Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 6, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Quantum dots with confined light holes could have applications in quantum technologies- Time warp: Researchers show possibility of cloning quantum information from the past
- Coal yields plenty of graphene quantum dots
- Researchers find giant convection cells on the Sun
- Apple guides shoppers inside stores with iBeacon (Update)
- Valve engineer builds mouth-mouse and butt controller from other gadgets (w/ Video)
- Huge grains of copper promote better graphene growth
- HIV cure hopes dashed for two US cancer patients (Update 2)
- Seeking another Earth, by the numbers
- Quantum effects help cells capture light, but the details are obscure
- Researcher traces the history of the American urban squirrel
- Clinical waste may prove valuable for monitoring treatment response in ovarian cancer
- Researchers may have discovered a plan to disable Meniere's disease
- Scientists probe abandoned mine for clues about permanent CO2 sequestration
- Quality of biodiversity, not just quantity, is key
Astronomy & Space news
Two MSU-built satellites set to launch early Dec. 6
Two more satellites built by Montana State University students are scheduled to be lofted into space this week under NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa-2) program.
Rocket with secret payload launches off California
A rocket carrying a secret payload for the U.S. government has successfully launched from the central California coast.
Subaru telescope captures comet Lovejoy's tail
A team of astronomers from Stony Brook University (the State University of New York at Stony Brook), the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and others used Suprime-Cam, Subaru Telescope's wide-field, prime-focus camera, to capture an image of the intricate flow of Comet Lovejoy's (C/2013 R1) ion tail. (Figure 1)
Heat shield for NASA's Orion spacecraft delivered to Kennedy Space Center
NASA's Orion spacecraft is just about ready to turn up the heat. The spacecraft's heat shield arrived at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday night aboard the agency's Super Guppy aircraft.
NASA's latest space technology small satellite phones home
PhoneSat 2.4, NASA's next generation smartphone cubesat has phoned home. The tiny spacecraft that uses an off-the-shelf smartphone for a brain has completed checkout and sent back data confirming all systems are "go" for the spry spacefarer.
First folding space telescope
The capability of orbital telescopes to see wide swaths of the earth at a time has made them indispensable for key national security responsibilities such as weather forecasting, reconnaissance and disaster response. Even as telescope design has advanced, however, one aspect has remained constant since Galileo: using glass for lenses and mirrors, also known as optics. High-resolution imagery traditionally has required large-diameter glass mirrors, which are thick, heavy, difficult to make and expensive. As the need for higher-resolution orbital imagery expands, glass mirrors are fast approaching the point where they will be too large, heavy and costly for even the largest of today's rockets to carry to orbit.
Final checkout for Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory
Following the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory's arrival at the Tangashema Space Center in Japan, efforts by the NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency team will now focus on final checkouts and preparation for launch in early 2014.
China moon rover enters lunar orbit
China's first lunar rover entered the moon's orbit on Friday, state media reported, a key step towards the vessel's planned landing later this month.
Seeking another Earth, by the numbers
In a room with concrete block walls from which he can barely see the sky, Drake Deming explores the heavens.
Researchers find giant convection cells on the Sun
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers with affiliations with NASA and several U.S. institutions has found the elusive giant convection cells suspected for nearly a half century to exist on and within the sun. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes how they used data from a NASA observatory that captured solar information every 45 seconds over a several month period which allowed the researchers to track the slow movement of the giant cells.
Technology news
Govt plan aims to keep older drivers safe on road
Silver could take on a whole new meaning when it comes to car shopping. With more elderly drivers on the road, the federal government is contemplating a "silver car" rating system that will help identify which cars better protect elderly drivers and passengers in a crash.
Making green roofs greener
Did you know that Toronto is covered in green roofs? Well, it's covered in roofs that were once green. Nobody knows if they still are.
High-tech train warning system to save lives, reduce material losses
Train accidents at level crossings carry a high cost in the form of death, injury and material damages. A Norwegian warning system has been designed to lower the risk of such accidents.
Structural batteries – a unique compromise for lighter electric cars
The weight of the battery is one of the largest obstacles to overcome for electric and hybrid vehicles. By using the battery as part of the chassis significant weight reductions are possible. In a recently completed EU/FP7-funded project on structural batteries, one of the participants was Prof. Patrik Johansson at Applied Physics, Chalmers, likewise one of our SHC researchers.
Turning waste from agriculture and aquaculture into renewable energy
An innovative new three-year research project will see the aquaculture, agriculture and biogas sectors working together to develop renewable energy. The initiative demonstrates how improving sustainability, reducing waste and achieving operational efficiencies can be achieved simultaneously.
Chinese firm paid US gov't intelligence adviser
A longtime adviser to the U.S. Director of National Intelligence has resigned after the government learned he has worked since 2010 as a paid consultant for Huawei Technologies Ltd., the Chinese technology company the U.S. has condemned as an espionage threat, The Associated Press has learned.
Bocelli visits MIT for adaptive tech workshop
Italian classical singer Andrea Bocelli says he might one day get to use the tools that researchers around the world are developing with support from the foundation that bears his name.
Spotify to unveil free mobile streaming service (Update)
Spotify, the Swedish music streaming service, is set to announce a new feature that will allow users to pick specific tracks and listen to them on mobile devices for free.
Microsoft leads attack on search traffic thieves
Microsoft announced it worked with police in Europe and the United States to disrupt a "dangerous" army of virus-infected computers used to hijack searches at Google, Bing and Yahoo.
China may mean gold for Apple
It could be a huge breakthrough for Apple to win a place in the line-up of China's largest telecom provider and a big shakeup for the smartphone market.
Obama defends NSA against latest spying report
President Barack Obama is defending the National Security Agency, saying it does a very good job of not engaging in domestic surveillance.
Will your next phone be Fair Trade?
Organic, cage-free or home-grown? We think about our purchasing ethics in many areas of daily life, but not often about technology.
Study: 83 percent of adults report texting, talking, app use while driving
Expanding their efforts to keep citizens safe on San Diego roadways, UC San Diego's Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety (TREDS) program announced today that they are launching a new distracted driving education project called Just Drive - Take Action Against Distraction, a one hour class free of charge offered to businesses in San Diego. The decision followed a recent survey by the research team, which found that 83 percent of adults who participated reported texting, talking or using a smartphone application while driving.
Tool detects password vulnerability
You could think of it as a brainteaser: Create a sequence of eight or more characters that includes at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, a digit, and a symbol, that doesn't contain any words in English, and that is memorable enough that you can recall it.
Explained: Matrices
Among the most common tools in electrical engineering and computer science are rectangular grids of numbers known as matrices. The numbers in a matrix can represent data, and they can also represent mathematical equations. In many time-sensitive engineering applications, multiplying matrices can give quick but good approximations of much more complicated calculations.
Fuel economy up 23 percent since 2007
Gas mileage of new vehicles sold in the U.S. was 24.8 mpg in November, up 0.1 mpg from the revised October figure, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
EU raids electronics companies in prices probe
European Union antitrust regulators have raided the offices of several companies that make and sell consumer electronics and domestic appliances, in an investigation into whether they artificially boosted the prices of goods online.
The heat is on... or off: Having the sense to cut office energy bills
Office buildings have an enormous carbon footprint, but often energy is being wasted maintaining empty rooms and spaces at a comfortable temperature. Research to be published in the International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems shows how the ubiquity of smart phones connected to the office network could be used to monitor occupancy and reduce heating or air conditioning for unused spaces.
Your phone is talking behind your back — to your doctors
Your phone knows everything about you - how much you walk, talk and what level of Candy Crush you're stuck on - but soon it could be spilling secrets to your doctor.
Cloud firm Box raises $100 mn
Cloud storage startup Box, launched from a college dorm in 2005, has raised $100 million in new capital to help fund a global expansion.
AT&T says it doesn't have to disclose NSA dealings
AT&T says it isn't required to disclose to shareholders what it does with customers' communications data despite complaints that the telecom giant has been sharing and selling that information to federal intelligence agencies including the National Security Agency.
Court to jump into patent discussion
The Supreme Court will hear an appeal of a lower court decision that a federal judge called the "death" of software patents.
NSA defends global cellphone tracking as legal
The National Security Agency is defending its tracking of foreign cellphones overseas. It says the practice is legal under a U.S. presidential order governing all U.S. government spying.
Apple guides shoppers inside stores with iBeacon (Update)
GPS will tell people how to get to the nearest Apple store. With iBeacon, Apple hopes to guide visitors around once they're inside, whether it's to pick up an order, upgrade to a new iPhone or shop for a pair of headphones.
USB sticks may beat Internet hurdles globally
(Phys.org) —One may think that free software would be of enormous benefit to people in the towns and villages of the globe where the price of proprietary software is restrictively high. Such is not the case, as noted by Thierry Monteil of the University of Montpellier 2 in France. While the software is free to download, the cost of bandwidth is not. What is more, important but large software packages that enable technology students and workers to carry out their projects may take very long times to download, and may regularly be at the mercy of unreliable Internet connections. Monteil has authored a paper available on arXiv, which presents what may be a cheaper and easier way to transmit large software packages. He has written the paper, "Spreading Huge Free Software without Internet Connection via Self-Replicating USB Keys." The paper describes his concept and how he tested it out. In short, one can use self-replicating USB keys without having to rely on a hard-to-affor! d and time-draining Internet connection.
A more natural sense of touch is brought to prosthetic hand (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —The challenge in medicine to improve the lives of those in need of prosthetic limbs continues to motivate scientists, engineers and doctors. One newsworthy sign of progress is from a team of scientists and engineers at the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University. Their work is focused on a prosthetic hand capable of more natural feelings to the point where test subjects are able to find success in manipulating objects thanks to a better sense of touch.
Ultrathin "diagnostic skin" allows continuous patient monitoring
It is likely that at your next visit to the doctor, a medical practitioner will start by taking your temperature. This has been part of medical practice for so long that we may see it as antiquated, with little value. However, the routine nature of the ritual belies the critical importance of obtaining accurate body temperature to assess the health of a patient. In fact, subtle variations in temperature can indicate potentially harmful underlying conditions such as constriction or dilation of blood vessels, or dehydration. Even changes in mental activity, such as increased concentration while solving a mathematical equation, are accompanied by measureable changes in body temperature.
The little black box bringing the internet to Kenya
The BRCK is, in a sense, just like the archetypal little black box. It does what you need and you don't have to worry about its inner workings.
Valve engineer builds mouth-mouse and butt controller from other gadgets (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —Valve engineer Ben Krasnow is clearly one of those guys that sees things differently than the rest of us. How many people would look at an optical trackball, for example, and think to themself, hey, maybe I could make that work with my tongue. But that's just what he's done, taken the guts from an optical trackball, add a cable, changed out the bulb and attached it all to an orthodontic type retainer which he puts in his mouth to use as a controller that can be run by his tongue. And that's just one device—he's also created another gadget that a person sits on to control some of the action on a computer screen.
Bluetooth group ushers in updated Bluetooth 4.1
(Phys.org) —The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the regulatory body responsible for the standard, announced on Wednesday its release of an updated version of the specification, Bluetooth 4.1. This is the first new update to the standard in nearly four years. Bluetooth has become a familiar and fundamental word in the vocabulary of device interconnectedness and "Internet of Things," as the technology standard that enables information exchange between wireless devices. Announced by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Bluetooth 4.1 brings improvements, enablements, and developer support benefits. Also on Wednesday, Suke Jawanda, Bluetooth SIG chief marketing officer , blogged "Improving Usability extends the brand promise to consumers with an 'it just works' experience. This spec is engineered with several new features to make it work seamlessly with popular cell technologies like LTE, maintain connections with less frequent manual reconnection, and deliver a more efficient data exchange."
Squeezing transistors really hard generates energy savings
Transistors, the workhorses of the electronics world, are plagued by leakage current. This results in unnecessary energy losses, which is why smartphones and laptops, for example, have to be recharged so often. Tom van Hemert and Ray Hueting of the University of Twente's MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology have shown that this leakage current can be radically reduced by "squeezing" the transistor with a piezoelectric material (which expands or contracts when an electrical charge is applied to it). Using this approach, they have smashed the theoretical limit for leakage current. Tom van Hemert will defend his PhD dissertation on 6 December.
Medicine & Health news
FDA: Idaho noted yeast in yogurt before recall
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration report says the Idaho Department of Agriculture detected abnormalities in yogurt at a Chobani facility two months before the company issued a recall.
World Bank says universal health coverage key in growth
Universal health coverage is not only morally correct, but vital for a country's economic development, the president of the World Bank told a conference in Japan on Friday.
Majority of millennials don't support health care reform
new national poll of America's 18- to 29-year-olds by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government finds a solid majority of millennials disapprove of the comprehensive health reform package that the president signed into law in 2010, regardless of whether the law is referred to as the Affordable Care Act (56 percent disapprove) or "Obamacare" (57 percent disapprove). Less than three in 10 uninsured millennials say they will definitely or probably enroll in insurance through an exchange if and when they are eligible.
Roles of T cells in disease cures and causes
T cells aren't as simple as you might think. Some attack infections and keep us healthy. Others allow tumors to grow. Understanding how these cells – the soldiers of our immune systems – develop and function is the goal of Yisong Wan, an immunologist in the UNC School of Medicine.
Pain management for infant injections
According to pain management specialist Professor Denise Harrison, an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, breastfeeding and the use of sweet water can help to calm babies during immunisation.
University's research key in new international guidelines for treatment of severe malnutrition
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, based in large part on research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Study shows benefits for men with metastatic prostate cancer who receive chemotherapy when starting hormone therapy
Men with hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer who received the chemotherapy drug docetaxel given at the start of standard hormone therapy lived longer than patients who received hormone therapy alone, according to early results from a National Institutes of Health-supported randomized controlled clinical trial.
Dietary supplement use among older persons
Many older people are ingesting too much magnesium and vitamin E in the form of dietary supplements. This was discovered by scientists of the Helmholtz Zentrum München in a population-based study; their results have been published in 'The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging'.
Trucks found to be a significant cause of severe accidents
Trucks are responsible for 4,500 deaths per year in the United States. Truck crashes also cause huge losses in productivity, property and personal injury. New research just published in the International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion details how trucks account for 8% of US highway traffic, yet are involved in 11% of fatal road crashes.
Online platform simulates how the body defends itself
A platform that simulates how the body defends itself: The T cells of the immune system decide whether to trigger an immune response against foreign substances. Since December 2013 scientists from around the world can use the "virtual T cell" to test for themselves what happens in the blood cell when receptor proteins are activated on the surface.
College students bringing home mononucleosis
One of the hallmarks of heading home for winter break is the enormous amount of laundry college students bring home as a present for mom and dad. But the dirty socks might not be the only unwelcome guest they transport home. They might also bring mononucleosis, better known as mono.
Nutrition education does result in better food choices
Roxanna Salinas was stunned when a third-grader told her he had never tasted a carrot.
Norwegian brain researchers share Horwitz prize
Edvard and May-Britt Moser of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and John O'Keefe, from University College London have been awarded the 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for discoveries that have illuminated how the brain calculates location and navigation.
Enzalutamide in prostate cancer: Hints of added benefit
Enzalutamide (trade name: Xtandi) has been approved since June 2013 for men with metastatic prostate cancer in whom the commonly used hormone blockade is no longer effective and who have already been treated with the cytostatic drug docetaxel. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy specified by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).
To improve foster care, add a psychiatric nurse to treatment team
Psychiatric nurses offer a missing and critical point of view in treating adolescents in foster care who have mental health issues, an instructor at Saint Louis University School of Nursing found.
FDA approves first drug for rare erection disorder
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat an unusual condition that causes painful, curved erections in men.
Stockings perform better than bandages to treat leg ulcers
A new study has found that leg ulcers take the same time to heal when people wear compression stockings rather than traditional bandages.
Study delivers protein across blood-brain barrier to degrade Alzheimer's plaques
The body is structured to ensure that any invading organisms have a tough time reaching the brain, an organ obviously critical to survival. Known as the blood-brain barrier, cells that line the brain and spinal cord are tightly packed, making it difficult for anything besides very small molecules to cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system. While beneficial, this blockade also stands in the way of delivering drugs intended to treat neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's.
More signs that US births may have stopped falling
There's more evidence that U.S. births may be leveling off after years of decline.
Cigarette smoking after cancer diagnosis increases risk of death
Men who continued to smoke after a cancer diagnosis had an increased risk of death compared with those who quit smoking after diagnosis, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Group of anti-diabetic drugs can significantly lower cancer risk in women with type 2 diabetes
A Cleveland Clinic-led study shows that a specific type of diabetes drug can decrease the risk of cancer in female patients with type 2 diabetes by up to 32 percent.
Good body image goes hand in hand with happier relationship
(HealthDay)—Women who are happy with their bodies are better able to maintain a happy relationship, a new study finds.
Researchers record data from brain of ambulatory Parkinson's patient
(Medical Xpress)—Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have successfully implanted and recorded data from a device that not only generates electrical impulses to tame symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but also continuously monitors and records brain activity in a key affected structure deep within the patient's brain.
Assessing the US population's sodium intake
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists used an automated dietary survey tool they developed to accurately estimate how much sodium volunteers consumed as part of their daily diets.
Healthy breakfast boosts math performance
Eating breakfast—or choosing to skip it—may significantly influence a child's ability to solve math problems, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded nutrition study suggests.
Space technology informs artificial heart development
An artificial heart containing miniaturised space technology will soon beat inside a person, having now been approved for human trials in France.
Sequencing tuberculosis strain genomes
(Medical Xpress)—The use of whole genome sequencing to identify different strains of bacteria which cause tuberculosis may unlock the door to improved treatments and more accurate clinical trials, according to a new international study.
Researchers inhibit brain production of beta-amyloid
(Medical Xpress)—A discovery by Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Scripps Research Institute scientists could lead to drugs that slow Alzheimer's disease progression.
Tooth loss exacts significant emotional toll
(Medical Xpress)—Academics have called for tooth loss to be taken more seriously, after new research revealed the full imact it can have on patients' lives.
Drug delivery system successfully treats deadly ovarian cancer in mice
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at Rutgers University have developed a targeted drug delivery system that they believe could make ovarian cancer more treatable and increase survival rates for the most deadly gynecological cancer in the United States.
Precautions urged against meningitis
Recent outbreaks of meningitis at Princeton University and other college campuses across the nation have students on alert, but there are ways to lessen the threat, says Madhuri Sopirala, MD, associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Cincinnati and a UC Health physician.
Two potential therapies for preventing myofibroblast differentiation
Multiple types of cells are needed for patients to recover from surgery or to restore life to tissues that have lost circulation. University of Georgia researchers have identified how the cells involved in the final stage of repair, myofibroblasts, are switched on. This information can lead to drug development that could speed recovery.
Study correlates ADHD and secondhand smoke
(Medical Xpress)—Duke Medicine has established a new research program to investigate the relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and childhood and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
Novel hormone essential for heart development discovered
Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMCB) have identified a gene encoding a hormone that could potentially be used as a therapeutic molecule to treat heart diseases. The hormone - which they have chosen to name ELABELA - is only 32 amino-acids long, making it amongst the tiniest proteins made by the human body.
Synthetic RNAs designed to fight cancer
(Medical Xpress)—In search of better cancer treatments, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have designed synthetic molecules that combine the advantages of two experimental RNA therapies.
Report studies children's views on sexism and sexual harassment
New research by Cardiff University has revealed how pre-teen boys and girls feel about growing up in an increasingly sexist society.
Is morbid obesity a psychosomatic disorder?
A study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics has applied diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic syndromes to a sample of patients with morbid obesity.
Brain shape affects children's learning capacities
The anatomy of the brain affects cognitive control, an essential skill for learning and academic success. This is the result of studies performed by the Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education de l'Enfant (CNRS/Université Paris Descartes/Université de Caen Basse-Normandie), in collaboration with the NeuroSpin Center (CEA). The scientists showed that an asymmetry of the two brain hemispheres relative to a particular pattern of a cortical region could partly explain the performance of 5-year old children during a task designed to measure cognitive control. According to the research team, and depending on the characteristics of their brains, children may have different pedagogical requirements in terms of learning cognitive control. This work, published online in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience on 30 November 2013, opens new educational perspectives.
Better diagnoses yield improved treatment for vets with anxiety
Veterans who suffer from anxiety may not get appropriate treatment for want of a specific diagnosis, finds a new study in General Hospital Psychiatry.
New computational model reveals novel possibilities for H. pylori treatment
A new computational model developed by researchers at the Center for Modeling Immunity to Enteric Pathogens at Virginia Tech's Virginia Bioinformatics Institute offers new ways to study host immune responses to the gastric ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
Christmas really can make you ill, leading academic warns
A breakdown in usual routines, less sleep, more alcohol and immense pressure to be the perfect host can combine to create a very real risk of Christmas making people ill, a University of Birmingham researcher has warned.
Women's age affects every stage of IVF
A woman's age affects the outcome of every single step of IVF treatment, according to a University of Aberdeen study published today in PLOS ONE. This is the first study of its kind to break down failure rates for each stage of IVF for different age groups.
Herpes viruses associated with cognitive impairment
(Medical Xpress)—The herpes virus that produces cold sores during times of stress now has been linked to cognitive impairment throughout life, according to a new University of Michigan study that for the first time shows an impact on children ages 12-16.
U-M researchers: Turn down the volume
As the nation continues to focus on health care prevention through reform, one cause of serious illness and even death gets ignored—environmental noise pollution.
New mitochondrial research offers hope to those suffering serious disease
(Medical Xpress)—Queen's University professor Stephen Archer's (Department of Medicine) research has revealed that in serious human diseases (such as pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, cardiac arrest and neurologic disease) the cell's power source, known as mitochondria, displays an abnormal structure.
Breaking the link between ADHD and addiction
Adult sufferers of ADHD are two to three times more likely to experience substance abuse or dependence, but a research project which will map the genetic markers of the condition will help sever ties with addiction and could lead to customised treatments.
Norfolk Islanders' genes yield Bounty of insight into heart disease: study
Genetic studies of descendants of the Bounty mutineers have identified places on the human genome that contain expressed genes associated with cardiovascular disease.
Hong Kong confirms second human H7N9 bird flu case in a week
Hong Kong health authorities on Friday confirmed a new human case of the deadly H7N9 bird flu, the second case to come to light in less than five days.
Study finds parental stress linked to obesity in children
Parental stress is linked to weight gain in children, according to a new study from St. Michael's Hospital. The study found that children whose parents have high levels of stress have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, about 2 per cent higher than those whose parents have low levels of stress. Children with higher parental stress also gained weight at a 7 per cent higher rate during the study period than other children.
Human stem cells predict efficacy of Alzheimer drugs
Why do certain Alzheimer medications work in animal models but not in clinical trials in humans? A research team from the University of Bonn and the biomedical enterprise LIFE & BRAIN GmbH has been able to show that results of established test methods with animal models and cell lines used up until now can hardly be translated to the processes in the human brain. Drug testing should therefore be conducted with human nerve cells, conclude the scientists. The results are published by Cell Press in the journal Stem Cell Reports.
Promising results for Swedish cancer drug candidate
A new study conducted by scientists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden presents very promising results for the treatment of the cancer form multiple myeloma. The drug candidate used in the research has been developed by scientists from Karolinska Institutet and a Swedish company following its initial identification at the same university. The findings are so promising that the scientists are teaming up with Harvard to bring the drug to clinical trials on patients.
Surprising discovery: The skin communicates with the liver
Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have discovered that the skin is capable of communicating with the liver. The discovery has surprised the scientists, and they say that it may help our understanding of how skin diseases can affect the rest of the body.
CDC: Water at Marine base linked to birth defects
A long-awaited study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms a link between tainted tap water at a U.S. Marine Corps base in North Carolina and increased risk of serious birth defects and childhood cancers.
CDC says more people with asthma getting flu shots
(HealthDay)—Influenza vaccination has increased substantially among people with asthma since the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded recommendations for annual vaccinations, though all age groups fall short of Healthy People 2020 targets, according to a report published in the Dec. 6 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Poor people with diabetes may miss out on eye care
(HealthDay)—People with diabetes are at increased risk for eye problems, but a new study finds that poor diabetes patients who go to public hospital clinics have low rates of eye care.
Frequent cell phone use linked to anxiety, lower grades and reduced happiness in students
Today, smartphones are central to college students' lives, keeping them constantly connected with friends, family and the Internet. Students' cell phones are rarely out of reach whether the setting is a college classroom, library, recreational center, cafeteria or dorm room. As cell phone use continues to increase, it is worth considering whether use of the device is related to measurable outcomes important for student success, such as academic performance, anxiety and happiness.
Taking probiotics in pregnancy or giving them to infants doesn't prevent asthma
Taking probiotics has health benefits but preventing childhood asthma isn't one of them, shows newly published research led by medical scientists at the University of Alberta.
Counting the cost of infertility treatment
Although the demand for infertility treatment is rising, the high cost may deter some couples from seeking care. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco assessed direct out-of-pocket costs for couples undergoing fertility treatment. Those using medication only had the lowest out-of-pocket expenses at $912, while those using in vitro fertilization (IVF) had the highest at $19,234. The results, published in The Journal of Urology®, will help inform couples who seek infertility care and the physicians who counsel them.
Cancer-promoting protein is vital to safe division of tumor cells
Researchers have caught a protein they previously implicated in a variety of cancer-promoting roles performing a vital function in cell division, survival and development of brain tumors.
FDA approves breakthrough hepatitis C drug
Gilead Sciences Inc. says the federal government has approved its highly anticipated hepatitis C drug that is expected to offer a faster cure to millions of people infected with the liver-destroying virus.
Gut microbes may be a risk factor for colorectal cancer
In one of the largest epidemiological studies of human gut bacteria and colorectal cancer ever conducted, a team of researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center has found a clear association between gut bacteria and colorectal cancer. The study, published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, discovered that colorectal cancer patients had fewer beneficial bacteria and more harmful bacteria than people without the disease.
Malignant and healthy cells display characteristic fractal patterns
A new approach has given rise to the hope for a faster and more reliable method for determining cancer cell types. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and the University of Heidelberg found that cells can be very accurately characterised using fractal geometry. This theory describes objects whose minute structural details resemble their larger contours. Cancer cells are not able to regulate their growth and, as a consequence their shape, as effectively as healthy cells. The particular fractal geometry of a cell therefore becomes a marker of the cell type. Using this mathematical method in combination with sophisticated image recognition, it is possible to establish the progression of cancer in a cell. The researchers studied the statistical distribution of the occurrence of structural details on the surface of different tumour cells, and were thus able to identify cancer cells with more accuracy than when using the conventional immunohistological method. Moreover, they were able to distinguish between different tumours.
Transdermal drug delivery at the cellular level
Medicated adhesive patches have become a preferred method of delivery for everything from nicotine to hormones to motion sickness medication.
New research implicates immune system cells in muscle healing
Scientists have found that cells known primarily for tempering immune response also exist in injured muscle tissue, an unexpected role for regulatory T cells.
The brain's function in perseverance
Perseverance is a quality that plays a large role in the success or failure of many pursuits. It has never been entirely clear why this trait seems more apparent in some people than others, but a new piece of research may at least help explain where it comes from.
HIV cure hopes dashed for two US cancer patients (Update 2)
The latest hopes of curing AIDS were dashed Friday when US researchers said HIV returned in two men who briefly eradicated the virus after bone marrow transplants for cancer.
Clinical waste may prove valuable for monitoring treatment response in ovarian cancer
A microchip-based device developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may greatly simplify the monitoring of patients' response to treatment for ovarian cancer – the most lethal form of gynecologic cancer – and certain other malignancies. The team from the MGH Cancer Center and the Center for Systems Biology reports using their device to isolate and identify tumor cells from ascites, an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen that often occurs in abdominal cancers. The PNAS Early Edition paper also describes development of a panel of four protein markers to accurately identify ovarian cancer cells in ascites.
Researchers may have discovered a plan to disable Meniere's disease
Researchers at University of Colorado School of Medicine may have figured out what causes Meniere's disease and how to attack it. According to Carol Foster, MD, from the department of otolaryngology and Robert Breeze, MD, a neurosurgeon, there is a strong association between Meniere's disease and conditions involving temporary low blood flow in the brain such as migraine headaches.
Biology news
Breeding hybrid catfish
In the catfish industry, it's well-known that hybrid catfish—a cross of the channel catfish with the blue catfish—generally have better growth, higher survival rates and better meat yield than purebred channel catfish. Although production has increased from 30 million hybrid fry in 2007 to about 150 million in 2012, these fish are not easy to breed.
Ramping up pterostilbene in crops
A team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists has developed a way to boost production of a beneficial plant compound called pterostilbene.
Benefits of mechanical grape crop thinning
Concord grape growers in western New York expanded the use of mechanical crop thinning techniques this season to maximize the value of an abundant harvest in what started as an uncertain year. By removing up to one-third of their crops in late July and early August using mechanical grape harvesters, growers met maturity standards and avoided millions of dollars of crop losses.
Valuable, eco-friendly Norwegian wool
Wool production in Norway has been documented to be more environmentally sound than in other countries. From Norwegian wool, a wide variety of pure, safe materials can be made for use in clothing, textiles, blankets, rugs and insulation. Wool's potential for value creation is promising.
Temple Grandin on animals' sensory-based memories
Temple Grandin shares something in common with some of the animals she works with.
First in-depth analysis of primate eating habits
From insect-munching tamarins to leaf-loving howler monkeys, researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have compiled the most thorough review of primate eating habits to date.
Feeding by tourists compromises health of already-endangered iguanas, study finds
Feeding wildlife is an increasingly common tourist activity, but a new study published online today by the journal Conservation Physiology shows that already-imperilled iguanas are suffering further physiological problems as a result of being fed by tourists.
Fresh hope for stranded Florida whales
Thirty-five pilot whales stranded in a remote part of Florida's Everglades National Park headed toward deeper waters, raising hopes that they could be saved.
Researcher explores origins of intelligence by working with parrots
Griffin knows the names of a dozen objects. He can identify five colors and six shapes, and grasps his numbers up to eight. He can ask for his favorite treats and tell you where he'd like to go. And if he likes you, he'll let you tickle his head.
Fighting foot-in-mouth disease
Proteins called interferons are among the latest weapons U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are using to combat foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). These proteins kill or stop viruses from growing and reproducing.
New invasive beetle-fungus complex discovered in Riverside and San Diego Counties
(Phys.org) —A recently discovered beetle-fungus complex that has been causing dieback and mortality to numerous agricultural and landscape ornamental trees in Los Angeles County has been detected in Riverside and San Diego counties.
Cloning strong, high-quality forest trees
(Phys.org) —University of Georgia researchers are working to produce faster-growing sweetgum trees by growing embryogenic sweetgum cultures in bioreactors, computer-operated systems used for growing cells under controlled conditions.
Scientists engineer human stem cells
In an important scientific breakthrough in regenerative medicine, researchers at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore have successfully converted human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) cultured in the laboratory to a state that is closer to the cells found in the human blastocyst[1]. This means that scientists are one step closer to cultivating stem cells for research and potential therapeutic purposes, as well as understanding the processes of early human development. These findings are published in the current issue of the prestigious science journal Cell Stem Cell.
The gene sequencing that everyone can afford in future
DNA sequencing is important to science. While Professor Qian Linmao and his group from Tribology Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University, were working on the optimization of the third-generation sequencing technique based on nanopores, they found that long-chain DNA with low salt concentration is more conducive to the nanopore sequencing process. Their paper, "Effect of chain length on the conformation and friction behaviour of DNA," was published in Science China Technological Sciences.
Turning algae into biofuels
Pecos is usually egg-frying hot, bone dry and much of the groundwater is brackish, but Texas A&M AgriLife Research personnel know the area is prime real estate for conducting algae research, something they've been doing successfully since 2007.
Gene immigration continues despite fragmented landscapes
Human activity like clearing land for agriculture and mining does not threaten the ability of some plants to share genes via pollen carried by birds.
Functional diversity in bacterial defense mechanism against viral invasion
Bacteria may lack a true immune system, but this does not leave them defenseless against bacteriophage viruses and other pathogens. A system of genomic sequence elements called clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and various CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) help to recognize and destroy foreign genetic material delivered by such invaders.
Fate of stranded Florida whales unclear
The fate of some 40 stranded whales off Florida was unclear Friday, with officials saying they had lost track of two dozen but were hopeful these had swum to safety.
Squabbling meerkats make better decisions
Conflicting interests within a group can lead to better collective decisions – if you're a social animal such as a meerkat – according to new research by a team of biologists and political scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and the London School of Economics.
Sandcastle-building fish offer evolution clue
(Phys.org) —In Lake Malawi, East Africa, there are around 200 different species of cichlid fish that once or twice a year build large sand structures (known as bowers) on which the fish mate. Each different species constructs a bower which is subtly different to that of other species. The males then defend their 'sandcastle', hoping to attract the attention of the opposite sex.
Researcher traces the history of the American urban squirrel
Until recently, Etienne Benson, an assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania's Department of History and Sociology of Science, has trained his academic eye on the history of conservation of large, charismatic wildlife, such as tigers, grizzly bears and orcas.
Quality of biodiversity, not just quantity, is key
For years, scientists have believed that preserving more species, no matter which ones, is a key component to enhancing how well an ecosystem performs.
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