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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 14, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Ancient giant sperm discovered at Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site- Tropical cyclone intensity shifting poleward, study shows
- Strongly interacting electrons in wacky oxide synchronize to work like the brain
- Blogger claims BICEP2 team acknowledging possible error in discovery of evidence of gravitational waves
- California Central Valley groundwater depletion slowly raises Sierra Nevada mountains
- Nanowire bridging transistors open way to next-generation electronics
- Advance brings 'hyperbolic metamaterials' closer to reality
- Rare earth ions in a crystal become candidate for a quantum memory
- Mice study enables view of nanoparticle accumulation
- Microchip-like technology allows single-cell analysis
- Magnetar formation mystery solved?
- Google self-driving car coming around the corner
- CEBAF beam goes over the hump: Highest-energy beam ever delivered at Jefferson Lab
- Dancing beads on surface waves cluster in surprising ways
- Possible new plan of attack for opening and closing the blood-brain barrier
Astronomy & Space news
The first building blocks of the universe
The first galaxies evolved only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. But why do they have such a great variety of shapes and structures? How did the universe evolve as a whole? Two German-Chinese Partner Groups at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching are using observations and simulations to investigate how the early universe evolved: Cheng Li and Guinevere Kauffmann, as well as Liang Gao and Simon White.
3D modeling of the Sun from the core to the surface
A team at the Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Modeling Laboratory (CEA/CNRS/Université Paris Diderot) has successfully modeled, in 3D, the effects of gravity waves in an extremely comprehensive simulation of the Sun, from its nuclear core to its convective surface. The results make very highly precise information accessible and provide a rigorous and unprecedented description of the Sun's internal dynamics. This research, published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, should make it possible to substantially refine theoretical models and to plan future space missions (Solar-Orbiter, Plato) to observe solar-like stars more efficiently.
How the 'Great Filter' could affect tech advances in space
"One of the main things we're focused on is the notion of existential risk, getting a sense of what the probability of human extinction is," said Andrew Snyder-Beattie, who recently wrote a piece on the "Great Filter" for Ars Technica.
Three astronauts land back on Earth in Soyuz capsule
Three astronauts, including a Russian and an American, touched down safely on Earth Wednesday aboard a Soyuz capsule, the first such landing since Russia's relationship with the West slumped amid the Ukraine crisis.
Video: Neutron stars rip each other apart to form black hole
(Phys.org) —This supercomputer simulation shows one of the most violent events in the universe: a pair of neutron stars colliding, merging and forming a black hole. A neutron star is the compressed core left behind when a star born with between eight and 30 times the sun's mass explodes as a supernova. Neutron stars pack about 1.5 times the mass of the sun—equivalent to about half a million Earths—into a ball just 12 miles (20 km) across.
International team capture detailed footage of an X-class solar flare
(Phys.org) —Astrophysicists recently won the 'solar science lottery' as they were observing the skies just as one of the most energetic and rarest of solar eruptions took place. The international team, which included researchers from Trinity College Dublin, was able to record the rare event from multiple telescopes to build the most detailed picture yet of an 'X-class solar flare'.
MAVEN solar wind ion analyzer will look at key player in Mars atmosphere loss
This past November, NASA launched the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission in the hope of understanding how and why the planet has been losing its atmosphere over billions of years.
'Standard candles' illuminate the far side of the Milky Way
South African astronomers have discovered the very first known stars in the flared disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. These stars are situated on the far side of our Galaxy, 80 thousand light years from the Earth and beyond the Galactic Centre.
New radar images uncover remarkable features below the surface of the Moon
New images of Earth's Moon reveal more than can be seen with the naked eye, thanks to the combined efforts of the two largest radio telescopes of their kind—the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
Magnetar formation mystery solved?
Magnetars are the super-dense remnants of supernova explosions. They are the strongest magnets known in the Universe—millions of times more powerful than the strongest magnets on Earth. A team of astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope now believe they've found the partner star of a magnetar for the first time. This discovery helps to explain how magnetars form and why this particular star didn't collapse into a black hole as astronomers would expect.
Blogger claims BICEP2 team acknowledging possible error in discovery of evidence of gravitational waves
(Phys.org) —Adam Falkowski, a physicist working at CERN, on his Particle Physics Blog, is claiming that researchers on the BICEP2 team that uploaded a paper (First direct evidence of cosmic inflation) to the arXiv preprint server this past March have acknowledged to some in the science community that there may be a problem with their methodology. Members of the BICEP2 research team are denying Falkowski's claim, but the assertion has led to rumors on the Internet that the team may not have found evidence of cosmic inflation after all.
Technology news
Samsung apologizes to sickened chip workers (Update)
Samsung Electronics Co. apologized and promised compensation to chip factory workers who suffered cancers linked to chemical exposure, a rare win for families and activists seven years after the death of a 23-year-old employee from leukemia galvanized a movement to hold the company to account.
Networking the sky with new aircraft communication technology
Air transportation is expected to at least double by 2050. Coping with these needs and the resulting overcrowded sky requires top-notch communication technologies - but the sector is not quite ready yet. The SANDRA project set out to improve aircraft by means of a coherent digital architecture.
Bridging the 'Valley of Death' for photonics SMEs
While research projects often develop new devices - sensors, components, lasers, etc. - it can be difficult to turn these into products ready for market. An EU project has been working on bridging the gap between laboratories and businesses.
SanDisk introduces security-certified self-encrypting solid state drive for corporate environments
SanDisk Corporation today announced the availability of the company's first, self-encrypting solid state drive—the SanDisk X300s SSD. Leveraging TCG Opal 2.0 and Microsoft Encrypted Hard Drive hardware-based encryption, coupled with a new SSD administration dashboard for easier audit and compliance management, the new X300s SSD delivers maximum data protection and performance to help address IT decision makers' top data management and security challenges. In making today's announcement, SanDisk also unveiled a broad ecosystem of independent software vendors (ISV) that enables enhanced security scalability of the X300s SSD.
Shakeup at NY Times leaves questions
The New York Times abruptly replaced its first female executive editor, Jill Abramson, on Wednesday and named managing editor Dean Baquet as the first African American at the top editorial post.
Drivers beware: Your air bag may not deploy
Here's an unsettling fact about cars equipped with air bags: They don't always deploy when drivers—or regulators—expect them to.
Netflix's share of peak Internet traffic rises
Netflix increased its share of fixed-line Internet traffic in North America in the first half of 2014, accounting for 34 percent of data flowing to consumers during peak times, up from 32 percent in the latter half of 2013.
Sony sinks to $1.3B quarterly loss on PC expenses (Update)
Sony Corp. sank to a 138 billion yen ($1.3 billion) quarterly loss, hit by costs from selling its personal computer business, and is forecasting more red ink as it struggles to execute a long-promised turnaround.
Google EU data case raises censorship fears
A European Court of Justice decision ordering Google to delete some personal data on request has raised concerns about online censorship and how Internet search works in various countries.
Study shows electric cars bring environmental benefits
(Phys.org) —If electric vehicles were widely available, New Zealanders would buy enough of them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector by one-fifth over the next 18 years, new research from Victoria University of Wellington shows.
Report explores global attitudes towards trust and the internet
Web-based surveys have revealed that internet users believe the internet is a place for freedom of expression, with users in countries with stricter government controls on media and press tending to support this idea even more.
Getting the right spin
Rotary sensors can help determine the position of a moveable body in relation to an axis. They are essential to the smooth running of car engines in the automotive industry, for example. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new kind of sensor that combines precision measurement with flexible handling, allowing it to be customized to specific measurement tasks. The scientists will be presenting their prototype at the Sensor + Test trade show in Nürnberg from June 3 to 5.
Organic photodiodes for sensor applications
Powerful, inexpensive and even flexible when they need to be, organic photodiodes are a promising alternative to silicon-based photodetectors. They are used to improve light sensitivity in cameras and to check displays for homogeneous color composition. Fraunhofer scientists are developing just this kind of component to fit customer-specific requirements and will be presenting a color sensor demonstrator at this year's SENSOR + TEST trade fair in Nuremberg from June 3 to 5.
PLANTOID: Building a robot to mimic plants
Many of us probably picture robots as roughly human-shaped - as seen in countless science fiction films - or perhaps as little more than mobile computers. But one EU project is taking inspiration from the smart, efficient strategies of plants in order to develop a new generation of robots and ICT technologies, such as sensing or distributed adaptive intelligence.
Team's work on fuel cell catalysts could help integrate new power solutions
Doctoral candidate Yan Chen wants to improve the world. She doesn't say this directly, but her five years of research on catalytic surfaces for use in high-temperature fuel cells say it for her. Her work has the potential to create efficient new energy solutions to help curb the world's appetite for carbon-based fuels.
Video: Harvesting fresh water from fog
Researchers at MIT's School of Engineering, working with colleagues at the Pontificial University of Chile in Santiago, are harvesting potable water from the coastal fog that forms on the edge of one of the driest regions on Earth.
Force sensor integrated into surgical forceps
Samsung's Device and System Research Center present a force sensor integrated into surgical forceps to provide surgeons with a sense of touch in robotically-assisted procedures.
Efficient additive manufacture of heterogeneous substrate structures
A '3D printing' manufacturing technique that allows the creation of substrates with three dimensional structures of varying permittivity, from a single material, promises to provide RF designers with a new bag of tools.
Projection system barely larger than a grain of sugar
Lemoptix is developing an ultra-compact projector. The EPFL spin-off has already successfully entered a very competitive market, and will target new markets in 2014.
Technology to move objects with the mind created by Mexican researcher
Systems able to process thoughts and translate them into a command to move objects are very useful for people who cannot speak or move, but have the disadvantage of causing mental fatigue. However, a Mexican researcher designed an intelligent interface that is capable of learning up to 90 percent of the user's instructions thus operate autonomously and reduce fatigue.
Big data brings new power to open-source intelligence
In November 2013, the New Yorker published a profile of Eliot Higgins – or Brown Moses as he is known to almost 17,000 Twitter followers. An unemployed finance and admin worker at the time, Higgins was held up as an example of what can happen when we take advantage of the enormous amount of information being spread across the internet every day.
Yahoo buys vanishing message app Blink (Update)
Self-destructing message application Blink is vanishing into Yahoo's growing mountain of mobile technology company take-overs.
@millennials wary of @twitter, #MSU study finds
A new study indicates young adults have a healthy mistrust of the information they read on Twitter.
Retailers launch cybercrime info sharing center
Some of the country's largest retailers are banding together in hopes of protecting consumers' personal and financial information from hackers and thieves.
Youth-centric Internet abuzz as Zuckerberg turns 30
Social networking boy wonder Mark Zuckerberg was branded all grown-up on Wednesday, his 30th birthday triggering a barrage of online accolades and playful barbs.
Toshiba, SanDisk to mass produce high-power '3D' memory
Japan's Toshiba is teaming up with US chip giant SanDisk to produce a "3D" memory chip they hope will allow users to save up to 50 hours of ultra-high definition video.
Cue launches tracking device to bring health info home (w/ video)
To what extent can we track our own health information at home? Cue, a device that has been developed by a San Diego company of the same name, hopes to deliver an impressive answer. Cue is designed to measure vitamin D, fertility, testosterone, inflammation (tracking C-reactive protein [CRP]), a marker of inflammation) and influenza indicators. The company this week launched a special-price offer inviting customers to pre-order Cue as of Tuesday, at the cost of $149.
VW announces dual clutch automatic 10-speed transmission for its automotive vehicles
Volkswagen development chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser has announced at the ongoing International Motor Symposium, in Vienna, Austria, that the company is set to debut a world first 10 speed automatic transmission, which should VW Group Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn, boasted, help the company meet its goal of increasing mileage across its line of vehicles by 20 percent over the next several years.
Google resumes Glass sales in the US
Google is once again selling its Internet-connected eyewear to anyone in the U.S. as the company fine-tunes a device that has sparked intrigue and disdain for its potential to change the way people interact with technology.
Google self-driving car coming around the corner
A white Lexus cruised along a road near the Google campus, braking for pedestrians and scooting over in its lane to give bicyclists ample space.
Medicine & Health news
First trial restored under new initiative casts doubt on repeat bowel cancer surgery
A trial that remained unpublished for 20 years casts doubt on the survival benefit of repeat—'second look'—surgery for bowel cancer.
Medicaid rolls grow in states resisting health law
A new report says at least a half-million more people have signed up for Medicaid in states that thus far have refused a federal offer to expand eligibility for the safety-net program for the poor.
British executive accused in China drug bribery
Chinese police Wednesday accused a British executive of GlaxoSmithKline of leading a sprawling scheme to bribe doctors and hospitals to use its drugs.
Tackling mental health issues in people with an intellectual disability
A new resource is being launched to tackle mental health problems among people with an intellectual disability and to improve the system that is currently failing them.
Students views on being a 'good' doctor versus a 'professional' doctor
(Medical Xpress)—In light of previous research which found that medical students valued compassion, patient-centred care and communication skills over clinical competence and knowledge, new research has sought to further explore medical students' views on professionalism.
On the track of the deadly parasite Leishmania
Leishmaniasis is one of the most underreported and insufficiently monitored diseases in the world. According to the WHO more than 300.000 people are infected annually with the most severe form of this disease - kala-azar. The treatment against this forgotten disease becomes increasingly difficult, and sometimes impossible as the parasites developed resistance against the existing drugs. Now scientists from Europe, India and Nepal have joined forces within the European Research Project Kaladrug-R to regain control against this disease and develop new effective clinical tools.
Researchers seek to develop non-viral carrier for gene therapy use in bone repair
A team of researchers from the University of Delaware and Thomas Jefferson University has been awarded a $1.4-million grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore the use of non-viral gene therapy to enhance bone repair.
Company working to develop puncture-resistant surgical gloves
Health care workers in the United States suffer an estimated 385,000 needlestick injuries per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Eight dead, hundreds ill from 'tainted water' in Philippines
Health officials are testing for cholera and other diseases after eight people died and hundreds more fell ill in a remote area in the Philippines, possibly from contaminated water, authorities said Wednesday.
WHO: MERS virus isn't an emergency—yet (Update)
The spread of a puzzling respiratory virus in the Middle East and beyond doesn't yet constitute a global health emergency despite a recent spike in cases, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Uganda's president urged to veto 'flawed' HIV law
Rights groups are urging Uganda's president to veto a new measure that they say hurts the fight against HIV and AIDS in the country.
Prevent premature deaths from heart failure, urges the Heart Failure Association
The Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is calling for global policy change relating to heart failure. An international white paper, Heart failure: preventing disease and death worldwide, will be presented at an endorsement event on 16 May 2014 in Athens, Greece, immediately before the Heart Failure 2014 Congress.
Bioethics commission plays early role in BRAIN Initiative
Calling for the integration of ethics across the life of neuroscientific research endeavors, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (Bioethics Commission) released volume one of its two-part response to President Obama's request related to the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. The report, Gray Matters: Integrative Approaches for Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society, includes four recommendations for institutions and individuals engaged in neuroscience research including government agencies and other funders.
Tributes for British teenager who made light of cancer
A 19-year-old Briton who raised millions of pounds for cancer charities with his refusal to allow the disease to prevent him from achieving a 'bucket list' of wishes, died in his sleep Wednesday.
US soldier's widow speaks on post-traumatic stress
Amy Miner says the last night of her husband's life got off to an amazing start. Kryn Miner and his wife attended a wedding in April in Vermont with two of their four children, dancing and celebrating with good friends. But then things went wrong.
Societies publish recommendations to guide minimally invasive valve therapy programs for patients
As minimally invasive therapies are increasingly used to treat diseased heart valves, newly published recommendations provide guidance on best practices for providing optimal care for patients. The document released today offers first-time guidance from four professional medical associations on developing and maintaining a transcatheter mitral valve therapy program, emphasizing collaboration between interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. The document is an important step toward achieving consistent, effective care, particularly as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prepare to issue a national coverage decision for transcatheter valve repair and replacement procedures.
Obesity associated with longer hospital stays, higher costs in total knee replacement patients
Obesity is associated with longer hospital stays and higher costs in total knee replacement (TKR) patients, independent of whether or not the patient has an obesity-related disease or condition (comorbidity), according to a new study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).
US panel to study Agent Orange residue exposure
The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has long resisted disability claims from service members who said chemical residue left in Vietnam War-era planes that were used to spray defoliants over Southeast Asia caused them severe illnesses, including cancer.
Study examines prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke on inhibition control
Individuals prenatally exposed to tobacco smoke exhibited weaker response in some regions of the brain while processing a task that measures inhibition control (the ability to control inappropriate responses).
New way to predict response to chemo in triple-negative breast cancer
Researchers from University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center will present findings from a study that found the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, ahead of treatment may help predict response to platinum-based chemotherapy in women with triple-negative breast cancer. The data are being presented at the 50th American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Different approaches needed to control cardiovascular disease risks for those with HIV
Even if treated, hypertension and high cholesterol are increasingly common for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to a new study from researchers at Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt hospitals in New York and the University of California, Davis.
Phase I data suggest PLX3397 is a potential therapy for patients with advanced PVNS
A novel targeted drug shows promise in treating patients with advanced pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), a rare neoplastic joint disorder, according to new phase I data from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and other institutions highlighted to media today in advance of the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which will take place from May 30 to June 3 in Chicago.
Patients most in need of the vaccine against shingles don't get it
People at the highest risk of shingles are those with immunosuppressive conditions (such as HIV) but they are not entitled to vaccination due to safety concerns, suggests a paper published in BMJ today.
Many schools are neglecting students' health and wellbeing, warn experts
Many schools in England are neglecting – and may be actively harming - students' health and wellbeing, warn experts in an editorial published in BMJ today. Professor Chris Bonell at the Institute of Education and colleagues argue that education policy shouldn't focus solely on academic attainment.
Early menopause ups heart failure risk, especially for smokers
Women who go through menopause early—at ages 40 to 45—have a higher rate of heart failure, according to a new study published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Smoking, current or past, raises the rate even more.
Virginia Tech updates football helmet ratings, five new helmets meet 5-star mark
Virginia Tech has updated results of its adult football helmet ratings, which are designed to identify key differences between the abilities of individual helmets to reduce the risk of concussion.
Depression top cause of illness in world's teens, WHO says
Depression is the top global cause of illness and disability for adolescents, with suicide the third-biggest cause of death, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.
Parasite surveillance to support policy against drug resistance
Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease known in Europe because it affects dogs. It is caused by the Leishmania parasite carried by sandflies. However, several types of the parasite also affect humans in several regions in the world. The mortality rate is about 70,000 per year and the hotspots are in the poorest regions of the Indian subcontinent, East Africa and Latin America. For example, visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the more dangerous form, affects internal organs. One of the main challenges in dealing with VL is keeping track of the (sometimes drug-resistant) genetic variants of the parasite. Now, the EU-funded KALADRUG-R, completed in 2013, has developed new surveillance tools for monitoring drug resistance and treatment in VL on the Indian subcontinent.
Research finds genetic differential in stress response
(Medical Xpress)—Genetics play a role in whether stress makes people depressed and in how quickly they recover, new research on the effects of the 9/11 terrorist bombing finds.
Maintaining weight as important as weight loss
More resources should go into helping people maintain their weight loss after dieting, rather than just focussing on losing weight, new research suggests. In a paper published today in the BMJ, researchers from Newcastle University and Fuse, the centre for translational research in public health, found that most overweight / obese people regain weight after initial weight loss. Researchers also found, however, that this weight regain can be reduced through behavioural and pharmacological means.
An eye toward better treatment
Every two months, Northeastern bioengineering graduate student David Walsh's 91-year-old grandmother goes to the doctor to receive a drug injection into her eyes. She has wet age-related macular degeneration. There is no cure, only this invasive, recurring treatment.
Despite accepted lore, women's mate preferences don't shift according to fertility, menstrual cycle, new study claims
(Medical Xpress)—Over the past two decades, studies in reproductive biology and psychology have purported to show a correlation between what women want in a male partner and their time of the month—demonstrating that which guy catches a woman's eye changes across the menstrual cycle.
Prevention of deadly melanoma begins in the pediatric years
(Medical Xpress)—Painful blisters and glowing red skin after a day outdoors are the short-term consequences of a child's overexposure to the sun. While sunburn heals with time, the long-term effects to the skin are irreversible. It's often years - even decades - later when the more dire consequences of sunburn can resurface in the form of malignant melanoma.
Three little-known facts about indoor allergies
A yellow dusting of pollen might have you running for cover behind closed windows and doors. Not so fast. An allergist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center says indoor allergens cause just as much trouble, and they're around year-round. However, a few common misconceptions about indoor allergies could mean you are making things worse for yourself.
Criminal profiling technique targets killer diseases
A mathematical tool used by the Metropolitan Police and FBI has been adapted by researchers at Queen Mary University of London to help control outbreaks of malaria, and has the potential to target other infectious diseases.
Unique walking robot moves into rehabilitation clinic
The LOPES II rehabilitation robot has been taken into use by the Roessingh rehabilitation centre in Enschede and the Sint Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen. In the coming weeks, the first patients in the Netherlands with, for example, a CVA or spinal cord injury, will practice with this unique rehabilitation robot in order to learn to walk better again. The novelty of the LOPES II is that the robot only supports the patient when needed during the walking practice. LOPES II was developed by a consortium consisting of the University of Twente and the mechatronic companies Moog and Demcon. Roessingh and Sint Maartenskliniek provided clinical input for the development process.
Researchers find computer-based exercises significantly improve the ability to pay attention
About one in 10 school children suffers from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Linked to measurable differences in children's brain structures and brain waves, ADHD can have dire effects on children's academic achievements and lead to disrupted classrooms.
Obese employees cost employers thousands in extra medical costs
A new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion finds that, on average, a morbidly obese employee costs an employer over $4,000 more per year in health care and related costs than an employee who is of normal weight.
Researchers use world's smallest scaffolding to build new livers
A UK company is using technology originally designed for use in Space to assist in a ground-breaking project that aims to improve the treatment of liver-associated diseases. Ultimately it could develop a new generation of liver replacements, using fibres a hundred times thinner than a human hair.
Understanding the 1918 flu pandemic can aid in better infectious disease response
The 1918 Flu Pandemic infected over 500 million people, killing at least 50 million. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri has analyzed the pandemic in two remote regions of North America, finding that despite their geographical divide, both regions had environmental, nutritional and economic factors that influenced morbidity during the pandemic. Findings from the research could help improve current health policies.
UN warns countries to bolster fight against MERS virus (Update)
The UN health agency Wednesday warned countries to bolster their guard against the MERS virus, which has killed 152 people in Saudi Arabia and is causing alarm as it spreads elsewhere.
Netherlands reports first case of MERS virus
A first case of the dangerous Middle East Respiratory Virus (MERS) has been detected in the Netherlands, in a man who had travelled to Saudi Arabia, authorities said Wednesday.
US experts urge focus on ethics in brain research (Update)
Ethics must be considered early and often as the field of modern neuroscience forges ahead, to avoid repeating a dark period in history when lobotomies were common, experts said Wednesday.
Many health woes common in autistic adults, study finds
Autistic adults are much more likely than others to suffer from depression, high blood pressure, obesity and additional health woes that may partly result from their social isolation, new U.S. research suggests.
Widely used drug no more effective than FDA approved medication in treating epileptic seizures
A National Institutes of Health-sponsored study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that lorazepam - a widely used but not yet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug for children - is no more effective than an approved benzodiazepine, diazepam, for treating pediatric status epilepticus.
Relationship satisfaction linked with changing use of contraception
Women's sexual satisfaction in long-term heterosexual relationships may be influenced by changes in hormonal contraceptive use, research from the University of Stirling shows.
Study finds outcome data in clinical trials reported inadequately, inconsistently
There is increasing public pressure to report the results of all clinical trials to eliminate publication bias and improve public access. However, investigators using the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) to build a database of clinical trials involving chronic pain have encountered several challenges. They describe the perils and pitfalls of using the ICTRP and propose alternative strategies to improve clinical trials reporting. This important and insightful study is published in the August issue of the journal Pain.
Enzyme helps stem cells improve recovery from limb injuries
While it seems like restoring blood flow to an injured leg would be a good thing, it can actually cause additional damage that hinders recovery, researchers say.
Mobile phone data helps combat malaria
An international study led by the University of Southampton and the National Vector-borne Diseases Control Programme (NVDCP) in Namibia has used mobile phone data to help combat malaria more effectively.
Study finds free fitness center-based exercise referral program not well utilized
Eliminating financial barriers to a fitness center as well as providing physician support, a pleasant environment and trained fitness staff did not result in widespread membership activation or consistent attendance among low income, multi-ethnic women with chronic disease risk factors or diagnoses according to a new study from Boston University School of Medicine. The findings, published in Journal of Community Health, is believed to be the first study of its kind to examine patient characteristics associated with utilization of community health center- based exercise referral program.
Who should be saved? Study gets diverse MD community views on healthcare disaster planning
In the event of a flu pandemic, who should have priority access to life-saving ventilators, and who should make that determination? Few disaster preparedness plans have taken community values regarding allocation into account, but a new study is aiming to change that through public engagement with Maryland residents.
Research shows hope for normal heart function in children with fatal heart disease
After two decades of arduous research, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded investigator at the Children's Hospital of Michigan (CHM) at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and the Wayne State University School of Medicine has published a new study showing that many children with an often fatal type of heart disease can recover "normal size and function" of damaged sections of their hearts.
Two US hospital workers test negative for MERS
Two healthcare workers at a Florida hospital that is caring for a Saudi patient with the dangerous MERS virus have tested negative for the illness, the hospital said Wednesday.
How cone snail venom minimizes pain
The venom from marine cone snails, used to immobilize prey, contains numerous peptides called conotoxins, some of which can act as painkillers in mammals. A recent study in The Journal of General Physiology provides new insight into the mechanisms by which one conotoxin, Vc1.1, inhibits pain. The findings help explain the analgesic powers of this naturally occurring toxin and could eventually lead to the development of synthetic forms of Vc1.1 to treat certain types of neuropathic pain in humans.
Study shows breastfeeding, birth control may reduce ovarian cancer risk in women with BRCA mutations
Breastfeeding, tubal ligation – also known as having one's "tubes tied" – and oral contraceptives may lower the risk of ovarian cancer for some women with BRCA gene mutations, according to a comprehensive analysis from a team at the University of Pennsylvania's Basser Research Center for BRCA and the Abramson Cancer Center. The findings, a meta-analysis of 44 existing peer-reviewed studies, are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
SapC-DOPS technology may help with imaging brain tumors, research shows
Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's not there. Brain tumors are an extremely serious example of this and are not only difficult to treat—both adult and pediatric patients have a five-year survival rate of only 30 percent—but also have even been difficult to image, which could provide important information for deciding next steps in the treatment process.
Virtual pet leads to increase physical activity for kids, research says
Placing children into a mixed reality—part virtual environment and part real world—has great potential for increasing their physical activity and decreasing their risk of obesity, according to University of Georgia researchers.
Reduction in volume in hippocampus region of brain seen in psychotic disorders
Reduction in brain volume in the hippocampus (a region related to memory) was seen in patients with the psychotic disorders schizophrenia (SZ), schizoaffective disorder (SZA) and psychotic bipolar disorder (BPP).
Most common genetic heart valve abnormality associated with risk of aneurysm
The most common heart valve abnormality has now been linked to an increased risk of aneurysms.
PCB increases harmful effects of smoking
It is well known that exposure to asbestos or radon drastically increases the injurious effects of smoking. In the present study, led by Uppsala University, the scientists have investigated whether high blood levels of the environmental contaminant PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) reinforces the harmful effect of smoking.
To curb hepatitis C, test and treat inmates
Problematic as it is for society, the high incarceration rate in the United States presents an important public health opportunity, according to a new "Perspective" article in the New England Journal of Medicine. It could make staving off the worst of the oncoming hepatitis C epidemic considerably easier.
Critical access hospitals have higher transfer rates after surgery
Hospital transfers happened more often after surgery at critical access hospitals (CAHs) but the proportion of patients using post-acute care was equal to or less than that of patients treated at non-CAHs.
Cancer patient demands rarely lead to unnecessary tests and treatments
Despite claims suggesting otherwise, inappropriate cancer patient demands are few and very rarely lead to unnecessary tests and treatments from their health care providers, according to new results from a study that will be presented by researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago in early June (Abstract #6530).
Large panel genetic testing produces more questions than answers in breast cancer
While large genetic testing panels promise to uncover clues about patients' DNA, a team of researchers from Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center (ACC)has found that those powerful tests tend to produce more questions than they answer. In a study of 278 women with early onset breast cancer who did not have the BRCA genes, the researchers found that only 2.5 percent of the patients had inherited mutations that were actually clinically actionable. Experts don't yet know how to interpret most of the mutations discovered by the test—known as massively parallel gene sequencing.
Extended-release medication offers promise for treating alcohol, opioid dependence
A comparatively new form of a medication for alcohol and opioid dependence that's injected once a month instead of taken orally once a day appears to be significantly more effective than some other medications – because more patients actually continue the prescribed regimen.
FDA asks public to join battle against smoking by children
(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants your help in keeping children away from tobacco.
Prescription drug use continues to climb in US
(HealthDay)—Prescription drugs are playing an increasingly larger role in U.S. life, with nearly half of all Americans taking one or more medications.
Novel blood test may help predict impending preterm birth
A blood-based diagnostic test accurately predicted whether 70% of female study participants with threatened preterm labor (TPTL) would or would not give birth prematurely. Results were published May 14, 2014, in the open access journal PLOS ONE, by Dr Jan Heng and Professor Stephen Lye from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Scrap 'iniquitous' and 'outdated' NHS prescription charges, urges DTB
The NHS prescription charge is 'iniquitous' and 'outdated' and should be scrapped, urges the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) in an editorial published in this month's issue.
Study shows how 'body clock' dysregulation underlies obesity, more
A team of Texas A&M University System scientists have investigated how "body clock dysregulation" might affect obesity-related metabolic disorders.
A better way to treat ACE inhibitor angioedema in the ED
Investigators at the University of Cincinnati have found a safe and effective treatment for life-threatening angioedema attacks in the emergency department.
Screening could find more lung cancer, but price high
More rigorous screening with low dose CT scans could catch tens of thousands of US lung cancer cases in the next five years, but at a price tag of $9.3 billion, researchers said Wednesday.
Early repetitive behaviors may signal autism risk
(HealthDay)—There may be a simple way to help spot signs of autism early on in siblings of children with the disorder, new research suggests.
Facilitation improves PCP adherence to asthma guidelines
(HealthDay)—Adding practice facilitation (PF) to other strategies may improve adherence to asthma guidelines in the primary care setting, according to research published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Computerized tool cuts risk of prolonged QTc interval
(HealthDay)—Use of a computerized clinical decision support system (CDSS) may reduce the risk of prolonged QTc interval in hospitalized patients at risk for torsades de pointes, according to research published online May 6 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Possible new plan of attack for opening and closing the blood-brain barrier
Like a bouncer at an exclusive nightclub, the blood-brain barrier allows only select molecules to pass from the bloodstream into the fluid that bathes the brain. Vital nutrients get in; toxins and pathogens are blocked. The barrier also ensures that waste products are filtered out of the brain and whisked away.
Researchers discover how DHA omega-3 fatty acid reaches the brain
It is widely believed that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is good for your brain, but how it is absorbed by the brain has been unknown. That is - until now. Researchers from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) have conducted a new study identifying that the transporter protein Mfsd2a carries DHA to the brain. Their findings have widespread implications for how DHA functions in human nutrition.
Scientists show AIDS vaccine could work against changeable site on HIV
A vaccine or other therapy directed at a single site on a surface protein of HIV could in principle neutralize nearly all strains of the virus—thanks to the diversity of targets the site presents to the human immune system.
Can anti-depressants help prevent Alzheimer's disease?
A University of Pennsylvania researcher has discovered that the common selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram arrested the growth of amyloid beta, a peptide in the brain that clusters in plaques that are thought to trigger the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Penn, in collaboration with investigators at Washington University, tested the drug's effects on the brain interstitial fluid (ISF) in plaque-bearing mice and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy human subjects to draw its conclusions, which are detailed in the new issue of Science Translational Medicine.
Inhibiting protein family helps mice survive radiation exposure, study finds
Tinkering with a molecular pathway that governs how intestinal cells respond to stress can help mice survive a normally fatal dose of abdominal radiation, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Scientists develop a new way to decode specific aspects of movement in the human
Our human brains are filled with maps: visual maps of our external environments, and motor maps that define how we interact physically within those environments. Somehow these separate points of reference need to correspond with—and to—one another in order for us to act, whether it's grasping a coffee cup or hitting a tennis ball.
Biology news
Dog's best friend? Other dogs that give blood
If man's best friend is a dog, then who is a dog's best friend? That would be Rover. Or Glow. Or Ivan or Raina.
Beating the beetles
"The whole country knows about Boston. When a challenge presents itself, the entire community here comes together. The eradication of the Asian longhorned beetle is a great example of that," said Gary Woodward, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's deputy undersecretary of marketing and regulatory programs.
Protecting endangered sea turtles and the local fishing industry
In the remote villages dotting the Pacific coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, third- and fourth-generation native fishermen set out in small, 16-foot boats to spend long hours offshore. They haul kilometer-long fishing nets from the bottom of the ocean onto the decks of their vessels in hopes of eking out a meager living, earning mere cents on the dollar for catching and selling halibut in the same waters that sustained their grandfathers and great-grandfathers before them.
Researchers start to pinpoint biological control for Brazilian peppertree
A South American insect could help control the invasive Brazilian peppertree in places where it supplants critical habitat for many organisms, according to University of Florida and U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists.
Plant pathologist creates new plant disease assessment app
Fresh from his success with two widely utilized smartphone apps, CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources) plant pathologist Scot Nelson has created a new and more technical app, the Leaf Doctor, for a more specialized audience. He doesn't anticipate that the Leaf Doctor will have the same broad, popular appeal as his Plant Doctor app, which helps to identify disease on plants and has been used all over the globe, from Iceland to Indonesia. Likewise, his recently released but already widespread Pic-a-Papaya app, which tracks papaya ringspot virus in Hawai'i, was originally intended only for use in the Honolulu area but has been getting submissions from throughout the Hawaiian Islands. For many of those who will use the Leaf Doctor, though, it is likely to be a professional game-changer.
Signs of potentially fatal bacterial disease affecting the canine community
Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) are calling for dog owners and veterinary surgeons to recognise the signs of a potentially fatal bacterial pneumonia-type disease that has been increasing in the canine community over the past five years, to ensure rapid treatment and help contribute to research to limit further spread.
Veterinarian cautions pet owners of disease affecting both pets and humans
Due to recent storms and flooding, a Kansas State University veterinarian is warning of a disease that spreads through water to both dogs and people.
EU proposes complete ban on drift-net fishing
The European Union said Wednesday it wants a complete ban by 2015 on drift-net fishing, dubbed by environmentalists as 'walls of death' for killing other marine animals, especially dolphins.
To wilt or not to wilt?
The growth hormone abscisic acid affects the ability of plants to control water loss through their leaves as well as their ability to recuperate after drought conditions. Early growth conditions are crucial to long term abscisic acid levels.
Protein Data Bank: 100,000 structures
Spanning the globe from the US, UK, and Japan, the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) organization announces that the Protein Data Bank archive now contains more than 100,000 entries.
Computer science professor builds web app for bird identification
(Phys.org) —Digital technology is about to add big data to the bird enthusiast's traditional tools of binoculars and a field guide.
Researcher publishes clingfish discoveries
(Phys.org) —Sometimes we think we know everything about something only to find out we really don't, said a Texas A&M University scientist.
Australian humpbacks challenge breeding grounds assumption
Humpback whales from WA are mixing with those on the east coast of Australia and are genetically similar despite their breeding grounds being 2500km apart.
The beautiful new jellyfish identified in the Gulf of Venice
A bloom of new jellyfish started appearing in the Gulf of Venice last autumn. They were first detected by a fisherman from Chioggia in north-east Italy when hundreds of the beautiful yellow species filled his nets. News of this reached my team at the University of Salento's MED-JELLYRISK and VECTORS projects through a citizen-science initiative we run that gets locals to report jellyfish sightings along the Italian coasts.
Extinct relative helps to reclassify the world's remaining two species of monk seal
The recently extinct Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) was one of three species of monk seal in the world. Its relationship to the Mediterranean and Hawaiian monk seals, both living but endangered, has never been fully understood. Through DNA analysis and skull comparisons, however, Smithsonian scientists and colleagues have now clarified the Caribbean species' place on the seal family tree and created a completely new genus. The team's findings are published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
Turtle migration directly influenced by ocean drift experiences as hatchlings
New research has found that adult sea-turtle migrations and their selection of feeding sites are directly influenced by their past experiences as little hatchlings adrift in ocean currents.
Scientists test hearing in Bristol Bay beluga whale population
The ocean is an increasingly industrialized space. Shipping, fishing, and recreational vessels, oil and gas exploration and other human activities all increase noise levels in the ocean and make it more difficult for marine mammals to hear and potentially diminish their range of hearing.
Snubbing lion hunters could preserve the endangered animals
For hundreds of years young men from some ethnic groups in Tanzania, called "lion dancers" because they elaborately acted out their lion killing for spectators, were richly rewarded for killing lions that preyed on livestock and people. Now when a lion dancer shows up he might be called a rude name rather than receive a reward, according to a new UC Davis study.
International standards significantly reducing insect stowaways in wood packaging material
A new international standard for wood packaging material used in international trade is significantly slowing the inadvertent export of stowaway invasive bark- and wood-boring insects, according to a study by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). Lead author Robert Haack, a research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station in East Lansing, Mich., and his colleagues found as much as a 52 percent drop in the infestation rate of wood packaging material associated with international imports entering the United States.
Scientists investigate the role of the 'silent killer' inside deep-diving animals
With its imperceptible features, carbon monoxide is widely known as the "silent killer" due to its risks at lethal concentrations. Far less known is that carbon monoxide is produced naturally in small quantities in humans and animals, and in recent years medical researchers have evaluated the gas as a treatment for diabetes, heart attacks, sepsis, and other illnesses.
Environmental conditions may impact bird migration
Wind conditions during spring migration may be a predictor of apparent annual survival and the timing of breeding in yellow warblers, according to results published May 14, 2014, in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Anna Drake from Simon Fraser University, Canada and colleagues.
Study sheds light on penguins first year far from home
In the first study of its kind, scientists tracked penguins first year away from home and found young king penguins explored new habitat, eventually learning to find food similarly to their parents, according to results published May 14, 2014, in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Klemens Pütz from Antarctic Research Trust and colleagues.
Evolutionary roots of self control: Study of 13 primate species links 'intertemporal choice' to natural selection
A chimpanzee will wait more than two minutes to eat six grapes, but a black lemur would rather eat two grapes now than wait any longer than 15 seconds for a bigger serving.
Model "microecosystems" used to study producer-consumer interaction networks in microbial mats
As part of their ongoing studies of the complex world of microbial communities, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently isolated two bacterial consortia from a microbial mat in Hot Lake, located in north-central Washington State. They characterized each consortia's membership and metabolic function to identify the interactions thought to recruit and maintain genetic and functional diversity in the consortia over time.
Novel ways by which human fungal infections may be controlled
(Phys.org) —New research has found novel factors that affect the ability of fungi to be incorporated into microbial communities within the human body and thus new ways by which fungal infections could be better controlled.
Research reveals New Zealand sea lion is a relative newcomer
(Phys.org) —The modern New Zealand sea lion is a relative newcomer to our mainland, replacing a now-extinct, unique prehistoric New Zealand sea-lion that once lived here, according to a new study led by University of Otago researchers.
Study shows jellyfish blooms can be predicted by calm trade winds
(Phys.org) —A small team of researchers working in Australia has found a link between trade winds that blow near the Great Barrier Reef and jellyfish blooms that impact swimmers along the coast. In their paper published in Journal of the Royal Society: Interface, the researchers describe how they studied weather patterns over a 27 year period and compared what they found with reported jellyfish stings and found a pattern that may help prevent jellyfish stings in the future.
Manmade artificial shark skin boosts swimming
People have thought for decades that the rough skin of sharks may give them a swimming boost and now scientists from Harvard University have made the first ever realistic simulated shark skin. They also measured that the fish's sharp scales boost swimming by up to 6.6% while reducing the energy cost.
Today's insects to be tomorrow's grub - food experts
Will locusts feed the world? The voracious flying insect, capable of swarming in millions and stripping fields of crops, has long been associated with hunger. But if a major conference gathering food experts and entomologists is right, captive locusts—and many other protein-rich insects—will be heading to a menu near you just a few years from now.
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