Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 14, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Quantum-to-classical transition may be explained by fuzziness of measurement references- Cobalt catalysts allow researchers to duplicate the complicated steps of photosynthesis
- Researchers harness sun's energy during day for use at night
- Researchers find men use anger as manipulation tool with other men
- Researchers find coevolution of Heliobacter pylori strains has affected gastric cancer risk
- Stain-free, self-cleaning clothing on the horizon
- Social experience drives empathetic, pro-social behavior in rats
- K computer is unleashed for largest neuronal network simulation ever
- 'Inverse opal' structure improves thin-film solar cells
- Short circuit in molecular switch intensifies pain
- Researchers reveal phrases that pay on Kickstarter
- Graphene growth on silver
- Experimental vaccines may extend life in pancreatic cancer
- Potential future data storage at domain boundaries
- Study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism
Astronomy & Space news
Video: Time-lapse Gaia
Soyuz VS06, with Gaia space observatory, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport, French Guiana, on 19 December 2013.
China's historic moon robot duo awaken and resume science operations
China's history making moon robots – the Chang'e-3 lander and Yutu rover – have just awoken from the forced slumber of survival during their first, long frigid lunar night and have now resumed full operations – marking a major milestone in the mission.
Image: The abstract science of the dynamic Sun
The placid appearance of the Sun's surface belies a hot fireball of plasma in constant turmoil. A granular network invisible to the naked eye pervades the solar disc, with cells of hotter and colder plasma popping up, merging and disappearing within only a few hours.
Technology news
Charter takes Time Warner Cable bid to shareholders
Charter Communications on Monday went to shareholders with its multi-billion-dollar bid to buy Time Warner Cable.
Proposed spy phone record shift draws resistance
Telephone companies are quietly balking at the idea of changing how they collect and store Americans' phone records to help the National Security Agency's surveillance programs. They are worried about their exposure to lawsuits and the price tag if the U.S. government asks them to hold information about customers for longer than they already do.
Justice Department is venue for Obama NSA speech
The White House says President Barack Obama will travel to the Justice Department to announce the results of his review of National Security Agency surveillance programs.
Demand for improved insulation materials spawns new collaboration
Better insulation materials are a money and energy saver for all. A new collaborative project is set to address the need, and involves ROCKWOOL International A/S, a major producer of insulation materials, and the University of Copenhagen's Nano-Science Center. The partners will study insulation materials at the atomic level and devise solutions for a major climate challenge. The project is supported by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation.
Innovative handheld mineral analyser – 'the first of its kind'
Dr Graeme Hansford from the University of Leicester's Space Research Centre (SRC) has recently started a collaborative project with Bruker Elemental to develop a handheld mineral analyser for mining applications – the first of its kind.
Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change
The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists today called on the United States and Russia to restart negotiations on reducing their nuclear arsenals, to lower alert levels for their nuclear weapons, and to scrap their missile defense programs.
Calling all girls: Coding is cool!
The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego, in a partnership with other local universities and industry support groups, is launching a non-profit collaborative community program aimed at encouraging and educating young women to learn and apply computing skills.
Michigan Tech researches feasibility of drone use in transportation
(Phys.org) —Everyone knows what drones are, right? They have gained visibility for use in military and monitoring applications, but have a wide variety of more 'friendly', useful applications here at home, such as helping understand the condition of our transportation infrastructure. They are flying machines, operated for a given purpose either autonomously or remotely, that have uses well beyond their better-known reputation.
Twitter desktop website gets mobile look
Twitter revamped its desktop webpages Monday to better mirror the experience of visiting the popular one-to-many text messaging service on smartphones.
Flagship Motorola smartphone headed for Europe
Motorola announced Tuesday that its flagship Moto X smartphone is heading for Europe.
China video sites confident public will pay
When media studies student Liu Zhiqi settles down to watch a movie or TV drama at the home of the San Francisco family she lodges with, she misses the convenience of downloading content for free like in China.
The app that checks whether your date is a sex offender
An app on offer in the US says it can determine whether the person you are dating has anything to hide, using facial recognition to see if they are on the sex offenders register.
Even 25 metres below ground, positioning system tracks firefighters
With sensor-equipped footwear developed at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, firefighters can be even more effective at saving lives and property.
Ladies and gentlemen, boot your robots
Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., was the place to be late last month for an unusual two-day competition: the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. But if you went expecting high-octane cars zooming around the track at blazing speed, you might have been disappointed. The 16 robots participating in the challenge moved more like the tortoise than the hare, as they performed such tasks as opening doors or climbing a ladder; tasks aimed to speed the development of robots that could one day perform a number of critical, real-world, emergency-response tasks at natural and human-made disaster sites.
Sandia conducts first impact test in years of B61 nonnuclear components
A ground-penetrating bomb, minus its nuclear components, rammed through a target at the remote Coyote Canyon test range last month in Sandia National Laboratories' first such rocket-driven impact test in seven years. Engineers said the Sandia components on the weapon performed as expected.
Hot cars at the Detroit auto show
The North American International Auto Show begins this week in Detroit with media and industry previews. It opens to the public Jan. 18.
Facebook data funneled to Russian search engine Yandex
Yandex on Tuesday announced that it is adding public Facebook data to the index of data mined for queries handled by the Russian Internet search giant.
Ex-CIA boss: Telecoms should store metadata, not NSA
Telephone "metadata" controversially scooped up by a US intelligence agency should not be destroyed but stored by private telecom giants, a former CIA chief said Tuesday days before President Barack Obama announces new reforms.
Report: NSA data swoop has had minimal counterterrorism role
(Phys.org) —A report from the New America Foundation National Security Program finds that the NSA's bulk data collection's contribution to prevent terrorism has been minimal and that traditional investigation paths have been more helpful. The 32-page report published Monday looked at 225 terrorism cases, in an attempt to review claims about NSA bulk surveillance of phone and email communications records as playing a role in keeping America safe. The authors did not find that the collection of phone records, had a significant impact on preventing acts of terrorism in the United States. Peter Bergen, David Sterman, Emily Schneider, and Bailey Cahall authored the report titled, "Do NSA's Bulk Surveillance Programs Stop Terrorists?" Bergen is the director of the National Security Program at the New America Foundation. Sterman and Schneider are research assistants and Cahall is a research associate. Commenting on their report on Monday, the authors wrote that their analysis "demonstrates that traditional investigative methods, such as the use of informants, tips from local communities, and targeted intelligence operations, provided the initial impetus for investigations in the majority of cases."
Researchers reveal phrases that pay on Kickstarter
(Phys.org) —Researchers at Georgia Tech studying the burgeoning phenomenon of crowdfunding have learned that the language used in online fundraising hold surprisingly predictive power about the success of such campaigns.
US court strikes down 'Net Neutrality' rule (Update)
A US appeals court on Tuesday struck down as unconstitutional a "Net Neutrality" rule that bars broadband Internet providers from blocking or playing favorites for online services.
New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways
What's likely to be the "next big thing?" What might be the most fertile areas for innovation? Where should countries and companies invest their limited research funds? What technology areas are a company's competitors pursuing?
Medicine & Health news
New report looks at how states' restrictions on ACA implementation are affecting access
The first study to gauge the impact of state restrictions on the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) indicates that community health centers across the country are engaged in an intensive effort to find and enroll eligible and uninsured patients and community residents. At the same time, the findings from the study, by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, show that health centers working in restrictive states are hampered in their outreach and enrollment efforts and are significantly less optimistic about the impact of health reform in their communities.
Fresh contamination scare for New Zealand dairy giant
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra faced a new contamination scare Tuesday with the forced recall of nearly 9,000 bottles of cream which had been tainted with E.coli bacteria.
Research for Her, an online clinical research registry, honored with distinguished national award
Research for Her , a Cedars-Sinai online medical research database aimed at increasing women's participation in clinical studies, received the 2013 Award for Excellence from the Health Improvement Institute for its user-friendly electronic consent form.
Stories of a 'new' ageing population gathered for the first time
Researchers at King's College London have called on politicians to review the cost of prescriptions for liver transplant recipients, who must take daily immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection for the rest of their lives. For the first time a suite of personal narratives from an emerging 'new' ageing population have been gathered from the surviving members of the first cohort of paediatric liver transplant recipients, who received their transplant up to 30 years ago at Addenbrooke's or King's College Hospital.
Architecture for the elderly
A new book published by the Press Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes looks into the architecture of nursing homes, focusing on a dozen recent projects in the Swiss canton of Vaud.
A study analyses the health status of immigrant population in Raval neighbourhood in Barcelona
To know the incidence and risk factors for some diseases in Barcelona's immigrant population in Spain is the main objective of a study published in the Journal of Travel Medicine. The article is signed by experts Esther Esteban, from the Department of Animal Biology of the University of Barcelona, Olga Hladun and Albert Grau, doctors at the Catalan Institute of Health, and Josep M. Jansà, expert from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC, Sweden).
Review finds lack of delirium screening in the emergency department
Delirium in older patients in an emergency room setting can foretell other health issues. But according to a new study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, the condition is frequently overlooked because of a lack of screening tools in emergency departments.
Dutch recall 11 tonnes of French horsemeat
Dutch authorities said Tuesday they have recalled 11 tonnes of horsemeat that was trafficked from France last year.
More than two million people have signed up for ACA coverage
(HealthDay)—Nearly 2.2 million Americans had selected health plans through the federal and state marketplaces as of late December, and nearly one in four was a young adult, the Obama administration disclosed Monday.
Wednesday is deadline for Feb. 1 coverage under ACA
(HealthDay)—There's still time to enroll in a health insurance plan through one of the Affordable Care Act's new online marketplaces. Those who sign up by Wednesday will have coverage starting next month.
Swine flu kills two men in Spain (Update)
Two men have died of swine flu in northern Spain, where an outbreak of the H1N1 virus has left over 40 people in hospital, officials said Tuesday.
US fertility clinic mix-up brings calls, questions
The suspect is dead, the fertility clinic where he reportedly replaced a customer's sperm with his own no longer operates, and the clinic left no records that might show the extent of the scandal, the University of Utah said Tuesday.
Preservative in baby wipes linked to rashes in some children
(HealthDay)—Researchers say they have pinpointed a preservative found in many popular wet wipes and baby wipes as the cause of allergic skin reactions in some children.
NHS cancer risk threshold 'too high' for patients, research indicates
Patients have expressed an appetite for potential cancer symptoms to be checked out much sooner than current NHS thresholds guidelines suggest, new research has revealed.
Gene variation associated with brain atrophy in mild cognitive impairment
The presence of a gene variant in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with accelerated rates of brain atrophy, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.
Educated black men remembered as 'whiter'
A new study out today in SAGE Open finds that instead of breaking stereotypes, intellectually successful Black individuals may be susceptible to being remembered as "Whiter" and therefore 'exceptions to their race,' perpetuating cultural beliefs about race and intelligence. This new study shows that a Black man who is associated with being educated is remembered as being lighter in skin tone than he actually is, a phenomenon the study authors refer to as "skin tone memory bias."
Prevalence of hepatitis C infection found to vary widely among Hispanics
The first study of hepatitis C infection among different Hispanic groups in the U.S. has found that infection with the virus varies widely, with Puerto Rican Hispanics much more likely than other groups to be infected. The study, led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, highlights which Hispanic populations would benefit most from increased hepatitis C testing and treatment. It was published today in the online edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
New H7N9 bird flu deaths reported in China
China has reported two new deaths from the H7N9 bird flu virus, state media said, as the disease returns following an outbreak last year.
US panel urges diabetes screening for all pregnant women
(HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released new recommendations that call for universal screening of expectant mothers for gestational diabetes once they are 24 weeks into their pregnancy.
Access to medicaid-accepting substance use TX centers varies
(HealthDay)—Medicaid expansion to include substance use disorder (SUD) treatment does not guarantee access, particularly in underserved and rural counties, according to a study published online Dec. 25 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Lumbar spinal stenosis surgery rates vary by race
(HealthDay)—Rates of hospitalization for lumbar spinal stenosis surgery vary significantly by race and ethnic group, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of Spine.
Teens' sleep impacted by electronic media use
(Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Adelaide shows more than 70% of South Australian teenagers are experiencing insufficient sleep on every school night, with many reporting the overuse of electronic media such as the internet, video games and mobile phones, which could be contributing to the problem.
Young 'pranksters' skewed landmark sexuality study
(Medical Xpress)—The joke's on a generation of human-sexuality researchers: Adolescent "pranksters" responding to the widely cited National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the mid-1990s may have faked "nonheterosexuality."
Study finds troubling relationship between drinking and PTSD symptoms in college students
(Medical Xpress)—The estimated 9 percent of college students who have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are likely to drink more alcohol than peers without the psychological condition. In turn, heavy alcohol consumption exacerbates their PTSD symptoms over time, prolonging a vicious cycle.
Bullies and victims face mental health risks
(Medical Xpress)—Young teenage bullies and their victims face increased risks of developing mental health and substance use problems later in adolescence, a University of Queensland study has found.
A third of a million people now diagnosed with cancer every year
(Medical Xpress)—The number of people being diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year has hit more than 330,000 for the first time, according to the latest figures published by Cancer Research UK today.
Canadian medical journals lead way in drug ads, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Canadian medical journals feature five times more pharmaceutical ads than journals in the United States and Britain, according to a new study involving a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Alberta.
Exploring health benefits of fasting two days a week
(Medical Xpress)—At the time of year when many people have resolved to lose a few pounds, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are recruiting volunteers for a study to determine whether fasting from food a few days a week provides some of the same health benefits as severely limiting calories every day of the week.
The most important disease you've never heard of
This sounds like the plot line of a horror/sci-fi movie: A freshwater parasite slips through the skin and into the bloodstream. Once inside, the invader lives and breeds undetected for a decade or more, feasting on nutrients in the blood and fueling a debilitating and sometimes life-threatening illness in millions of people around the world. Except this is the true biological tale of the schistosome, a parasitic worm that has infected an estimated 200 million people.
Mutation V60L increases predisposition to skin cancer
When Homo sapiens left Africa and had to adapt to less sunny climates, there was a mutation in one of the genes responsible for regulating the synthesis of melanin, the MC1R gene, which involved a discoloration of the skin. This discoloration allowed for better absorption of vitamin D, necessary for growth, but it also increased the risk of developing skin cancer in adulthood. This mutation, called "V60L", is at present the most common among people from Mediterranean regions such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Israel. It is present in about 10-20% of the population, according to the study carried out by researchers at the Universitat Jaume I and the University of the Basque Country performed on over 1,000 individuals from different areas of Spain.
Preterm birth by Filipino women linked to genetic mutational change
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa have uncovered a genetic explanation for why Filipino women in the state have a higher chance of delivering their babies before full term.
How fiber prevents diabetes and obesity
Scientists have known for the past twenty years that a fiber-rich diet protects the body against obesity and diabetes but the mechanisms involved have so far eluded them. A French-Swedish team including researchers from CNRS, Inserm and the Université Claude Bernard Lyon has succeeded in elucidating this mechanism, which involves the intestinal flora and the ability of the intestine to produce glucose between meals. These results, published in the journal Cell on 9 January 2014, also clarify the role of the intestine and its associated microorganisms in maintaining glycaemia. They will give rise to new dietary recommendations to prevent diabetes and obesity.
Patients with multiple sclerosis in Taiwan may be at increased risk of developing cancer
Individuals with multiple sclerosis may have an increased risk of developing any type of cancer, with an especially high risk of developing breast cancer. That is the conclusion of a recent study published in European Journal of Neurology. Because the findings contradict earlier studies, additional research is needed to determine whether a true link exists between multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Toxic chemicals found in children's clothes, shoes, Greenpeace says
Children's clothing and shoes made by a dozen globally-recognised brands have been found to contain potentially harmful chemicals, Greenpeace said Tuesday.
Ruling will allow doctors to help patients die
Aja Riggs has undergone aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatment for advanced uterine cancer. The 49-year-old remembers the feeling of her skin burning, the nausea and the fatigue so immense that even talking took too much energy.
Victims of violent crime don't fit mould
A Murdoch University School of Law researcher says traditional theories of forgiveness don't work for victims of serious crime.
Study: CT scans could bolster forensic database to ID unidentified remains
A study from North Carolina State University finds that data from CT scans can be incorporated into a growing forensic database to help determine the ancestry and sex of unidentified remains. The finding may also have clinical applications for craniofacial surgeons.
Mindfulness helps undergraduates stay on track, study shows
Few situations present as much distraction and time pressure as the college experience. In this environment, attention can be elusive and difficult to sustain even when it is attained. This lack of concentration interferes with learning and is associated with stress, which tends to increase during the academic term.
Geriatric health professionals experience added burden when caring for own family members
(Boston) —In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that in addition to the well-known burdens of caring for an older family member, a further set of complex stressors is imposed on geriatric health care professionals serving in this capacity. These findings, which appear online in Gerontologist, highlight the critical challenges facing all caregivers, even those who deal with these patients daily on a professional basis.
Brain structure shows who is most sensitive to pain
Everybody feels pain differently, and brain structure may hold the clue to these differences.
Study identifies three risk factors most highly correlated with child obesity
A University of Illinois study has identified the three most significant risk factors for child obesity among preschoolers: (1) inadequate sleep, (2) a parental BMI that classifies the mom or dad as overweight or obese, and (3) parental restriction of a child's eating in order to control his weight.
Fish derived serum omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
High concentrations of serum long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a University of Eastern Finland study published recently in Diabetes Care. The sources of these fatty acids are fish and fish oils.
Scientists show how insulin-producing cells may fail in diabetes, how they might someday be restored
Two new studies led by UC San Francisco (UCSF) scientists shed new light on the nature of beta cells, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that are compromised in diabetes.
Research shows early promise of new drug for cancers caused by viruses
Christopher Parsons, MD, Director of the HIV Malignancies Program at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, is the senior author of a paper that is the first to report that specialized fat (lipid) molecules, called sphingolipids, play a key role in the survival of aggressive lymphomas caused by viruses. The paper also reveals a new therapy for preventing production of sphingolipids by lymphoma cells, thereby killing these cells, which are often resistant to standard therapies. The study is published in the January 2014 issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Dance and virtual reality: A promising treatment for urinary incontinence in elderly women
Virtual reality, dance and fun are not the first things that come to mind when we think of treating urinary incontinence in senior women. However, these concepts were the foundations of a promising study by Dr. Chantal Dumoulin, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Urogynaecological Health and Aging, a researcher at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, and an associate professor in the Physiotherapy Program of the Rehabilitation School at Université de Montréal, and her master's student, Miss Valérie Elliott.
New breast cancer stem cell findings explain how cancer spreads
Breast cancer stem cells exist in two different states and each state plays a role in how cancer spreads, according to an international collaboration of researchers. Their finding sheds new light on the process that makes cancer a deadly disease.
New rotavirus vaccines seem safer, studies find
Researchers say that newer vaccines against rotavirus, a severe diarrheal disease in children, appear safer than an earlier one that was pulled from the market 15 years ago.
Artificial sweeteners produce no glucagon response
(HealthDay)—Artificial sweeteners do not produce any changes in glucose metabolism compared to a glass of water, according to a letter published in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Residents want real-time clinical performance feedback
(HealthDay)—Adaptations to an automated, near-real-time perioperative management system can provide anesthesiology residents the clinical performance feedback they desire, according to a study published in the January issue of Anesthesiology.
Primary care work environment affects nurse practitioners
(HealthDay)—The organizational climate in primary care settings influences the professional practice of nurse practitioners (NPs), according to research published in the November issue of the Journal of Professional Nursing.
Health Check: Should I use antibacterial hand sanitisers?
I should start by saying that an important part of my job is encouraging hospital staff to clean their hands. The World Health Organisation has a global patient safety campaign reminding us that Clean Hands SAVE LIVES, and in-hospital hand hygiene is universally recognised as one of the most important ways of reducing healthcare-associated infection.
Follow-up tests improve colorectal cancer recurrence detection
Among patients who had undergone curative surgery for primary colorectal cancer, the screening methods of computed tomography and carcinoembryonic antigen each provided an improved rate of surgical treatment of cancer recurrence compared with minimal follow-up, although there was no advantage in combining these tests, according to a study in the January 15 issue of JAMA.
Patients with mild hyperglycemia and genetic mutation have low prevalence of vascular complications
Despite having mild hyperglycemia for approximately 50 years, patients with a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme glucokinase had a low prevalence of clinically significant vascular complications, findings that provide insights into the risks associated with isolated mild hyperglycemia, according to a study in the January 15 issue of JAMA.
In dyslexia, less brain tissue not to blame for reading difficulties
In people with dyslexia, less gray matter in the brain has been linked to reading disabilities, but now new evidence suggests this is a consequence of poorer reading experiences and not the root cause of the disorder.
Screening helps prevent cervical cancer in older women
New research from Queen Mary University of London reveals women over the age of 50 who don't attend cervical screening are four times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer in later life.
Muscle-strengthening and conditioning in women associated with reduced risk of diabetes
Aerobic exercise is known to prevent type 2 diabetes, and muscle-strengthening alone or in combination with aerobic exercise improves diabetic control among those with diabetes. Although men who weight train have been found to have an associated reduced risk of developing diabetes, whether such an association exists for women has not been established.
Merck recalls cholesterol drug Liptruzet (Update)
(HealthDay)—Packaging defects have prompted a recall of a combination cholesterol drug called Liptruzet, produced by Merck & Co., temporarily affecting the entire U.S. stock.
Risk of transient breathing difficulties in newborns of mothers on antidepressants
Infants of expectant mothers who take antidepressant drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), during late pregnancy are at an increased risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) finds a study published in BMJ today.
Researchers identify key molecular components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have identified key molecular components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles in Neurospora crassa, providing insights that could lead to improved disease treatments and drug delivery.
Extrasensory perception: Debunking the sixth sense
(Medical Xpress)—New research led by the University of Melbourne has helped debunk the common belief that a sixth sense, also known as extrasensory perception (ESP), exists.
Study suggests teen brain is more sensitive to rewards than adult brain
(Medical Xpress)—Emily Barkley-Levensona and Adriana Galvána, psychology researchers at the University of California have conducted a study which indicates that teen brains, as suspected, truly are more sensitive to rewards than the adult brain. In their paper they've had published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the two describe experiments they conducted with teen and adult volunteers playing betting games while undergoing MRI scans.
Younger people have 'high definition' memories
It's not that younger people are able to remember more than older people. Their memories seem better because they are able to retrieve them in higher definition. So says Philip Ko of Vanderbilt University in the US, in a study that sheds light on how differences in the behavioral and neural activity of younger and older adults influence the different generations' ability to store and recall memories. The findings appear in the journal Attention, Perception & Psychophysics.
Study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism
Like watching a foreign movie that was badly dubbed, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their eyes and their ears, according to a Vanderbilt study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Experimental vaccines may extend life in pancreatic cancer
(HealthDay)—Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly malignancies, may live a little longer when treated with two therapeutic vaccines, new research suggests.
Researchers find coevolution of Heliobacter pylori strains has affected gastric cancer risk
(Medical Xpress)—Gastric adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, is the second most common cause of death from cancer, accounting for 10 percent of all cancer deaths. The bacterium Helicobacter pylori, found in the gastric mucosa of more than half the people in the world, causes gastric adenocarcinoma. However, less than one percent of those who harbor the bacterium develop this cancer. To understand why the risk is greater in some than in others, Barbara Schneider of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and her colleagues studied two geographically close populations with a similar prevalence of H. pylori but very different rates of gastric adenocarcinoma. They found that when H. pylori strains have had a long time to coevolve along with their human hosts, there is a reduced risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. The research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
K computer is unleashed for largest neuronal network simulation ever
(Phys.org) —Wow, today's top supercomputers have formidable speed and computational power to rival humans. On the other hand, wow, the human brain is more powerful than today's supercomputers, which with all their calculations, cannot surpass the complex wonder called the human brain. Scientists note that the brain, the basis of behavior and mental activity, is where over 50 billion neurons communicate with each other, in a network of complexity that some called "unimaginable." Each individual neuron's performance depends on molecular structures and mechanisms, and connections and spatial location in the brain.
Biology news
Helping to save the rhino
Research from Victoria University has revealed a way to help secure the future of an endangered species of black rhinoceros in South Africa. Rosalynn Anderson-Lederer, who spent six months working with black rhino in KwaZulu-Natal province in south-eastern South Africa, looked at how quickly genetic variation is being lost in the endangered rhino population and discovered that the decline can be slowed, and possibly reversed.
Genotyping arrays for sustainable wheat production
Affymetrix, Inc. and the University of Bristol announced today that they have collaboratively designed a wheat genotyping array and analysed data from experiments as part of an effort to understand wheat genetics and breeding with a goal of ensuring guaranteed sustainable production.
220 marine scientists raise alarm about NSW recreational fishing
(Phys.org) —More than 220 marine scientists from across Australia and internationally, including from the University of Sydney, have raised concerns for NSW's marine life if the state government moves to permanently allow recreational fishing in no-take sanctuary zones.
Hidden soy on supermarket shelves masks assault on nature
The invisibility of soy on supermarket shelves masks the major contribution that it makes to environmental destruction and degradation, a new WWF overview of soy related issues has found.
Drought, extreme temperatures may do damage to wheat in High Plains
Timely rains across much of the state have the wheat crop looking much better than last year at this time, but for some areas, drought and cold temperatures may have combined to do some damage, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.
Closed fish-farming "bags" must withstand nature's forces
New kinds of aquaculture net cages that physically separate the farmed salmon from the open waters are already in the testing phase. The idea is to prevent the dreaded salmon louse from ever reaching its intended victim by enclosing the fish inside a closed system and pumping in seawater from the depths where salmon lice do not live.
Yellowstone says "biobullets" for bison won't work
Yellowstone National Park administrators say shooting wild bison with vaccine-laced "biobullets" to prevent the spread of an animal disease would be too ineffective to justify the expense.
Little but lethal: Small RNAs coordinate bacterial attack on epithelial cells
Two small RNAs (sRNAs) working in concert enable the deadly enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) 0157:H7 to attach to and initiate infection in epithelial cells that line the digestive tract, according to a study published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
World's smallest water lily stolen from London's Kew Gardens
A plant thief has stolen one of the few surviving examples of the world's smallest water lily, which is extinct in the wild, from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, police said.
Researchers describe mechanism for plant virus resistance
(Phys.org) —Scientists have described a mechanism conferring resistance in brassica plants to Turnip mosaic virus, a discovery which it is hoped will lead to durable resistance being introduced into food crops, including the most important brassica crop worldwide Brassica rapa.
And that is how the desert locust lost its memory
The desert locust (a type of grasshopper), much like Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde, goes from being an innocuous solitary-living individual to become a voracious gregarious animal that destroys everything on its path (and back). These two very different "personas" are remarkable adaptations of a single genome to distinct environments. But apparently, this flexibility is even more impressive says Patricio Simōes, Jeremy Niven and Swidbert Ott from the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in Portugal and the University of Cambridge, as they reveal that the locust' solitarious and gregarious forms also have different memory and learning abilities to suit the needs of the two life stages.
Learning molecular models from data
Dr. Heinz Koeppl is part of a new team of scientists at IBM's Zurich research lab focused on systems biology and he is not afraid to claim that one day, soon, advanced biological processes, like cell mitosis, will be represented in mathematical expressions and/or computer code. His new paper in Nature Methods explains progress in this space based on his recent work with the tasty fungi known as yeast.
Male spectacled warblers are innovative singers
The several variables in the song of every male spectacled warbler could play a crucial role in the mating, defending territory and recognition between individuals of this species. Studying their acoustic signals will help to understand how this bird, with a small brain and limited social needs, can use a complex system of communication.
Physical reason for chromosome shape discovered
Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have determined why metaphase chromosomes have their characteristic elongated cylindrical shape. The results show that this morphology is related to the chromosome's self-organizing structure.
Walden trees leafing out far earlier than in Thoreau's time
Climate-change studies by Boston University biologists show leaf-out times of trees and shrubs at Walden Pond are an average of 18 days earlier than when Henry David Thoreau made his observations there in the 1850s. However, not all plants respond in the same way, the result of which is that native species eventually may be threatened and lose competitive advantage to more resilient invasive shrubs such as Japanese barberry, according to a study published in the new edition of New Phytologist.
Cuckoos stay on course
With short hectic wing strokes that are hardly raised above the body, the flight of the cuckoo is not the height of elegance. Nevertheless, their wings carry them over 16,000 kilometres a year. Martin Wikelski from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, Germany, together with an international team of scientists, has used satellite data for the first time to follow the cuckoos' migration from their breeding grounds in Denmark and southern Sweden to the wintering sites in Central Africa, and back again. Despite the enormous distances, the routes of the individual birds hardly differ from one another. Flight routes calculated with computer models based entirely on an inborn sense of orientation are far more variable. It seems therefore that cuckoos do not rely solely on an inborn compass-clock-navigation ability, but use additional orientation aids.
Vintage venoms lose none of their bite
(Phys.org) —Venoms stored for up to 80 years remain biologically active, new research shows.
Sneezing sponges suggest existence of sensory organ
(Phys.org) —When Danielle Ludeman decided to leave her hometown of Vancouver to study evolutionary biology at the University of Alberta, she knew she was in for a challenge that would help her discover things about science and, in turn, herself.
Mitochondrial genes matter
Contrary to common belief, mitochondrial genes seem to matter for how well individuals survive and reproduce. These new results are reported by researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, who studied the genes of a common beetle species.
Team uncovers how microsporidian parasites prevent locust swarm behavior
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers in China, with assistance from U.S. entomologist Raymond St. Leger has uncovered the means by which a microbe can reduce swarming tendencies in locusts. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they were able to isolate the mechanism by which Paranosema locustae infections in locusts' leads to less pheromone production and release in scat, which in turn causes less swarming response in other locusts.
Cell division discovery could offer fresh insight into cancer
New findings on how the cells in our bodies are able to renew themselves could aid our understanding of health disorders, including cancer.
Locust genome exposes 'hundreds' of pesticide targets
Chinese scientists said Tuesday they had unravelled the genetic code of the locust, laying bare "hundreds" of genes that can be targeted by insecticides.
Wild sparrow study traces social behaviors in the field to specific gene
A unique study of the white-throated sparrow has identified a biological pathway connecting variation in the birds' aggression and parenting behaviors in the wild to variation in their genome.
Social experience drives empathetic, pro-social behavior in rats
Empathy-driven behavior has been observed in rats who will free trapped companions from restrainers. This behavior also extends toward strangers, but requires prior, positive social interactions with the type (strain) of the unfamiliar individual, report scientists from the University of Chicago, in the open access journal eLife on Jan. 14
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