.org) —It's a first: researchers have built the first artificial-heart-like pump that is powered by microbial fuel cells fed on human urine. But instead of being used as a prosthetic device for human patients suffering from cardiac failure, the pump is intended to be used in "EcoBots" that extract energy from organic waste and turn it into electricity.
Medicine & Health news
SC free clinic model now replicated nationwide
What began two decades ago on Hilton Head Island as a free clinic using retired physicians and volunteers to care for the working poor has become a model for dozens of similar clinics nationwide. There are now 96 Volunteers in Medicine Clinics in 29 states.
Mass vaccinations for children in typhoon-hit Philippines
A mass vaccination programme has been launched in Philippine communities that were devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan to protect children against measles and polio, UN agencies said Wednesday.
US health watchdog curbs exports from India's Wockhardt
The US health regulator has restricted exports from a plant owned by Indian generic drugmaker Wockhardt in the latest ban on its products, sending the company's shares tumbling 14 percent on Wednesday.
US gov't to keep ban on paying bone marrow donors (Update)
Could paying for bone marrow cells really boost the number of donors? The Obama administration is taking steps to block a federal court ruling that had opened a way to find out.
Two new HIV vaccine candidates: Q&A with Nicolas Mouz
European researchers have designed two new vaccine candidates to fight the HIV virus. These have been developed within the EU-funded project EURONEUT 41. They work by targeting the mechanism of HIV entry into the body via one of the virus' proteins, called gp41. Nicolas Mouz, chief scientific officer at project partner companyPX'Therapeutics, a Grenoble, France service organisation doing research and manufacturing, talks about the main challenges of dealing with the HIV virus in the fight against AIDS. His views stem from his experience with the project.
Pediatric skin ailments common in winter
As parents across the Chicago area prepare to take that perfect holiday photo to send to family and friends, they may want to consider more than just getting their kids to smile and look at the camera.
Belgium close to agreeing euthanasia for children (Update)
Eleven years after making euthanasia legal for adults, Belgium came a step closer to extending mercy-killing to terminally-ill children Wednesday after an intense public debate on the ethical issues at stake.
Florida uptick in tick-borne diseases
Florida is exceptional for countless reasons – sunshine, beaches, theme parks—but a new distinction is cause for growing concern among health experts and tourism officials alike: a rapid and unexplained increase in the number of cases of tick-borne diseases.
Program helps seniors drive more safely
For the seventh consecutive year, the Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety (TREDS) program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has been awarded a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) that will help keep our roadways and senior drivers safe through professional training.
NIH director warns that US research funding is falling behind, calls for new focus on innovation
The United States may be losing ground as the leader in biomedical research and within the next five years will be second to China in the funds it spends for R&D, according to Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D, director of the National Institutes of Health.
HIV infections up in Europe and Central Asia
HIV infections in Europe and Central Asia increased by eight percent in 2012 compared to a year earlier, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced Wednesday.
Health law's Spanish sign-up tools delayed
You can add one more delay to the list for the rollout of President Barack Obama's health care law. This time, it's a postponement of the launch of an online enrollment tool in Spanish.
Health law business insurance site delayed one year
President Barack Obama's administration has announced yet another delay in the rollout of the health care law. An online health insurance marketplace for small businesses is being put off until November 2014 to make sure the HealthCare.gov website gets fixed first.
Ethical debate on face transplantation has evolved over time, reports Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Once viewed as an "outlandish morally objectionable" concept with science-fiction overtones, face transplantation is now accepted as a "feasible and necessary treatment" for severely disfigured patients. The evolving ethical debate over face transplantation is analyzed in a special topic paper in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Transferring fewer embryos doesn't reduce delivery rates if linked to reimbursing six IVF cycles
Research from Belgium has shown that if governments legislate to restrict the numbers of embryos transferred during fertility treatment, but combine it with a policy of reimbursing six cycles of assisted reproduction technology (ART), there is no detrimental impact on pregnancy and delivery rates. However, there is a greatly reduced risk of multiple births, which have associated health risks for mother and babies and are an increased cost to the state.
Shortage of rheumatologists: In some US regions closest doctor may be 200 miles away
A novel study published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism, shows that smaller micropolitan areas of the U.S.—those with less than 50,000 people—have very few or no practicing adult rheumatologist. In some of these areas, individuals have to travel more than 200 miles to reach the closest rheumatologist.
Negative BRCA testing may not always imply lowered breast cancer risk
Women who are members of families with BRCA2 mutations but who test negative for the family-specific BRCA2 mutations are still at greater risk for developing breast cancer compared with women in the general population, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Australian surf deadlier than bushfires, sharks
The Australian surf kills more people than bushfires, cyclones, floods and sharks combined, according to a study released Wednesday which found rip currents were far more likely to be deadly than other natural hazards.
Study finds neural differences in good navigators
The brains of people who immediately know their way after travelling along as a passenger are different from the brains of people who always need a GPS system or a map to get from one place to another. This was demonstrated by Joost Wegman, who will defend his thesis at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands on the 27th of November.
Communication key to adolescent health outcomes
Improved communication between pediatric providers and the parents and guardians of adolescents could lead to better health outcomes, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study reports. The findings are available online in this month's Patient Education and Counseling.
Aggressive HIV strain causes faster AIDS development
A recently discovered HIV strain leads to significantly faster development of AIDS than currently prevalent forms, according to new research from Lund University in Sweden.
Experimental HIV vaccine targets virus envelope protein
AIDS research has investigated many strategies to tackle the HIV virus. Now, a new type of vaccine developed within the EU-funded project EuroNeut-41, targets an HIV envelope protein called the gp41. The protein is directly responsible for the fusion of the HIV virus with human cells. By integrating the gp41 protein into the vaccine, researchers are attempting to trigger the production of antibodies that would block the entrance of HIV into human cells.
Video: Potential AIDS vaccine targets blood, mucosal tissue
December 1st is the annual World AIDS Day, a perfect opportunity to look at how medical research is progressing to fight the disease.
Long-term multivitamin supplementation delays AIDS symptoms
A study published today in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that long-term (24-month) supplementation with multivitamins plus selenium delayed the onset of symptoms for patients recently infected with HIV.
Mismanagement of sports-related concussions in children
On-field management of sport-related head injuries in children does not follow international guidelines with many children continuing to play despite signs of concussion, a new study has found.
It is game over for 23andMe, and rightly so
The market for personal genome services is facing a reality check. While the most prominent and innovative company 23andMe has flourished so far, in the past few years many of its competitors have gone out of business. Now, with the latest warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the rest of the genome testing industry may be counting its days too. This is because 23andMe has failed to provide scientific evidence for their genetic tests and the FDA has urged them in a public letter to halt the marketing of their services until further notice.
Therapeutic challenges for African-Americans with hypertension
For African-Americans who have hypertension, controlling their high blood pressure is critical to avoid serious complications. However, a history of racial discrimination and/or mistrust in their physicians often causes them to skip taking their necessary medication, finds a new study in the American Journal of Public Health.
Higher than expected rates of U.S. alcohol abuse disorders
Disorders related to the abuse of alcohol contribute significantly to the burden of disease in the U.S., finds a new study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Researchers estimated that in 2005, about 53,000 men and 12,000 women died from issues related to alcohol use disorders (AUD).
Study highlights impact of e-cigarette marketing on young people
Celebrity endorsements and social media are attracting young people to use e-cigarettes according to a new University of Stirling report.
Research finds positive long-term outcomes of cochlear implantation
Penn State Brandywine Assistant Professor of Psychology Daniela Martin, of Media, is on the frontline of significant, unique research. With the first generation of cochlear implant recipients reaching adulthood, Martin and her colleagues are out to discover the long-term psychological outcomes of this relatively new medical procedure.
Gene therapy explained
Every now and again you might read about gene therapy and efforts to correct serious genetic diseases. But I'm betting that very few readers have had gene therapy, nor have they ever met anyone who has, nor will they ever meet that many.
Research uncovers the "gut-brain axis"
Striking new evidence indicates that the gut microbiome, the ecological community of microorganisms that share our body, has a huge effect on brain function – much larger than we thought.
High-visibility clothing ineffective against driver behavior
A new study from the University of Bath and Brunel University suggests that no matter what clothing a cyclist wears, around 1-2% of drivers will pass dangerously close when overtaking.
Working toward injectable therapy for rotator cuff injuries
(Medical Xpress)—For a baseball pitcher, a rotator cuff injury often means an extended stay on the disabled list for surgery and rehabilitation of the damaged tendons. But a new technology under development may stop this shoulder injury from becoming so severe that surgery is required.
Anti-smoking drug may help problem drinkers
A drug commonly used to help people quit smoking may also help problem drinkers overcome their addiction.
Desensitization therapy for peanut allergy
(Medical Xpress)—Families with peanut-allergic children live in fear that their child will ingest peanuts, even minute amounts, accidentally. Now, a small pilot study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology offers hope.
B cells school gut microbes
Your immune system's B cells can respond to an amazing number of pathogens—viruses, bacteria, etc.—without ever having encountered them. That's because, as they develop, your B cells reshuffle their antibody-producing genes into an amazing number of possible combinations—more than 100 million—to produce what's called your primary pre-immune B cell repertoire.
Scientists begin potential HIV cure trials
Scientists and clinicians from five leading UK universities, including King's College London, will begin a groundbreaking trial next year to test a possible cure for HIV infection.
Researchers find better predictor of breast cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Epidemiologists have designed a better method to quantify a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and their collaborators. The model could help identify women at high risk of breast cancer who may benefit from prevention strategies that reduce the chances of developing the disease.
People respond to tax on unhealthy foods
(Medical Xpress)—Excise taxes on unhealthy foods – combined with public-service anti-obesity advertising – might cut calories and cholesterol from Americans' lunch menus.
Hysterectomized women may benefit from testosterone
Hysterectomy and oophorectomy (the removal of ovaries) are performed to treat various diseases in women, including cancer. These procedures are accompanied not only by a decline in estrogen but also testosterone levels in the blood. Many women who have undergone surgical removal of their uterus and/or ovaries can develop symptoms of sexual dysfunction, fatigue, low mood and decreased muscle mass. New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has found that testosterone administration in women with low testosterone levels, whom previously had undergone hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy, was associated with improvements in sexual function, muscle mass and physical function. This research appears in the November 27, 2013 online issue of Menopause.
Children are significantly more likely to develop PTSD if the mother is already afflicted
A Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) study indicates that children are more likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if their mother is already afflicted.
The deadly news about all osteoporotic fractures
It is well known that hip and vertebral fractures increase the risk of premature death. Until now, little has been known about the clinical impact of non-hip, non-vertebral fractures – so new Australian research showing that they may also increase the risk of death will better inform treatment.
Scientists design and test new approach for corneal stem cell treatments
Researchers in the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have designed and tested a novel, minute-long procedure to prepare human amniotic membrane for use as a scaffold for specialized stem cells that may be used to treat some corneal diseases. This membrane serves as a foundation that supports the growth of stem cells in order to graft them onto the cornea.
Geriatric care may help older patients become independent again after car accident or other trauma
Older patients who received extra geriatric care following a traumatic injury were able to return to roughly two thirds more daily activities than those without a consultation, according to a new study led by researchers from the University of Michigan Health System and University of California, Los Angeles.
Researchers discover promising new treatment to help people with spine injuries walk better
Scientists may have found a new treatment that can help people with spinal cord injuries walk better. The research is published in the November 27, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Parents who set, stick to rules may help kids stay slim
(HealthDay)—Parents who set firm rules about behaviors like TV viewing, dinner time and physical activity tend to have children of healthier weights, a new Australian study finds.
Practices should start preparing for transition to ICD-10
(HealthDay)—Practices should start preparing for the transition to International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), according to an article published Nov. 10 in Medical Economics.
Expert serves up turkey tips for a healthy holiday
(HealthDay)—A big part of having a happy and healthy Thanksgiving is making sure you correctly thaw, clean, cook and store the turkey, an expert says.
Automated prediction alert helps identify patients at risk for 30-day readmission
An automated prediction tool which identifies newly admitted patients who are at risk for readmission within 30 days of discharge has been successfully incorporated into the electronic health record of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The tool, developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, is the subject of a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Modafinil reduces depression's severity when taken with antidepressants
A new study has concluded that taking the drug modafinil, typically used to treat sleep disorders, in combination with antidepressants reduces the severity of depression more effectively than taking antidepressants alone. The study, a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and East London and King's College London, was published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Circadian timing may give edge to West Coast NFL teams in night games
A new analysis of National Football League results suggests that the body's natural circadian timing gives a performance advantage to West Coast teams when they play East Coast teams at night.
Exercise may not stave off holiday weight gain
(HealthDay)—Hoping to counter all those Thanksgiving calories with extra exercise?
Insurance exchanges may benefit small medical practices
(HealthDay)—Small medical practices may not need to offer their employees health insurance, although there may be advantages to doing so, according to an article published Nov. 10 in Medical Economics.
Gabapentin doesn't cut use of morphine post-knee arthroplasty
(HealthDay)—The addition of gabapentin to patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) protocol does not reduce morphine consumption, pain, or opioid-related side effects in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, according to a study published in the Nov. 20 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
AAD issues top five Choosing Wisely recommendations
(HealthDay)—The top five dermatology-related issues that physicians and patients should question have been released by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, and have been published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Normal weight obesity ups cardiac deaths in older adults
(HealthDay)—In older adults, normal weight obesity (NWO) is associated with cardiac abnormalities and increased risk for cardiovascular mortality, according to research published in the Nov. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Age at first childbirth influences later diabetes risk
(HealthDay)—Age at first childbirth is associated with the risk of diabetes in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in Diabetes Care.
Telemedicine in rural ER tied to fewer physician Rx errors
(HealthDay)—For seriously ill and injured children, the use of telemedicine consultations in rural emergency departments is associated with fewer physician-related medication errors, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in Pediatrics.
Study unlocks trove of public health data to help fight deadly contagious diseases
In an unprecedented windfall for public access to health data, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers have collected and digitized all weekly surveillance reports for reportable diseases in the United States going back more than 125 years.
Global study reveals pandemic of untreated cancer pain due to over-regulation of pain medicines
A ground-breaking international collaborative survey, published today in Annals of Oncology, shows that more than half of the world's population live in countries where regulations that aim to stem drug misuse leave cancer patients without access to opioid medicines for managing cancer pain.
New research shows pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy greatly increases the risk of death of the fetus or infant child
New research shows that pre-existing diabetes in pregnant women greatly increases the risk of death of their unborn fetus by around four-and-a-half times compared with pregnant women without diabetes, and also almost doubles the risk of death of infants after birth. The research, published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes), is by Dr Ruth Bell and Peter Tennant, Newcastle University, UK, and colleagues from Newcastle University, and the South Tees NHS Trust, UK and Public Health England.
Are you carrying adrenal Cushing's syndrome without knowing it?
Genetic research that will be published tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests to Dr. André Lacroix, professor at the University of Montreal, that clinicians' understanding and treatment of a form of Cushing's syndrome affecting both adrenal glands will be fundamentally changed, and that moreover, it might be appropriate to begin screening for the genetic mutations that cause this form of the disease.
The good news about the global epidemic of dementia
It's rare to hear good news about dementia. But that's what a New England Journal of Medicine Perspective article reports. The article discusses several recent studies that show how age-adjusted rates in aging populations have declined for people born later in the last century, particularly in those older people most likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The Perspective also describes what researchers have reported to be associated with this encouraging trend.
Researchers identify cells involved in placenta development
(Medical Xpress)—Dr. Hanna Mikkola and researchers at UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have identified a specific type of cell and a related cell communication pathway that are key to the successful growth of a healthy placenta. The findings could greatly bolster our knowledge about the potential causes of complications during pregnancy.
Genetic mutation increases risk of Parkinson's disease from pesticides
A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. Their discoveries, described in a paper published online in Cell today, include identification of a molecule that protects neurons from pesticide damage.
New clues to memory formation may help better treat dementia
Do fruit flies hold the key to treating dementia? Researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning. Their work will help them understand how memories form and, ultimately, provide better treatments to improve memory in all ages.
Clinical trial shows tongue-controlled wheelchair outperforms popular wheelchair navigation system
After a diving accident left Jason Disanto paralyzed from the neck down in 2009, he had to learn how to navigate life from a powered wheelchair, which he controls with a sip-and-puff system. Users sip or puff air into a straw mounted on their wheelchair to execute four basic commands that drive the chair. But results from a new clinical study offer hope that sip-and-puff users like Disanto could gain a higher level of independence than offered by this common assistive technology.
Researchers identify a rescuer for vital tumor-suppressor
A protector for PTEN, a tumor-thwarting protein often missing in cancer cells, has emerged from research led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published online at Nature Cell Biology this week.
Biology news
Tiger who attacked handler to stay at Australia Zoo
A tiger that attacked its handler at Australia Zoo, mauling him in front of a crowd of shocked spectators including schoolchildren, will remain at the popular tourist attraction, officials said Wednesday.
Moving beyond agricultural pesticides
The smart use of fertilisers could help reduce global dependence on pesticides in agriculture, and slow the trend of pests developing resistance to the chemicals meant to control them, new research suggests.
Trypanosoma parasite linked to woylie decline
New research led by Murdoch University's School of Veterinary and Life Sciences suggests the catastrophic decline of the endangered woylie may be linked to common infections with Trypanosoma parasites.
Single-stem blueberry "tree" may lower production costs
An Oregon State University researcher aims to lower production costs for growers by creating a new kind of blueberry that develops as a tree instead of the traditional bush.
UCLA scientists helping get to bottom of giant fish story
"Wow, that's one big fish!" That was the reaction of everyone at UCLA's Translational Research Imaging Center when a monster fish story became reality in the form of a rare 14-foot, 250-pound oarfish, whose snake-like carcass washed ashore in Oceanside last month and ended up in nine pieces at the state-of-the-art imaging facility on campus.
Manipulative parasites hijack hornets
Hornets put fear into the minds of most, but there is a parasite that the hornets fear (if indeed they are capable of fear). Sphaerularia vespae is a parasitic nematode that infects the Japanese yellow hornet (Vespa simillima). The infection invades and resides in the abdomen of female hornets. The nematode sterilises the host (much like other parasitic castrators), turning her into a cozy nursery for baby worms. But a new study has shown that they are capable of doing more than just making the hornet barren.
Sound of the ocean not so relaxing
(Phys.org) —The impact of underwater noise on a bottlenose dolphin population in Scotland's Moray Firth will be closely monitored, thanks to a new system developed by scientists at our University and the University of Aberdeen.
Greenbug resistance gene found in wheat
Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat scientists are getting closer to pinpointing the genes controlling greenbug resistance in wheat and recently published their findings.
Improving sperm quality in elephants
(Phys.org) —Crushed by habitat loss and poaching, Asian elephants are at risk, and their future rests heavily on captive breeding programs. A collaborative study between Cornell and Smithsonian scientists has found a key clue to why these programs have been difficult to manage. Published in the journal PLOS-One in August, their findings could transform how sperm is collected to preserve this endangered species.
Reef fish find it's too hot to swim
We all know the feeling, it's a hot summer afternoon and you have no appetite and don't want to do anything apart from lay on the couch.
More than bread and beer: The National Collection of Yeast Cultures
Yeasts are one of the earliest, if not the earliest, biological tools used by people. The earliest known written words in human history document recipes for making bread and beer, both of which are made using yeast, as well the price of bricks – it seems our fancy for food and drink while discussing the price of property has remained unchanged over the years.
EU fishing fleets reap profits while taxpayers foot the bill
The European Union's taxpayers are paving the way for fishing fleets to reel in valuable catch in developing countries while fishing companies pocket the profits, according to University of British Columbia researchers.
Study finds contented males more attractive
(Phys.org) —Happy, sane males have better love lives – at least for mink.
City birds tougher than their country counterparts
Urban breeding birds appeared to cope better with the UK's cold, wet spring of 2012 than those living in woodland.
Malaria mosquito groups surprisingly do mix and match, new study finds
(Phys.org) —A new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and in Mali finds that many of the assumptions underlying current thinking about the genetics of two key subgroups of malaria mosquitoes are false.
Study duo find adaptive value of same-sex pairing in Laysan albatross
(Phys.org) —A pair of researchers with Pacific Rim Conservation has found that female same-sex pairings of Laysan albatross in Oahu, Hawaii results in more offspring for the colony of birds than if they'd gone it alone. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, the two describe their nine year study of the birds and the unique way they have evolved to handle an unusual situation—females outnumber males by a very large margin.
Researchers find native male praying mantises falling prey to invading females
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand has found that male praying mantises are being eaten when they attempt to mate with an invasive species of female mantis. In their paper they've had published in the journal Biology Letters, the team describes a field study they undertook to find out if the invading species of praying mantis is causing a decline in the one native species found in the island nation.
Key protein responsible for controlling communication between brain cells identified
Scientists are a step closer to understanding how some of the brain's 100 billion nerve cells co-ordinate their communication. The study is published today in the journal Cell Reports.
Cryptic new species of wild cat identified in Brazil
Researchers reporting in Current Biology on November 27 have identified a cryptic new species of wild cat living in Brazil. The discovery is a reminder of just how little scientists still know about the natural world, even when it comes to such charismatic creatures. The findings also have important conservation implications for the cats, the researchers say.
By targeting enzyme in mosquito-borne parasite, researchers aim to eliminate malaria
Using advanced methodologies that pit drug compounds against specific types of malaria parasite cells, an international team of scientists, including researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, have identified a potential new weapon and approach for attacking the parasites that cause malaria.
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