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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for October 3, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Earlier, more accurate prediction of embryo survival enabled by Stanford research- PC BIOS soon to be replaced by UEFI
- Microsoft sues Motorola over smart phone patents
- New research reveals possible method for boosting the immune system to protect infants against HIV
- Elasticity found to stretch stem cell growth to higher levels
- Ticking of cellular clock promotes seismic changes in the chromatin landscape associated with aging
- Archaeologists find statue of Tutankhamun's grandad
- China hopes 'eco-city' will prove a model alternative
- Researchers study tennis grunting effects
- Researchers turn off severe food allergies in mice
- Parkinson's disease: Excess of special protein identified as key to symptoms, possible new target
- Italian doctors give teenager artificial heart: hospital
- Gene flaw causes small brain - scientists
Space & Earth news
NASA's Webb telescope MIRI instrument takes one step closer to space
A major instrument due to fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is getting its first taste of space in the test facilities at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in the United Kingdom. The Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) has been designed to contribute to areas of investigation as diverse as the first light in the early Universe and the formation of planets around other stars.
A painless way to achieve huge energy savings: Stop wasting food
Scientists have identified a way that the United States could immediately save the energy equivalent of about 350 million barrels of oil a year — without spending a penny or putting a ding in the quality of life: Just stop wasting food. Their study, reported in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology, found that it takes the equivalent of about 1.4 billion barrels of oil to produce, package, prepare, preserve and distribute a year's worth of food in the United States.
Technology news
Facebook splits stock 5 for 1
(AP) -- Facebook, the world's largest online social network, said Friday it is splitting its shares five for one, so that it can give larger stock grants to current and prospective employees.
Ubisoft sends 'Assassins' to Facebook
French videogame titan Ubisoft is expanding the world of "Assassin's Creed" to Facebook, breaking down the barrier between play on consoles and at the hot online social network.
Obama promotes clean energy; GOP hits Dem spending
(AP) -- Wind, solar and other clean energy technologies produce jobs and are essential for the country's environment and economy, President Barack Obama said in promoting his administration's efforts.
India seeking to intercept BlackBerry messages
India is seeking to find an "appropriate" means to monitor messages and corporate emails sent through Blackberry smart phones, a top government official has said.
TV industry show hails smartphone, Facebook era
Internet-based TV viewing, the arrival of Apple's iPad and the proliferation of smartphones are set to ring in a new era of connected entertainment, industry experts predict.
Taiwan to approve China flat-screen plan this month: report
Taiwan is expected to approve a flat-screen maker's huge Chinese investment plan this month in another sign of the island easing high-tech controls on its formerly bitter rival, a report said Sunday.
Stuxnet infected industrial computers cleaned: Iran official
Industrial computers infected by Stuxnet in Iran have been cleaned and returned to their units, a top official said on Sunday, following reports that the malware was mutating and wreaking havoc with equipment.
Microsoft sues Motorola over smart phone patents
(AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is suing Motorola Inc. for infringing on its smart-phone patents.
China hopes 'eco-city' will prove a model alternative
At a construction site in northern China, a billboard boasts of a "liveable city" where residents can drink tap water, travel on clean energy public transport and enjoy acres of parkland.
PC BIOS soon to be replaced by UEFI
(PhysOrg.com) -- The 25 year old PC BIOS will soon be replaced by UEFI (unified extensible firmware interface) that will enable PC's to boot up in a matter of seconds. In 2011 we will start seeing UEFI dominate new PC's, according to BBC News.
Medicine & Health news
Beet it: To exercise longer, try beetroot juice
(AP) -- When Chris Carver ran an ultra-marathon in Scotland last year, which challenges athletes to run as far as possible within 24 hours, he ran 140 miles (225 kilometers).
Vigorous exercise reduces breast cancer risk in African-American women
Vigorous exercise of more than two hours per week reduces the risk of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal African-American women by 64 percent, compared to women of the same race who do not exercise, according to researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Innovative Web-based tool helps doctors improve care
A Web-based tool that extracts information from the electronic medical record (EMR) helps primary care physicians improve care and manage their entire panel of patients. Those are the findings of two new Kaiser Permanente studies - the first to examine the effectiveness of a population care tool in a large, diverse patient population.
Evaluation of targeted therapy in ovarian cancer
Research reported in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) shows that a molecular imaging technique may prove useful in early assessment of treatment response for cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer.
Adults in Puerto Rico aware of genetic testing, but use remains low
Awareness of genetic testing was higher among adults in Puerto Rico compared to previous U.S. population-based studies, while use of genetic testing was lower, according to data presented at the Third AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held Sept. 30 to Oct 3, 2010.
Low socioeconomic status linked with more severe colorectal cancer
People living in economically deprived neighborhoods were more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage, non-localized colorectal cancer, even after researchers controlled for known colorectal cancer risk factors, according to data presented at the Third American Association for Cancer Research Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, being held Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2010.
Social support post-cancer lacking among minority women
Nonwhite women reported receiving less social support than white women after cancer treatment, according to data presented at the Third AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2010.
Decreased survival for Puerto Rican women with 'triple-negative' breast cancer subtype
Puerto Rican women who had breast cancer that lacked estrogen and progesterone receptors and did not overexpress the HER2neu protein (triple-negative) had worse survival than those with other types of invasive breast cancer, according to a study presented at the Third AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held Sept. 30 - Oct. 3, 2010.
Lack of private health insurance impacted cancer survival
Lack of private health insurance and its consequent lack of access to care appears to affect mortality among patients with uterine cancer and may partly explain the mortality disparity between African-Americans and other racial groups, according to data presented at the Third AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities.
Race not root of disparity in lung cancer between whites and blacks
Race itself was not a prognostic factor of overall survival among black patients with lung cancer, according to data from a retrospective study presented at the Third AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities.
Racial differences in breast cancer treatment persist despite similar economics
African-American women with breast cancer living in Washington, D.C., are more likely to experience delays in treatment regardless of insurance type, socioeconomic status and cancer characteristics such as stage and grade.
Memory impairment common in people with a history of cancer
People with a history of cancer have a 40 percent greater likelihood of experiencing memory problems that interfere with daily functioning, compared with those who have not had cancer, according to results of a new, large study.
Vitamin D levels lower in African-Americans
African-American women had lower vitamin D levels than white women, and vitamin D deficiency was associated with a greater likelihood for aggressive breast cancer, according to data presented at the Third AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities.
Multipronged intervention treated persistent fatigue effectively in breast cancer survivors
A group-based, holistic, mind-body intervention was equally effective in treating persistent fatigue and improving quality of life for breast cancer survivors, regardless of their race.
Computer-aided detection is increasingly being used in screening and diagnostic mammography
The use of computer-aided detection (CAD) is increasing, in both screening and diagnostic mammography, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. CAD software systems highlight and alert the radiologist of abnormal areas of density, mass or calcification on a digitized mammographic image (of the breast) that may indicate the presence of cancer.
Measuring productivity helps radiology department improve efficiency
Researchers working in a radiology department at a mid-sized hospital were able to increase productivity and improve efficiency by developing a simple method for measuring general technologist productivity, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Growing pains for a centerpiece of health overhaul
(AP) -- It's a centerpiece of President Barack Obama's health care remake, a lifeline available right now to vulnerable people whose medical problems have made them uninsurable.
Unemployment linked with child maltreatment
The stresses of poverty have long been associated with child abuse and neglect. In a study presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco, researchers directly linked an increased unemployment rate to child maltreatment one year later.
Children as young as 12 months can reach a countertop
Most toddlers can reach as high as a kitchen countertop, putting them at risk for severe burns from hot liquids, according to research presented Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.
1 in 8 parents forgoes pediatrician-recommended care
One in eight parents reported that his or her child had not received pediatrician-recommended care - medication, laboratory testing and/or appointments with specialists - during the previous 12 months due to concerns over cost and payment, according to a study, presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.
Are pre-teen babysitters able to deal with emergencies?
Nearly all (98 percent) of 11- to 13-year-old babysitters know who to contact in the event of an intruder or if a child is sick or injured (96 percent) or poisoned (85 percent), according to research presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco. However, 40 percent of younger babysitters reported that they had left children unattended while babysitting, and 20 percent opened the door to strangers.
Operation Unified Response: 3 phases of disaster care in Haiti
A pediatric medical response to a major disaster should focus on three consecutive missions: protection of life and limb, continuing care, and finally, humanitarian aid, according to research presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.
Loss of nutrients following gastric bypass surgery in adolescent girls
An increasing number of obese adolescents, particularly females, are undergoing gastric bypass surgery. Yet a case study presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco, highlights the possible link between gastric bypass surgery in adolescent girls and an increased risk for neural tube defects, which can lead to varying degrees of disability such as paralysis and mental retardation due to damage to the nervous system, in their future children.
Pediatric field hospital in Haiti provides lessons in disaster planning and response
When a devastating earthquake hit Haiti earlier this year, physicians and health care workers were immediately deployed to the capital, Port-au-Prince. A study on the creation and evolution of a pediatric field hospital - from a disaster service facility to a full-fledged children's hospital - during the weeks and months following the disaster, was presented on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.
Breast cancer diagnostic delay depends more on race than insurance
Race and ethnicity appeared to affect diagnostic delay more than insurance status for women with breast abnormalities, as revealed by data presented at the Third American Association for Cancer Research Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, being held Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2010.
Psychiatric experts assess parental alienation
(AP) -- The American Psychiatric Association has a hot potato on its hands as it updates its catalog of mental disorders - whether to include parental alienation, a disputed term conveying how a child's relationship with one estranged parent can be poisoned by the other.
DNA repair capacity identified those at high risk for non-melanoma skin cancer
DNA repair capacity (DRC) measurements effectively identified individuals who were at high risk for non-melanoma skin cancer, and may be a useful method to evaluate the efficacy of preventive therapies, according to study results presented at the Third AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities.
Lifestyle intervention improves risk factors in type 2 diabetes
An intensive lifestyle intervention program designed to achieve and maintain weight loss improves diabetes control and cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to four-year results of the Look AHEAD study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are published in the Sept. 27, 2010, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Breast cancer linked to environmental smoke exposure among Mexican women
Mexican women who do not smoke but are exposed to smoking, known as environmental smoke exposure, are at three times higher risk for breast cancer than non-smoking women not exposed to passive smoking, according to findings presented at the Third AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, being held Sept. 30-Oct.3, 2010.
Italian doctors give teenager artificial heart: hospital
Doctors in Italy implanted an artificial heart into a 15-year-old boy on Saturday, the first time the procedure has been performed on a child, the hospital said.
Parkinson's disease: Excess of special protein identified as key to symptoms, possible new target
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that the over-activation of a single protein may shut down the brain-protecting effects of a molecule and facilitate the most common form of Parkinson's disease. The finding of this mechanism could lead to important new targets for drugs already known to inhibit it, thus controlling symptoms of the disorder, which affects about 1 million older Americans.
Researchers turn off severe food allergies in mice
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered a way to turn off the immune system's allergic reaction to certain food proteins in mice, a discovery that could have implications for the millions of people who suffer severe reactions to foods, such as peanuts and milk.
Researchers study tennis grunting effects
You've heard them at tennis matches - a loud, emphatic grunt with each player's stroke. A University of Hawai'i at Manoa researcher has studied the impact of these grunts and come up with some surprising findings.
New research reveals possible method for boosting the immune system to protect infants against HIV
- Researchers at Oregon Health &Science University may have uncovered a new weapon for combating HIV as it is passed from mother to newborn child. The research, which was led by researchers at OHSU's Oregon National Primate Research Center, will be published in the October 3rd online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.
Gene flaw causes small brain - scientists
Microcephaly, a disorder which leads to an abnormally small brain, has been traced in part to a flaw in a gene called WDR62 that plays a key role in the development of neurons, according to studies published on Sunday by the journal Nature Genetics.
Biology news
Auxogyn licenses noninvasive embryo assessment technology from Stanford University
Auxogyn, Inc., a privately held medical technology company focused on women's reproductive health, today announced that it acquired an exclusive license from Stanford University to develop a set of products that may allow medical practitioners in the field of assisted reproduction to significantly improve the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.
Ticking of cellular clock promotes seismic changes in the chromatin landscape associated with aging
Like cats, human cells have a finite number of lives-once they divide a certain number of times (thankfully, more than nine) they change shape, slow their pace, and eventually stop dividing, a phenomenon called "cellular senescence".
Elasticity found to stretch stem cell growth to higher levels
One of the major challenges in stem cell transplants is how to obtain sufficient numbers of these remarkably rare cells to put into patients. To help overcome this issue, research from the Centenary Institute, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney has found a way to increase the number of blood-forming stem cells when growing them outside of the body.
Earlier, more accurate prediction of embryo survival enabled by Stanford research
Two-thirds of all human embryos fail to develop successfully. Now, in a new study, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that they can predict with 93 percent certainty which fertilized eggs will make it to a critical developmental milestone and which will stall and die. The findings are important to the understanding of the fundamentals of human development at the earliest stages, which have largely remained a mystery despite the attention given to human embryonic stem cell research.
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