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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 20, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- With a deadly embrace, 'spidery' pulsars consume their mates- A new laser for a faster internet
- Researchers propose using distant quasars to test Bell's theorem
- Nanoscale pillars could radically improve conversion of heat to electricity
- Researchers create powerful muscles from fishing line and sewing thread
- Researchers discover helium billions of years old being released in Yellowstone
- Molecular 'cocktail' transforms skin cells into beating heart cells
- LUX dark matter results confirmed
- Bioengineered growth factors lead to better wound healing
- Roots to shoots: Hormone transport in plants deciphered
- Previous rapid thinning of Pine Island Glacier sheds light on future Antarctic ice loss
- Meet your match: Using algorithms to spark collaboration between scientists
- A changing view of bone marrow cells
- Chemical chaperones have helped proteins do their jobs for billions of years
- Researchers find planet-sized space weather explosions at Venus
Astronomy & Space news
Apollo-Soyuz cosmonaut Valery Kubasov dies at 79
Soviet cosmonaut Valery Kubasov, who took part in the first docking of a US Apollo spacecraft with a Soviet Soyuz, has died aged 79, the Russian spacecraft corporation said Thursday.
Female astronauts have a lower threshold for space radiation than their male counterparts
Why are there more men than women in space? The answer might not be as straightforward as you first think. According to physiological models used by NASA, female astronauts have a lower threshold for space radiation than their male counterparts, meaning opportunities for space exploration are more limited for them.
Sophisticated simulation of the early universe on Curie supercomputer
(Phys.org) —One of the world's most powerful supercomputers is to enable astrophysicists at The University of Nottingham to build a sophisticated simulation of the early universe.
Google Lunar XPRIZE selects five teams to compete for US$6 million in milestone prizes
The Google Lunar XPRIZE announced today the five international teams selected as finalists for Milestone Prizes, with a total purse of US$6 million to be awarded this year. After reviewing 33 total submissions, the nine member independent judging panel selected 11 submissions from the following teams: Astrobotic (US), Moon Express (US), Hakuto (Japan), Part-Time-Scientists (Germany), and Team Indus (India).
Image: NASA Mars orbiter views Opportunity rover on ridge
(Phys.org) —A new image from a telescopic camera orbiting Mars shows NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at work on "Murray Ridge," without any new impact craters nearby.
Remote Antarctic telescope reveals gas cloud where stars are born
Using a telescope installed at the driest place on earth - Ridge A in Antarctica – a UNSW-led team of researchers has identified a giant gas cloud which appears to be in an early stage of formation.
Curiosity adds reverse driving for wheel protection
(Phys.org) —Terrain that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is now crossing is as smooth as team members had anticipated based on earlier images from orbit.
Astronomers find solar storms behave like supernovae
(Phys.org) —Researchers at UCL have studied the behaviour of the Sun's coronal mass ejections, explaining for the first time the details of how these huge eruptions behave as they fall back onto the Sun's surface. In the process, they have discovered that coronal mass ejections have a surprising twin in the depths of space: the tendrils of gas in the Crab Nebula, which lie 6500 light-years away and are millions of times larger.
Telescope detects rare form of nitrogen in comet ISON
A team of astronomers, led by Ph.D. candidate Yoshiharu Shinnaka and Professor Hideyo Kawakita, both from Kyoto Sangyo University, successfully observed the Comet ISON during its bright outburst in the middle of November 2013. Subaru Telescope's High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) detected two forms of nitrogen—14NH2 and 15NH2—in the comet. This is the first time that astronomers have reported a clear detection of the relatively rare isotope 15NH2 in a single comet and also measured the relative abundance of two different forms of nitrogen ("nitrogen isotopic ratio") of cometary ammonia (NH3) (Figure 1). Their results support the hypothesis that there were two distinct reservoirs of nitrogen in the massive, dense cloud ("solar nebula") from which our solar system may have formed and evolved.
Researchers find planet-sized space weather explosions at Venus
Researchers recently discovered that a common space weather phenomenon on the outskirts of Earth's magnetic bubble, the magnetosphere, has much larger repercussions for Venus. The giant explosions, called hot flow anomalies, can be so large at Venus that they're bigger than the entire planet and they can happen multiple times a day.
With a deadly embrace, 'spidery' pulsars consume their mates
(Phys.org) —Black widow spiders and their Australian cousins, known as redbacks, are notorious for their tainted love, expressed as an unsettling tendency to kill and devour their male partners. Astronomers have noted similar behavior among two rare breeds of binary system that contain rapidly spinning neutron stars, also known as pulsars.
Technology news
Entrepreneur makes Bitcoin gift to US college
In what may be the first college donation of the new electronic currency, a Bitcoin entrepreneur has made a $10,000 virtual donation to a Washington state liberal arts college.
Bitcoin ATM arrives at Boston rail hub
A Bitcoin ATM has landed at a Boston rail hub, allowing commuters to learn about the digital currency.
From a distance: New technique for repair work
Numerous German companies are operating globally these days: They develop products domestically, but production is done in other countries like China, Brazil or the Czech Republic. If maintenance or repair work is needed, the engineers who had designed the complex production plants frequently have to travel from Germany.
Suitable memory for factory-automation control, metering and industrial equipment
Fujitsu Semiconductor announced the developed of a new FRAM product, the MB85RC1MT, with 1 Mbit of memory, the highest memory density of the company's products with an I2C serial interface. The new product is available in sample quantities starting today. The new product is guaranteed for up to 10 trillion read/write cycles, and is optimum for use in applications requiring frequent rewriting of the data, such as real-time data logging for factory-automation, metering , and industrial equipment. Now with the broad range of lineup for both the I2C and SPI serial interface products, Fujitsu Semiconductor can offer its customers non-volatile memory products that best fit their requirements.
Sony develops Pico projector module with high-definition resolution and focus-free image projection
Sony Corporation today announced the development of a pico projector module equipped with Sony's independently-developed image processing system, that uses laser beam scanning (LBS) to realize crisp, beautiful high-definition resolution and "focus-free" projection, regardless of the distance or angle from the projection surface. By combining this module with Wi-Fi components and a battery, it can realize a compact, pocket-sized projector which can be used to project images from products such as smartphones or tablets, focus-free and in even higher resolution, on any flat or curved surface such as a wall or desk.
WeChat: China's popular mobile messaging app
As Facebook snaps up smartphone messaging service WhatsApp for a monumental $19 billion in cash and shares, focus has turned to its rivals. Here are some background facts about China's popular mobile messaging application WeChat.
Winklevosses make their own Bitcoin index
Early Bitcoin investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have created their own index of the virtual currency, as they gear up to launch the first publicly traded US Bitcoin fund.
WhatsApp: A $19 billion bet for Facebook
Facebook is placing a $19 billion bet on reaching its next billion mobile users with the acquisition of WhatsApp, a popular messaging service that lets people send texts, photos and videos on their smartphones.
University of Maryland reports data breach
The president of the University of Maryland says there has been a breach of a database that contains personal information about more than 300,000 faculty, staff, students, and others.
Facebook-WhatsApp deal one of biggest ever in tech
Facebook's purchase of messaging service WhatsApp for up to $19 billion in cash and stock is one of the largest acquisitions ever in the technology sector.
What would the iCar look like? It's fun to dream
Rumors have been swirling since news broke this week of a possible meeting between Apple's top executive for acquisitions and the CEO of electric car maker Tesla.
WhatsApp deal highlights suite of similar apps
Facebook's announcement it is paying $19 billion in cash and stock to acquire WhatsApp is a milestone event in the short history of mobile messaging apps. Hundreds of millions of people have downloaded such apps to their smartphones and tablets to chat and share photos and videos for free, making them potent rivals to Facebook. WhatsApp alone has 450 million active monthly users.
Review: Mobile app shows where to find friends
SocialRadar is a new mobile application that could become a cool way to find nearby friends and discover other interesting people living or working in the same neighborhood. Or it could just end up being another creepy example of how digital devices are making it easier for our whereabouts to be tracked by just about anyone, including strangers.
Software provides first responders with hazmat incident chemical reference
Researchers have released a new version of the Chemical Companion Decision Support System (CCDSS), a software system that provides first responders with detailed and easy-to-access information about chemicals that may be associated with hazmat incidents. The update enhances the software, which now features more than a dozen tools and information about more than 550 chemicals and 3,838 chemical synonyms.
The new technologies needed for dealing with big data
While much focus and discussion of the so-called "Big Data revolution" has been on the data itself and the exciting new applications it is enabling—from Google's self-driving cars through to CSIRO and University of Tasmania's better information systems for oyster farmers—less focus has been on the underpinning technologies and the talent driving these technologies.
Researchers design industrial estate using sustainability principles
An engineer and an environmental scientist have designed an industrial estate using sustainability principles.
Sustainable manufacturing system to better consider the human component
Engineers at Oregon State University have developed a new approach toward "sustainable manufacturing" that begins on the factory floor and tries to encompass the totality of manufacturing issues – including economic, environmental, and social impacts.
Volvo to turn cars into post boxes for online shoppers
Swedish auto maker Volvo said Thursday it was developing a system to enable online shopping deliveries direct to customers' cars rather than their homes.
Facebook mega-deal seen as brilliant strategic move
Facebook's deal for the red-hot mobile messaging service WhatsApp is a savvy strategic move for the world's biggest social network, even if the price tag is staggeringly high, analysts say.
University of Maryland breach hits 300,000 people
A "sophisticated computer security attack" at the University of Maryland exposed personal data from more than 300,000 students, faculty and staff, the college president said.
US military ready to share some airwaves with industry
The Pentagon said on Thursday it would take steps to share some airwaves in coming years to accommodate the wireless industry, which is clamoring for more bandwidth.
Microsoft needs to get back to innovation roots, CEO says
Microsoft's new chief executive Satya Nadella says the tech giant needs to start thinking like a startup again if it wants to move ahead in the new technology landscape.
Hewlett-Packard 1Q earnings, revenue top views (Update)
Hewlett-Packard Co. on Thursday reported first-quarter earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street's forecasts, mainly on the surprising strength personal computer sales to businesses.
WhatsApp founders swap struggle for billionaire status
Jan Koum, an immigrant from Ukraine, was so poor as a teenager that he used saved his old Soviet notebooks for school and queued with his mom for food stamps.
Does WhatsApp deal show Facebook knows what's up?
If Facebook hopes to remain the social networking leader, CEO Mark Zuckerberg knows the company must follow the people. That realization compelled Zuckerberg to pay $19 billion for WhatsApp, a mobile messaging application that is redefining the concept of texting while its audience of 450 million users expands at an even faster clip than Facebook itself.
T-Mobile offers infinite upgrades—with a catch
T-Mobile is allowing participants of its $10-a-month Jump program to upgrade their phones anytime, eliminating the previous limit of two upgrades a year.
Stores can see where you go by tracking your phone (Update)
Should shoppers turn off their smartphones when they hit the mall? Or does having them on lead to better sales or shorter lines at the cash register?
Laforge seeks funding for fashion-friendly Icis smart glasses
(Phys.org) —The wearables smart specs marketplace is a trend yet to happen. On the one hand, proponents emphasize how cool it will be to stay connected via wearables without having to keep extracting and replacing a handheld device. On the other side is parody suggesting those wearing smart glasses will look odd, not sophisticated. There is also worry over what others' reactions might be if taking the leap to wear a smart eyewear device in public. Laforge Optical, a Boston-based group, wants to provide a confidence boost in the form of smart eyeglasses where the tech aspect is real but not obvious. Icis takes on the form of conventional eyewear, using a special set of optics blended into the lenses. The device is equipped with a battery that delivers up to six hours of battery life. The Laforge goal is to launch smart eyeglasses without the clunky look, without the intrusion aura, without causing the self-thoughts. After all, making one kind of eyewear to fit everyone's ! face, says their promotional video, is like making one pair of shoes to fit everyone's feet. Instead, "We are creating a choice of styles, colors and shapes to complement your personality."
'Sociable' humanoid robots could help advance human-robot interaction
Are we on the brink of a robotics revolution? That's what numerous media outlets asked last December when Google acquired eight robotics companies that specialize in such innovations as manipulation, vision, and humanoid robots.
Growing fleet of electric cars will strain aging electrical distribution systems
Selecting a Chevy Volt, Tesla Roadster, Nissan Leaf—or one of many other new models—shoppers in the United States bought more than 96,000 plug-in electric cars in 2013. That's a tiny slice of the auto market, but it's up eighty-four percent from the year before. In Vermont, as of January 2014, there were 679 plug-in vehicles, according to the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. That's two hundred percent growth over 2013.
New research blows away claims that aging wind farms are a bad investment
Wind turbines can remain productive for up to 25 years, making wind farms an attractive long-term choice for energy investors, according to new research.
Novel technique for electrical activation of implanted material without co-implantation
Researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, USA, have implanted Mg in GaN and employed a novel high-temperature annealing technique that has realised electrical activation of implanted material for the first time without co-implantation, and demonstrated an increase in the activation ratios for in situ Mg-doped GaN from around 1% to a record 10%.
Invention aims to lower costs of printing cellular structures for use in drug testing
(Phys.org) —A specialized 3-D printing extruder developed by a University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) sophomore and his collaborator could lower the costs of printing cellular structures for use in drug testing.
Google unveils 'Project Tango' 3D smartphone platform
Google announced a new research project Thursday aimed at bringing 3D technology to smartphones, for potential applications such as indoor mapping, gaming and helping blind people navigate.
Medicine & Health news
Extreme genital mutilation on retreat in Somaliland
It is a ritual supposed to keep women "pure", but an increased understanding of the severe health risks of extreme forms of female genital mutilation appears to be slowly rolling back its prevalence in Somalia's northwest.
Biden: Health care sign-ups may fall short of goal
Vice President Joe Biden says it will be a good start for the federal health care law if 5 million to 6 million people sign up by the end of March. That would be significantly short of the Obama administration's unofficial goal of 7 million.
Environmental design Rx for RN workplaces
Recruiting and retaining nurses might be easier if hospital workplaces were more hospitable, reports a team of environmental design specialists who offer a 10-point prescription for those hardworking medical professionals.
New website helps breast cancer sufferers
A research team at the University of Sydney in collaboration with Cancer Australia and Breast Cancer Network Australia, has developed a new online resource that takes women through the process of breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
The male fatigue disorder that became a female disorder
Previously, long-term fatigue was considered a male disorder caused by societal pressures. Today, women comprise the majority of ME patients, and they feel that their condition is their own fault.
Providing nutritious food and healthy activity levels in childcare environments
You've filled the fridge with fruit and vegetables, put a timer on the TV and your mantra is: "Go outside and play." But how do you know your family's healthy lifestyle ethos is mirrored at childcare?
Nepal gender bias sparks health crisis in young women: Amnesty
Hundreds of thousands of young women living in impoverished areas of rural Nepal have developed a debilitating uterus condition which usually only occurs after the menopause, Amnesty International said Thursday.
Tool examines the cost effectiveness and impact of anti-smoking initiatives
The development of a tool that will help government officials, policy makers and healthcare providers across Europe examine the cost effectiveness and impact of anti-smoking initiatives is set to become the subject of a major new study.
MATH, HPV status in HNSCC patients effective markers of improved patient outcome
Evaluating next-generation sequencing (NGS) data and associated clinical records of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients from several institutions, made available through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), showed that combining Mutant-Allele Tumor Heterogeneity (MATH) as a biomarker with the patient's HPV status provides an effective indicator of improved patient outcome, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Reducing RT dose to bilateral IB lymph nodes results in better patient-reported salivary function
For head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, a reduction in the amount of radiation treatment volume to the submandibular (level IB) lymph nodes resulted in better patient-reported salivary function, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. The study results also found significant reductions in radiation dose to the salivary organs, and good local regional control.
Patients with oropharyngeal cancer report quality of voice and speech affected post-treatment
Oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy reported a decrease in their voice and speech quality (VSQ) for up to one year after the completion of treatment, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. The study further shows that limiting the dose of radiation to the glottic larynx (GL) to less than 20 Gy resulted in a decrease in post-treatment VSQ problems, and that patient-reported VSQ indicated more adverse effects from treatment compared to independent physician assessment.
Humidification of the mouth, throat during RT for head and neck cancer reduces mucositis, hospital stay
Patients who received daily humidification of the mouth and throat region beginning from day one of radiation therapy treatment spent nearly 50 percent fewer days in the hospital to manage their side effects, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Unilateral radiation therapy for advanced stage tonsil cancer results in favorable outcomes
Limiting radiation therapy to lymph nodes on one side of the neck for advanced tonsil cancer resulted in good local regional control and no cancer recurrence on the untreated side, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. Additionally, the study results indicate that primary tumor location, rather than the amount of lymph node involvement on the tumor side of the neck, dictates the risk for disease in the opposite side of the neck.
Rural primary care physicians are committed to professionalism, quality improvement
The increased demand for primary care services expected to result from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may be felt strongly in rural areas. While studies have found that the quality of care delivered to rural patients is as good or better than that available in urban areas, the belief persists that top-quality primary care is only available in big cities. But a new study appearing in the National Rural Health Association's Journal of Rural Health finds few meaningful differences between rural and urban primary care physicians on key measures of professionalism, including their attitudes about participation in quality care improvement. The study did find differences in the likelihood of physicians' knowing a colleague who was impaired or incompetent, in their confidence evaluating new information and in several aspects of their interactions with patients.
Color vision problems become more common with age
Abnormal color vision increases significantly with aging—affecting one-half or more of people in the oldest age groups, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.
Why are some children more resilient to post-traumatic stress?
Children exhibit a range of responses to traumatic events such as natural disasters, with some suffering acute traumatic reactions that resolve over time and others experiencing long-term symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Identifying factors that may help predict which youths are at greater risk of more serious disorders and which are likely to be more resilient following a traumatic event can help determine the care and services needed, according to an article in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology (JCAP).
Clinical opinion published on use of maternal oxygen during labor
When a fetal heartbeat pattern becomes irregular during labor, many practitioners give oxygen to the mother. But questions remain whether this oxygen supplementation benefits the fetus or may actually be potentially harmful.
Active thyroid may raise risk of depression in older individuals
When older individuals' thyroid glands are more active than average, it may be a risk factor for depression, according to new research accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Arkansas Senate approves compromise Medicaid plan
The Arkansas Senate has voted to continue the state's compromise Medicaid expansion plan, sending the funding bill for the nationally-watched program to an uncertain fate in the House.
Younger people, men and those without children more likely to drop out of HIV care in South Africa
Analysis carried out by an academic at Royal Holloway, University of London has revealed that younger people, men and those without children are more likely to stop attending clinics for HIV treatment in South Africa.
Many kidney disease patients experience hazardous events related to their medical care
In addition to experiencing negative health effects from their disease, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are also at risk of experiencing hazardous events potentially related to medical treatments they receive. A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) finds that low blood sugar and high blood potassium being common complications of their medical care.
Biopsies before transplantation do not determine success of donated kidneys
Biopsies of donated kidneys provide little information for determining the suitability of organs for transplantation, according to two studies appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings suggest that other methods are needed when weighing whether to discard or transplant a deceased donor kidney.
Team explains lower cancer incidence rate in patients with central nervous system disesase
Epidemiological studies demonstrate that diseases of the central nervous system such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and schizophrenia protect against cancer. The most remarkable example is Alzheimer's disease, which can reduce the risk of suffering from cancer by up to 50%. Various theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain this relationship between diseases at a first glance seem to be so different from the pharmacological, genetic and environmental perspectives. However, the available results were not consistent enough to confirm these models.
Public defibrillator shortage helping to boost heart attack deaths away from hospital
The restricted availability of defibrillators, and poor understanding of how to use them, are helping to boost the number of deaths from heart attacks occurring outside hospitals, suggests a study of one English county, published online in the journal Heart.
Mesh for hernia repair reduces recurrence, study suggests
(HealthDay)—Using surgical mesh instead of stitches alone when repairing abdominal hernias appears to reduce the chances the problem will return, a new study suggests.
Dishonesty and creativity: Two sides of the same coin?
New research shows that lying about performance on one task may increase creativity on a subsequent task by making people feel less bound by conventional rules.
Hypnosis therapy shown to decrease fatigue levels in breast cancer patients
Breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy showed decreased fatigue as a result of cognitive behavioral therapy plus hypnosis (CBTH), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Post-tsunami deaths outnumber disaster toll in one Japan area
Health complications stemming from Japan's 2011 tsunami have killed more people in one Japanese region than the disaster itself, the local authority said Thursday.
Seizing control of brain seizures
(Medical Xpress)—A few years after serving in the Israeli army during the first Gulf War, Daniela Kaufer made a startling discovery about the effect of psychological stress on the brain. As a graduate student at the Hebrew University she showed that the kind of extreme stress experienced in combat can break down the physiological barriers that normally protect the brain.
To curb rising HIV rates, we must target our human flaws
One of the most perplexing risks to public health is human nature. No matter how diligently public health campaigns lay out the facts, we continue to make seemingly illogical decisions. Just look at the obesity epidemic or binge drinking for evidence of our willingness to knowingly and repeatedly make apparently self-defeating choices; even more so when sexuality and intimacy is thrown into the mix.
Happiness spikes on weekends, even for the unemployed
(Medical Xpress)—Weekends are the best days of the week, not only for workers, but also for the unemployed because they can spend more time with others, according to new Stanford research.
Computer model simulates cancer growth and treatment at nano scale
(Medical Xpress)—A University of Adelaide PhD student has developed a computer model for simulating cancer tumour growth and treatment which is attracting interest from around the world as a first-line assessment of potential treatments.
Researchers develop data-driven methods for analyzing off-label drug use
(Medical Xpress)—Physicians often prescribe drugs for unapproved indications, but current methods of tracking these off-label uses are limited in scope.
Study links men's work hours to wives' health
(Medical Xpress)—The longer hours men work, the healthier their wives are, according to new research by UT Dallas post-doctoral research associate Dr. Sibyl Kleiner.
Almost 12 percent of children between ages 6-19 have noise-induced hearing loss
(Medical Xpress)—Does your child or teen spend hours "plugged in" to an iPod? Tuning out may be doing more than irritating parents. It is estimated that almost 12 percent of all children between the ages of 6-19 have noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), according to the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. NIHL has become a widespread and serious public health issue, which can occur at any age.
Bright light intensifies initial emotional reaction to stimulus
(Medical Xpress)—The next time you want to turn down the emotional intensity before making an important decision, you may want to dim the lights first.
China firm sets record for thinnest latex condom: Guinness
A Chinese manufacturer has set the record for the world's thinnest latex condom with one measuring 0.036 millimetres, Guinness World Records said on Thursday.
Study shows gaps in inpatient psychiatry for Ontario youth
A first of its kind benchmarking survey was used to evaluate the state of inpatient psychiatry settings and services for youth at hospitals across Ontario, as published today in the Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. On average, the province's services are comparable to other settings internationally, helping youth with the most severe and complex mental health problems, but also show similar signs of inconsistency across settings in the types and quality of inpatient care.
How the Dengue virus circulates in the wild
Science has come a long way in containing infectious diseases over the past five decades. Despite this progress, the incidence of dengue fever has increased thirty-fold, with 390 million people infected annually worldwide.
Seasonal flu vaccine may cut stroke risk
(Medical Xpress)—Having the seasonal flu jab could reduce the risk of suffering a stroke by almost a quarter, researchers have found.
Researchers distinguish subcutaneous from visceral fat stem cells using specific cell markers
Scientists from A*STAR's Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) led in the discovery that two little-known fat cell markers have huge potential to assist researchers to further their understanding of fats. The discovery was recently published in prestigious science journal, Stem Cell Reports.
Two research paths toward identifying schizophrenia risk genes
Schizophrenia has long been known to be highly heritable and is present in approximately 1% of the population. Researchers have been following two paths in their pursuit of identifying schizophrenia risk genes.
Mechanism behind the activation of dormant memory cells discovered
The electrical stimulation of the hippocampus in in-vivo experiments activates precisely the same receptor complexes as learning or memory recall. This has been discovered for the first time and the finding has now been published in the highly respected journal Brain Structure Function.
Aging men: More uplifts, fewer hassles until the age of 65-70
A new study of how men approach their golden years found that how happy individuals are remains relatively stable for some 80 percent of the population, but perceptions of unhappiness – or dealing with "hassles" – tends to get worse once you are about 65-70 years old.
Alcohol is not a direct cause of cognitive impairment in older men: study
Older men who consume alcohol are not more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment in later life, according to researchers from The University of Western Australia.
Natural killer cells used to attack spreading cancers
An international research team has found a way to awaken the immune system's ability to kill spreading cancer cells.
Scientists find possible improved treatment for acetaminophen poisoning
Harvard stem cell scientists studying the effect of nitric oxide on liver growth and regeneration appear to have serendipitously discovered a markedly improved treatment for liver damage caused by acetaminophen toxicity, the root of half of the hospital visits involving acute liver failure in the United States.
Computer simulation shows that knowing patients' genetic profiles can save money, improve outcomes
(Medical Xpress)—Genetic testing can help doctors choose the most effective and economical drugs to prevent blood clots in the half a million patients in the U.S. who receive coronary stents each year, according to a new study led by a UC San Francisco researcher.
Significantly improved chance of heart attack survival with high-potency statin treatment
(Medical Xpress)—A study looking at the data of thousands of patients who suffered heart attacks has suggested treatment with high-potency statins offers a significantly improved chance of survival compared to those taking normal statins.
Are raw food claims overcooked?
Eating only raw foods has emerged as a popular dietary trend. Proclaiming an emotive health message, it is enough to make you think twice before next adding heat to your food. But fear not – on the scales of health, there is little to tip the balance in either direction.
High cost of fruits, vegetables linked to higher body fat in young children
High prices for fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in young children in low- and middle-income households, according to American University researchers in the journal Pediatrics.
Accident rates improving for older US drivers
Safety researchers expressed concern a decade ago that traffic accidents would increase as the aging U.S. population swelled the number of older drivers on the road. Now, they say they' have been proved wrong.
Feasible, safe to limit radiation to major salivary glands in head and neck cancer patients
Avoiding the contralateral submandibular gland during radiation therapy is feasible and safe with advanced stage, node positive head and neck cancers and base of tongue lesions, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Recurrent mouth and throat cancers less deadly when caused by virus, study shows
People with late-stage cancer at the back of the mouth or throat that recurs after chemotherapy and radiation treatment are twice as likely to be alive two years later if their cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), new research led by a Johns Hopkins scientist suggests.
HPV-positive SCCOP patients' recurrence differs from HPV-negative patients
Patients with HPV-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (SCCOP) had a longer time to development of distant metastasis (DM) after initial treatment, and had more metastatic sites in more atypical locations compared to HPV-negative patients, according to research presented today at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
Researchers uncover some of the ancient mysteries of leprosy
Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is finally unearthing some of the ancient mysteries behind leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, which has plagued mankind throughout history. The new research findings appear in the current edition of journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. According to this new hypothesis, the disease might be the oldest human-specific infection, with roots that likely stem back millions of years.
Researchers look for culprit behind oral health problems in HIV-positive patients
Researchers want to help HIV-positive patients live better by understanding why their essentially dormant infection is still wreaking havoc in their mouth.
Editorial illustrates shift away from glycemic control in diabetes treatment
An editorial in a February issue of American Family Physician proposes a simple way for physicians to communicate with patients about the best treatments for diabetes. The "lending a hand" illustration reprioritizes treatment goals, based on research on mortality reduction, to convey that glycemic control is no longer the primary intervention.
Study examines correctional officer stress
Conflicts between work and family life were the most significant issues that affect work stress and job satisfaction among correctional officers, a new study by the Correctional Management Institute of Texas at Sam Houston State University found.
Stress hormone levels associated with grip strength and walking speed
Lower morning and higher evening cortisol levels contribute to frailty in older individuals, according to new research accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Dismantling pancreas cancer's armor
Pancreas cancer is notoriously impervious to treatment and resists both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It has also been thought to provide few targets for immune cells, allowing tumors to grow unchecked. But new research from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center shows that pancreas cancer "veils" itself from the immune system by recruiting specialized immune suppressor cells. The research team also found that removing these cells quickly triggers a spontaneous anti-tumor immune response.
Scientists discover 11 new genes affecting blood pressure
New research from Queen Mary University of London has discovered 11 new DNA sequence variants in genes influencing high blood pressure and heart disease.
Zebrafish discovery may shed light on human kidney function
Researchers say the discovery of how sodium ions pass through the gill of a zebrafish may be a clue to understanding a key function in the human kidney. The findings from a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the Tokyo Institute of Technology appear in the online issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
Neuron-generating brain region could hold promise for neurodegenerative therapies
Adult humans continuously produce new neurons in the striatum, a brain region involved in motor control and cognitive functions, and these neurons could play an important role in recovery from stroke and possibly finding new treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, according to a study published by Cell Press February 20th in the journal Cell. To detect the birth of new neurons in the striatum, the authors used a method that measures carbon-14 found in human DNA as a result of above-ground nuclear testing more than half a century ago. The findings reveal a surprise finding of new neurons in a human brain structure where they haven't been previously described. The discovery may open up new avenues to treat diseases and disorders that affect the striatum.
Compound improves cardiac function in mice with genetic heart defect
Congenital heart disease is the most common form of birth defect, affecting one out of every 125 babies, according to the National Institutes of Health. Researchers from the University of Missouri recently found success using a drug to treat laboratory mice with one form of congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—a weakening of the heart caused by abnormally thick muscle. By suppressing a faulty protein, the researchers reduced the thickness of the mice's heart muscles and improved their cardiac functioning.
Enhancement of chemotherapy by prevention of tumor cell repair
Chemotherapies are cancer treatments that work by inducing lesions in the DNA of tumour cells in order to inhibit their proliferation. However, the body naturally tries to repair these lesions, and thus reduces the efficacy of chemotherapy. Blocking the mechanisms for DNA repair would help to potentiate chemotherapy by reducing the resistance of cells to treatment. A team of researchers directed by Frédéric Coin, Inserm Research Director at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in Strasbourg (a Joint Inserm/CNRS/University of Strasbourg Research Unit), has discovered a new drug that inhibits repair: spironolactone, which seems likely to be used in the very short term as an adjuvant to chemotherapy.
Researchers regenerate sound-sensing cells in the ears of mice with hearing damage
One of the major causes of hearing loss in mammals is damage to the sound-sensing hair cells in the inner ear. For years, scientists have thought that these cells are not replaced once they're lost, but new research appearing online February 20 in the journal Stem Cell Reports reveals that supporting cells in the ear can turn into hair cells in newborn mice. If the findings can be applied to older animals, they may lead to ways to help stimulate cell replacement in adults and to the design of new treatment strategies for people suffering from deafness due to hair cell loss.
Study shows that premature infants benefit from adult talk
Research led by a team at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University has been published in the February 10, 2014 online edition of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The research indicates that premature babies benefit from being exposed to adult talk as early as possible.
Team finds gene therapy a promising tool for cardiac regeneration
After a heart attack, there is often permanent damage to a portion of the heart. This happens, in part, because cardiac muscle cells are terminally differentiated and cannot proliferate after blood flow is blocked off to the heart. This partial healing can be attributed to heart disease being one of the leading causes of death. What if the cells could be stimulated to divide and the heart could be induced to repair itself? This was the question posed by George Washington University (GW) researcher Scott Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., and his co-authors, who found that cardiac regeneration may be a possibility with gene therapy.
Flu hits young, middle aged people hard this year
The flu is hitting young and middle aged people in the United States particularly hard this season, as a tough flu strain re-emerged and too few people were vaccinated, health authorities said Thursday.
Developing countries face 'leading medical scourge of developed countries'
Chronic illness, already a major and expensive problem in developed countries, is rapidly increasing in developing countries, adding to the longstanding burden caused by high rates of infectious diseases. However, poor countries will not be able to afford the costly medical technologies that wealthy countries use to treat chronic conditions, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, pulmonary disease, and diabetes, writes Daniel Callahan, cofounder of The Hastings Center.
Long-term daily multivitamin supplement use decreases cataract risk in men
Long-term daily multivitamin supplement use may lower cataract risk in men, according to a study of nearly 15,000 male physicians published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
New apps may help detect seizures, treat strokes
Two new smart phone applications may help people detect epileptic seizures and get better stroke treatment, according to two studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014.
Study in mice raises question: Could PTSD involve immune response to stress?
Chronic stress that produces inflammation and anxiety in mice appears to prime their immune systems for a prolonged fight, causing the animals to have an excessive reaction to a single acute stressor weeks later, new research suggests.
Researchers provide standardized nomenclature for the architecture of insect brains
(Medical Xpress)—When you're talking about something as complex as the brain, the task isn't any easier if the vocabulary being used is just as complex. An international collaboration of neuroscientists has not only tripled the number of identified brain structures, but created a simple lexicon to talk about them, which will be enormously helpful for future research on brain function and disease.
Surprising culprit found in cell recycling defect
(Medical Xpress)—To remain healthy, the body's cells must properly manage their waste recycling centers. Problems with these compartments, known as lysosomes, lead to a number of debilitating and sometimes lethal conditions.
Researchers discover new way to treat deadly childhood brain cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers from the University of Toronto's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP) have discovered a new way to effectively target a previously difficult-to-treat form of childhood brain cancer called ependymoma.
Researchers suggest fecal transplants should be regulated as tissue not drug
(Medical Xpress)—A trio of researchers are suggesting in a Comment piece in the journal Nature, that the FDA should cease regulating fecal transplants as drugs and should instead begin treating them as tissue product procedures. In their article, Mark Smith, Colleen Kelly and Eric Alm suggest that treating fecal material as a drug is inhibiting research into its beneficial possibilities and is preventing its use in many instances by physicians unwilling to undergo the bureaucratic process needed with unapproved drugs.
Molecular 'cocktail' transforms skin cells into beating heart cells
The power of regenerative medicine appears to have turned science fiction into scientific reality—by allowing scientists to transform skin cells into cells that closely resemble beating heart cells. However, the methods required are complex, and the transformation is often incomplete. But now, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have devised a new method that allows for the more efficient—and, importantly, more complete—reprogramming of skin cells into cells that are virtually indistinguishable from heart muscle cells. These findings, based on animal models and described in the latest issue of Cell Reports, offer newfound optimism in the hunt for a way to regenerate muscle lost in a heart attack.
Bioengineered growth factors lead to better wound healing
Scientists at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have greatly improved the effectiveness of clinical growth factors, paving new strategies for regenerative medicine.
A changing view of bone marrow cells
In the battle against infection, immune cells are the body's offense and defense—some cells go on the attack while others block invading pathogens. It has long been known that a population of blood stem cells that resides in the bone marrow generates all of these immune cells. But most scientists have believed that blood stem cells participate in battles against infection in a delayed way, replenishing immune cells on the front line only after they become depleted.
Study in fruitflies strengthens connection among protein misfolding, sleep loss, and age
Pulling an "all-nighter" before a big test is practically a rite of passage in college. Usually, it's no problem: You stay up all night, take the test, and then crash, rapidly catching up on lost sleep. But as we age, sleep patterns change, and our ability to recoup lost sleep diminishes.
Skin tumor vaccine shows promise in wild mice, rising hope for transplant patients
Papillomaviruses (linked to cervical cancer when they infect the mucosal tissue in the female reproductive tract) can also infect normal skin, where they cause warts and possibly non-melanoma skin cancer, mostly in immune-suppressed organ transplant patients. An article published on February 20th in PLOS Pathogens suggests that vaccination might prevent virus-associated benign and malignant skin tumors.
Researchers create powerful muscles from fishing line and sewing thread
An international team led by The University of Texas at Dallas has discovered that ordinary fishing line and sewing thread can be cheaply converted to powerful artificial muscles.
Biology news
World's only captive leopard seal put down
The world's only captive leopard seal, which washed up in Sydney with a shark bite to his abdomen seven years ago, has been put down at an Australian zoo, officials said Thursday.
Mexico, US, Canada to work on Monarch butterflies
Mexico, the United States and Canada have agreed to form a working group on the conservation of Monarch butterflies, whose numbers fell to record lows this year at their wintering grounds in central Mexico.
Researcher seeks solution to the spread of citrus greening disease
The entire California citrus industry is counting on Cornell vector biologist Michelle Cilia to quickly come up with a solution to stop the spread of a deadly disease that could decimate domestic citrus production.
Environmental factors may not play a large role in the establishment of new plant species
A new study by a Wits University scientist has overturned a long-standing hypothesis about plant speciation (the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution), suggesting that agricultural crops could be more vulnerable to climate change than was previously thought.
Five tiger cubs seized in Thai police wildlife haul
Thai police said Thursday they have seized five wild tiger cubs along with hundreds of other animals being smuggled to neighbouring Laos, for apparent onward sale in Vietnam or China as delicacies.
Fishing rope cut from endangered whale off Georgia
Wildlife officials say they cut away more than 280 feet of commercial fishing line being dragged by an endangered right whale off the Georgia coast.
Forest model predicts canopy competition
Out of an effort to account for what seemed in airborne images to be unusually large tree growth in a Hawaiian forest, scientists at Brown University and the Carnegie Institution for Science have developed a new mathematical model that predicts how trees compete for space in the canopy.
Laos dam plan threatens existence of rare dolphin
A dam which Laos plans to build across the Mekong River could wipe out critically endangered dolphins in downstream Cambodia, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned on Thursday.
The camouflage games: Can you spot the bird?
So how long did it take you to spot the nightjar in the video on this page? For the predators trying to outsmart their concealed prey it's about not going hungry. But for the birds and the eggs that they are protecting it's a matter of life and death. And for scientists interested in how camouflage systems work, letting the public loose on research-oriented games are way to test the fundamental bioscience behind vision and perception.
Dracunculus insignis infection found in cats
When Cornell veterinarians found half-foot-long worms living in their feline patients, they had discovered something new: The worms, Dracunculus insignis, had never before been seen in cats.
Fruit flies controlled in orange crops without pesticide use
Orange crop infestation by the Mexican fruit fly and the cancelation of exportations of frozen pulp motivated Cítricos Ex (Citrex) research to create an effective technique to control the plague without using pesticides, as well as to the development of a mathematical model to predict the moment when the fruit is more susceptible to an attack.
Peru's Manu National Park sets new biodiversity record
Peru's treasured Manu National Park is the world's top biodiversity hotspot for reptiles and amphibians, according to a new survey published last week by biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIU-Carbondale) and Illinois Wesleyan University.
Fewer shark attacks, above-average fatalities in 2013
The world experienced the lowest number of shark attacks since 2009, although fatalities in 2013 were above average, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File report released today.
Mauritius kestrels show long-term legacy of man-made habitat change
The widespread loss of forest to sugarcane fields on the island of Mauritius has forced kestrels living there to survive by speeding up their life histories, according to a report published online on February 20 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology. By getting an earlier start, the birds are managing to have just as many offspring, even though they die sooner.
Sequencing hundreds of nuclear genes in the sunflower family now possible
Advances in DNA sequencing technologies have enormous potential for the plant sciences. With genome-scale data sets obtained from these new technologies, researchers are able to greatly improve our understanding of evolutionary relationships, which are key to applications including plant breeding and physiology.
Extreme weather decides distribution of insects
As climate change is progressing, the temperature of our planet increases. This is particularly important for the large group of animals that are cold-blooded (ectothermic), including insects. Their body temperature is ultimately determined by the ambient temperature, and the same therefore applies to the speed and efficiency of their vital biological processes.
Unique bioreactor finds ideal locations for algae production
A unique bioreactor at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) can help find the ideal locations for farms to produce algae that could someday compete with renewable diesel, cellulosic ethanol, and other petroleum alternatives as transportation fuel.
Plant-derived chemical converts to cellulosic ethanol and drop-in biofuels
(Phys.org) —Using a plant-derived chemical, UW-Madison researchers have developed a process for creating a concentrated stream of sugars that's ripe with possibility for biofuels.
Roots to shoots: Hormone transport in plants deciphered
Plant growth is orchestrated by a spectrum of signals from hormones within a plant. A major group of plant hormones called cytokinins originate in the roots of plants, and their journey to growth areas on the stem and in leaves stimulates plant development. Though these phytohormones have been identified in the past, the molecular mechanism responsible for their transportation within plants was previously poorly understood.
Chemical chaperones have helped proteins do their jobs for billions of years
An ancient chemical, present for billions of years, appears to have helped proteins function properly since time immemorial.
Human and dog brains both have dedicated 'voice areas'
The first study to compare brain function between humans and any nonprimate animal shows that dogs have dedicated voice areas in their brains, just as people do. Dog brains, like those of people, are also sensitive to acoustic cues of emotion, according to a study in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on February 20.
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