Now Available - COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.4: http://goo.gl/Dva2Ox
Check out the release highlights for a summary of major news and enhancements from the most powerful simulation software: http://goo.gl/Dva2Ox
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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 11, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Game theory used to explain evolution of 'third party punishment'- The mystery of lizard breath: One-way airflow may be 270 million years old
- New system allows for high-accuracy, through-wall, 3-D motion tracking (w/ Video)
- A new material for solar panels could make them cheaper, more efficient
- Rare gene variants double risk for Alzheimer's disease
- Repairing mitochondria in neurodegenerative disease
- Women's presence in science is not reflected in peer-review authorship or citations
- Skin's own cells offer hope for new ways to repair wounds, reduce impact of aging on the skin
- Study shows global warming likely to alter bat echolocation abilities
- Probe opens new path for drug development against leading STD
- Give future generations a chance: Support mothers to secure future public health
- East Antarctica is sliding sideways: Ice loss on West Antarctica affecting mantle flow below
- 'Goldilocks' clue to habitable planets
- Valkyrie steps forth as DARPA robotics contender
- Spotify goes mobile with free music streaming
Astronomy & Space news
Image: Yellowknife Bay formation on Mars
This mosaic of images from Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) shows geological members of the Yellowknife Bay formation. The scene has the Sheepbed mudstone in the foreground and rises up through Gillespie Lake member to the Point Lake outcrop.
New system makes the VLA "Two telescopes in one"
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) will get a new system allowing it to continuously monitor the sky to study the Earth's ionosphere and detect short bursts of radio emission from astronomical objects. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) signed a $1 million contract under which NRL will fund a system to capture data from low-frequency radio receivers mounted on VLA antennas that will allow simultaneous and completely independent operation alongside the VLA's standard scientific observations.
E-ELT construction work to start
At a ceremony at ESO's Vitacura offices in Santiago on 9 December 2013 the ESO Director General, Tim de Zeeuw, and senior representatives of the Chilean company ICAFAL Ingeniería y Construcción S.A., signed a contract for the construction of a road to the summit of Cerro Armazones, the levelling of the top of the mountain and additional civil works. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the ESO project team.
First rock dating experiment performed on Mars
Although researchers have determined the ages of rocks from other planetary bodies, the actual experiments—like analyzing meteorites and moon rocks—have always been done on Earth. Now, for the first time, researchers have successfully determined the age of a Martian rock—with experiments performed on Mars. The work, led by geochemist Ken Farley of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), could not only help in understanding the geologic history of Mars but also aid in the search for evidence of ancient life on the planet.
Quails in orbit: French cuisine aims for the stars
It's your 150th day in space, and life is starting to resemble the movie "Groundhog Day"—a repetitive daily routine interspersed with tugs of longing for life back on Earth.
Countdown starts for UA-led asteroid mission
(Phys.org) —With OSIRIS-REx, the first spacecraft destined to return a sample from a primitive asteroid, still taking shape, the mission's University of Arizona-led team started the official countdown clock on Monday at 5:43 p.m. MST. At that exact moment, 999 days remained until the opening of the mission's launch window on Sept. 3, 2016. The start of the clock also marks the launch of a new outreach and social media campaign to share the excitement about the mission, which comes with largest grant the UA has ever been awarded. The OSIRIS-REx mission is budgeted for more than $800 million, plus the launch rocket, which is supplied by NASA.
Image: Hubble sees a bizarre cosmic rarity: NGC 660
This new Hubble image shows a peculiar galaxy known as NGC 660, located around 45 million light-years away from us.
Young boy's discovery confirmed as a peculiar supernova explosion
New observations confirm that young Nathan Gray's discovery is indeed a supernova explosion, albeit a rather peculiar one. Nathan Gray, age 10, discovered a new cosmic source on October 30th that emerged in the constellation of Draco, and it was subsequently classified as a supernova candidate. Evidence available at the time was sufficiently convincing that Nathan was promptly heralded as the youngest individual to discover a supernova.
Space shuttle-sized asteroid 2013 XY8 to fly past earth on Dec. 11
A newly-discovered asteroid about the size of a space shuttle will fly past Earth on December 11, 2013 at a very safe distance of 760,000 kilometers (470,000 miles). The closest approach of Asteroid 2013 XY8 will be 11:14 UT, and its size is estimated between 31 – 68 meters. This asteroid is zipping along at about 14 kilometers per second, and of course at about 2 lunar distances away, there is no danger of this asteroid hitting Earth. The asteroid was discovered on Dec. 7 by the team at the Catalina Sky Survey, and our friends Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes and Martino Nicolini from the Remanzacco Observatory have provided a follow-up image of the asteroid, taken just this morning.
Fire vs. ice: The science of ISON at perihelion
After a year of observations, scientists waited with bated breath on Nov. 28, 2013, as Comet ISON made its closest approach to the sun, known as perihelion. Would the comet disintegrate in the fierce heat and gravity of the sun? Or survive intact to appear as a bright comet in the pre-dawn sky?
'Wake up' competition for Europe's sleepy comet-chaser
Citizens of Planet Earth are being invited to make a "video shout-out" to wake up a deep-space probe, Rosetta, that has been in hibernation since June 2011.
Geminid meteor shower ramps up Friday night
It's time for the December sky show.
Orbital samples with sight-saving potential
Those who travel to space are rewarded with a beautiful sight - planet Earth. But the effects of space travel on the human sense of sight aren't so beautiful. More than 30 percent of astronauts who returned from two-week space shuttle missions and 60 percent who spent six months aboard the International Space Station were diagnosed with eye problems. Two recent investigations examined mechanisms that may explain eye changes in spaceflight, help find ways to minimize this health risk to astronauts and eventually prevent and treat eye diseases on Earth.
Astrophysicist suggests life may have existed shortly after Big Bang
(Phys.org) —Theoretical astrophysicist Abraham Loeb of Harvard University has uploaded a paper he's written to the preprint server arXiv, in which he suggests that conditions shortly after the Big Bang may have been just right for life to appear in some parts of the universe—for just a short time.
'Goldilocks' clue to habitable planets
The bad news: Earth's oceans will evaporate away. The good news: It won't happen for another billion years or so.
Clay-like minerals found on icy crust of moon Europa
(Phys.org) —A new analysis of data from NASA's Galileo mission has revealed clay-type minerals at the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa that appear to have been delivered by a spectacular collision with an asteroid or comet. This is the first time such minerals have been detected on Europa's surface. The types of space rocks that deliver such minerals typically also often carry organic materials.
Technology news
US man arrested for 'revenge porn' website extortion
US police arrested a 27-year-old man Tuesday accused of running a "revenge porn" website hosting over 10,000 sexually explicit photos as part of an extortion ploy, officials said.
NTSB: Upgrade likely could have prevented NY crash
Federal safety officials say the technology known as positive train control would probably have prevented the Dec. 1 train derailment that killed four people in New York.
Fujitsu develops technology to remotely access home PC files using a smart device
Fujitsu Laboratories announced that it has developed technology that enables access to home computer files from anywhere using a smart device.
Success in large-scale test of technology to solve IPv4 address space exhaustion issue
Fujitsu, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) today announced that they recently conducted a successful large-scale test of a solution technology that will enable IPv4 addresses to be assigned (shared) to different devices at datacenters configured with IPv6 networks.
Imec demonstrates strained germanium finFETs at IEDM 2013
At this week's IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM 2013), imec reported the first functional strained germanium (Ge) quantum-well channel pMOS FinFETs, fabricated with a Si Fin replacement process on 300mm Si wafers. The device shows a possible evolution of the FinFET/trigate architecture for 7nm and 5nm CMOS technologies.
One in two Swiss users accepts a lack of privacy on the Internet
Eighty-five out of every 100 people in Switzerland have access to the internet. Internet usage is on the rise, with even 70 percent of senior citizens going online. However, the concerns about using the internet are still substantial. In general, young people are less worried and women are more concerned about protecting their privacy. These are the results of a study carried out by the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich.
Tech multinationals boost Ireland but jobs go unfilled
Many of the world's leading tech companies call Ireland home, providing a boost for the cash-strapped nation but huge employment opportunities are being missed as Ireland marks the end of its bailout on Sunday.
Timber buildings growing in a city near you
UTS expertise in timber engineering has contributed to world-leading timber technology now used in a number of designer buildings in New Zealand and Europe.
Robot representatives open doors for the isolated
Psychologists from the University of Exeter are leading a major project looking at how robots can enable people to interact in public spaces – without actually being there.
Outcry over French bill giving wider access to personal data
An association grouping web giants such as Google and Facebook on Wednesday slammed the adoption in France of a bill that gives intelligence agencies wider access to personal data without prior authorisation from a judge.
Amazon grocery delivery rolls into San Francisco
Amazon.com Inc.'s grocery delivery service is rolling into San Francisco.
PSY and Ylvis top YouTube 2013 video hit list
A Norwegian comedy duo and South Korean rap music sensation PSY topped a list of hit videos shared at Google-owned YouTube this year.
Music lovers seek to pump up digital audio quality
When he sees people listening to music on portable digital devices, David Chesky cringes.
Japan to spend $970 mn on nuclear soil store
Japan is planning to earmark 100 billion yen ($970 million) for a storage facility for tens of thousands of tonnes of soil contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima disaster, a report said Wednesday.
Online game addiction law divides SKorea
A law under consideration in South Korea's parliament has sparked vociferous debate by grouping popular online games such as "StarCraft" with gambling, drugs and alcohol as an anti-social addiction the government should do more to stamp out.
Multinationals boost Ireland but jobs go unfilled
Many of the world's leading tech companies call Ireland home, providing a boost for the cash-strapped nation but huge employment opportunities are being missed as Ireland marks the end of its bailout on Sunday.
Solving a moving problem
Victoria University graduand Ben Drayton has come up with a way to help solve the problem of measuring distance to a moving object.
Google opens first Asia data centres to cope with demand
US search engine giant Google Wednesday opened its first data centres in Asia to cater for soaring demand, and said it would double its planned investment in the Taiwan facility to $600 million.
Computational linguists predict TIME's "Person of the Year" using computer model
On Wednesday 11 December the American TIME Magazine will announce its 'Person of the Year' 2013. An international team of computational linguists has now built a quantitative model that has predicted the outcome for 2013.
Over 2M Xbox One units sold in first 18 days
Microsoft says more than 2 million of its Xbox One consoles have been sold since the system's launch 18 days ago.
Smartphone users value their privacy and are willing to pay for it, economists find
Average smartphone users are willing to pay up to $5 extra for a typical application—or "app"—that won't monitor their locations, contact lists and other personal information, a study conducted by two economists at the University of Colorado Boulder has found.
Q&A: Animals and robots develop an unlikely scientific partnership
Collaborations between robotics specialists and biologists have never been so successful. The former draw their ideas from animal morphology while the latter have found in technology a useful tool for studying nature. Francesco Mondada, robotics engineer at EPFL, and Laurent Keller, specialist in evolutionary genetics at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), exchange their points of view. The latest issue of Flash presents their entire interview together with a special "robots- animals" section (in French).
German prosecutor: Still weighing NSA probe
Germany's chief federal prosecutor says he hasn't decided whether to open an investigation into alleged surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency but is suggesting that he's skeptical.
NREL reports soft costs now largest piece of solar installation total cost
Two detailed reports from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) find that solar financing and other non-hardware costs—often referred to as "soft costs"—now comprise up to 64% of the total price of residential solar energy systems, reflecting how soft costs are becoming an increasingly larger fraction of the cost of installing solar.
AP-GfK poll: Strong opposition to in-flight calls
As federal regulators consider removing a decades-old prohibition on making phone calls on planes, a majority of Americans who fly oppose such a change, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
Lingering Yahoo Mail outage prompts apology
An outage at Yahoo Mail stretched into its second day on Wednesday, prompting the US Internet pioneer to apologize to unhappy users.
NSA: No better way to protect US than surveillance
The NSA chief said Wednesday he knows of no better way his agency can help protect the U.S. from foreign threats than with spy programs that collect billions of phone and Internet records from around the world.
Bitcoin gaining wider acceptance
Donald Duhaney brought a wallet full of cash to a Whole Foods in Manhattan's trendy Lower East Side one recent evening. But he wasn't in search of kale, quinoa or cage-free eggs.
Social networks showing users more targeted ads
Social networks have found a promising new source of advertising revenue: targeting users with ads for products they browsed online.
Hipster, surfer or biker? Computers may soon be able to tell the difference
(Phys.org) —Are you a hipster, surfer or biker? What is your urban tribe? Your computer may soon be able to tell. Computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego, are developing an algorithm that uses group pictures to determine to which of these groups, or urban tribes, you belong. So far, the algorithm is 48 percent accurate on average. That's better than chance—which gets answers right only nine percent of the time—but researchers would like the algorithm perform at least as well as humans would.
Engineers zap bridges with electricity to test for corrosion
(Phys.org) —Rust is a civil engineer's nightmare. Motorists in the United States make more than 200 million trips across bridges rated structurally deficient or in need of significant maintenance and yearly inspection. Of the more than 17,000 bridges in New York, 12.5 percent are structurally deficient and 27 percent are considered functionally obsolete. One major culprit: corrosion of reinforcing steel.
Leaner Fourier transforms: Algorithm separates signals into their individual frequencies using minimal number of samples
The fast Fourier transform, one of the most important algorithms of the 20th century, revolutionized signal processing. The algorithm allowed computers to quickly perform Fourier transforms—fundamental operations that separate signals into their individual frequencies—leading to developments in audio and video engineering and digital data compression.
Valkyrie steps forth as DARPA robotics contender
(Phys.org) —The clock is ticking for robot enthusiasts who are eager to see what happens on the big day, December 20, for the 17 teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge. The event scheduled for Dec. 20 and 21 in Florida is where the robots will be tested on the capabilities that would enable them to provide assistance in future natural and man-made disasters. On Tuesday, curiosity and expectations were ratcheted up significantly with the unveiling of NASA's Johnson Space Center entry, a humanoid robot called Valkyrie (R5). This is a 6-foot-two-inch, battery operated robot weighing 286 pounds with 44 degree of freedom. (The Valkyrie has seven degree of freedom arms, for example, with actuated wrists and six degree of freedom hands. Each hand has three fingers and a thumb.)
Spotify goes mobile with free music streaming
Spotify extended its free music streaming service to smartphones and tablets on Wednesday, ramping up a challenge to rivals such as Pandora.
US risks losing clean electricity if nuclear plants keep closing, report says
Four nuclear power plants, sources of low-emissions electricity, have announced closings this year. If plants continue to shut down instead of extending operations the nation risks losing 60 percent of its clean electricity starting in 2030, according to a new report, Renewing Licenses for the Nation's Nuclear Power Plant by the American Physical Society.
Commercial use of drones has already taken flight
The camera swoops over the green expanse of the Everglades hundreds of feet below, like many helicopter shots you've seen on television. But suddenly it dips and flies through a narrow, shaded canal where kayakers are paddling, and a viewer has to wonder, "How on earth did they fly a chopper in such a tight space?"
New system allows for high-accuracy, through-wall, 3-D motion tracking (w/ Video)
Imagine playing a video game like Call of Duty or Battlefield and having the ability to lead your virtual army unit while moving freely throughout your house.
Medicine & Health news
Pakistani doctor wins $1M to fight child deaths
A Pakistani doctor won a $1 million grant on Tuesday to fight early child mortality in a small fishing village in southern Pakistan in a contest financed by an American entrepreneur to find innovative ways to save lives, The Caplow Children's Prize said.
G8 sets 2025 dementia breakthrough target (Update)
Finding a cure or treatment for dementia by 2025 is within reach, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday at the first-ever G8 meeting on combating the disease.
US asks for inspection of flawed Obamacare website (Update)
President Barack Obama's top health official Wednesday called for an investigation that could reveal deeper problems lurking behind the botched rollout of the Obamacare website.
Book debuts brain models of risky decision-making
Risky choices – about sex, drugs and drinking, as well as diet, exercise, money and health care – pervade our lives and can have dire consequences. Now, a new book aims to help us understand the neural roots of bad decisions. "The Neuroscience of Risky Decision Making" (APA Books) synthesizes the research in this relatively young field for the first time, and introduces new models of brain function to explain and predict risky behavior.
Novel function of lymphotoxin in mucosal immunity
This study was initiated almost 10 years ago, even before our group has moved to Berlin, says Sergei Nedospasov, the senior author of the study. We have generated a panel of mice with ablation of TNF, LTα and LTβ in various types of cells, and noted anatomic phenotypes in mice which lacked one of these three genes in RORγt+ ILC. These partial knockouts recapitulated defects in lymphoid organs development, including Peyer's patches (PP), in mice with complete knockouts of the same genes.
Video: Fighting the childhood obesity crisis
Scientists are studying the genetic, social and dietary factors influencing child obesity.
Right amount of fat and protein, key to babies
The early childhood diet and that of the mother during pregnancy determines the health of a child later life. This is the claim that the EU-funded research project Early Nutrition is trying to substantiate by the time it is due to be completed in 2017. Hans van Goudoever, professor of paediatrics and chair of the department of paediatrics at VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, talks to youris.com about his hopes to drastically improve the health of future generations by giving nutritional advice to pregnant women and young mothers.
Early emergency department palliative care consultations resulted in significantly shorter hospital stays
New York University College of Nursing researcher and Assistant Professor Abraham A. Brody, RN, PhD, GNP-BC and colleagues reporting in Journal of Palliative Medicine found that initiating a palliative care consult in the emergency department (ED) reduced hospital length of stay (LOS) when compared to patients who receive the palliative care consult after admission.
Novel agent set for unique clinical test in inflammatory breast cancer
A drug now used to treat a type of lymphoma has shown surprising benefit in preclinical studies of inflammatory breast cancer, according to a researcher at Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center.
High levels of immune cells in tumors may ID breast cancer pts most likely benefit from trastuzumab
Women with HER2-positive breast cancer who had the highest levels of immune cells in their tumors gained the most benefit from presurgery treatment with chemotherapy and trastuzumab, according to results presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.
Researchers to present event-free and overall survival results from NeoALTTO trial
Results from the initial analysis of event-free and overall survival for patients enrolled in the randomized, phase III Neoadjuvant Lapatinib and/or Trastuzumab Treatment Optimization (NeoALTTO) trial are to be presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10–14.
Study identifies highly effective treatment option for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer
Combining the chemotherapy drugs docetaxel and carboplatin with the HER2-targeted therapy trastuzumab was identified to be an ideal postsurgery treatment option for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, regardless of tumor size and whether or not disease has spread to the lymph nodes, according to results from the BETH study presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.
Mothers that have a vaginal birth without epidural anesthesia are happier
An article published in the journal Nutricion Hospitalaria reveals that the attitude of healthcare personnel, along with starting early breast-feeding, are another two factors that help in increasing the mothers' level of satisfaction
Gene-silencing data now publicly available to help scientists better understand disease
For the first time, large-scale information on the biochemical makeup of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules is available publicly. These molecules are used in research to help scientists better understand how genes function in disease. Making these data accessible to researchers worldwide increases the potential of finding new treatments for patients.
Diabetic kids can still enjoy Christmas treats if parents take special care
Indulgences abound during the holidays—from family gatherings to parties with friends and even stockings stuffed with goodies from Santa. For children with diabetes, overindulging on the delicacies of the season could result in more than a stomachache, it could mean a trip to the emergency room.
Seven ways parents can manage holiday stress
With children home from school, days getting colder and shorter, and pressure around traveling, shopping, and gift-giving, many parents will think "Bah! Hum-bug!" at least once during the holiday season. W. George Scarlett, who teaches at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development in Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences, offers parents some commonsense tips for coping:
Hundreds of millions of Chinese men could die from tobacco related diseases
More than 50 per cent of Chinese men smoke cigarettes, placing hundreds of millions at serious risk for heart disease, cancer, other lung diseases, and many more serious illnesses, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) and World Lung Foundation (WLF), co-publishers of The Tobacco Atlas – 4th Edition. Representatives from China Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control joined WLF and ACS in the release of the Chinese version of the Atlas.
Social entrepreneur elective gives students opportunity to be leaders of social change
Historically, social justice and action for change have been among the nursing profession's core values. However, current curricular content on social entrepreneurship for nurses is not as well developed as the educational programs for students in business, engineering or public policy.
Dementia risk greatest for older Native-Americans and African-Americans with diabetes
In the first study to look at racial and ethnic differences in dementia risk among older adults with type 2 diabetes, researchers found that dementia was much higher among Native Americans and African-Americans and lowest among Asian-Americans.
Maternal health program in India failing to deliver, study shows
A prominent program that claims to reduce infant and maternal deaths in rural India by encouraging mothers to deliver in private hospitals has been unsuccessful, despite the investment of more than $25 million since 2005, a new Duke University study finds.
Hemophilia and long-term HIV infection—is there a protective link?
People with the genetic blood clotting disorder hemophilia who have been infected with HIV for decades have an increased proportion of immune cells in their blood that specifically target HIV. This protective immune response helps chronically infected hemophilia patients survive, even during periods of HIV activity, according to a study published in BioResearch Open Access.
Online tool aids clinicians' efforts to treat injured workers
University of Alberta researchers have developed a new web-based tool to aid health professionals in determining the right treatment course for injured workers, helping them feel better and get back to work earlier.
Transgender medical research and provider education lacking
As a result of the limited transgender medical training offered at medical schools, very few physicians possess the knowledge needed to treat transgendered patients. This circumstance is the topic of a paper in this month's issue Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity.
New study shows a breadth of antisense drug activity across many different organs
Antisense therapeutics, a class of drugs comprised of short nucleic acid sequences, can target a dysfunctional gene and silence its activity. A new study has shown that antisense drugs delivered systemically show activity in a wide range of tissues and organs, supporting their broad therapeutic potential in many disease indications, as described in an article in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics.
Avoiding radiotherapy is an option for some older patients with breast cancer
Omission of radiotherapy is a reasonable option for women age 65 or older who receive hormone therapy after breast-conserving surgery for hormone receptor-positive, axillary node-negative breast cancer, according to results of the PRIME 2 trial presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.
Benefit of breast cancer screening more consistent across studies than previously understood
Re-examination of data from four large studies of the benefits and harms of mammography screening shows that the benefits are more consistent across these studies than previously understood and that all the studies indicate a substantial reduction in breast cancer mortality with screening, according to results presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.
Are younger women more likely to have and die from a heart attack?
Young women, ages 55 years or below, are more likely to be hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to die within the first 30 days than men in the same age group, according to a new study published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Exercise protects against aggressive breast cancer in black women
A nearly 20-year observational study involving more than 44,700 black women nationwide found that regular vigorous exercise offers significant protection against development of an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. The findings from the Black Women's Health Study are being presented at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
US issues rules for removing antibiotics from farms (Update)
In response to concerns about the rise in drug-resistant superbugs worldwide, US regulators Wednesday issued voluntary guidelines to help cut back on antibiotics routinely fed to farm animals.
Montreal seeks drug law exemption for consumption rooms
Montreal health officials demanded a legal exemption Wednesday to allow four "shooting galleries" for addicts to inject drugs legally and under supervision.
HIV causes structural heart disease
HIV causes structural heart disease according to research presented at EuroEcho-Imaging 2013 by Dr Nieves Montoro from Madrid, Spain. The findings support the introduction of cardiovascular screening in all HIV patients, particularly those with a positive blood viral load.
Lefties aren't so gifted after all
Despite popular belief, left-handers are no more gifted than their right-handed counterparts, with Flinders University research finding that some left-handed children actually have significantly lower cognitive abilities.
Blood pressure drug could double up as first treatment for common form of dementia
A 4p per day drug for high blood pressure could become the first ever treatment for one of the most common forms of dementia within a decade, say two leading charities.
Children malnourished at 1000 days can still recover
Children who are malnourished during their first 1,000 days (conception to age 2) often experience developmental setbacks that affect them for life.
Five-part prescription for happiness
Wouldn't it be nice for your doctor to write you a prescription for happiness? Tulane University medical alumni Drs. Carrie and Alton Barron did just that as they presented their cure for creativity to faculty members and students at the medical school on Dec. 5. The presentation was based upon their book, The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness With Your Own Two Hands.
Boosting self-expression online may limit impulsive purchases
(Medical Xpress)—Long online transactions can take a toll on a person's self-control, but adding more self-expression and personal identity to those processes can help restore control, according to Penn State researchers.
Better memory with laser surgery for epilepsy
A laser-based procedure for people with medication-resistant epilepsy may result in better memory function than standard surgery, while still providing comparable seizure control rates, doctors say.
Call for action on cutting sugar
A study by Newcastle University researchers into the effects of sugars on our oral health recommends cutting down on the sweet additive as part of a global initiative to reduce tooth decay.
Are overweight children less able to handle advertising?
Weight, body shape perception, self-esteem and dietary habits all contribute to how children handle food advertising. A new study suggests that overweight children, in particular, could benefit from special training, in order to increase their media skills in relation to the exposure to advertising.
Establishing the basis of humour
The act of laughing at a joke is the result of a two-stage process in the brain, first detecting an incongruity before then resolving it with an expression of mirth. The brain actions involved in understanding humour differ between young boys and girls. These are the conclusions reached by a US-based scientist supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Low vitamin B12 levels increase the risk of fractures in older men
Older men who have low levels of vitamin B12 have a higher risk of having fractures. These are the findings of researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy as a part of an international study of a total of 1000 older men.
New test facilitates diagnosis of autism in adults
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a new screening tool to facilitate the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults. The test is presented in the scientific journal Molecular Autism and is unique in that researchers have, as part of their evaluation, compared the group diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with psychiatric patients.
School 'nutrition report cards' spur healthy choices
Step away from that ice cream sandwich: Point-of-sale technology may help students eating in school cafeterias refrain from devouring junky frozen treats, flavored drinks and potato chips when their parents receive "nutrition report cards."
Immigration status impacts health, especially for the young
Age at immigration and citizenship status may have health implications for immigrants, finds a new study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Doctors unaware that more teens are turning to E-cigarettes
The use of electronic cigarettes, battery operated devices that often look like cigarettes and deliver vaporized nicotine, is on the rise, including among minors. In a survey between 2011 and 2012, 10 percent of high school students reported ever using an e-cigarette. However, many clinicians are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with addressing the use of e-cigarettes with their young patients, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Breaking down stress: Mindfulness, breathing and yoga can beat back stress' side effects
The car needs gas. What's for dinner? The boss looks likes a banana in that yellow sweater. Every day, some 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts move through our brains. Some are meaningful; most are mundane. But for those who suffer from chronic stress and anxiety, the conveyor belt of daily thoughts can be terrifying.
Hot spots for shaken-baby syndrome cases identified
Counties in the United States with higher rates of shaken-baby syndrome cases include Sarpy and Douglas, Neb., Richmond, Ga., Weber, Utah, and Summit, Ohio, The Medill Justice Project discovered in a year-and-a-half long database research project, the findings from which are published today. On a state level, Nebraska ranks first with the most shaken-baby syndrome cases per 100,000 people, followed in order by Utah, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Stimulant-addicted patients can quit smoking without hindering treatment
Smokers who are addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine can quit smoking while being treated for their stimulant addiction, without interfering with stimulant addiction treatment. This is according to new research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Parent–child eating disorder perceptions investigated
Perth eating disorder specialists have uncovered a wide disparity in the reporting of eating disorder symptoms between parents and their children.
Female libido drug remains in limbo (Update)
The 15-year search for a pill that boosts sexual desire in women has hit another roadblock, raising questions about the future of efforts to develop a female equivalent to Viagra.
Can celebrity cancer diagnoses prompt quitting smoking?
Millions of people will make a resolution to quit smoking around Jan. 1, but a new study suggests an even more powerful motivator than New Year's resolutions: celebrity cancer diagnoses.
Cancer 'avalanche effect' refuted
First, the number of chromosomes in a cell changes, then an avalanche of further mutations occur that transform the cell into a cancer cell, according to a well-known - but untested - theory. A research group at Lund University in Sweden has now shown that the theory is not correct and constitutes a dead end for research.
Scientists identified T372R mutation as potential target for diagnosis and treatment of insulinoma
Chinese researchers from Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, BGI and other institutes identified the recurrent T372R mutation in the transcription factor YY1 (Yin Yang 1) are related with insulinoma oncogenesis, implicating a potential marker for the diagnosis and treatment of functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). The latest study was published online in Nature Communications.
Incarceration has no effect on nonresident fathers' parenting
A prison sentence may not always have negative consequences for children of the incarcerated, says University of California, Irvine sociologist Kristin Turney. In a new study, she finds that when an uninvolved dad spends time behind bars, there are no negative effects on his parenting.
Eat Mediterranean to ward off dementia
A University of Liverpool scientist has called on the UK's Health Minister to promote Mediterranean-style eating to reduce the burden of dementia.
Researchers uncover mechanism controlling Tourette syndrome tics
A mechanism in the brain which controls tics in children with Tourette Syndrome (TS) has been discovered by scientists at The University of Nottingham.
Combined therapy linked to lower chance of recurrence in women with small, HER2+ breast cancers
In a new study, women with relatively small, HER2-positive breast tumors who received a combination of lower-intensity chemotherapy and a targeted therapy following surgery or radiation therapy were very unlikely to have the cancer recur within a few years of treatment, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other research centers will report at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Herceptin plus taxol highly effective in lower-risk breast cancer patients
A remarkable 98.7 percent of certain lower-risk breast cancer patients were cancer free for at least three years after taking a combination of the drugs Herceptin and Taxol, a study has found.
Tumor-suppressing genes could play important role in obesity, diabetes and cancer
The function of two tumor-suppressing genes could play a vital role in helping to control obesity and other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, according to researchers in Temple University's Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine.
Personal care products are possible sources of potentially harmful parabens for babies
Through lotions, shampoos and other personal care products (PCPs), infants and toddlers are likely becoming exposed to potentially harmful substances, called parabens, at an even higher level than adult women in the U.S., researchers have reported. They published their findings on parabens, which have been linked to reproductive and other health issues, in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Antivirals for HCV improve kidney and cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients
Researchers from Taiwan reveal that antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) improves kidney and cardiovascular outcomes for patients with diabetes. Results of the study published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that incidences of kidney disease, stroke, and heart attack were lower in patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin compared to HCV patients not treated with antivirals or diabetic patients not infected with the virus.
Game-changing shift occurring in cancer discovery and treatment
Research advances that have come to fruition over the past year demonstrate extraordinary progress in the fight against cancer, according to a new report released today by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The report stresses, however, that recent budget cuts and years-long flat funding can only delay efforts to translate research into effective treatments for millions of individuals with cancer.
Evidence mounts for endometrial cancer tumor testing to identify women with Lynch syndrome
A recent article by Norris Cotton Cancer Center researchers published in the January 2014 issue of the journal Clinical Chemistry reviews the scientific evidence that warrants screening all endometrial cancers for Lynch syndrome. Next to colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer is the most common form of cancer in women with Lynch syndrome. Currently at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, every colon cancer specimen is screened for Lynch syndrome via specialized tumor testing. There is mounting evidence that this special tumor testing should also be done on every endometrial cancer specimen. This tumor testing, known as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and microsatellite instability (MSI), gives clinicians some preliminary information to see if Lynch syndrome played a role in the development of their patient's cancer.
Eating burgers from restaurants associated with higher obesity risk in in African-American women
Americans are increasingly eating more of their meals prepared away from home, and this is particularly true among African Americans, who also have higher rates of obesity than other Americans. Young adults tend to eat out more often at fast-food restaurants and these establishments are more often found in minority neighborhoods. A few studies have shown that frequently eating out is associated with greater weight gain than eating at home, but little previous research has focused on whether specific types of foods eaten at fast-food and full service restaurants have a greater effect.
Each food fish can cause specific allergies
Food allergies are evidently much more specific than previously assumed. More precise tests may allow allergy sufferers more freedom of food choice in the future. This is the result of studies carried out by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the University of Leipzig and the Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen. The researchers examined patients with a Nile perch allergy. Being allergic to Nile perch does not mean also being allergic to cod. Furthermore, species-specific allergens were identified that may help to improve avoidance strategies against such food allergies and make them more specific, the researchers write in the scientific journal Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology (JIACI).
Study finds biomaterials repair human heart
Clemson University biological sciences student Meghan Stelly and her father, Alabama cardiovascular surgeon Terry Stelly, investigated a biomedical application following a coronary artery bypass surgery and found that the application allowed the human body to regenerate its own tissue.
Skip the balloon after placing carotid stent, surgeons suggest
Johns Hopkins surgeons say skipping one commonly taken step during a routine procedure to insert a wire mesh stent into a partially blocked carotid artery appears to prevent patients from developing dangerously low blood pressure, an extremely slow heart rate or even a stroke or heart attack.
Motivating healthy adults to be more physically active improves their cardiorespiratory fitness
Fewer than half of adults in the United States meet the recommended physical activity guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Often physical inactivity may be associated with overweight and obese individuals, but even healthy, normal-weight Americans sometimes fail to meet physical activity guidelines. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that simply encouraging healthy adults to be more physically active can improve their cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).
Scientists identify more powerful approach to analyze melanoma's genetic causes
There may be a better way to analyze the genetic causes of cutaneous melanoma (CM) according to a study published in Human Genetics conducted by researchers Yale and Dartmouth. A statistical analysis using the natural and orthogonal interaction (NOIA) model showed increased power over existing approaches for detecting genetic effects and interactions when applied to the genome-wide melanoma dataset.
One protein, two personalities: Study identifies new mechanism of cancer spread
Cancer involves a breakdown of normal cell behavior. Cell reproduction and movement go haywire, causing tumors to grow and spread through the body.
UK says cure or drug for dementia possible by 2025
British Prime Minister David Cameron says he hopes to kick-start an international effort to find a cure or effective treatment for dementia by 2025.
Studies: Some cancer treatments can be skipped
Tens of thousands of women each year might be able to skip at least some of the grueling treatments for breast cancer—which can include surgery, heavy chemo and radiation—without greatly harming their odds of survival, new research suggests.
Exercise alleviates sexual side-effects of antidepressants in women, study shows
New psychology research, which could have important public health implications for alleviating some side effects of antidepressants, shows that engaging in exercise at the right time significantly improves sexual functioning in women who are taking the antidepressants.
Video of failed bike stunt lends insights into biomechanics of facial fracture
A man attempting a bicycle stunt made a significant—if unintended—contribution to surgical science, as a video of his crash allowed researchers to analyze the "kinematic and dynamic parameters" of the accident and resulting facial fractures. The study appears in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
Groundbreaking discovery in deadly childhood cancer
A new study by Canadian researchers may pave the way for more effective treatment of an aggressive and deadly type of brain tumour, known as ETMR/ETANTR. The tumour, which is seen only in children under four, is almost always fatal, despite aggressive treatment. The study proposes a new model for how this brain tumour develops and suggests possible targets to investigate for novel therapies. These findings, recently published in Nature Genetics, also shed new light on the complex process of early brain development. The study was led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), the McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and funded by the Cancer Research Society.
In search of a treatment for a rare bone cancer
Johns Hopkins researchers say that a drug approved to treat lung cancer substantially shrank tumors in mice that were caused by a rare form of bone cancer called chordoma.
Patients with metastatic breast cancer may not benefit from surgery and radiation after chemotherapy
After a response to initial chemotherapy, treatment with radiotherapy and surgical removal of the breast tumor and nearby lymph nodes do not provide any additional benefit to patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to results of a clinical trial presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.
Staying ahead of Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease is a devastating, incurable disorder that results from the death of certain neurons in the brain. Its symptoms show as progressive changes in behavior and movements.
CCS issues guidelines to improve early diagnosis and effective treatment of heart failure in children
Heart failure in children is an important cause of childhood health problems and death. The Children's Heart Failure Study Group of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, in collaboration with the Canadian Pediatric Cardiology Association, has developed new guidelines to assist practitioners in primary care and emergency departments to recognize and successfully manage heart failure in children with undiagnosed heart disease and symptoms of possible heart failure. The guidelines are published in the December issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
MU researcher close to solving problem for cancer patients
Patients with cancer and other long-term debilitating diseases often have additional problems. Many cancer patients, and those with other chronic diseases, can experience a wasting disease, cachexia anorexia, which causes the body to consume its own organs. Now, a University of Missouri researcher is beginning to plan for clinical trials with a drug that could block the cachexia from occurring, giving physicians additional time and treatment options for their patients.
Even without a concussion, blows to head may affect brain, learning and memory
New research suggests that even in the absence of a concussion, blows to the head during a single season of football or ice hockey may affect the brain's white matter and cognition, or memory and thinking abilities. The study is published in the December 11, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. White matter is brain tissue that plays an important role in the speed of nerve signals.
Poverty influences children's early brain development
Poverty may have direct implications for important, early steps in the development of the brain, saddling children of low-income families with slower rates of growth in two key brain structures, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Multi-gene test could help spot breast cancer patients most at risk
A new test has the potential to help physicians identify patients with the most lethal forms of triple-negative breast cancer, a disease which requires aggressive and innovative treatment.
Brief laser-light treatment may significantly improve effectiveness of influenza vaccines
Pretreating the site of intradermal vaccination – vaccine delivered into the skin rather than to muscles beneath the skin – with a particular wavelength of laser light may substantially improve vaccine effectiveness without the adverse effects of chemical additives currently used to boost vaccine efficacy. In the open-access journal PLOS ONE, investigators from Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Division of Infectious Diseases report that a one-minute dose of near-infrared laser light significantly improved the effectiveness of intradermal influenza vaccination in a mouse model – increasing both immune system activity and the animals' survival.
'Obamacare' helping young adults get health insurance: report
(HealthDay)—More young adults have health insurance now than three years ago. And many of them are getting that coverage under a provision of the Affordable Care Act that allows them to stay on their parents' health policies until they turn 26, U.S. health officials reported Wednesday.
Outdoor recess ups quantity, intensity of physical activity
(HealthDay)—Outdoor recess is associated with increased quantity and intensity of physical activity compared with indoor recess settings, according to a study published Nov. 21 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
Weekend spine surgery linked to longer stays, higher costs
(HealthDay)—Patients admitted to the hospital on weekends for cervical spine fusion resulting from trauma have a greater length of stay and total hospital costs than their weekday counterparts, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of Spine.
Recommendations issued to prevent VTE in maternal patients
(HealthDay)—The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and the National Perinatal Association have developed safety recommendations aimed at preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in maternal patients.
Peds bronchiolitis guideline can cut resource use, costs
(HealthDay)—Implementation of a bronchiolitis guideline can reduce unnecessary resource utilization and reduce costs in a pediatric emergency department setting, according to research published online Dec. 9 in Pediatrics.
Sleep-deprived mice show connections among lack of shut-eye, diabetes, age
Sleep, or the lack of it, seems to affect just about every aspect of human physiology. Yet, the molecular pathways through which sleep deprivation wreaks its detrimental effects on the body remain poorly understood. Although numerous studies have looked at the consequences of sleep deprivation on the brain, comparatively few have directly tested its effects on peripheral organs.
Targeted antibody, immune checkpoint blocker rein in follicular lymphoma
One drug attacks tumor cells directly, the other treats the immune system by taking the brakes off T cell response. Together, they put half of the patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma into complete remission in a phase II clinical trial at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Older mice fed wolfberries show reduced risk for flu virus with vaccine
In a study of older mice, wolfberries appear to interact with the influenza vaccine to offer additional protection against the flu virus. The research, led by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, suggests the wolfberry may increase the activity of dendritic cells, which play an important role in the ability of the immune system to defend against viral infections. The results were published online ahead of print today by the Journal of Nutrition.
Brain trauma raises risk of later PTSD in active-duty Marines
In a novel study of U.S. Marines investigating the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over time, a team of scientists led by researchers from the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that TBIs suffered during active-duty deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan were the greatest predictor for subsequent PTSD, but found pre-deployment PTSD symptoms and high combat intensity were also significant factors.
Pilot program study finds that pediatric obesity patients like telehealth services
For youth dealing with obesity who need extra help losing weight, experts suggest a multidisciplinary approach in which care is provided by several health specialists. However, the logistics of traveling to multiple appointments, even if just across town, can be a barrier to receiving care, especially for low-income families.
Flu vaccine helps ward off serious child illness, study says
The flu vaccine prevents the virus more than half the time in children and can also ward off more serious sickness, said the findings of a major clinical trial Wednesday.
FDA approves first generic versions of Cymbalta
The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved the first generic versions of the blockbuster antidepressant drug Cymbalta, offering lower-cost access to one of the most widely prescribed treatments for depression, anxiety and other disorders.
Psychiatrists less likely to accept health insurance, study finds
(HealthDay)—Psychiatrists are less likely than other doctors to accept insurance, which reduces the number of patients who have access to mental health care, a new study suggests.
New test for chronic blood cancers
(Medical Xpress)—A new test for blood cancers will catch many more cases than the present test that identifies only 60 per cent.
New gene therapy targets hemophilia
Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin found that a new kind of gene therapy led to a dramatic decline in bleeding events in dogs with naturally occurring hemophilia A, a serious and costly bleeding condition that affects about 50,000 people in the United States and millions more around the world.
Bacteria tails implicated in gut inflammation
In healthy individuals, the only thing that separates the lining of the human gut from the some 100 trillion bacterial cells in the gastrointestinal tract is a layer of mucous.
Researchers develop a dynamic model of tissue failure
(Medical Xpress)—The idea of growing replacement tissue to repair an organ, or to swap it out for an entirely new one, is rapidly transitioning from science fiction to fact. Tissue engineering techniques are improving in their ability to generate three-dimensional masses of cells and provide them with vascular systems for keeping them alive, but a more mathematically rigorous approach for designing these tissues is still needed.
Turning off major memory switch dulls memories
A faultily formed memory sounds like hitting random notes on a keyboard while a proper one sounds more like a song, scientists say.
Staph can lurk deep within nose
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have revealed that formerly overlooked sites deep inside the nose may be reservoirs for Staphylococcus aureus, a major bacterial cause of disease.
Give future generations a chance: Support mothers to secure future public health
Current approaches to curbing the global rise of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, are failing, according to University of Southampton researchers.
Skin's own cells offer hope for new ways to repair wounds, reduce impact of aging on the skin
Scientists at King's College London have, for the first time, identified the unique properties of two different types of cells, known as fibroblasts, in the skin – one required for hair growth and the other responsible for repairing skin wounds. The research could pave the way for treatments aimed at repairing injured skin and reducing the impact of ageing on skin function.
Contrary to popular opinion, new research finds no cognitive benefits of music lessons
Children get plenty of benefits from music lessons – learning to play an instrument can be a great outlet for a child's creativity, and the repeated practice can teach much-needed focus and discipline. What's more, the payoff, whether it's learning a new song – or just mastering a new chord – is often a boost of self-esteem.
Differences in educational achievement owe more to genetics than environment
The degree to which students' exam scores differ owes more to their genes than to their teachers, schools or family environments, according to new research from King's College London published today in PLOS ONE.
Dietary amino acids relieve sleep problems after traumatic brain injury in animals
Scientists who fed a cocktail of key amino acids to mice improved sleep disturbances caused by brain injuries in the animals. These new findings suggest a potential dietary treatment for millions of people affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI)—a condition that is currently untreatable.
Study identifies new way to predict prognosis for heart failure patients
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a new way to predict which heart failure patients are likely to see their condition get worse and which ones have a better prognosis. Their study is one of the first to show that energy metabolism within the heart, measured using a noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, is a significant predictor of clinical outcomes, independent of a patient's symptoms or the strength of the heart's ability to pump blood, known as the ejection fraction.
Gut bacteria shift quickly after changes in diet, study shows
(HealthDay)—If you were to switch from vegetarianism to meat-eating, or vice-versa, chances are the composition of your gut bacteria would also undergo a big change, a new study suggests.
Rare gene variants double risk for Alzheimer's disease
A team led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified variations in a gene that doubles a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.
Repairing mitochondria in neurodegenerative disease
(Medical Xpress)—The relationship between fine-scale structure and function in the brain is perhaps best explored today by the study of neurodegenerative disease. Disorders like Rett syndrome may be considered developmental in origin—and defined by exotic mechanisms including X-linked inactivation, DNA methylation, and genomic imprinting—but even here, its larger physical pathology evolves through the course of life and continues to be revealed in almost any place that researchers look. When diseases directly involve inputs to the brain like vitamin or diet, and can also be controlled by them, things get even more interesting. More often than not, these disorders have a clear genetic component, are frequently linked to the mitochondria, and lead to progressive and often perplexing deficits of movement. One such enigma is known as pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, or PKAN syndrome, in its the most frequent form. A recent open paper in the journal Brain explains.
Biology news
Rare white tiger has knee surgery in Japan
Vets in Japan have carried out knee surgery on a rare white tiger cub, fixing a leg problem the animal had been born with.
Serengeti's animals under pressure
Tanzania has one of the fastest growing human populations in the world, and the number of conflicts between humans and other species is expected to rise as pressure on land areas grows.
Study provides nutritional information on oilseed crop for use in pig diets
Long considered a weed in North America, Camelina sativa is increasingly valued as an oilseed crop.
Pine plantations provide optimum conditions for natural forests to develop underneath them
If there is any native forest in the vicinity, tree, fern and herbaceous species typical of these forests penetrate under the pine plantations without any need for action. That way it is possible, to a certain extent, for native forests to be restored, thanks to the process known as ecological succession. This is the conclusion reached by the UPV/EHU's Landscape, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services group in its research carried out on the pine plantations of Bizkaia. The work has been published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management.
Researchers describe the key role of a protein in the segregation of genetic material during cell division
Researchers at the Cell Cycle Research Group of the Bellvitge Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBELL) led by Ethel Queralt have reported in the journal PLoS Genetics an article which delve into the regulator mechanisms of mitosis, a key stage of the cell-cycle for the correct transmision of genetic information from parents to sons.
Ribosomal proteins RPL5 and RPL11 play an essential role in normal cell proliferation
Researchers from the Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism (LCM) led by George Thomas at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the Division of Hematology/ Oncology, University of Cincinnati, have shown that loss of either one of two tumor suppressors, ribosomal proteins RPL5 or RPL11, fail to induce cell-cycle arrest, but prevent the proliferation of cells as they have a reduced capacity to synthesize proteins. Thus, unlike other tumor suppressors, RPL5 and RPL11 play an essential role in normal cell proliferation a function cells have evolved to rely on when their levels are suppressed in lieu of a cell-cycle checkpoint.
African wildlife at Philippine reserve 'hurt in typhoon'
Giraffes and zebras were badly injured and left with almost no food when a deadly typhoon struck a Philippine island reserve for African wildlife, an international animal welfare group said Wednesday.
Climate research provides roadmap for endangered species preservation
(Phys.org) —As the Endangered Species Act nears its 40th birthday at the end of December, conservation biologists are coming to terms with a danger not foreseen in the early 1970s: global climate change.
Muscular head pumps give long-proboscid fly the edge
A long-proboscid fly with an extra-long, tongue-like proboscis might seem to take extra-long to feed on a flower, but it actually has an advantage over its counterparts with average sized nectar-sipping mouth parts. It can suck up almost all nectar available in a flower in one go, because it has more efficient suction pumps in its head, says Florian Karolyi of the University of Vienna in Austria, about a study he and his team conducted in South Africa's Namaqualand region. The findings are published in Springer's journal Naturwissenschaften - The Science of Nature.
Why making airport food less palatable may benefit passengers
Research scientists from Murdoch University are tackling the dangerous problem of aircraft 'bird strikes' with a new, leading-edge DNA-based technique.
Pest-killing wasps and berry fungus
We know more about wildlife this week, thanks to research by two Canadian teens. Teens from Ottawa and rural British Columbia published their research in this week's issue of a scientific journal, The Canadian Field-Naturalist. Their research on wasps and leaf disease reveal that a Canadian wasp is an efficient killer of an agricultural pest, and a little-known fungus is hurting Highbush Cranberries. Both research articles were subject to the same peer-review process and met the same scientific standards as articles authored by professors and other professional scientists.
Magpie parents know a baby cuckoo when they see one
Cuckoos that lay their eggs in the nest of a magpie so that their chicks can be raised by the latter better hope that their young are not raised together with other magpies. The chances of cuckoo fledglings raised in mixed broods being fed by their foster parents are much lower, according to research led by Manuel Soler of the Universidad de Granada in Spain. The findings are published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Mystery of reindeer's changing eye colour
Nobody has ever come up with a definitive explanation for Rudolph's fabled red nose, but visitors to Kingston University's latest Café Scientifique session have had the chance to hear all about the curious case of his colour-changing eyes. Geneticist and DNA expert Dr Juliet Dukes, a senior lecturer from the University's School of Life Sciences, took centre stage to explain away the mystery of why reindeer's eyes switched from gold to blue depending on the season and what the implications of this knowledge might be.
Imaging capabilities allow researchers to peer into protein transport systems
A new study from University of Georgia cell biologists analyzes the transport system that builds cell organelles called cilia. Defective cilia are directly connected to a host of diseases and conditions, including inherited bone malformations, blindness, male infertility, kidney disease and obesity. Knowledge of how cilia are built and the ability to manipulate their structure can inform future medical treatments.
Researchers observe surprising bonefish spawning behavior in the Bahamas
Bonefish, also called gray ghosts, are among the most elusive and highly prized fishes sought by recreational anglers in the Florida Keys, Bahamas and similar tropical habitats around the world. Bonefish support a fishery worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually, but this fishery is threatened in many areas by habitat loss and degradation, and by overfishing. Scientists are scrambling to identify and protect critical habitats and identify other ways to conserve this vital fishery.
Research unveils clues about protein mechanism critical to plant growth and yield
Scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have made several scientific discoveries demonstrating the significant roles Heterotrimeric G proteins play in plant development and yield. Sona Pandey, Ph.D., principal investigator at the Danforth Plant Science Center and her collaborators have published several papers on their research in recent months.
Choreographed stages of Salmonella infection revealed
Scientists have used a new method to map the response of every salmonella gene to conditions in the human body, providing new insight into how the bacteria triggers infection.
Toxic substances in banana plants kill root pests
Bananas are a major food staple for about 400 million people in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, banana yields worldwide are severely threatened by pests.
Precise docking sites for cells
The Petri dish is a classical biological laboratory device, but it is no ideal living environment for many types of cells. Studies lose validity, as cell behavior on a flat plastic surface differs from that in branched lung tissue, for example. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have now presented a method to make three-dimensional structures attractive or repellent for certain types of cells.
Research shows the success of a bacterial community depends on its shape
For some microbes, the motto for growth is not so much "every cell for itself," but rather, "all for one and one for all."
Decisions, decisions: How microbes choose lifestyles gives clue to origin of multicellular life
Like many bacteria, the Bacillus subtilis lives a double life.
The garden microbe with a sense of touch
A common soil dwelling bacterium appears to possess a sense of touch, researchers have shown.
Study shows male chameleons fighting prowess tied to color changing abilities
(Phys.org) —Two researchers from Arizona State University have found that male chameleons use their color changing abilities for far more than hiding from predators. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Biology Letters, Russell Ligon and Kevin McGraw describe a study they conducted with captive chameleons that showed that male veiled chameleons use their colors to intimidate other males and that head coloring can predict who might win in a scuffle.
Scientists discover chemical modification in human malaria parasite DNA
Say "malaria" and most people think "mosquito," but the buzzing, biting insect is merely the messenger, delivering the Plasmodium parasites that sickened more than 200 million people globally in 2010 and killed about 660,000. Worse, the parasite is showing resistance to artemisinin, the most effective drug for treating infected people.
Hydrogen-powered invasion
Although mankind is only just beginning to use hydrogen as an energy source, the concept has been established in nature for a long time. Researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered that the diarrhea-causing bacterium Salmonella uses hydrogen as a source of energy to colonize the intestine.
Study shows global warming likely to alter bat echolocation abilities
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Germany has conducted sonic studies that suggest that the echolocation abilities of bats around the world are likely to be impacted by global warming. In their study published in The Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the group explains how they found that warming temperatures are likely to impact attenuation of bat chirps in various ways.
Probe opens new path for drug development against leading STD
Biochemical sleuthing by an Indiana University graduate student has ended a nearly 50-year-old search to find a megamolecule in bacterial cell walls commonly used as a target for antibiotics, but whose presence had never been identified in the bacterium responsible for the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in the United States.
The mystery of lizard breath: One-way airflow may be 270 million years old
Air flows mostly in a one-way loop through the lungs of monitor lizards – a breathing method shared by birds, alligators and presumably dinosaurs, according to a new University of Utah study.
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