Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 9, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New view of dendrites in Li batteries gets to the root of the problem- 3D printing used as a tool to explain theoretical physics
- Ancient fresh water lake on Mars could have sustained life, Curiosity researchers show
- Morphing composite material has mighty potential (w/ Video)
- Scientists scale terahertz peaks in nanotubes
- Astronomers solve temperature mystery of planetary atmosphere
- Neural prosthesis restores brain function after injury (w/ Video)
- Hidden details revealed in nearby starburst galaxy
- Team finds way to make solar cells thin, efficient and flexible
- Prolonged viewing of Boston Marathon bombings media coverage tied to acute stress
- Hard rock life
- World's highest quantum efficiency UV photodetectors developed
- IRIS provides unprecedented images of sun
- Math models enhance current therapies for coronary heart disease
- Mapping the demise of the dinosaurs
Astronomy & Space news
Simulation of electron environment in space at 36,000 km
A spacecraft at near-Earth orbit is continuously bombarded by charged particles. Finnish Meteorological Institute has developed a unique model that simulates electron environment in the near-Earth space.
SST to monitor objects 22,000 miles above Earth
As satellites become more common, they face growing risk of colliding with space debris and even each other. The U.S. Department of Defense has thus made space situational awareness a top priority to maintain communication, Earth observation and other critical capabilities upon which military, civilian and commercial functions rely. Traditional telescope technology, however, has difficulty finding and tracking small objects—such as debris and satellites—across wide tracks of sky, especially at the increasingly crowded geosynchronous orbits roughly 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface.
Cubesats test new hardware and software technologies
(Phys.org) —Two tiny, cube-shaped research satellites hitched a ride to Earth orbit to validate new hardware and software technologies for future NASA Earth-observing instruments.
China-Brazil satellite fails to enter orbit (Update)
A joint Chinese-Brazilian environmental monitoring satellite launched Monday from northern China failed to enter orbit, state media and experts said, in a rare setback for the country's ambitious space programme.
Looks like a comet but feels like an asteroid? That's wild!
Comet ISON's fate has left many sad. For the public, the comet could have made for a spectacular view in December. For scientists, it would have been a chance to learn more about these mysterious bodies. But why are comets mysterious? And what really are they? Some recent missions are beginning to answer that question
Space exploration can drive the next agricultural revolution
Habitation of outer space needs solving air, water, energy and food supplies within a tight space. And this isn't a problem of an apocalyptic, remote future. Developing this technology addresses some of the grand challenges to our civilisation. Space exploration can be one of the main drivers to revolutionise sustainable agriculture on Earth for many reasons.
Video: The Sun reverses its magnetic poles
This visualization shows the position of the sun's magnetic fields from January 1997 to December 2013. The field lines swarm with activity: The magenta lines show where the sun's overall field is negative and the green lines show where it is positive. A region with more electrons is negative, the region with less is labeled positive. Additional gray lines represent areas of local magnetic variation.
Scientists launch 'CubeSats' into radiation belts
Twin, pintsized satellites built in part at the University of New Hampshire's Space Science Center by UNH graduate student Alex Crew were launched into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California just before midnight on December 5, 2013.
2012 solar storm points up need for society to prepare, scientist says
A massive ejection of material from the sun initially traveling at over 7 million miles per hour that narrowly missed Earth last year is an event solar scientists hope will open the eyes of policymakers regarding the impacts and mitigation of severe space weather, says a University of Colorado Boulder professor.
Scientists publish first radiation measurements from the surface of Mars
In the first 300 days of the Mars Science Laboratory's surface mission, the Curiosity rover cruised around the planet's Gale Crater, collecting soil samples and investigating rock structures while the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector made detailed measurements of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars.
Early universe was less dusty than believed
(Phys.org) —Dust may be more rare than expected in galaxies of the early Universe, according to an international research team, led by Swinburne University of Technology astrophysicist Dr David Fisher.
IRIS provides unprecedented images of sun
The region located between the surface of the sun and its atmosphere has been revealed as a more violent place than previously understood, according to images and data from NASA's newest solar observatory, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS.
Hidden details revealed in nearby starburst galaxy
Using the new, high-frequency capabilities of the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), astronomers have captured never-before-seen details of the nearby starburst galaxy M82. These new data highlight streamers of material fleeing the disk of the galaxy as well as concentrations of dense molecular gas surrounding pockets of intense star formation.
Ancient crater could hold clues about moon's mantle
Researchers from Brown University and the University of Hawaii have found some mineralogical surprises in the Moon's largest impact crater.
Ancient fresh water lake on Mars could have sustained life, Curiosity researchers show
Scientists have found evidence that there was once an ancient lake on Mars that may have been able to support life, in research published today in the journal Science.
Astronomers solve temperature mystery of planetary atmosphere
(Phys.org) —An atmospheric peculiarity the Earth shares with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is likely common to billions of planets, University of Washington astronomers have found, and knowing that may help in the search for potentially habitable worlds.
Technology news
Emission-free Volvocopter takes maiden flight
Climate-KIC's volocopter start-up E-volo has raised €1.2 million in a recent crowdfunding campaign, surpassing the €500.000 mark after only two and a half hours.
Fujitsu develops SDN technology to accelerate network storage access
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has announced the development of technology for software-defined networking (SDN) that controls storage-traffic routing and improves throughput on networks with integrated LAN and SAN networks.
Using the potential of waste heat
Siemens researchers analyze how different components of the future energy system can be combined in an optimized way. In its latest issue the research magazine "Pictures of the Future" reports about the chances of this multi modal energy system. Scientists of Siemens' global research Corporate Techlology want to combine diverse energy sources, such as oil, gas, wind, solar, biomass, and waste heat in a way that ensures they produce electricity, heat, cooling, and potable water in the most efficient and environmentally friendly manner possible. In most cases, only the individual aspects of such systems were examined until now - for example, approaches for feeding in energy from renewable sources. Now the researcher work with grids that consist of many components and study their interaction and the effect they have on overall stability.
Samsung introduces industry's first 1 terabyte mSATA SSD
Samsung Electronics announced today that it launches 840 EVO mSATA (mini-Serial ATA) Solid State Drive (SSD) line-up, including the industry's first 1 terabyte (TB) mSATA SSD this month.
US safety agency may expand Hyundai air bag recall
U.S. safety regulators are looking into whether a Hyundai Elantra recall should be expanded.
Peer-review science is taking off on Twitter, but who is tweeting what and why?
The most tweeted peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2012, and the trends associated with their social media success, have been identified by Stefanie Haustein at the University of Montreal's School of Library and Information Science. She and her colleagues from the US, UK and Germany took 1.4 million articles held in the PubMed and Web of Science databases and determined how many times they appeared on Twitter. "Being based on 1.4 million documents, this is the largest Twitter study of scholarly articles so far," Haustein said. The top two were articles on the effect of radiation on humans, and the top 15 includes articles on acne in teenage athletes, penile fracture, and the links between physical activity and mortality rates. Number 12 was in fact an article on autism by Laurent Mottron, a professor at the University of Montreal. The findings were published in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (JASIST).
Sydney Opera House tiles up for 'virtual' sale
The Sydney Opera House has come up with a novel new way to raise funds and boost the building's profile by selling "virtual" ownership of the tiles on its tallest sail.
EU warns Nokia not to become 'patent troll'
Europe's top regulator has warned Nokia not to try to become a "patent troll" after the Finnish company sold most of its cellphone-making business to Microsoft Corp. this year but retained its patent portfolio.
EU: Google shouldn't discriminate against opt-outs
Europe's top regulator says he has asked Google not to discriminate against companies that don't want it to use their content in Google's specialized search results, such as price comparison for plane tickets or reviews of restaurants.
German firm testing drones to deliver goods
Germany's express delivery and mail company Deutsche Post DHL is testing a drone that could be used to deliver urgently needed goods to hard-to-reach places.
By-product red sand gets go ahead for roads
The Sustainable Engineering Group at Curtin University has demonstrated that red sand can be a viable and sustainable material for road construction and top dressing.
US Congress ready to extend ban on plastic guns
A U.S. Senate vote to renew an expiring ban on plastic firearms is shaping up as a bittersweet moment for gun control supporters, days before the anniversary of the deadly mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that galvanized a push for new federal gun laws that never made it through Congress.
EU edges toward flight use of tablets, smartphones
Long overdue in an increasingly connected world—or the end of a precious oasis of peace—the European Union on Monday took a first step to allowing expanded use of smartphones and tablets on aircraft.
Gift Guide: Accessories to satisfy inner Spielberg
Full-bodied cameras known as SLRs have long been able to shoot high-definition video besides still images.
Facebook joins NYU in artificial intelligence lab (Update)
Facebook unveiled plans Monday on a partnership with New York University for a new center for artificial intelligence, aimed at harnessing the huge social network's massive trove of data.
Lawmaker reveals scale of US mobile data requests
US mobile carriers provided some one million records to law enforcement in 2012 related to warrants, wiretaps, location data and "cell-tower dumps," documents released by a US senator showed.
Motorola's Woodside on Ara: How do we modularize the phone?
(Phys.org) —"Goodbye Sticky. Hello Ara." That was the blog title back in October on the Motorola Mobility site that grabbed phone watchers' attention and inspired one common question: How soon can you do this? Ara is the name of Motorola's Project that is working on a free, open hardware platform for creating highly modular smartphones. "We want to do for hardware what the Android platform has done for software: create a vibrant third-party developer ecosystem, lower the barriers to entry, increase the pace of innovation, and substantially compress development timelines," said Paul Eremenko, and the Ara team.
Big tech companies lash out at government snooping (Update 4)
Silicon Valley is escalating pressure on President Barack Obama to curb the U.S. government surveillance programs that vacuum personal information off the Internet and threaten the technology industry's financial livelihood.
Algorithms are watching
In his prescient novel "1984," English author George Orwell predicted a future that bears an uncanny resemblance to current reality—except for a simple twist. Rather than Big Brother watching, today we have big brothers—plural—in the form of huge Internet companies such as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn, which log every keystroke.
Report: NSA spying on virtual worlds, online games (Update)
American and British intelligence operations have been spying on gamers across the world, media outlets reported, saying that the world's most powerful espionage agencies sent undercover agents into virtual universes to monitor activity in online fantasy games such as "World of Warcraft."
Newly invented shielding for stopping neutrons cold
When faced with the challenge of protecting sensitive scientific equipment and computers from radiation, engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility decided to take matters into their own hands. They came up with three innovative products that could soon find their way to nuclear power plants, particle accelerators and other radiation-generating devices around the world.
3D printing used as a tool to explain theoretical physics
Students may soon be able to reach out and touch some of the theoretical concepts they are taught in their physics classes thanks to a novel idea devised by a group of researchers from Imperial College London.
Medicine & Health news
EASL publishes revised clinical practice guidelines to optimise the management of hepatitis C virus
The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) today publishes their revised Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on the management of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) (1). The EASL guidelines, which supersede the previous version published in 2011, are designed to help physicians and other healthcare providers optimise their management of patients with acute and chronic HCV.
New collaboration combines genomic sequencing and stem cell technology to understand disease
Today, the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute and PersonalGenomes.org announced a partnership to identify genetic and environmental contributions to trait and disease development. Cell lines generated by NYSCF will complement genomic data and medical histories contributed by participants in the Harvard Personal Genome Project (PGP), creating a unique and powerful resource to help researchers identify causes of disease.
Walk this way, says China's heavy metal shoe maker
A Chinese factory worker says walking in huge iron shoes weighing more than 200 kilograms each can cure back pain, but faces hefty competition in his bid to build the country's heaviest footwear.
UN, WHO launch polio vaccinations for Mideast children
The World Health Organisation and UNICEF have launched a polio vaccination campaign for 23 million children in the Middle East after 17 cases were discovered in Syria, they announced Monday.
Research addresses impact of violence against women
As Courtenay Cavanaugh explains, physical and sexual violence against women is nothing short of an epidemic.
HIV/AIDS prevalence and prospects
In the more than two decades that psychology professor Seth Kalichman has devoted to HIV/AIDS prevention, he has seen the public health landscape change dramatically. This is what he had hoped for when, as a graduate student doing a clinical psychology internship, he worked with researcher Jeffrey A. Kelly at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Saudi begins gene mapping to research diseases
Saudi Arabia has launched a genetic code mapping project aimed at identifying the basis of chronic diseases prevalent in the desert kingdom.
Software visualizes the heart for doctors
Siemens developed a procedure for angioplasty which supports doctors to make interventions at the heart faster and more precise. With angioplasty doctors open up an artery, potentially staving off more invasive procedures like heart bypass surgery. This method positions and expands a balloon, enclosed in a stent a metal stent, to open up a region in a coronary artery that can clog. To deploy the stent, doctors follow its position by X-ray fluoroscopy, but the procedure is limited by poor visibility and difficult use. This can be helped by use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) which implies the use of costly catheters.
Skip the fat talk and go directly to model behavior to avoid fights
Politics and religion are considered unsafe topics of conversation at holiday dinners and parties, and experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say avoiding another topic—weight—can help everyone be more merry and bright.
Alcohol hospitalisation figures in Victoria revealed
Experts are reminding people of the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption, with new figures revealing almost 30,000 alcohol-related hospitalisations in Victoria in a 12 month period.
Physicians embrace Michigan program to improve health care
A statewide program created by Michigan's largest insurer has succeeded in engaging primary care physicians from the ground up to improve patient care, according to the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Aging and gene expression—possible links to autism and schizophrenia in offspring
Advanced paternal age has been associated with greater risk for psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. With an increase in paternal age, there is a greater frequency of certain types of mutations that contribute to these disorders in offspring. Mutations are changes in the genetic code. Recent research, however, looks beyond the genetic code to "epigenetic effects", which do not involve changes in the genes themselves, but rather in how they are expressed to determine one's characteristics. Such epigenetic changes in sperm, related to ageing, have been linked with psychiatric disorders in offspring.
REiNS collaboration seeks common outcome measures for neurofibromatosis clinical trials
As potentially effective new treatments for neurofibromatosis (NF) are developed, standardized research approaches—including outcome measures specific to NF—are needed. The first report from the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration has been published as a supplement to Neurology, the Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
Princeton starts mass meningitis B vaccinations (Update)
Princeton University has begun vaccinating nearly 6,000 students to try to stop an outbreak of type B meningitis in an unusual federal government-endorsed administration of a drug not generally approved for use in the United States.
Trial over New Mexico 'right-to-die' law to begin
A legal challenge to a decades-old New Mexico law that prohibits physicians from helping terminally ill patients die is set to go to trial.
Keep on exercising, researchers advise older breast cancer survivors
To build and maintain muscle strength, it is best for older breast cancer survivors to follow an ongoing exercise program of resistance and impact training. This advice comes from Jessica Dobek of the Oregon Health and Science University, lead author of a study published in Springer's Journal of Cancer Survivorship. Dobek is part of a research team, headed by Dr. Kerri Winters-Stone, that found that the bone benefit from one year of such training could be maintained, even with less exercise, up to a year later, which could help prevent bone fractures in the long run.
Three million Greeks without health cover: NGO (Update)
More than a quarter of Greeks are unable to afford health cover, a medical aid group said Monday, warning that children and pregnant and women were at risk.
Breast cancer prognosis associated with oncometabolite accumulation
The metabolic profile of cancer cells can be used to develop therapies and identify biomarkers associated with cancer outcome. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation Stefan Ambs and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute discovered an association between the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) levels, DNA methylation patterns, and breast cancer prognosis.
Choloroquine reduces formation of bone resorbing cells in murine osteoporosis
Bone homeostasis requires precise balance between deposition of new bone by osteoblasts and resorption of old bone by osteoclasts. Bone diseases, including osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are the result of increased osteoclast activity and formation, which allows bone resorption to outpace deposition.
Promising Alzheimer's drug trialled in a large EU study
An extensive European study is currently investigating whether a drug used to treat high blood pressure may also help patients with Alzheimer's disease. The EU is investing almost 6 million euros on the project, in which Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital are responsible for Sweden's contribution.
French court rules e-cigs fall under tobacco monopoly
A French commercial court ruled on Monday that e-cigarettes qualify as tobacco products and should only be sold by registered tobacconists.
Marketing loans for fertility treatments raises ethical concerns
An increase in the number of lenders specializing in loans for fertility treatments enables more people to afford the treatments, but it also raises ethical concerns, concludes a commentary in the Hastings Center Report. Among the concerns, doctors are marketing the loans to their patients, and some of these doctors have financial ties to specific lenders. The commentary calls for assessment and oversight of the practice.
Better guidelines, coordination needed for prostate cancer specialists
With a deluge of promising new drug treatments for advanced prostate cancer on the market, a new model of care is needed that emphasizes collaboration between urologists and medical oncologists, according to UC Davis prostate cancer experts.
Uruguay to approve pot dealing, despite risks
Uruguay is pushing ahead to create a legal marijuana market despite warnings from educators, psychiatrists and pharmacists of dangerous side effects.
Air pollution kills well below European Union air quality limits
The study, published in The Lancet, estimates that for every increase of 5 microgrammes per cubic metre (5 µg/m3) in annual exposure to fine-particle air pollution (PM2.5), the risk of dying from natural causes rises by 7%.
High chair-related injuries to children on the rise
High chairs and booster seats are commonly used to help make feeding young children easier. Although most parents assume these products are safe, millions have been recalled in recent years, and injuries associated with their use continue to occur.
How can we improve the efficacy of antipsychotics in the era of personalized pharmacotherapy?
The clinical context of the administration and dosage of antipsychotics may influence their efficacy, reported Philippe Vincent and Édouard Kouassi, from the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal and Université de Montréal. The efficacy of most antipsychotics depends on their pharmacokinetics, or their ability to get into the bloodstream after being absorbed. Vincent and Kouassi are responding in The Lancet to Stefan Leucht, who conducted a meta-analysis of over 200 articles on the efficacy and side effects of 15 antipsychotics. According to the data Leucht collected, five of the most recent second-generation antipsychotics (ziprasidone, aripiprazole, asenapine, iloperidone and lurasidone) were among the drugs with the lowest efficacy, despite having similar pharmacological properties compared to first-generation or to other second-generation antipsychotics. Leucht published his finding in The Lancet in September 2013; his article did not give any explan! ations for this surprising result.
Access by poor to key drugs at stake in TPP talks
Access to affordable drugs for the world's poor will be hampered if a US plan to impose stricter pharmaceutical patents is adopted at talks on a Pacific trade pact, activists say.
Asthmatic risk from pets' soft toys
Children's soft toys can harbour high levels of cat and dog allergens as well as house dust mite allergens, according to new research by the University of Otago, Wellington.
New treatment for disfiguring skin condition
Researchers from The University of Manchester and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust have tested a new way to treat a disfiguring skin condition.
Applied linguistics in job interviews
Victoria University graduand Ewa Kusmierczyk has discovered the key to success in job interviews—and it's more than just what you say, or how you say it.
Researchers grapple with probabilities of species mortality
Despite aging being one of the hottest topics in the media recently, scientists have no coherent explanation for it. New demographic data on humans, animals and plants for the first time unveils an extraordinary diversity of aging processes that no existing evolutionary theory can account for. Both life spans and mortalities vary from species to species. The fact that the probability of dying rises with age applies to humans, but is not principally true. This is shown by a catalogue of 46 species with their respective mortality and fertility rates, which has now been published in the science journal Nature. It is the result of a long-term data collection project led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock, Germany, and at the Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging (MaxO) in Odense, Denmark.
Helping lung cancer patients beat insomnia
(Medical Xpress)—It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of persons diagnosed with lung cancer experience severe insomnia that may persist for an average of eight years after the initial diagnosis.
Weathering the storm: Our genes may help determine how we respond to disaster
(Medical Xpress)—When natural disasters unleash horrific damage and generate mass casualties, the psychological impact on survivors typically includes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with symptoms that can range from mild and transitory to long-term duress.
Early trip to the GP gives big boost to lung cancer patients
A powerful campaign urging people with a three week old cough to get checked out by their doctor has resulted in a dramatic rise in the number of lung cancers detected earlier according to an analysis of the results announced by Cancer Research UK today.
Ten foods that help reduce stress
Yes, our prehistoric ancestors had to fend off saber-toothed cats and gigantic hyenas. But did they ever have to take an organic chemistry final or host the in-laws for the holidays? Now that's stress.
Preparing for Tamiflu-resistant influenza viruses
Researchers in Umeå and Uppsala have found that residues of the influenza drug Tamiflu in our environment can make the influenza virus in birds resistant. This can have serious consequences in the event of an influenza pandemic. With more than 14 million SEK from the Swedish Research Councils Formas and VR, the research team will now continue their studies with a focus on alternative antiviral drugs.
Gene therapy trial for 'Bubble boy' disease promising
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers reported promising outcomes data for the first group of boys with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCID-X1), a fatal genetic immunodeficiency also known as "bubble boy" disease, who were treated as part of an international clinical study of a new form of gene therapy. The mechanism used to deliver the gene therapy is designed to prevent the serious complication of leukemia that arose a decade ago in a similar trial in Europe, when one-quarter of boys treated developed the blood cancer.
Angioplasty possibly no better than drug therapy
For patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) who are not experiencing a heart attack and an abnormal stress test, treatment of their narrowed arteries by the common procedure of angioplasty may not provide additional benefits compared to drug therapy alone. This finding results from a survey of more than 4,000 patients with myocardial ischemia, or inadequate circulation, led by cardiologists at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. The survey results are published in the online first edition of JAMA Internal Medicine .
How the visual system balances sustained and segregated representations
(Medical Xpress)—The human brain is faced with challenges every day. These may be challenges that you are conscious of, like trying to solve a mathematical equation or learning a new language.
Mental disorders lead to greater heart disease risk, study shows
(Medical Xpress)—Men with mental disorders are more at risk of developing coronary heart disease, according to a study by the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh.
Girls self-harming at much higher rates than boys
(Medical Xpress)—Adolescent girls are self-harming at much higher rates than boys, and almost one-in-five of those who have self-harmed have done so in front of others, new research has found.
New insights into the immune system of the gastrointestinal tract
Lymphotoxin is a cytokine, or intercellular messenger, and plays an important role in the immunological balance of the gastrointestinal tract. It regulates the immune system of the digestive tract, which is made up of immune cells, immunoglobulins (antibodies) as well as intestinal bacteria. An international team of scientists supported by the Helmholtz Zentrum München has now discovered how this complex interaction functions and how lymphotoxin controls the production of immunoglobulins in the gut. The results are published in the latest issue of the specialist journal Science.
Research targets memory improvements
(Medical Xpress)—Forgetting things—whether it's where one has misplaced the car keys or coming home without that gallon of milk—is something that routinely happens to young and old alike.
New study clarifies concerns regarding commonly used anti-nausea drug ondansetron
For the past two years, warnings regarding the possible link between a commonly used anti-nausea and vomiting drug ondansetron and heart arrhythmias have been a source of uncertainty in emergency departments. New research from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Calgary's Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute helps to clarify the actual risk of ondansetron administration and cardiac arrhythmias in both children and adults. The study is published in the December issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Inflammation in prostate may reduce cancer risk
Doctors at the North Shore-LIJ Health System have discovered that increased inflammation in the prostate may predict reduced risk for prostate cancer. The findings are published online in Cancer.
Gene 'driver' of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia in up to one-third of patients identified
In nearly one-third of patients with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, a specific genetic mutation switches on the disease, and a new drug that blocks the defective gene can arrest the disease in animal models, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and allied institutions will report at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). The finding may open the way to clinical trials of the drug in Waldenstrom's patients whose tumor cells carry the mutation.
Breakthrough in treating leukemia, lymphoma with umbilical cord blood stem cells
Donated umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that can save the lives of patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers.
Study shows first link between altitude and concussion
A new study shows that high school athletes playing at higher altitudes suffer fewer concussions than those closer to sea-level, a phenomenon attributed to physiological changes in the brain causing it to fit more tightly in the skull.
Ovarian cancer discovery deepens knowledge of survival outcomes
Researchers in the Women's Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute have identified a series of 10 genes that may signify a trifecta of benefits for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and ultimately reflect improved survival outcomes.
Kids who see movie violence also see smoking, drinking, sex, study finds
(HealthDay)—Violent movie characters are also likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual behavior in films rated appropriate for children over 12, according to a new study.
Study examines drug labeling and exposure in infants
Federal legislation encouraging the study of drugs in pediatric patients has resulted in very few labeling changes that include new infant information, according to a study by Matthew M. Laughon, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues.
Communities across US reduce teen smoking, drinking, violence and crime
Fewer high school students across the U.S. started drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, committing crimes and engaging in violence before graduation when their towns used the Communities That Care prevention system during the teens' middle school years.
Three major smoking cessation therapies pose no serious heart risks
Three major types of smoking cessation therapies don't increase the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death, according to research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
Cardiovascular complications, hypoglycemia common in older patients with diabetes
Cardiovascular complications and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) were common nonfatal complications in adults 60 years of age and older with diabetes, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Penicillin equally effective as 'big gun' antibiotics for treating less severe childhood pneumonia
Children hospitalized for pneumonia have similar outcomes, including length of stay and costs, regardless of whether they are treated with "big gun" antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime or more narrowly focused antibiotics such as ampicillin or penicillin, according to a Vanderbilt study published in Pediatrics.
Genetic flaw in males triggers onset of liver cancer, diabetes
Michigan State University researchers have uncovered a genetic deficiency in males that can trigger the development of one of the most common types of liver cancer and forms of diabetes.
NLST data highlight probability of lung cancer overdiagnosis with low-dose CT screening
Data from the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST)—conducted by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and National Cancer Institute Lung Screening Study—provided researchers the opportunity to investigate the probability that a cancer detected with screening low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) would not have progressed to become life threatening. The results of this investigation published online today in JAMA Internal Medicine suggest that up to 18 percent of the cancers detected by LDCT may not have progressed enough to affect patient health if left undetected.
Researchers see added nutritional benefits in organic milk
A team led by a Washington State University researcher has found that organic milk contains significantly higher concentrations of heart-healthy fatty acids compared to milk from cows on conventionally managed dairy farms. While all types of milk fat can help improve an individual's fatty acid profile, the team concludes that organic whole milk does so even better.
35 year study finds exercise reduces risk of dementia
The study identifies five healthy behaviours as being integral to having the best chance of leading a disease-free lifestyle: taking regular exercise, non-smoking, a low bodyweight, a healthy diet and a low alcohol intake.
Lack of proper national policy to get UK kids more active is mass 'child neglect'
The failure of successive governments to implement a comprehensive national policy to get UK kids more active and stave off the litany of health and other problems their sedentary lifestyle is storing up for them, is mass "child neglect," say experts in an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Spanish hospital to trial new HIV treatment
Researchers at a Spanish hospital announced Monday they will start trials next year of a therapeutic vaccine for patients who already have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
A personal antidepressant for every genome
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, but they don't work for everyone. What's more, patients must often try several different SSRI medications, each with a different set of side effects, before finding one that is effective. It takes three to four weeks to see if a particular antidepressant drug works. Meanwhile, patients and their families continue to suffer.
Kids movies send mixed messages about eating habits and obesity
In a world where animals often take the place of humans, sugar-sweetened beverages, exaggerated portion sizes and unhealthy snacks are common. So is TV watching, computer use and video games.
New brief therapy eases symptoms of combat-related psychological trauma
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, is a brief, safe, and effective treatment for combat-related symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans and U.S. service members, researchers at University of South Florida College of Nursing report in a new study. They found this newer treatment—a combination of evidence-based psychotherapies and use of eye movements—was shorter and more likely to be completed, than conventional therapies formally endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration.
How a concussion can lead to depression years later
(Medical Xpress)—A head injury can lead immune-system brain cells to go on "high alert" and overreact to later immune challenges by becoming excessively inflammatory – a condition linked with depressive complications, a new animal study suggests.
Gene sequencing project finds family of drugs with promise for treating childhood tumor
Drugs that enhance a process called oxidative stress were found to kill rhabdomyosarcoma tumor cells growing in the laboratory and possibly bolstered the effectiveness of chemotherapy against this aggressive tumor of muscle and other soft tissue. The findings are the latest from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital–Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project and appear in the December 9 edition of the scientific journal Cancer Cell.
In surprise finding, blood clots absorb bacterial toxin
Blood clots play an unexpected role in protecting the body from the deadly effects of bacteria by absorbing bacterial toxins, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found. The research was published Dec. 2 in the journal PLOS ONE.
Innovative drug-dispensing contact lens delivers glaucoma medication continuously for a month
For nearly half a century, contact lenses have been proposed as a means of ocular drug delivery that may someday replace eye drops, but achieving controlled drug release has been a significant challenge. Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are one step closer to an eye drop-free reality with the development of a drug-eluting contact lens designed for prolonged delivery of latanoprost, a common drug used for the treatment of glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
No pictures, please: Taking photos may impede memory of museum tour
Visit a museum these days and you'll see people using their smartphones and cameras to take pictures of works of art, archeological finds, historical artifacts, and any other object that strikes their fancy. While taking a picture might seem like a good way to preserve the moment, new research suggests that museum-goers may want to put their cameras down.
Biochemical mechanisms of memory
A discovery by a research team led by Ryohei Yasuda at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience has significantly advanced basic understanding of biochemical mechanisms associated with how memories are formed.
Researchers uncover optimal framework for heartbeats
(Medical Xpress)—The heart maintains a careful balancing act; too soft and it won't pump blood, but too hard and it will overtax itself and stop entirely. There is an optimal amount of strain that a beating heart can generate and still beat at its usual rate, once per second.
How "good cholesterol" stops inflammation
High-density lipoprotein (HDL), known colloquially as "good cholesterol", protects against dangerous deposits in the arteries. An important function of HDL is its anti-inflammatory properties. An international research team at the Institute of Innate Immunity at the University Hospital of Bonn and the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn has identified a central switch by which HDL controls the inflammatory response. The results are presented in the current issue of Nature Immunology.
From common colds to deadly lung diseases, one protein plays key role
An international team of researchers has zeroed in on a protein that plays a key role in many lung-related ailments, from seasonal coughing and hacking to more serious diseases such as MRSA infections and cystic fibrosis.
Prolonged viewing of Boston Marathon bombings media coverage tied to acute stress
Stepping away from the television, computer screen or smartphone in the aftermath of terrorist attacks or mass shootings may be beneficial to your mental health. That's the takeaway from a new study by UC Irvine researchers showing that six or more daily hours of exposure to media coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings in the week afterward was linked to more acute stress than having been at or near the marathon. Acute stress symptoms increased with each additional hour of bombing-related media exposure via television, social media, videos, print or radio.
Vitamin D impairs immune cell trafficking in mouse model of multiple sclerosis
In mice with a rodent form of multiple sclerosis (MS), vitamin D appears to block damage-causing immune cells from migrating to the central nervous system, offering a potential explanation for why the so-called "sunshine vitamin" may prevent or ease symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins.
The smoking gun: Fish brains and nicotine
In researching neural pathways, it helps to establish an analogous relationship between a region of the human brain and the brains of more-easily studied animal species. New work from a team led by Carnegie's Marnie Halpern hones in on one particular region of the zebrafish brain that could help us understand the circuitry underlying nicotine addiction. It is published the week of December 9 by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Brain: Balancing old and new skills
To learn new motor skills, the brain must be plastic: able to rapidly change the strengths of connections between neurons, forming new patterns that accomplish a particular task. However, if the brain were too plastic, previously learned skills would be lost too easily.
Researchers develop new drug approach that could lead to cures for wide range of diseases
A team led by a longtime Oregon Health & Science University researcher has demonstrated in mice what could be a revolutionary new technique to cure a wide range of human diseases—from cystic fibrosis to cataracts to Alzheimer's disease—that are caused by "misfolded" protein molecules.
Neural prosthesis restores brain function after injury (w/ Video)
Scientists from Case Western Reserve University and University of Kansas Medical Center have restored behavior—in this case, the ability to reach through a narrow opening and grasp food—using a neural prosthesis in a rat model of brain injury.
Biology news
Following tradition: Top examples of indigenous knowledge preserving biodiversity, ecosystem service
With the planet losing species 100 to 1,000 times faster than the natural extinction rate, international experts assembling for high-level global biodiversity meetings say knowledge co-production with indigenous peoples has growing importance.
NASA preps for space-based stem cell research
NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) are enabling research aboard the International Space Station that could lead to new stem cell-based therapies for medical conditions faced on Earth and in space.
Slimy tunicates may be worth billions
Tunicates that were placed in the sea six months ago have now been harvested. These ocean weeds can become a new aquaculture adventure.
Genetic studies of mammary tumours (breast cancer) in dogs
Mammary tumours (breast cancer) are the most common form of cancer in bitches. Kaja Sverdrup Borge's PhD project has led to the identification of genetic changes associated with these types of tumour. Her findings can help to improve our understanding of the development of breast cancer in both dogs and humans.
Physiological fish reactions biomarker for water quality
A research project developed by the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) and the School of Forestry at the Technical University of Madrid has studied how to use fish farms to detect water quality in our rivers. There is a slight contamination that does not affect product quality and can trigger physiological reactions on fish. The analysis of these changes can be a good biomarker for water quality.
Weed scientists to iron out farmers' frowns with assault on crowsfoot grass
Rubber, cotton, rice, palm oil, bananas, other fruits and vegetables - these are just some of the crops under threat from a weed that has recently developed resistance to some of the most powerful chemicals.
Preserving the precious Tigers Milk mushroom
A technique to preserve cells from the rare and popular Tigers Milk Mushroom for later use is published in the latest issue of The Journal of Tropical Agriculture Science. The mushroom, Lignosus rhinoceros, is widely used by indigenous communities across Malaysia, but there are not enough to meet demand. The researchers adapted a process already used to preserve other fungi, and believe their method provides an easy and inexpensive option for long-term preservation of the desired cells.
The invasive Turkestan cockroach is displacing the oriental cockroach in the southwestern US
The Turkestan cockroach, Blatta lateralis (Walker), has become an important invasive species throughout the southwestern United States and has been reported in the southern United States. It is rapidly replacing the oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis (L.), in urban areas of the southwestern United States as the most important peri-domestic species.
New rearing method may help control of the western bean cutworm
The western bean cutworm is a destructive insect pest of dry beans and corn. Inadequate protocols for laboratory rearing of this insect have hindered controlled efficacy experimentation in the laboratory and field.
Invasive cockroach found in NYC can take the cold
The High Line, a park that turned a dilapidated stretch of elevated railway on Manhattan's West Side into one of New York's newest tourist attractions, may have brought a different kind of visitor: a cockroach that can withstand harsh winter cold and never seen before in the U.S.
First Blue Mountains koala sighting in 70 years
A koala has been seen crossing the Great Western Highway near Wentworth Falls, the first record of koalas in the upper Blue Mountains since the 1940s.
Is your Budgie left-handed?
The short answer is no. Unlike people, Australian budgerigars do not have a dominant hand (or claw), scientists studying the brain and visual system have found.
Intracellular ABC transporters enable leaf beetle larvae to accumulate defensive precursors when feeding
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, have discovered the decisive biological stimulator for the accumulation of defensive substances in leaf beetle larvae used by the insects to fend off predators: ABC transport proteins, which are found in large quantities in glandular cells of the larvae. The poplar leaf beetle Chrysomela populi is able to transport salicin, which is found in its leafy diet and is absorbed in its midgut, via several cell membranes into its defensive glands, where the substance is converted into the defensive compound salicyl aldehyde. The research results not only shed light on the molecular evolution of the defensive system in leaf beetle larvae but also help to elucidate cell biological processes of sequestration in animal tissues.
Researchers develop system for assessing how effective species are at pollinating crops
From tomatoes to pumpkins, most fruit and vegetable crops rely on pollination by bees and other insect species – and the future of many of those species is uncertain. Now researchers from North Carolina State University are proposing a set of guidelines for assessing the performance of pollinator species in order to determine which species are most important and should be prioritized for protection.
Tiny oil droplets help measure mechanical forces produced by living cells that shape tissues and organs
(Phys.org) —As embryonic tissue develops, cells push and pull on each other, and they must do so correctly for the tissue to develop properly. Now scientists at Harvard University have devised the first method to measure these tiny forces in three-dimensional tissues and living embryos.
Ice-cold methods decode bacterial infection systems
When attacking body cells, bacteria, such as salmonellae or Yersinia (plague pathogens), inject specific bacterial proteins through hollow, syringe-like structures – called injectisomes – into the host cells. These substances reprogram the cells and can thus overcome their defense. From then on, they can infiltrate the cells unhindered in large numbers, and trigger diseases such as typhus, plague, or cholera.
How electricity helps spider webs snatch prey and pollutants
Spider webs actively spring towards prey thanks to electrically conductive glue spread across their surface, Oxford University scientists have discovered.
Peaceful bumblebee becomes invasive
Bumblebees look cute. They have a thick fur, fly somewhat clumsily and are less aggressive than honeybees or wasps. They are very much appreciated by farmers as keen pollen collectors. Particularly in the context of the crisis-stricken honeybee populations, the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is being bred on an industrial scale for the pollination of fruit and vegetable crops both inside and outside greenhouses.
Home teams hold the advantage
The home team holds the advantage over visitors – at least in the plant world. However, a mere handful of genetic adaptations could even the playing field.
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