Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 14, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Scientist proves Braess paradox 'disappears' under high traffic demands- Scientists reveal battery behavior at the nanoscale
- Home energy monitors may not cut electricity use
- Demonstration electric car draws energy from the road
- Adapting to darkness: How behavioral and genetic changes helped cavefish survive extreme environment
- Inflammatory bowel disease in kids is on a mysterious rise
- Fake chips threaten military
- Researchers develop tiny projector (w/ Video)
- Privacy group sues to get data about NSA-Google ties
- False memories of self-performance result from watching others' actions
- NASA uses new method to estimate earth mass movements
- Stunning NASA infrared imagery of Hurricane Igor reveals a 170 degree temperature difference
- Stopping the loss of biodiversity
- Lightbulbs: The more efficient they get, the more light we use
- Making bees less busy: Social environment changes internal clocks
Space & Earth news
EPA told gas drilling does, does not taint water
(AP) -- Rep. Maurice Hinchey told a federal hearing Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate hydraulic fracturing, the natural gas extraction process that he said has contaminated water near drilling sites around the country.
Interdisciplinary research looks at Charlotte's green mystery
Charlotte, North Carolina is a rapidly growing city. Charlotte is also a green city. Some people might see that as a contradiction.
Dinosaurs out in the cold
A major drop in temperature 137 million years ago briefly interrupted the warm, equable climate of the Cretaceous Period. The water temperature in the Arctic Ocean fell from around 13 C to between 4 and 7 C, possibly causing the poles to freeze over. Gregory Price from the University of Plymouth, UK and Elizabeth Nunn from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany investigated rock samples with fossil belemnites and glendonites from Svalbard in order to determine the temperature of the Arctic Ocean between 140 and 136 million years ago. Such paleoclimate reconstructions help to improve predictions for future climate and environmental development and to gauge the impact of the human race on climate. The temperature of the oceans plays an important role in the history of the Earth's climate.
CfA will play major role in mission to 'touch' the sun
When NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) launches before the end of the decade, it will carry a suite of cutting-edge scientific instruments. Only one - the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) Investigation - will directly sample the Sun's outer atmosphere. Designed by scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), part of SWEAP will extend beyond the probe's heat shield to scoop up some of the Sun's tenuous gases.
Health gain would help meet cost of EU carbon goals: group
Deepening its cut in greenhouse-gas emissions from 20 percent to 30 percent would coincidentally save the European Union (EU) tens of billions of dollars in health costs, campaign groups said on Tuesday.
Natural gas fuelled cars for the country environmentally friendly
If you are looking for an environmentally friendly automobile, think about getting a hybrid car or one running on natural-gas. In terms of CO2 emissions both perform significantly better than gasoline or diesel fuelled vehicles. On behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Empa has conducted an investigation into the CO2 emissions of hybrid cars. When compared to natural gas fuelled vehicles, hybrids do better during inner-city driving, whereas on the motorway natural gas has the upper hand.
Colorado's 'Reservoir Road Fire' can be seen from space
NASA's Aqua satellite flies around the Earth twice a day and captures visible and infrared imagery. On Sept. 12 at 19:20 UTC (3:20 p.m. EDT), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on Aqua captured a visible image of the "Reservoir Road Fire" that is currently raging in the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests / Pawnee National Grassland.
Arctic sea ice captured by satellite
The Arctic Ocean is covered by a dynamic layer of sea ice that grows each winter and shrinks each summer, reaching its yearly minimum size each fall. While the 2010 minimum remains to be seen, NASA's Aqua satellite captured this snapshot on Sept. 3.
New current meter provides answers for lobster industry, oyster farmers, scientists
When a federal fisheries scientist sought to learn how ocean currents affect the catch rate of lobsters, he turned to a University of Rhode Island oceanographer who had developed an innovative and inexpensive meter for measuring currents near the bottom of bays, rivers and other shallow waters.
GOES-13 sees system 92L looking more like a tropical depression
GOES-13 captured a look at System 92L this morning as it continues moving through the central Caribbean, and it's looking more and more like a tropical depression.
Human impacts on the deep seafloor
Scientists have for the first time estimated the physical footprint of human activities on the deep seafloor of the North East Atlantic. The findings published in the journal PLoS ONE reveal that the area disturbed by bottom trawling commercial fishing fleets exceeds the combined physical footprint of other major human activities considered.
Champagne bottle gets green makeover
Go to Google looking for "green wine," and you'll be greeted with a flood of information on how the global wine industry is taking steps to green its grapes, bottles, processes and more. Many wineries are eschewing pesticides and embracing biodynamic practices. Most vineyards are quick to crow about their eco-friendly practices -- that is, most vineyards outside of France's Champagne region.
ARTEMIS - the first Earth-Moon libration orbiter
In August 1960, NASA launched its first communications satellite, Echo 1. Fifty years later, NASA has achieved another first by placing the ARTEMIS-P1 spacecraft into a unique orbit behind the moon, but not actually orbiting the moon itself. This type of orbit, called an Earth-Moon libration orbit, relies on a precise balancing of the Sun, Earth, and Moon gravity so that a spacecraft can orbit about a virtual location rather than about a planet or moon. The diagrams below show the full ARTEMIS-P1 orbit as it flies in proximity to the moon.
Curiosity is NASA's new ramp roller
The rover Curiosity, which NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission will place on Mars in August 2012, has been rolling over ramps in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to test its mobility system.
Lack of methane to blame for planet's 'smell'
Giant planet GJ 436b in the constellation Leo is missing something. Would you believe swamp gas?
Chandra finds evidence for stellar cannibalism
Evidence that a star has recently engulfed a companion star or a giant planet has been found using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The likely existence of such a "cannibal" star provides new insight into how stars and the planets around them may interact as they age.
NASA uses new method to estimate earth mass movements
NASA and European researchers have conducted a novel study to simultaneously measure, for the first time, trends in how water is transported across Earth's surface and how the solid Earth responds to the retreat of glaciers following the last major Ice Age, including the shifting of Earth's center of mass.
Stunning NASA infrared imagery of Hurricane Igor reveals a 170 degree temperature difference
NASA satellites provide infrared images to forecasters that show temperature, and today's imagery of powerful Hurricane Igor showed the storm's perfect form and the warm ocean waters around it that are keeping it fueled. NASA's infrared data also revealed a huge difference of 170 degrees between the cold cloud tops in Hurricane Igor and the warm sea surface temperatures powering it below.
Technology news
Nokia chairman expected to stay on until 2012
(AP) -- Nokia Corp. says board chairman Jorma Ollila has signaled readiness to stay on at the helm of the world's leading handset maker until 2012.
Freescale Xtrinsic accelerometers optimize resolution and battery life in consumer devices
The global MEMS market is expected to expand by 11 percent in 2010, propelled by strong sales in mobile handsets, gaming controllers and digital cameras, according to iSuppli Corp. The majority of these devices use motion sensing technology for features such as image stability, tap to control, anti-theft and orientation detection. As market demand continues to grow for next-generation applications such as intuitive user interfaces and location-based services, advances in accuracy and battery life are critical.
Intel opens software app store, offers new Atom chips
During keynote presentations today at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel executives outlined several software- and hardware-related efforts as the company intensifies its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) product plans based on the Intel Atom processor family.
UT's Remote Data Analysis and Visualization Center enters full production
Nautilus, the powerful computer for visualizing and analyzing large datasets at the Remote Data Analysis and Visualization Center (RDAV), goes into full production on September 20. Managed by the University of Tennessee (UT) and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), RDAV and Nautilus provide scientists with cutting-edge capabilities for analyzing and visualizing massive quantities of data. As Nautilus goes into service, RDAV will serve researchers in a wide range of fields.
State of Israel buys Twitter address from porn operator
The state of Israel confirmed Tuesday it had purchased an @israel Twitter address from a Miami porn site operator, whose feed had been the subject of anti-Semitic comments.
Americans spending more time with news: Pew survey
Americans are spending more time consuming news than a decade ago, adding online news to a diet of traditional media such as print newspapers, radio and television, according to a new survey.
Czechs ban Google from expanding 'Street View'
(AP) -- Authorities in the Czech Republic have banned Google Inc. from continuing in its mapping feature "Street View" in the eastern European country.
Computer in wrapping-paper form: New manufacturing approach may lower solar energy costs
Driven by rapid global industrialization, finite fossil fuel reserves, and the high cost of many alternative energy options, meeting the world's energy challenge may demand novel solutions. One potential solution has its roots in the ubiquitous industrial invention: the factory.
Microsoft tops Yahoo! in search in August: Nielsen
Microsoft's Bing and other Internet search services overtook Yahoo! for the first time to become the number two search engine in the United States in August, The Nielsen Co. said Tuesday.
IBM to help small businesses compete for contracts
(AP) -- Tech giant IBM Corp. is trying to help small businesses get supply contracts with blue chip companies in a variety of industries.
Kid-in-car warning systems getting a big push
Safety advocates are urging Congress and regulators to force carmakers to install warning systems that would prevent distracted parents from leaving children in cars, preventing heatstroke deaths.
Fujitsu develops technology for design of compact, high-efficiency wireless charging systems
Fujitsu today announced the development of wireless recharging technology that enables the design of magnetic resonance-based wireless charging systems that can simultaneously recharge various types of portable electronic devices.
Cisco to start paying a dividend by next summer
(AP) -- Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer-networking gear, said Tuesday that it would pay its first dividend by July, the end of its current fiscal year.
China will struggle to hit energy-saving goal: official
China will exhaust all means to hit an energy efficiency target it set for the end of the year, but fulfilling the goal will prove difficult, a top official said Tuesday.
One-fourth of US adults use mobile applications: survey
US cellphone owners are much more likely to use the devices to take pictures or send text messages than they are to run applications, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Researchers develop tiny projector (w/ Video)
The projector of the future, 1 cm3 of technology that can be integrated into a portable computer or mobile telephone, is about to take the market by storm.
AppNation rises in booming world of smartphone programs
Software makers are hustling to mine riches from "apps," mini-programs that let people use smartphones to do anything from updating Facebook profiles to booking hotel rooms.
Gestural hand-tracking interface being developed by MIT researchers (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at MIT have developed software that can track a Lycra fabric glove with a special color pattern. Using only a cheap web camera equipped with a wide angle lens, the software can track hand gestures.
Privacy group sues to get data about NSA-Google ties
The National Security Agency should divulge information about its reported agreement with Google Inc. to help the Internet company defend itself against foreign cyber attacks, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by a privacy group.
Fake chips threaten military
A growing deluge of millions of counterfeit chips is posing peril to the military and the general public -- and perhaps nothing illustrates it better than a scheme federal prosecutors recently revealed that stretched from Southern California to Silicon Valley.
Lightbulbs: The more efficient they get, the more light we use
This is a cautionary tale about a few porch lights. Once upon a time, porch lights had incandescent bulbs. Eventually, many residents subbed them out with those swirly compact fluorescent bulbs, which use a quarter of the energy.
Toyota to launch six new hybrids by end of 2012
The world's top automaker Toyota Motor plans to launch six new hybrid models by the end of 2012, a spokesman for the company said Tuesday, as competition to build greener cars heats up.
Home energy monitors may not cut electricity use
(PhysOrg.com) -- Home energy monitors (smart meters or Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS)), monitor the energy used by households and/or individual appliances within the home, and they are often recommended to encourage energy conservation. Now a new study has analyzed the effectiveness of installing the devices and discovered that savings were not sustained over the longer term.
Demonstration electric car draws energy from the road
(PhysOrg.com) -- Students in Germany have built the "E-Quickie," a three-wheeled electric car that draws energy wirelessly from electric conducting paths on the ground.
Medicine & Health news
China says HIV among migrant workers a concern
China's health minister said Tuesday he was concerned about the HIV/AIDS situation among migrant workers, but added the Asian nation had managed to contain the "fast spread" of the disease.
Fla. med student study reveals disparity of skin cancer knowledge
There is a significant disparity between knowledge and attitudes on the dangers of skin cancer among male and female medical students in Florida according to a new study by a joint team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The study was published in the American Medical Association's Archives of Dermatology.
First US trial of bone-marrow stem cells for heart attack patients proves safe
The first randomized, placebo-controlled U.S. clinical trial to assess the use of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMC) in patients after a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; severe heart attack) demonstrated a strong safety profile for this cell therapy, based on phase 1 results published in the September issue of the American Heart Journal.
Researchers nationwide ask for new focus on 'sudden death' heart disorder
(PHILADELPHIA) An abrupt, fatal heart attack in a young athlete on the playing field is a tragedy destined to repeat itself over and over until more is understood about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic disorder that is the most common cause of sudden death in young people but which affects people of all ages. So says a task force of cardiologists and cardiac biologists, headed by Thomas L. Force, M.D., James C. Wilson Professor of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, in the September 14th online edition of the journal Circulation.
New iPhone app, 'MedWatcher,' to support real-time drug safety surveillance
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have developed a new iPhone application in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to engage health care practitioners and the general public in issues of drug safety and real-time pharmacovigilance. The application, "MedWatcher," allows users to track the latest drug safety updates provided by official alerts from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as news from informal channels such as the media. It also enables users to report information about drug side effects and view reports of adverse events submitted to the application by patients and physicians.
New study finds positive return on investment for states that invest in quit smoking treatments
A new study released today by the American Lung Association, and conducted by researchers at Penn State University, finds that helping smokers quit not only saves lives but also offers favorable economic benefits to states. The study, titled Smoking Cessation: the Economic Benefits, provides a nationwide cost-benefit analysis that compares the costs to society of smoking with the economic benefits of states providing cessation (quit-smoking) coverage. The study comes at an important time, as important cessation benefit provisions are being implemented at the federal and state levels as a result of healthcare reform legislation.
Legal analysis: The health insurance mandate is constitutional
The most politically charged feature of the health reform law is the mandate that legal residents have health insurance. Within weeks of the law's passage, twenty states had filed lawsuits charging that the mandate is unconstitutional because it gives the federal government more power than it actually has. The state lawsuits are widely expected to reach the Supreme Court next year. Legal scholar Lawrence O. Gostin writes that the health insurance mandate rests on firm legal ground.
Burnout associated with self-reported unprofessional conduct among medical students
Medical students with higher levels of distress (burnout) were more likely to self-report unprofessional conduct related to patient care and less altruistic professional values, according to a study in the September 15 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
Medical students report critical attitudes about depression among peers, study shows
Medical students experience depression at a higher rate than the general population and attach high levels of stigma to the mental illness, according to U-M research to be published Sept. 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Educational intervention may help medical students adapt care for patients needing nonstandard care
Fourth-year medical students who participated in an educational intervention were more likely to seek, identify and incorporate into care patient circumstances that may require variation from standard care, compared to students in a control group, according to a study in the September 15 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
Clerkship order linked with outcomes on clerkship subject exams, grades, not clinical performance
Susan M. Kies, Ed.D., of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, and colleagues conducted a study to assess whether the order in which third-year core clerkships are completed affects student performance.
UN: Number of hungry people declines
(AP) -- The number of chronically hungry people in the world dipped considerably below the 1 billion mark - the first drop in 15 years - thanks partly to a fall in food prices after spikes that sparked rioting a few years ago, U.N. agencies said Tuesday.
Corn syrup producers want sweeter name: corn sugar
(AP) -- The makers of high fructose corn syrup want to sweeten its image with a new name: corn sugar.
Informatics = essential MD competency
In an article published in the Sept. 15 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA), author Edward H. Shortliffe, MD, PhD, points out that although information underlies all clinical work, and despite the growing role that information management and access play in healthcare delivery and clinical support, there is a dearth of informatics competency being developed in America's future corps of physicians. Formalized education in the application of informatics and the use and methodologies of health information technology and exchange, Dr. Shortliffe observes, is not typically a specific part of medical education.
Australia bans euthanasia advert
Australian euthanasia advocates Tuesday vowed to press ahead with their television and billboard advertising campaign, despite their first screen advert being rejected.
Cyprus clinic at centre of human egg trafficking probe
They may never see the light of day but Maria is not abandoning her Cypriot "children", embryos that were seized after the fertility clinic where they were conceived in vitro was closed on suspicion of human egg trafficking.
Study identifies underlying dysfunction of seemingly non-critical heart condition
Repairing small, seemingly benign holes in a child's heart may be more clinically important than previously thought, as dysfunction could be lurking out of sight. These are the findings from a study conducted by doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University Medical Center examining a subset of the most common form of congenital heart disease, ventricular septal defect. The recently published study appears in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, the official journal of the International Society for Heart Research.
Statins good for the heart and possibly infections: studies
The same cholesterol-lowering statins taken by tens of millions worldwide to prevent cardiovascular disease may help fend off infections as well, new studies have found.
Centralized health care more cost-effective, offers better access to preventive services
Families from rural Mexico who receive health care from centralized clinics run by the federal government pay up to 30 percent less in out-of-pocket expenses and utilize preventive services more often than those families who access decentralized clinics run by states, according to a study by researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Researchers able to determine brain maturity through analyzing MRI scans
Using MRI technology and mathematical analysis, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Washington University in St. Louis are now able to accurately predict a young person's age simply by studying their brain scans. The research, which will likely have several clinical applications, including assessment and diagnosis, is published in the current edition of the journal Science.
Male fertility a matter of cell signals
Australian scientists have discovered the chemical signals that ensure men produce sperm instead of eggs.
Traditional aerobic fitness the way to go
What to do: walk around the block or work up a sweat in an aerobic workout at the gym? If you're looking for the best health benefits from an exercise program, University of Alberta researchers have found a traditional aerobic fitness program that gets your heart pumping beats a walking program hands down. But if you want to get moving, a walking program is easier to do, it's good for you, and you're more likely to stick with it.
Some salt consumption deemed good for blood pressure
An increased intake of 'good' potassium salts could contribute significantly to improving blood pressure at the population level. The favorable effect brought about by potassium is even estimated to be comparable with the blood pressure reduction achievable by halving the intake of 'bad' sodium salts (mostly from table salt). Those are the conclusions drawn by Linda van Mierlo and her colleagues at Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and Unilever in their investigation of the consumption of potassium in 21 countries. An article describing their findings appeared in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine on 13 September.
Study shows tranquil scenes have positive impact on brain
Tranquil living environments can positively affect the human brain function, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield.
Team uncovers possible risk gene for schizophrenia
An international team of researchers has identified a risk gene for schizophrenia, including a potentially causative mutation, using genome-wide association data-mining techniques and independent replications.
Measuring preference for multitasking
A new study led by Elizabeth Poposki, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, may help employers identify employees who enjoy multitasking and are less inclined to quit jobs involving multitasking. The study presents a new tool developed to measure preference for multitasking, information which may be of interest to bosses who tire of repeatedly hiring and training new employees.
Long-term stenting of aortic coarctation yields 77 percent success rate
Researchers from the Congenital Cardiovascular Interventional Study Consortium (CCISC) who evaluated the intermediate and long-term results of stent implantation for aortic coarctation found that cumulative intermediate success was 86%, and cumulative long-term success was 77%. Results of this study appear in the October issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
New treatment for rabies advances after successful phase 1 trial in India
With the potential to save tens of thousands of lives each year, a new cost-effective rabies therapy developed by MassBiologics at the University of Massachusetts and the Serum Institute of India took an important step forward with positive results from a Phase 1 study. The recently completed study showed that a new monoclonal antibody (RAB-1) resulted in protective antibody levels in the serum of treated subjects equal to the current standard of treatment, which is often not available in the areas of the world hit hardest by rabies.
Researchers report first case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in an active college football player
The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) announced today that University of Pennsylvania (Penn) football co-captain Owen Thomas was suffering from mild stages of the degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), when he committed suicide in April at the age of 21, becoming the first case of CTE in an active college football player. It was the Thomas family's request that these findings be made public.
Present imperfect: Doctors in training work even when ill
A new study demonstrates that young doctors often fail to heed the Biblical injunction, "physician, heal thyself." In a research letter published in the September 15, 2010, issue of JAMA, researchers report that three out of five residents surveyed came to work in the previous year while sick, possibly exposing their patients and colleagues to suboptimal performance and, in many cases, communicable disease.
Study identifies students at risk for difficulties in medical school
Students who enter medical school with high debt levels, low scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or who are non-white are more likely to face difficulties that may prevent graduation or hinder acceptance into a residency program if they do graduate, according to a nationwide study of students enrolled in MD programs.
Type D personality associated with higher future heart risk
Heart patients with the "distressed" (Type D) personality profile may face a higher risk of future cardiovascular problems, according to a summary article published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Research: How doctors rationalize acceptance of industry gifts
Despite heightened awareness about the undue influence that gifts from pharmaceutical companies can have on doctors' prescribing practices, and despite expanding institutional conflict-of-interest policies and state laws targeted at preventing such practices, companies continue to reward doctors for prescribing their drugs with gifts ranging from pens and paper, to free dinners and trips.
Teaching doctors to treat the individual
Doctors can be taught to listen better to individual circumstances that may affect patient care, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. The findings are reported in the Sept. 15 issue of JAMA.
Researchers find mechanism behind cleft palate development
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a new mechanism that explains why a certain gene mutation causes craniofrontonasal syndrome (CFNS), a disorder that causes cleft palate and other malformations in the face, brain, and skeleton. Cleft palate affects one of every 1,000 newborns. The research is published in the September 15 issue of Genes & Development.
Benefits of healthy lifestyle factors stronger in combination
It is widely known that a healthy lifestyle that includes not smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and maintaining a proper weight reduces disease risk.
'Time bomb' superbug requires global response: doctor
A new superbug from India thought to be resistant to nearly every known antibiotic poses a global threat, scientists warned Monday, urging health authorities to track the bacteria.
Researchers discover key mechanism behind sleep
Washington State University researchers have discovered the mechanism by which the brain switches from a wakeful to a sleeping state. The finding clears the way for a suite of discoveries, from sleeping aids to treatments for stroke and other brain injuries.
Researchers build 'artificial ovary' to develop oocytes into mature human eggs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Brown University and Women & Infants Hospital have invented the first artificial human ovary, an advance that provides a potentially powerful new means for conducting fertility research and could also yield infertility treatments for cancer patients. The team has already used the lab-grown organ to mature human eggs.
Watercress may 'turn off' breast cancer signal
The research, unveiled at a press conference today (14 September 2010), shows that the watercress compound is able to interfere with the function of a protein which plays a critical role in cancer development.
False memories of self-performance result from watching others' actions
Did I turn off the stove, or did I just imagine it? Memory isn't always reliable. Psychological scientists have discovered all sorts of ways that false memories get created, and now there's another one for the list: watching someone else do an action can make you think you did it yourself.
Inflammatory bowel disease in kids is on a mysterious rise
For 10-year-old Jacob Krause, getting ready for the new school year wasn't a simple matter of back-to-school shopping. It also involved working out logistics for getting to the bathroom as many as 20 times during a single school day.
Biology news
Improved biofuels with new plant
A new pilot biomass processing plant at the University of Sydney gives researchers an opportunity to improve biofuel production, taking it a step closer to becoming a commercially viable, sustainable energy source.
'Tree of Life' fighting for life
Scientists from The University of Nottingham have joined forces with researchers in Africa to tackle a lethal disease which is devastating a vital resource and foodstuff... the coconut palm.
Global fisheries research finds promise and peril
Global fisheries, a vital source of food and revenue throughout the world, contribute between US$225-$240 billion per year to the worldwide economy, according to four new studies released today. Researchers also concluded that healthier fisheries could have prevented malnourishment in nearly 20 million people in poorer countries.
Farm management choice can benefit fungi key to healthy ecosystems
Farming practices have a significant impact on the diversity of beneficial microbial fungi known to play important roles in crop productivity, soil recovery and maintenance of healthy ecosystems, according to new research published today in the journal Environmental Microbiology. The conclusions could have important implications for the way humans manage the agricultural landscape and tackle food security issues.
Largest ever white-shouldered ibis count
A record-breaking 429 White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni have just been recorded in Cambodia, making the known global population much larger than previously thought. With so many birds remaining in the wild the chances of conservation success are greatly improved - welcome news for this Critically Endangered bird species.
Ending the oceans' 'tragedy of the commons'
Leading international marine scientists are proposing radical changes in the governance of the world's oceans to rescue them from overfishing, pollution and other human impacts.
Safe clearance of salmonella
Individuals with an intact complex gut flora are more likely to clear Salmonella after an infection than individuals with an altered, less complex gut flora. This is suggested by results from a mouse model for Salmonella diarrhea asking why certain people become chronic carriers after a salmonella infection.
Growing Roundup-resistant weed problem must be dealt with, expert says
(PhysOrg.com) -- When Penn State weed scientist David Mortensen told members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee this summer that the government should restrict the use of herbicide-tolerant crops and impose a tax on biotech seeds to fund research and educational programs for farmers, it caused quite a stir.
Last strongholds for tigers identified in new study
A new peer-reviewed paper by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups reveals an ominous finding: most of the world's last remaining tigers -- long decimated by overhunting, logging, and wildlife trade -- are now clustered in just six percent of their available habitat. The paper identifies 42 'source sites' scattered across Asia that are now the last hope and greatest priority for the conservation and recovery of the world's largest cat.
Stopping the loss of biodiversity
Next month, representatives from more than 190 nations will gather in Japan at the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit to develop a global strategy for staunching habitat and biodiversity loss around the world.
Making bees less busy: Social environment changes internal clocks
Honey bees removed from their usual roles in the hive quickly and drastically changed their biological rhythms, according to a study in the Sept. 15 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The changes were evident in both the bees' behavior and in their internal clocks. These findings indicate that social environment has a significant effect on the physiology and behavior of animals. In people, disturbances to the biological clock are known to cause problems for shift workers and new parents and for contributing to mood disorders.
Researchers find selfishness can sometimes help the common good
Scientists have overturned the conventional wisdom that cooperation is essential for the well-being of the whole population, finding evidence that slackers can sometimes help the common good. Researchers, from Imperial College London, the Universities of Bath and Oxford, University College London and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology studied populations of yeast and found that a mixture of 'co-operators' and 'cheats' grew faster than a more utopian one of only "co-operators."
Adapting to darkness: How behavioral and genetic changes helped cavefish survive extreme environment
University of Maryland biologists have identified how changes in both behavior and genetics led to the evolution of the Mexican blind cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) from its sighted, surface-dwelling ancestor.
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