Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 24, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Nanostructures enhance light trapping for solar fuel generation- Scientists find a molecular clue to the complex mystery of auxin signaling in plants
- Parallel programming may not be so daunting
- Scientists discover material that can be solar cell by day, light panel by night
- Researchers grow carbon nanofibers using ambient air, without toxic ammonia
- The fundamental mechanisms of facial recognition
- Study suggests autumn Arctic sea ice can be used to predict European winter weather
- Computer model shows continents sometimes push others out of the way (w/ video)
- Experiment opens the door to multi-party quantum communication
- Researchers improve performance of III-V nanowire solar cells on graphene
- IBM researchers' algorithm explores tweets for home location cues
- Plugging the hole in Hawking's black hole theory
- Deletion of FAT10 gene reduces body fat, slows down aging in mice
- Hunt for an 'unidentified electron object'
- For neurons in the brain, identity can be used to predict location
Astronomy & Space news
Astronomers seeking meteorites that may have crashed near St. Thomas, Ontario
(Phys.org) —Researchers from Western University have released footage of a basketball-sized meteor that was almost as bright as the full moon. The meteor lit up the skies of southwestern Ontario earlier this week and Western astronomers are now hoping to enlist the help of local residents in recovering one or more possible meteorites that may have crashed in the area just north of St. Thomas, Ontario.
Curiosity pulls into Kimberly and spies curvy terrain for drilling action
NASA's Curiosity rover has just pulled into gorgeous terrain chock full of curvy rock outcrops at Kimberly that's suitable for contact science and drilling action, according to the mission team.
Image: Star-forming region ON2
(Phys.org) —Massive stars are born in tumultuous clouds of gas and dust. They lead a brief but intense life, blowing powerful winds of particles and radiation that strike their surroundings, before their explosive demise as supernovas.
Camera used on moon landing sold for $758,489
It was put on auction as a camera that made it to the moon and back. And it had its price—nearly $760,000.
How astronauts survive diplomatic tensions in space
While the United States and Russia traded sanctions this week in a burgeoning crisis over Crimea, astronauts from both nations rose above the discord in their sanctuary hundreds of miles from Earth.
Unique camera from NASA's moon missions sold at auction
The only camera to return from NASA's moon missions in 1969-1972 was sold at an auction in Vienna Saturday for 550,000 euros ($760,000), far outdoing its estimated price.
Could alien life cope with a hotter, brighter star?
The stars in the night sky shine in myriad hues and brightnesses—piercing blues, clean whites, smoldering crimsons. Every star has a different mass, the basic characteristic that determines its size, lifespan, light output and temperature (which we discern as a particular color).
Image: Hubble peers at the heart of NGC 5793
(Phys.org) —This new Hubble image is centered on NGC 5793, a spiral galaxy over 150 million light-years away in the constellation of Libra. This galaxy has two particularly striking features: a beautiful dust lane and an intensely bright center—much brighter than that of our own galaxy, or indeed those of most spiral galaxies we observe.
Gemini Planet Imager – a new eye to scan the sky for exoplanets
There is excitement in astronomy and planetary science departments worldwide as the new Gemini Planet Imager, housed in the Gemini South Telescope in the Chilean Andes, turns its razor-sharp gaze to the skies.
StratoBus airship prototype targeted within next five years (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —A project that presents a concept of something between drone and satellite is under way. The vehicle is called StratoBus, developed in Europe. The StratoBus will be able to carry out missions such as border and maritime surveillance, telecommunications, broadcasting and navigation. Potential applications include boosting GSM network capacity for public events and GPS augmentation over dense traffic areas. The shell fabric is made of braided carbon fiber. The StratoBus will be able to carry payloads up to 200 kg. The first prototype is planned for rollout within the next five years. StratoBus is described as an autonomous stationary platform and the company emphasized its two notable features, the ability to carry out long endurance observation and complete autonomy from a fixed position.
Exploding stars prove Newton's gravity unchanged over cosmic time
(Phys.org) —Australian astronomers have combined all observations of supernovae ever made to determine that the strength of gravity has remained unchanged over the last nine billion years.
Plugging the hole in Hawking's black hole theory
(Phys.org) —Recently physicists have been poking holes again in Stephen Hawking's black hole theory – including Hawking himself. For decades physicists across the globe have been trying to figure out the mysteries of black holes – those fascinating monstrous entities that have such intense gravitational pull that nothing – not even light – can escape from them. Now Professor Chris Adami, Michigan State University, has jumped into the fray.
Technology news
Obama hanging on to his BlackBerry for now
President Barack Obama isn't giving up his BlackBerry—at least not for now.
Turkish president Gul says Twitter ban to be lifted 'soon'
Turkey's president said Sunday the government would soon lift its ban on Twitter, which has sparked criticism at home and abroad.
Pilots' mental health a concern amid jet mystery
Reinforced doors with keypad entries. Body scanners and pat-downs. Elaborate crew maneuvers when a pilot has to use the restroom. All those tactics are designed to keep dangerous people out of the cockpit. But what if the pilot is the problem?
Energy scheme is big success, according to study
A pioneering £15.76 million project, which has seen thousands of energy efficient measures installed in homes across some of Yorkshire and Humber's most deprived communities, is being hailed a success following research by the University of Sheffield.
China demands answers from US over spying claims
China said Monday it was demanding an explanation from Washington over allegations U.S. intelligence agencies hacked into the email servers of Chinese tech giant Huawei and targeted top Chinese officials and government institutions.
Preview: 'Candy Crush' maker King to go public
King Digital, the company behind the wildly mobile game "Candy Crush Saga," is scheduled to make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange this week.
Web storage provider Box unwraps IPO seeking $250M
Online storage provider Box is the latest rapidly growing Silicon Valley company seeking to strike it rich in the stock market.
People who die can be virtually immortal in social media
The Facebook page of Bill Watkins' mother lights up at least twice a year, on her birthday and on the anniversary of her death.
Electrical engineering is child's play with littleBits
Ayah Bdeir is out to make creating Internet Age gadgets as fun and easy as playing with LEGO blocks.
Obama reassures Internet CEOs on tech privacy
President Barack Obama sought Friday to assure leading Internet and tech executives that his administration is committed to protecting people's privacy, a week before a self-imposed deadline for a review of National Security Agency programs.
US moves to push global trade deal on green goods
The United States said Friday it was planning to begin negotiations with other leading trading countries for a deal to cut tariffs for green goods like solar panels.
Malaysian plane drama fuels aviation security rethink
As the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 enters a third week, the piecemeal returns from one of the most intense, international searches in living memory have delivered a public and institutional shock that could force a major rethink about aviation security.
Turkey says Twitter ban is to prevent 'character assassination'
Turkey's government on Saturday defended its internationally condemned ban on Twitter as a "preventive measure" to stop "character assassinations" following a wave of corruption investigation leaks.
Online news attracts star power and big money
The news media is generating some big news of its own, as a growing number of star US journalists move online, bringing followers and financial backers with them.
Toilet tech fair tackles global sanitation woes
Who would have expected a toilet to one day filter water, charge a cellphone or create charcoal to combat climate change?
MasterCard investigates report of DMV breach
A spokesman from MasterCard says it is investigating reports of a potential breach at the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Cell phones catapult 'Shangri-La' Bhutan into modern age
Sitting in his office in Bhutan's sleepy capital, newspaper editor Tenzing Lamsang muses on the dramatic impact of cell phone technology on a remote Himalayan kingdom known as the "last Shangri-La".
Fukushima operator restarts water decontamination system
The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said Monday it has switched on a key decontamination system that cleans radiation-tainted water used to cool the site's damaged reactors.
Singapore talks on Internet's future hear plea for freedom
Control of the Internet should be handed from US supervision to a diverse group of stakeholders, and not to governments that could limit freedoms, a meeting on the web's future heard Monday.
Pioneering research offers new insight into improved wave energy testing
Pioneering research could provide a significant boost in the vital quest to harness wave power as a viable renewable energy source for the future.
'RoboClam' replicates a clam's ability to burrow while using little energy
The Atlantic razor clam uses very little energy to burrow into undersea soil at high speed. Now a detailed insight into how the animal digs has led to the development of a robotic clam that can perform the same trick.
Cisco pushes into 'cloud' with $1 bn investment
Cisco Systems announced plans Monday to invest $1 billion to step up its cloud computing with several global partners.
Low parking costs may encourage automobile use
The low cost of parking in many American cities may contribute to urban development that relies on automobile use and undercuts planners' efforts to increase public transport, according to a new baseline study of comprehensive public parking costs led by the Drexel University School of Public Health. The article, "Public parking fees and fines: a survey of US cities," is now published online ahead of print in the journal Public Works Management and Policy. It reports on downtown public parking costs after surveying public parking agencies in 107 U.S. cities.
Pinterest pinning ads to digital bulletin board
Pinterest on Monday said it will soon start pinning ads to its popular online bulletin boards.
Nokia says handset sale to Microsoft delayed to April
Finnish telecom company Nokia on Monday said the sale of its handset business to US technology giant Microsoft would be delayed by a few weeks until April 2014.
You've got mail: Clinton-to-space laptop up for auction
A more than 15-year old laptop doesn't go for much on eBay—unless it's the one Bill Clinton used to send the first ever US presidential email.
TED turns 30 with new chapter of 'ideas worth spreading'
TED turns 30 years old with a mind-sizzling mix of intrigue, wonder and passion in the renowned gathering's new home in Canada.
European hackers test their skills in Geneva
Hackers from across Europe flocked to Geneva this weekend, not to play havoc with Swiss computers but to test their ethical hacking skills.
Report says NSA targeted Chinese tech giant Huawei
U.S. intelligence agencies hacked into the email servers of Chinese tech giant Huawei five years ago, around the time concerns were growing in Washington that the telecommunications equipment manufacturer was a threat to U.S. national security, two newspapers reported Saturday.
Apple patent proposes battery use monitoring system
(Phys.org) —Smartphone users are aware by now of the fact that beyond the richest phone, text, location and imaging feature sets, waning battery performance can play a significant role in dampening customer satisfaction.
Facebook releases Hack programming language for HHVM
(Phys.org) —Facebook this week unveiled Hack, a programming language they had in use for a year but have now released as per an official announcement posted on the engineering blog on Thursday. What's in it for programmers?
Up the WebP chain at Google: Better speed, capability
(Phys.org) —Nicholas Doyle, optimization developer at Akamai Technologies, wrote last December about how image data dominates today's web site bytes, contributing to most of what we see. Loading images quickly is imperative, he said, and for the most part the strategies used to optimize images for web sites have not changed dramatically for quite a while. "Choice of formats between JPEG, GIF and more recently PNG and the choice of lossy compression settings is the usual approach taken by most people today." Doyle spent time implementing image optimizations as part of an Akamai solution and learned a great deal about the topic in the process. Flash-forward to March 2014 and one can say that Mozilla and Google have learned a lot too.
NASCAR tests tires on a unique machine that can spin rubber at 200 mph
(Phys.org) —Tens of thousands of NASCAR race fans will converge March 30 in nearby Martinsville for the STP 500, watching dozens of race cars zip around the Martinsville Speedway at speeds exceeding 130 miles per hour, tires screeching and leaving rubber on the track.
Robbie the robot passes UN inspection (w/ Video)
Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meets "Robbie the Robot" developed for Cork teenager Joanne O'Riordan, who was born without limbs.
Whispers, secrets and lies? Anonymity apps rise (Update)
At a time when Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are pushing people to put forward their most polished, put-together selves, a new class of mobile applications aims for a bit more honesty.
Parallel programming may not be so daunting
Computer chips have stopped getting faster: The regular performance improvements we've come to expect are now the result of chipmakers' adding more cores, or processing units, to their chips, rather than increasing their clock speed.
IBM researchers' algorithm explores tweets for home location cues
(Phys.org) —By drawing on the content of users' tweets and their tweeting behavior, a team of three IBM researchers said they have a new algorithm to infer the home location of Twitter users at different granularities, including city, state, time zone or geographic region. The algorithm makes use of the person's last 200 tweets for tracking. The scientists described their approach as an "ensemble of statistical and heuristic classifiers" and with this approach they said they could predict locations and make use of a geographic gazetteer dictionary (USGS [United States Geological Survey] gazetteer) to identify place-name entities. They analyzed movement variations of Twitter users, built a classifier to predict whether a user was travelling in a certain period of time and used that to further improve their detection accuracy.
Medicine & Health news
Kids learn stroke signs in class through imitation
A program in New York that teaches children about strokes includes having the kids imitate some of the telltale signs.
Health law birth control coverage before justices
The Obama administration and its opponents are renewing the Supreme Court battle over President Barack Obama's health care law in a case that pits the religious rights of employers against the rights of women to the birth control of their choice.
Ebola epidemic spreads to Guinea's capital: UNICEF
An Ebola epidemic which has already killed dozens of people in Guinea's southern forests has spread to the capital Conakry, the United Nations Children's Fund said on Sunday.
Practices can take steps to improve care transitions
(HealthDay)—Implementation of a rigorous process can improve transitions of care, according to an article published March 10 in Medical Economics.
In California, chefs fight for bare-hand contact
California legislators may reverse a new law banning bare hand contact with food at restaurants and bars.
Saudi Arabia reports 1 more death from new virus
Saudi Arabia says a man has died from a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing to 64 the deaths in the kingdom at the center of the outbreak.
Providing dental care for patients with disabilities
Dennis Fitzpatrick had 17 cavities by the time he arrived at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine's special care center seven years ago. Fitzpatrick, 27, who suffers from cerebral palsy, had regular checkups throughout childhood, but his dental decay had progressed so far, four of his teeth had to be removed.
Pooling budgets no panacea for integrated care
New research published today by the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York says that pooling funds across health and social care services is not a panacea that will lead to the successful delivery of integrated care.
Maturitas publishes position statement on management of vertebral osteoporotic fracture
Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the publication of a position statement by the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) in the journal Maturitas on the topic of the management of postmenopausal women with vertebral osteoporotic fracture.
Guinea's Ebola battle: steps taken to contain virus
The Ebola virus plaguing Guinea is one of the deadliest known to man, claiming the lives of two-thirds of the people it has infected so far.
Canadians spend more on private health insurance for smaller payouts
Spending by Canadians on private health insurance has more than doubled over the past 20 years, but insurers paid out a rapidly decreasing proportion as benefits, according to a study published today in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Keep calm and don your video glasses
Music may soothe the soul, but it takes video to calm a patient undergoing medical treatment, notes a study in which individuals watched television shows or movies through special video glasses while having a biopsy or other minimally invasive treatment. The research is being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 39th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Bundled payments come to gastroenterology
Patients want physicians to provide high-quality care and the health system requires good value for physician work. To help gastroenterologists achieve these goals, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has developed a colonoscopy bundled payment model, which has been published in Gastroenterology1, the official journal of the AGA.
Y-90 provides new, safe treatment for metastatic breast cancer
A minimally invasive treatment that delivers cancer-killing radiation directly to tumors shows promise in treating breast cancer that has spread to the liver when no other treatment options remain, according to research being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 39th Annual Scientific Meeting. In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers reviewed treatment outcomes of 75 women (ages 26-82) with chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer liver metastases, which were too large or too numerous to treat with other therapies. The outpatient treatment, called yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization, was safe and provided disease stabilization in 98.5 percent of the women's treated liver tumors.
New implant shows promise for painful osteoporotic spine fractures
Individuals suffering from spinal fractures—caused by osteoporosis or weakened bones—now have another option to reduce pain, restore function and improve quality of life, according to a study of 300 patients treated with a new type of vertebral augmentation. Results of a randomized, controlled multicenter trial on a new implant treatment for vertebral compression fractures are being reported for the first time at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 39th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Patient enrollment, use, and satisfaction with patient portals
Many physicians are adopting patient portals in response to governmental incentives for meaningful use (MU), but the stage 2 requirements for portal use may be particularly challenging for newer electronic health record (EHR) users. This study examines enrollment, use based on MU requirements, and satisfaction in a recently-adopting fee-for-service multispecialty system.
Natalizumab treatment in patients with MS associated with JC virus infection
Treatment with natalizumab in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) appears linked with JC virus (JCV) infection, which can lead to a rare and often fatal demyelinating disease of the central nervous system called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) that destroys the myelin that protects nerve cells. The movement of cells with JC virus into the blood stream may provide researchers with a possible reason why patients with MS develop PML
Guinea confirms Ebola as source of deadly epidemic
Guinea identified the Ebola virus Saturday as the source of a highly contagious epidemic raging through its southern forests, as the death toll rose to 59.
India must stop 'irrational' TB treatments: MSF
India must stop its doctors prescribing "irrational" treatments to cure tuberculosis, medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres said Saturday, warning the practice is increasing drug-resistant strains of the disease.
Bariatric surgery decreases risk of uterine cancer
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center report that bariatric surgery resulting in dramatic weight loss in formerly severely obese women reduces the risk of endometrial (uterine) cancer by 71 percent and as much as 81 percent if normal weight is maintained after surgery.
New childhood tuberculosis estimates double the number previously thought
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) in Boston have estimated that around one million children suffer from tuberculosis (TB) annually— twice the number previously thought to have tuberculosis and three times the number that are diagnosed every year. The researchers also estimated that around 32,000 children suffer from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) annually. These findings are published in The Lancet on March 23, 2014.
New consensus reached to help tackle multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB
New consensus statements have been developed to help tackle the growing threat of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB).
Use of mood-stabilizing drug linked with reduced risk of developing head and neck cancer
A new study indicates that a commonly used mood stabilizing drug may help prevent head and neck cancer. The study is published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Alcohol's role in traffic deaths vastly underreported
It's no secret that drinking and driving can be a deadly mix. But the role of alcohol in U.S. traffic deaths may be substantially underreported on death certificates, according to a study in the March issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
When mothers are active so are their children—but many mothers are not
Parents are strong influences in the lives of young children, with patterns of behaviour established in the early years laying the foundation for future choices. A new study suggests that, when it comes to levels of physical activity, it is mothers who set (or don't set) the pace.
Integrating mental health services in pediatric practices feasible, effective, study finds
Brief behavioral and mental health programs for children can be effectively provided within pediatric practices as an alternative to being referred to a community specialist, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences researchers found in a National Institutes of Health-funded randomized trial.
Rashes from wipes, liquid soaps on the rise
(HealthDay)—Allergic skin reactions to a preservative used in pre-moistened wipes and liquid soaps are on the increase, a doctor says.
College women: Have a healthy spring break
(HealthDay)—Spring break offers college women—and men—a welcome respite from the pressures of school, but they need to make sure they protect their health while having fun.
Experts warn over Nigerian 'viagra' drinks
Nike Ajibade and three of her colleagues sit on a Lagos pavement with small plastic bottles of liquids tucked inside weather-beaten plastic buckets.
Tobacco more likely to be sold at pharmacies in poor and Latino communities
(Medical Xpress)—Poverty and the racial makeup of a community are a good indications of whether someone can go into the neighborhood pharmacy and find a pack of Marlboro cigarettes for sale, according to a Rutgers study.
Lack of support for stroke survivors with visual impairment
More than a quarter (26%) of stroke survivors living with visual impairment do not receive adequate support, new research from the University of Liverpool reveals.
Family TV saturated with junk food adverts
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers from the University of Liverpool have found that young people are exposed to adverts that promote unhealthy food during primetime TV, which are normally banned from children's programming.
Widely used heartburn and peptic ulcer medicines increase risk of rare kidney disease
(Medical Xpress)—New Zealanders taking a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), a type of medicine used to treat gastric acid reflux disorders and peptic ulcer disease, are at an increased risk of a rare kidney disease, according to new findings by University of Otago researchers.
Don't believe all you read, health reviews can be misleading too
A BBC report has uncovered that nearly half of the reviews for a single NHS trust on NHS Choices were submitted from the trust's own computers. The reviews had been provided by Patient Opinion, which gathers online comments and stories about providers of both health and social care and also publishes them on its own website.
Protein followed by exercise is recipe for calorie-burning success in some women
(Medical Xpress)—New research shows that for some women, a high-protein meal followed by 30 minutes of moderate exercise is an effective way of burning calories, especially when compared to exercising on an empty stomach.
Study shows that feeding fussy babies to settle them down may lead to weight gain as they get older
Studies have shown that fussy babies—ones who cry often and are more easily distressed—tend to gain more weight and have a higher risk for obesity in childhood. One theory, says Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, a research associate at the Friedman School, is that caregivers of a fussy child are more likely to try feeding him whenever he cries, and that doing so reinforces the idea for the child that he gets to eat when he's upset.
Childhood anesthesia may thwart the development of those often pesky third molars
Extracting a wisdom tooth is no small deal. The procedure involves anesthesia, surgery, lost time from work and—of course—an uncomfortable recovery.
Why can't a man think like a woman, and a woman think like a man?
Men and women may feel like they differ on much more than just the possession or not of a Y chromosome. How we react emotionally to a situation, remember events and navigate our way around the environment has also been shown to differ between genders.
Botulinum toxin to treat severe vocal cord dysfunction in asthma patients
A world-first clinical trial is using botulinum toxin (otherwise known as Botox) to treat severe vocal cord dysfunction in patients with asthma.
Researcher studes "no-makeup" selfie phenomenon
A psychologist at Bangor University has been fascinated by the the #nomakeupselfie social media phenomenon seen on social media this week.
Electrical stimulation helps stroke patients learning to use brain-controlled robot arm
Patients suffering from paralysis may soon be able to control a robot arm with the electrical activity in their brains using a brain-machine interface. Considerable training is required before a person can use the system reliably – particularly difficult for stroke victims or patients with other brain damage.
Study uncovers new approach to autism
In a Kent research project entitled Imagining Autism, children with autism engaged in a series of interactive sensory environments such as 'outer space', 'under the sea' and 'the arctic'. Each environment was designed for them to encounter a range of stimuli and respond to triggers created through lighting, sound, physical action and puppetry.
New test to deduce diabetes risk in polycystic ovary syndrome sufferers
Scientists at the University of Birmingham have uncovered a new method to identify and test women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are at high risk of going onto develop diabetes.
Miscarriage risk increases for women who respond poorly to IVF ovarian stimulation
(Medical Xpress)—Women who respond to IVF treatment with low numbers of eggs are at increased risk of miscarriage, a study co-authored by University of Birmingham researchers has found.
Nasal spray delivers new type of depression treatment
A nasal spray that delivers a peptide to treat depression holds promise as a potential alternative therapeutic approach, research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows. The study, led by CAMH's Dr. Fang Liu, is published online in Neuropsychopharmacology.
Inherited mutated gene raises lung cancer risk for women, those who never smoked
People who have an inherited mutation of a certain gene have a high chance of getting lung cancer—higher, even, than heavy smokers with or without the inherited mutation, according to new findings by cancer researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Although both genders have an equal risk of inheriting the mutation, those who develop lung cancer are mostly women and have never smoked, the researchers found.
Guinea scrambles to contain deadly Ebola outbreak (Update)
Aid workers and health officials battled Monday to contain west Africa's first outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus as tests on suspected cases in Conakry allayed fears that it had spread to the Guinean capital.
p53 cuts off invading cancer cells
The tumor suppressor p53 does all it can to prevent oncogenes from transforming normal cells into tumor cells by killing defective cells or causing them to become inactive. Sometimes oncogenes manage to initiate tumor development in the presence of p53, but, even then, the tumor suppressor doesn't give up and focuses its efforts instead on limiting the tumor's ability to invade and metastasize. A study in The Journal of Cell Biology uncovers one way that p53 acts to prevent cancer cell invasion.
Diabetes drug shows promise in reducing Alzheimer's disease in an experimental model
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that the diabetic drug, pramlintide, reduces amyloid-beta peptides, a major component of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the brain and improves learning and memory in two experimental AD models. These findings, which appear online in Molecular Psychiatry, also found AD patients have a lower level of amylin in blood compared to those without this disease. These results may provide a new avenue for both treatment and diagnosis of AD.
Radiation therapy and cancer vaccines: Timing is everything
Radiation therapy fights cancer in more ways than one. Not only does it force cancer cells to self-destruct, but several studies demonstrate that it also activates the immune system to attack tumor cells. This activation can be used to boost current immunotherapies, such as anti-tumor vaccines, to produce better clinical results. What's less clear, however, is exactly how to combine the two therapies to get the best bang for the therapeutic buck.
How developing sperm stick to the right path
The process of producing high-quality, fertile sperm requires many steps. A study in The Journal of Cell Biology shows how the transcription factor p73 promotes this process by regulating the adhesions between developing sperm and their support cells.
Researcher uses DNA therapy in lab mice to improve cochlear implant functionality
One in a thousand children in the United States is deaf, and one in three adults will experience significant hearing loss after the age of 65. Whether the result of genetic or environmental factors, hearing loss costs billions of dollars in healthcare expenses every year, making the search for a cure critical.
Heparin might be the key to prevent prion conversion and disease
Prions are infectious agents responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalitis (commonly known as "mad cow disease") and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in humans.
Statins could ease coughing in lung disease patients, study finds
Common cholesterol-lowering drugs could provide relief to patients suffering from a chronic lung disease, a study has shown.
Gene implicated in progression and relapse of deadly breast cancer
Scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Houston Methodist have found that a gene previously unassociated with breast cancer plays a pivotal role in the growth and progression of the triple negative form of the disease, a particularly deadly strain that often has few treatment options. Their research, published in this week's Nature, suggests that targeting the gene may be a new approach to treating the disease.
Small number of counties leads the way in reducing smoking rates in the US
Nationally, smoking rates have decreased since 1996, but the declines have been driven by a relatively small share of counties across the US, according to new research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
Leaders are wired to be task-focused or team-builders, but can be both
What sort of leader are you? Do you think leading is all about a laser-like focus on the task, watching the bottom line and making sure everyone is doing what they should? Or is it about listening to your team, being open to ideas and perspectives, and inspiring them to find their own niche?
Psychiatric complications in women with PCOS often linked to menstrual irregularities
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormone imbalance that causes infertility, obesity, and excessive facial hair in women, can also lead to severe mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. A study supervised by Columbia University School of Nursing professor Nancy Reame, MSN, PhD, FAAN, and published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, identifies the PCOS complications that may be most responsible for psychiatric problems. While weight gain and unwanted body hair can be distressing, irregular menstrual cycles is the symptom of PCOS most strongly associated with psychiatric problems, the study found.
Increased awareness about skin cancer needed for minorities
More awareness about skin cancer is needed for minorities because they believe they are at low risk of developing it, says Henry Ford Hospital dermatologist Diane Jackson-Richards, M.D.
Would you believe your hand could turn into marble? Neuroscientists present a new bodily illusion
Our bodies are made of flesh and bones. We all know this, and throughout our daily lives, all our senses constantly provide converging information about this simple, factual truth. But is this always the case? A new study by Irene Senna from Bielefeld University's Center of Excellence CITEC and her colleagues reports a surprising bodily illusion demonstrating how we can rapidly update our assumptions about the material qualities of our bodies based on recent multisensory perceptual experience.
Study ties breast gene to high-risk uterine cancer
Women with a faulty breast cancer gene might face a greater chance of rare but deadly uterine tumors despite having their ovaries removed to lower their main cancer risks, doctors are reporting.
FDA reviews DNA-based colon cancer screening kits
The Food and Drug Administration is weighing the benefits and risks of two experimental colon cancer screening tests which use DNA from a patient's stool to detect dangerous tumors and growths.
California doctors speed up Valley fever diagnosis
Doctors in California say they've found a quicker way to diagnose patients with the fungal disease Valley fever.
Researchers discover disruptions in signaling pathways that enable colorectal cancer cells to form metastases
Researchers at the University of Freiburg have found switches that colorectal cancer cells use to migrate away from the primary tumor site and to invade neighboring tissue. This migration is the first step in metastasis, the process by which the cancer forms secondary tumors in other organs. Prof. Dr. Andreas Hecht and his research group at the Institute of Molecular Medicine of the University of Freiburg published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Team issues state-of-the-state on genetic-based testing and treatment for breast cancer
Dartmouth researchers at its Norris Cotton Cancer Center have compiled a review of the role that information gathered through genetic testing plays in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The paper entitled "Personalized Therapy for Breast Cancer" was accepted on March 17, 2014, for publication in Clinical Genetics. The paper discusses targeted therapies, new biomarkers, and the quality of commercially available testing methods.
Nurses effective at treating common arm injury in kids, but docs do it better
A clinical trial to determine if nurses in the emergency department could reduce "pulled elbows" in children at a rate similar to that of physicians found that althiough nurses were able to treat this common injury 85% of the time, physicians were more effective, with a 97% success rate. The trial is published Mar. 24 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Prostate treatment lasts, preserves fertility
Shrinking the prostate without surgery can provide long-term relief to men with this common condition that causes annoying symptoms, such as frequent trips to the bathroom, suggests a study of nearly 500 men. According to research being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 39th Annual Scientific Meeting, 72 percent of men experienced symptom improvement three years after having a new, minimally invasive, image-guided treatment performed by interventional radiologists called prostate artery embolization (PAE).
For women's cancers, where you're treated matters
(HealthDay)—Where you're treated for ovarian or other gynecologic cancers makes a difference. Women with these conditions live more than a year longer on average if they're treated at hospitals that deal with a large number of these cancers, according to a new study.
Cervical spine clearance protocols vary considerably
(HealthDay)—Cervical spine clearance protocols for level-1 trauma centers are highly variable, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Spine.
Review: Recently diagnosed diabetes linked to pancreatic CA
(HealthDay)—There is a strong association between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and recently diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the March issue of the Annals of Surgical Oncology.
Lining up our sights
Neurologists at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich have studied the role of the vestibular system, which controls balance, in optimizing how we direct our gaze. The results could lead to more effective rehabilitation of patients with vestibular or cerebellar dysfunction.
Six suspected Ebola cases in Liberia, five dead
Five patients have died in Liberia of suspected Ebola fever, the government said on Monday, as neighbouring Guinea battled an outbreak of the virus which has killed dozens.
Smokers' bitter taste buds may be on the fritz
Smokers and those who have quit cannot fully appreciate the full flavor of a cup of coffee, because many cannot taste the bitterness of their regular caffeine kick. This is the finding of a study led by Nelly Jacob of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital APHP in France, published in Springer's journal Chemosensory Perception.
Ob/gyn researchers studying genetic factors in premature births
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center received grants totaling $600,000 from the March of Dimes Foundation to advance their work in the prevention of premature birth, which affects about one out of nine babies born annually in the U.S. and is the leading cause of newborn death.
Adult day-care services boost beneficial stress hormones in caregivers
Family caregivers show an increase in the beneficial stress hormone DHEA-S on days when they use an adult day care service for their relatives with dementia, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Texas at Austin.
Small wireless pacemaker is safe, effective in early testing
A new small, wireless self-contained pacemaker appears safe and feasible for use in patients, according to a small study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
Guideline: Medical marijuana in pill form or oral spray may ease some MS symptoms
A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology suggests that there is little evidence that most complementary or alternative medicine therapies (CAM) treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the guideline states the CAM therapies oral cannabis, or medical marijuana pills, and oral medical marijuana spray may ease patients' reported symptoms of spasticity, pain related to spasticity and frequent urination in multiple sclerosis (MS). The guideline, which is published in the March 25, 2014, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, states that there is not enough evidence to show whether smoking marijuana is helpful in treating MS symptoms.
Video games linked to aggressive behavior in kids
Youths who play video games are more likely to think and act in aggressive ways, suggested a study out Monday of more than 3,000 schoolchildren in Singapore.
Oncologists differ widely on offering cancer gene testing, study finds
Many cancer researchers believe that cutting-edge advances in genomics will pave the way for personalized or "precision" cancer medicine for all patients in the near future. A new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, however, suggest that not all doctors are ready to embrace tests that look for hundreds of DNA changes in patients' tumor samples, while others plan to offer this type of cancer gene testing to most of their patients. The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
E-cigarette use not linked to quitting smoking, study finds
People who use electronic cigarettes do not report higher rates of quitting than regular cigarette smokers, according to a US study out Monday.
One in 10 male, same-sex Craigslist ads seek men who don't identify as gay
Online sexual hook-ups present a unique opportunity to explore many factors of decision-making that inform sexual health. A study conducted by Eric Schrimshaw, PhD, at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Martin J. Downing, Jr., PhD, of the National Development and Research Institutes, found evidence that men having sex with men use the Internet to find sexual partners who do not identify as gay, either to fulfill a fantasy or because it allows anonymous sexual encounters without discovery. The findings are online in the journal, Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, published by the American Psychological Association.
New guidelines might limit need for lymph node removal for breast cancer
(HealthDay)—Biopsies of so-called "sentinel" lymph nodes under the arms should become more widespread among breast cancer patients, according to updated guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Research reveals new depths of complexity in nerve cells
Research from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation reveals a new complexity to nerve cells in the brain that could affect future therapies aimed at altering mood and memory in humans.
New technique sheds light on human neural networks
A new technique, developed by researchers in the Quantitative Light Imaging Laboratory at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, provides a method to noninvasively measure human neural networks in order to characterize how they form.
Innovative technique provides inexpensive, rapid and detailed analysis of proteins
Proteins are vital participants in virtually all life processes, including growth, repair and signaling in cells; catalysis of chemical reactions and defense against infection. For these reasons, proteins can provide critical signposts of health and disease, provided they can be identified and assessed in a clinical setting.
Rare genetic event massively predisposes people to a form of leukemia
Researchers have found that people born with a rare abnormality of their chromosomes have a 2,700-fold increased risk of a rare childhood leukaemia. In this abnormality, two specific chromosomes are fused together but become prone to catastrophic shattering.
Study discovers genetic cause of rare type of ovarian cancer
The cause of a rare type of ovarian cancer that most often strikes girls and young women has been uncovered by an international research team led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), according to a study published online today by the renowned scientific journal, Nature Genetics.
Drugs fail to reawaken dormant HIV infection
Scientists at Johns Hopkins report that compounds they hoped would "wake up" dormant reservoirs of HIV inside immune system T cells—a strategy designed to reverse latency and make the cells vulnerable to destruction—have failed to do so in laboratory tests of such white blood cells taken directly from patients infected with HIV.
Study identifies path to safer drugs for heart disease, cancer
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may have found a way to solve a problem that has plagued a group of drugs called ligand-mimicking integrin inhibitors, which have the potential to treat conditions ranging from heart attacks to cancer metastasis. In a Nature Structural & Molecular Biology paper receiving advance online publication, the researchers provide a structural basis for the design of new and safer integrin inhibitors.
Stress can delay pregnancy and double the risk of infertility, study finds
Having difficulty getting pregnant can be an incredibly stressful experience for any couple. Now, for the first time, researchers have data that suggests preconception stress might play a role in infertility.
New technique classifies retinal neurons into 15 categories, including some previously unknown types
As we scan a scene, many types of neurons in our retinas interact to analyze different aspects of what we see and form a cohesive image. Each type is specialized to respond to a particular variety of visual input—for example, light or darkness, the edges of an object, or movement in a certain direction.
The unconscious mind can detect a liar—even when the conscious mind fails
When it comes to detecting deceit, your automatic associations may be more accurate than conscious thought in pegging truth-tellers and liars, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Protein called YAP gives blood vessels strength, shape
A protein known to promote cancer appears to give the blood vessels strength and shape, researchers report. When yes-associated protein, or YAP, is deleted from vascular smooth muscle cells during development, the protein makes thin-walled blood vessels that over-dilate in response to the usual pressure of blood flow, said Dr. Jiliang Zhou, vascular biologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.
Fast and reliable: New mechanism for speedy transmission in basket cells discovered
In his third major research paper since December 2013, IST Austria Professor Peter Jonas together with his collaborator, postdoc Hua Hu, identifies a new subcellular mechanism for reliable, fast transmission in the so-called basket cells of the brain. The results will be published on the website of Nature Neuroscience on March 23, 2014
Microfluidic device with artificial arteries measures drugs' influence on blood clotting
A new microfluidic method for evaluating drugs commonly used for preventing heart attacks has found that while aspirin can prevent dangerous blood clots in some at-risk patients, it may not be effective in all patients with narrowed arteries. The study, which involved 14 human subjects, used a device that simulated blood flowing through narrowed coronary arteries to assess effects of anti-clotting drugs.
New study finds novel population of neutrophils
Case Western Reserve University researchers have discovered a novel population of neutrophils, which are the body's infection control workhorses. These cells have an enhanced microbial killing ability and are thereby better able to control infection.
Instant immune booster dramatically improves outcome of bacterial meningitis and pneumonia
A breakthrough study from University of Leicester shows low dose injections of artificial properdin provides substantial protection against septic diseases in mice.
Shock-absorbing 'goo' discovered in bone
Latest research shows that the chemical citrate – a by-product of natural cell metabolism – is mixed with water to create a viscous fluid that is trapped between the nano-scale crystals that form our bones.
Obamacare: 42 percent of Americans can't explain a deductible, study shows
The week before open enrollment closes for new health care exchanges, a study by researchers at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research shows that those who might potentially benefit the most from the Affordable Care Act—including those earning near the Federal Poverty Level—are also the most clueless about health care policies.
Protein plays key role in infection by oral pathogen
Scientists at Forsyth, along with a colleague from Northwestern University, have discovered that the protein, Transgultaminase 2 (TG2), is a key component in the process of gum disease. TG2 is widely distributed inside and outside of human cells. The scientists found that blocking some associations of TG2 prevents the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis (PG) from adhering to cells. This insight may one day help lead to novel therapies to prevent gum disease caused by PG.
Electric 'thinking cap' controls learning speed
(Medical Xpress)—Caffeine-fueled cram sessions are routine occurrences on any college campus. But what if there was a better, safer way to learn new or difficult material more quickly? What if "thinking caps" were real?
The fundamental mechanisms of facial recognition
When it comes to recognizing faces, humans are extraordinarily skillful. It's no surprise – after all, from the moment humans leave the womb, the infant brains already have a preference for faces, and over the course of a lifetime, the average person sees hundreds of thousands of faces.
For neurons in the brain, identity can be used to predict location
Throughout the world, there are many different types of people, and their identity can tell a lot about where they live. The type of job they work, the kind of car they drive, and the foods they eat can all be used to predict the country, the state, or maybe even the city a person lives in.
Deletion of FAT10 gene reduces body fat, slows down aging in mice
A single gene appears to play a crucial role in coordinating the immune system and metabolism, and deleting the gene in mice reduces body fat and extends lifespan, according to new research by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (USDA HNRCA) on Aging at Tufts University and Yale University School of Medicine. Their results are reported online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Biology news
Counting the cost of East Africa's poaching economy
Organised crime gangs in East Africa are generating staggering profits smuggling ivory and rhino horn with impunity, experts say, threatening both an irreplaceable wildlife heritage and key tourism industries.
EU slaps seafood trade ban on Belize, Cambodia, Guinea
In its toughest move yet to eradicate illegal fishing, the European Union on Monday blacklisted Belize, Cambodia and Guinea, effectively banning their products from the world's most valuable seafood market.
"Frozen zoo" safeguards Kimberley reptile diversity
A team of researchers based at Newcastle University are working to create a Kimberley wildlife sperm bank.
DNA from fossils reveal the origin of the Norwegian lemming
A new ancient DNA study shows that the Norwegian lemming has a unique history. In contrast to other mammals in Fennoscandia, the Norwegian lemming may have survived the last Ice Age in the far north, sealed off from the rest of the world by gigantic ice sheets. This conclusion is drawn by an international team of researchers in an article published this week in the journal Molecular Ecology.
Pets and their therapeutic effects
A prestigious Veterinary Record journal has published a feature in which Professor Daniel Mills and Dr Sophie Hall discuss the therapeutic effects of companion animals.
Unfolded proteins collapse when exposed to heat and crowded environments
Proteins are important molecules in our body and they fulfil a broad range of functions. For instance as enzymes they help to release energy from food and as muscle proteins they assist with motion. As antibodies they are involved in immune defence and as hormone receptors in signal transduction in cells. Until only recently it was assumed that all proteins take on a clearly defined three-dimensional structure – i.e. they fold in order to be able to assume these functions. Surprisingly, it has been shown that many important proteins occur as unfolded coils. Researchers seek to establish how these disordered proteins are capable at all of assuming highly complex functions.
First look at breast microbiota raises tantalizing questions
The female breast contains a unique population of microbes relative to the rest of the body, according to the first-ever study of the breast microbiome. That study sought to lay the groundwork for understanding how this bacterial community contributes to health and disease, says first author Camilla Urbaniak, a PhD student at the University of Western Ontario. The research was published ahead of print in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
New discovery finds missing hormone in birds
University of Akron researchers discovered leptin in the mallard duck, peregrine falcon and zebra finch, marking the first time the hormone has been found in birds.
New genetic discovery could regulate plant growth
(Phys.org) —Sometimes, research yields unexpected results. At Rutgers University–Camden, a group working together to decipher the genetic basis of cell shapes in plants made a remarkable discovery: a new gene.
Long-tailed tits set for climate boost
Long-tailed tits will be an unlikely beneficiary of climate change, according to new research.
Biased sex ratios predict more promiscuity, polygamy and divorce in birds
(Phys.org) —Birds in female-dominated populations are more likely to ditch and 'divorce' their mates while promiscuity increases in predominantly male environments, according to new research.
Mice give ticks a free lunch: Amplifying risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne ailments
People living in northern and central parts of the U.S. are more likely to contract Lyme disease and other tick-borne ailments when white-footed mice are abundant. Mice are effective at transferring disease-causing pathogens to feeding ticks. And, according to an in-press paper in the journal Ecology, these "super hosts" appear indifferent to larval tick infestations.
'MaMTH' advance: New technology sheds light on protein interactions
Scientists have a better way to study human proteins—large molecules that are part of every cell in the body—thanks to a new technology developed by University of Toronto researchers. The technology tracks a class of proteins called membrane proteins as they interact with other proteins to either maintain health or contribute to disease.
New technique for identifying gene-enhancers
An international team led by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a new technique for identifying gene enhancers - sequences of DNA that act to amplify the expression of a specific gene – in the genomes of humans and other mammals. Called SIF-seq, for site-specific integration fluorescence-activated cell sorting followed by sequencing, this new technique complements existing genomic tools, such as ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing), and offers some additional benefits.
Researchers take mathematical route to fighting viruses
Mathematicians at the University of York have joined forces with experimentalists at the University of Leeds to take an important step in discovering how viruses make new copies of themselves during an infection.
Scientists find a molecular clue to the complex mystery of auxin signaling in plants
Wikipedia lists 65 adjectives that botanists use to describe the shapes of plant leaves. In English (rather than Latin) they mean the leaf is lance-shaped, spear-shaped, kidney-shaped, diamond shaped, arrow-head-shaped, egg-shaped, circular, spoon-shaped , heart-shaped, tear-drop-shaped or sickle-shaped—among other possibilities.
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