Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 2, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Study predicts distribution of gravitational wave sources- Great balls of evolution: Microbiologists evolve microorganisms to cooperate in new way
- Light touch brightens nanotubes (w/ Video)
- US Air Force connects 1,760 PlayStation 3's to build supercomputer
- Forget your previous conceptions about memory
- New life form found on Earth: Deadly arsenic breathes life into organisms (Update)
- Some UFOs may be explained as ball lighting
- Sahara desert project aims to power half the world by 2050
- Physicists create supernova in a jar (w/ Video)
- The future of metabolic engineering -- designer molecules, cells and microorganisms
- New microscopy tracks molecules in live tissue at video rate
- Google alters algorithm to combat abusive sellers
- Research provides better understanding of long-term changes in the climate system
- Scientists map changes in genetic networks caused by DNA damage
- Meditation isn't just about relaxing
Space & Earth news
US, China move closer on key climate issue
(AP) -- Prospects for a limited deal at the latest climate talks appeared to brighten with the U.S. and China narrowing differences on a key element: how to monitor greenhouse gas emissions.
New model to assess urban water security
University of Adelaide water engineering researchers have developed a model to estimate potential urban water supply shortfalls under a range of climate change scenarios.
Researchers find mathematical patterns to forecast earthquakes
Researchers from the Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO) and the Universidad de Sevilla (US) have found patterns of behaviour that occur before an earthquake on the Iberian peninsula. The team used clustering techniques to forecast medium-large seismic movements when certain circumstances coincide.
Rewarding eco-friendly farmers can help combat climate change
Financially rewarding farmers for using the best fertilizer management practices can simultaneously benefit water quality and help combat climate change, finds a new study by the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER).
Pits, flows, other scenes in new set of Mars images
Newly released images from 340 recent observations of Mars by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show details of a wide assortment of Martian environments.
UN weather agency: 2010 among 3 hottest years
(AP) -- The U.N. weather agency says 2010 is "almost certain" to rank among the three hottest years on record.
Mercury busts charts; 2010 in top 3 hottest years
(AP) -- A scorching summer that killed thousands in Russia and exceptionally mild winters in the Arctic were among extreme weather events that have put 2010 on track to be one of the three hottest years on record, U.N. experts said Thursday.
Lead isotopes yield clues to how Asian air pollution reaches California
About a third of the airborne lead particles recently collected at two sites in the San Francisco Bay Area came from Asia, a finding that underscores the far-flung impacts of air pollution and heralds a new way to learn more about its journey across vast distances.
Cassini returns images of bright jets at Enceladus
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully dipped near the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Nov. 30.
Research provides better understanding of long-term changes in the climate system
For more than a decade, Dr. Joseph Ortiz, associate professor of geology at Kent State University and part of an international team of National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researchers, has been studying long-term climate variability associated with El Niño. The researchers' goal is to help climatologists better understand this global climate phenomenon that happens every two to eight years, impacting much of the world.
Researchers find evidence of fire in Antarctic ice
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of scientists studying Antarctic ice cores have found surprising evidence of a fluctuating pattern of carbon monoxide concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere caused by biomass burning in the Southern Hemisphere over the past 650 years.
Vitamins identified as key nutrient which may promote harmful algal blooms in coastal waters
(PhysOrg.com) -- Harmful algal blooms, which negatively affect coastal ecosystems, public health, economies and fisheries around the world, may be promoted by vitamins B-1 and B-12 according to Stony Brook University scientists, whose findings were published in an early online edition (Nov. 10) and in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in an article entitled "Most harmful algal bloom species are vitamin B-1 and B-12 auxotrophs."
New life form found on Earth: Deadly arsenic breathes life into organisms (Update)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Evidence that the toxic element arsenic can replace the essential nutrient phosphorus in biomolecules of a naturally occurring bacterium expands the scope of the search for life beyond Earth, according to Arizona State University scientists who are part of a NASA-funded research team reporting findings in the Dec. 2 online Science Express.
Study predicts distribution of gravitational wave sources
(PhysOrg.com) -- A pair of neutron stars spiraling toward each other until they merge in a violent explosion should produce detectable gravitational waves. A new study led by an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Cruz, predicts for the first time where such mergers are likely to occur in the local galactic neighborhood.
Technology news
Liberty Media gives up stake in Diller's IAC
(AP) -- Barry Diller and John Malone, two media moguls whose partnerships over the past 17 years have been rocky at times, are cutting more of their business ties as Malone's Liberty Media sheds its voting stake in Diller's IAC/InteractiveCorp.
Tracking down particulates
Wood-burning stoves are enjoying a surge in popularity. But burning biomass releases fine dust particles that are hazardous to health. Consequently, new legal limits for particulate emissions from such stoves were introduced last March. Researchers have now developed a measuring device that determines precise levels of dust emissions.
UCLA receives DARPA grant to research ultra-low-power, non-volatile logic technologies
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science an $8.4 million grant for research on a technology known as non-volatile logic, which enables computers and electronic devices to keep their state even while powered off, then start up and run complex programs instantaneously.
Foursquare in deal to create TV series based on it
(AP) -- Foursquare, a popular startup that lets people share their location with friends through a mobile app, is working with production company Endemol USA to create a television series.
Micron unveils innovative flash memory devices that extend the life of NAND
Micron Technology, Inc. today introduced a portfolio of high-capacity flash memory products that will lengthen the life of NAND for years to come. By integrating the error management techniques in the same NAND package, the new Micron ClearNAND devices alleviate the challenges traditionally found in NAND process shrinks. Micron's ClearNAND portfolio extends the opportunities for more advanced NAND process generations to be used in enterprise servers, tablet PCs, portable media players, and dozens of other consumer applications.
WikiLeaks 'tweets' Kennedy speech on secrecy
WikiLeaks, defending its decision to publish thousands of classified US diplomatic cables, sent out a link on Twitter on Thursday to excerpts of a speech by John F. Kennedy in which the former US president denounced excessive secrecy.
The fad that changed the Internet forever
Remember back in the early days of the Internet (which, our favorite reader, seems a strange thing to say) when so many people said all this online stuff was just a fad? Remember when IBM said that it could not see a use for more than a few desktop computers?
Japan watchdog approves Yahoo-Google deal
Japan's anti-monopoly watchdog has approved a tie-up between Yahoo Japan Corp. and Google Inc. but warned it will keep checking for possible violations.
China's Baidu expands as Google contracts
The name of the search engine "Baidu" means "hundreds of times", and comes from an ancient Chinese verse often cited today to refer to the continuous search for one's dreams.
Motorola mobile division expects first quarter loss
US handset maker Motorola said Wednesday it expects to ring up another loss in its mobile phone division next quarter.
Chinese army must deal with cyberwarfare: state media
China's army should seriously consider how to deal with cyberwarfare amid severe threats to online and information security, state media said Thursday, days after authorities detained hundreds of hackers.
Companies beware: The next big leak could be yours
(AP) -- WikiLeaks' release of secret government communications should serve as a warning to the world's biggest companies: You're next.
The noose tightens around WikiLeaks' Assange
(AP) -- The law is closing in on Julian Assange. Swedish authorities won a court ruling Thursday in their bid to arrest the WikiLeaks founder for questioning in a rape case, British intelligence is said to know where he's hiding, and U.S. pundits and politicians are demanding he be hunted down or worse.
Gowalla app syncs with Foursquare and Facebook
Gowalla on Thursday rolled out a redesign that included letting members of the location-based social network share "check-ins" at Foursquare, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook Places.
Google admits trespassing in Pa., pays couple $1
(AP) -- Google Inc. has acknowledged that it trespassed when it took a photo of a Pittsburgh-area house for its Street View service, but will pay only $1 in damages to a couple who sued.
Hot embossing glass -- to the nearest micrometer
The lens is what matters: if lens arrays could be made of glass, it would be possible to make more conveniently sized projectors. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a process that allows this key component to be mass produced with extreme accuracy.
Zynga buys rising mobile game star Newtoy
Zynga, king of online social networking games, is following its fans onto smartphones and other mobile devices with the acquisition Thursday of rising social play star Newtoy.
Israeli device lets paralyzed people stand, walk
When Israeli entrepreneur Amit Goffer was paralyzed in a car crash in 1997, he went on a quest to help other victims walk again.
EBay buys local shopping engine Milo
(AP) -- EBay Inc. said Thursday that it bought a local shopping engine that lets consumers search online for products available at stores near them.
Samsung develops industry's highest density LPDDR2 DRAM using 30nm-class technology
Samsung Electronics announced today that it has developed and started sampling the industry’s first monolithic four gigabit (Gb), low power double-data-rate 2 (LPDDR2) DRAM using 30 nanometer (nm) class technology in November. The chip will be used in high-end mobile applications such as smartphones and tablet PCs.
Nissan hopes zero-emission Leaf will electrify drivers
Billed as the world's first mass-produced electric car, this month's launch of the Nissan Leaf is expected to send a jolt through an auto industry racing to build greener vehicles.
Let your beer mat do the talking
Forget speed-dating and the classifieds column – now you can leave it to your beer mat to make that all-important first move.
Google alters algorithm to combat abusive sellers
Google is tweaking its algorithms after an online eyeglass merchant managed to get his site listed at the top of search rankings by being deliberately rude to customers and sparking complaints.
Wireless carriers muddy waters with '4G' marketing
The marketing world is full of vague adjectives like "new," "better" or "healthy" that don't necessarily mean much.
Sahara desert project aims to power half the world by 2050
(PhysOrg.com) -- A joint project by universities in Algeria and Japan is planning to turn the Sahara desert, the largest desert in the world, into a breeding ground for solar power plants that could supply half the world’s electrical energy requirements by 2050.
Medicine & Health news
Inflammatory bowel disease causes post traumatic stress, say doctors
The inflammatory bowel disorder Crohn's disease produces its own variant of post traumatic stress (PTSD), indicates research published online in Frontline Gastroenterology.
Half of emergency care doctors prone to burn-out
One in two emergency care doctors is prone to burn-out, suggests a representative survey of French physicians, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Expert panel addresses safety in medical imaging
An expert panel convened today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) to discuss medical imaging appropriateness, ionizing radiation from imaging procedures and efforts under way to curb overutilization, decrease radiation dose and educate patients on the risks and benefits of medical imaging.
New report: Employer health insurance premiums increased 41 percent from 2003 to 2009
Premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance increased an average of 41 percent across states from 2003 to 2009, more than three times faster than median incomes, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Yet, insurance is buying less. The report found that deductibles per person rose 77 percent, on average. Higher premiums plus higher out-of-pocket costs are putting working families' budgets under stress across the country.
Researchers identify rising incidence of valvular heart diseases in New York state
The incidence of hospitalization and treatment for heart valve diseases in New York State has constantly and progressively risen since the early 1980s, according to research presented at the recent meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA) by SUNY Downstate Medical Center. The study results were published in a supplement to the AHA journal, Circulation.
Study finds Hmong, Lu-Mien families face barriers to services
A new community-based study by UC Davis researchers has found that children with developmental disabilities in Southeast-Asian-American families face significant obstacles to receiving intervention services. Barriers include lack of accurate information, language difficulties, lack of trust and limited outreach.
Set of specific interventions rapidly improves hospital safety 'culture'
A prescribed set of hospital-wide patient-safety programs can lead to rapid improvements in the "culture of safety" even in a large, complex, academic medical center, according to a new study by safety experts at Johns Hopkins.
Checklist continues to stop bloodstream infections in their tracks, this time in Rhode Island
Using a widely heralded Johns Hopkins checklist and other patient-safety tools, intensive care units across the state of Michigan reduced the rate of potentially lethal bloodstream infections to near zero.
Educating on the risks of HIV and alcohol
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is encouraging healthcare providers in developing countries to use an evidence-based intervention designed by researchers at UConn’s Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP) to reduce alcohol-related HIV risk behaviors in South Africa.
Ridding the human body of HIV
A new Northwestern Medicine study will undertake a bold new protocol to completely eradicate latent HIV cells that current drugs don't affect. Participants, with diagnosed HIV, in the experimental group will be given an investigational HIV vaccine that actually wakes up dormant cells at the same time regular HIV-drug therapy is aimed at extinguishing the activated cells.
Recognizing and addressing stress and other mental health issues
The middle of the college semester has come and gone, marking the halfway point for many students enrolled at colleges and universities across the country. Starting classes, meeting peers, and exploring a new geographical area all at once may seem intimidating for first-year and prospective students who are making the transition to college/campus life.
Personalized diets for elderly after hospitalization decreases mortality rates
Intense, individually tailored dietary treatment for acutely hospitalized elderly has a significant impact on mortality, according to a new study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
E. coli outbreak in Connecticut caused by raw milk consumption
Raw milk is consumed by an estimated 1-3 percent of the United States population. Raw milk and raw cheeses are responsible for almost 70 percent of reported dairy outbreaks. On July 16, 2008, the Connecticut Department of Public Health identified two unrelated children who had experienced hemolytic uremic syndrome after consuming raw milk from the same farm. The authors investigated the situation further and found more cases of people affected by raw milk from the same farm. The details of their study are chronicled in the Dec. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, available online.
Updated guidelines include new research, advances in stroke prevention
Healthy lifestyle choices and emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes, according to revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines.
Stigma deters those with alcohol disorders from seeking treatment
Despite the existence of effective programs for treating alcohol dependencies and disorders, less than a quarter of people who are diagnosed actually seek treatment. In a recent study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health researchers report that people diagnosed with alcoholism at some point in their lifetime were more than 60% less likely to seek treatment if they believed they would be stigmatized once their status is known.
Recurrent miscarriage raises heart attack risk fivefold in later life
Recurrent miscarriage increases a woman's chance of having a heart attack fivefold in later life, indicates research published online in the journal Heart.
Long term exposure to pesticides may be linked to dementia
Long term exposure to pesticides may be linked to the development of dementia, suggests research published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
New study calls for greater awareness of food supply for children with diabetes
Managing diabetes in a child requires a careful balance of insulin, diet, and exercise. Buying essential medical supplies, such as needles and testing strips, adds a financial burden to families. According to a new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics, the resulting food insecurity that arises from the financial burden of diabetes management increases a child's risk of being hospitalized due to complications from diabetes.
Perinatal bisphenol-A exposure may affect fertility: study
Exposure to a ubiquitous environmental chemical during pregnancy may impair reproductive capacity of female offspring, according to a study published online in advance of print on December 2 in Environmental Health Perspectives. Fertility decreased over time in female mice that had been exposed during fetal and neonatal (perinatal) development to doses of bisphenol-A (BPA) that were lower than or equal to human environmental exposure levels.
Researchers identify why diabetes risk increases as we age
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study led by researchers from Yale School of Medicine shows that enhancing activity of a gene in the mitochondria, the power plant of the cell, prevents damage that can trigger type 2 diabetes. The study appears in the December 1 issue of Cell Metabolism.
Smoking may thin the brain
Many brain imaging studies have reported that tobacco smoking is associated with large-scale and wide-spread structural brain abnormalities.
Soya beans could hold clue to treating fatal childhood disease
Scientists from The University of Manchester say a naturally occurring chemical found in soy could prove to be an effective new treatment for a fatal genetic disease that affects children.
Kicking the habit: Study suggests that quitting smoking improves mood
Quitting smoking is certainly healthy for the body, but doctors and scientists haven't been sure whether quitting makes people happier, especially since conventional wisdom says many smokers use cigarettes to ease anxiety and depression. In a new study, researchers tracked the symptoms of depression in people who were trying to quit and found that they were never happier than when they were being successful, for however long that was.
Lower occurrence of atopic dermatitis in children thanks to farm animals and cats
Children whose mothers are exposed to farm animals and cats are better protected against atopic dermatitis and are less likely to develop this painful inflammation of the skin in their first two years of life. A group of researchers from the University of Zurich and other universities have published evidence supporting this theory in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.
Breast cancer risk factors include age at first pregnancy
Having children later in life or not at all, combined with a trend in obesity may increase risk of a breast cancer that is hard to detect.
The Medical Minute: Doctor, why are my fingers curling up?
Dupuytren's (pronounced DOO-pwee-trens) disease or contracture is an abnormal, progressive thickening of the fascia of the hand (the layer underneath the skin). The disease is inherited, and a patient’s children have at least a 50 percent chance of carrying the abnormal gene. The severity of the disease, however, may vary greatly (new patients are often unaware of any family members having the disease). It is much more common in people of Scandinavian, British or eastern European descent.
Child's behavior not just gene-related: researcher
(PhysOrg.com) -- The idea that depression and anti-social behavior are primarily influenced by genes passed on from parent to child has been called into question by a unique new study involving offspring born through in-vitro fertilization.
New insights about Botulinum toxin A
A new study by researchers at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, is raising questions about the therapeutic use of botulinum toxin A.
Hospital perks: How much should hospitals be rewarded for the patient experience?
From hotel-style room service to massage therapy to magnificent views, hospitals are increasingly touting their luxury services in a bid to gain market share, especially those in competitive urban markets. An important new article, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, raises crucial questions about the role of amenities in hospital care, explaining that how we decide to value the patient experience can have a significant effect on health care costs.
Pattern of drinking affects the relation of alcohol intake to coronary heart disease
A fascinating study published in the BMJ shows that although the French drink more than the Northern Irish each week, as they drink daily, rather than more on less occasions, the French suffered from considerably less coronary heart disease than the Northern Irish. Ruidavets and colleagues compared groups of middle aged men in France and Northern Ireland, who have very different drinking cultures and rates of heart disease.The authors found that men who "binge" drink (drink =50 g of alcohol once a week) had nearly twice the risk of myocardial infarction or death from coronary disease compared with regular drinkers over 10 years of follow-up. Similarly abstainers were at higher risk. 9,778 men aged 50-59, free of ischaemic heart disease at baseline, were recruited between 1991 and 1994. A total of 2,405 men from Belfast and 7,373 men from the French centres were included in the analyses.
iCycleBeads: New iPhone application for planning and avoiding pregnancy
A scientifically-based family planning tool developed by researchers from Georgetown University's Institute for Reproductive Health, a part of Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), is now available as an easy-to-use iPhone ®, iPod touch® or iPad™ application. iCycleBeads™ is the first software application that enables a woman to plan or avoid pregnancy easily and effectively, entirely through the information provided by the application.
Genetic mutations associated with increased PSA and prostate cancer
Austrian researchers have uncovered mutations throughout the mitochondrial genome that are associated with prostate cancer. An exciting aspect of the study, published by Cell Press on December 2 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, is the association of tRNA mutations with elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in Austrian men diagnosed with various stages of prostate cancer.
3-D map of fly brain is to neuroscience what genome is to genetics
In an advance that is being compared to the sequencing of the fly genome, researchers have created the first brain-wide wiring map of a fruit fly. The breakthrough paves the way for a comprehensive analysis of information processing within and between neurons and ultimately a deeper understanding of control and causality in fly behavior, according to the researchers who report their findings online on December 2 in Current Biology.
Genetic alteration linked with disorders of sex determination
A variety of genetic factors are involved in sex determination. If something goes wrong with one of these factors, people who have a chromosome set that predicts they will be of one sex may develop as the other sex or have traits on the spectrum between the two sexes. There can be emotional and social stress associated with disorders of sex determination (DSD), and in many cases, infertility is an additional problem. Several genetic alterations that cause DSDs have been identified, and work continues in an effort to elucidate the cause in other individuals. Research published by Cell Press on December 2nd in the American Journal of Human Genetics reveals new information about how sex determination can go awry.
'Less is more,' when it comes to sugary, high-caffeine energy drinks, researchers say
Moderate consumption of so-called energy drinks can improve people's response time on a lab test measuring behavioral control, but those benefits disappear as people drink more of the beverage, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.
Blood vessel dysfunction linked to heart disease also impacts Alzheimer's
A dysfunction in the lining of blood vessels that is linked to cardiovascular illness also appears to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Doctors failing to prescribe low-dose menopausal hormone therapy, study finds
Doctors across the country are still prescribing higher-dose menopausal hormone therapy pills, despite clinical evidence that low doses and skin patches work just as well and carry fewer health risks. That's what researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found in a study that will be published online Dec. 2 in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.
Study suggests that early detection is possible for prion diseases
A fast test to diagnose fatal brain conditions such as mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans could be on the horizon, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health scientists. Researchers at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have developed a highly sensitive and rapid new method to detect and measure infectious agents called prions that cause these diseases.
Scientists discover mechanistic link between genetic variation and risk of cardiovascular disease
A team from UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered a clue as to how certain common genetic variants may influence an individual's risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack.
Genetic link found between spinal arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease
Researchers at the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute in Brisbane, Australia, have found that a form of spinal arthritis is genetically linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The study will be published on December 2 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Researchers take major step toward first biological test for autism
Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the University of Utah have developed the best biologically based test for autism to date. The test was able to detect the disorder in individuals with high-functioning autism with 94 percent accuracy. The study will be published online the week of November 29th in Autism Research.
Study: Rough match can sideline tennis players' perceptions
Tennis players who "ace" a match are more likely to see the ball as moving slowly and view the net as lower to the ground, according to new research from Purdue University.
Beyond nature vs. nurture: A new child development theory
Why does a child grow up to become a lawyer, a politician, a professional athlete, an environmentalist or a churchgoer?
Polluted air increases obesity risk in young animals
Exposure to polluted air early in life led to an accumulation of abdominal fat and insulin resistance in mice even if they ate a normal diet, according to new research.
Novel approach to chronic pain relief
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international team of scientists have found what they believe could be a novel approach to more effective, targeted relief of chronic pain caused by nerve injuries. The research, a collaboration involving the Universities of Toronto, Seoul, Korea and Bristol, is reported in the latest edition of the journal Science.
Meditation isn't just about relaxing
Meditation is a brain-boosting, stress-busting activity that is now embraced by everyone from the U.S. military to corporate executives. And if you're living a busy, hectic life - and can't fathom finding time to sit cross-legged in a quiet room - you're an ideal candidate too.
Forget your previous conceptions about memory
Memory difficulties such as those seen in dementia may arise because the brain forms incomplete memories that are more easily confused, new research from the University of Cambridge has found. The findings are published today in the journal Science.
Biology news
Protecting Christmas from Christmas grubs
Across northern Wisconsin, many of the state's Christmas tree growers struggle to protect their trees from an insect pest known as the white grub, which lurks in the soil, feeds on tree roots and destroys the crop.
Through sunshine, bitter cold, dogs need exercise
Winter weather is no excuse to avoid outdoor exercise with your dog, says a Purdue University veterinarian.
A consumer's guide to seafood
A University of Queensland academic has contributed to Australia's first comprehensive consumer guide to seafood.
Teenage great white sharks are awkward biters
The jaws of adolescent great white sharks may be too weak to capture and kill large marine mammals, according to a new study published in the Journal of Biomechanics by an international team of scientists.
Little room left for fisheries
The Earth has run out of room to expand fisheries, according to a new study led by University of British Columbia researchers that charts the systemic expansion of industrialized fisheries.
To be or not to be endangered? Listing of rare Hawaiian coral species called into question
In 2009, 83 rare corals were petitioned to be listed under the United States Endangered Species Act. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is currently reviewing the status of the coral on the petition. If the listing is granted, it will afford higher protection and designate critical habitat for these corals. But are all the "species" on this list really species?
Pheromones a myth in mammals
Something just didn’t smell right to Richard Doty. It was 1976 when the director of the Smell and Taste Center at Penn’s School of Medicine first started raising a stink about the existence of pheromones.
Do our bodies' bacteria play matchmaker?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Could the bacteria that we carry in our bodies decide who we marry? According to a new study from Tel Aviv University, the answer lies in the gut of a small fruit fly.
Scientists discover mechanism that turns healthy cells into prostate cancer cells
A protein that is crucial for regulating the self-renewal of normal prostate stem cells, needed to repair injured cells or restore normal cells killed by hormone withdrawal therapy for cancer, also aids the transformation of healthy cells into prostate cancer cells, researchers at UCLA have found.
Scientists home in on chemicals needed to reprogram cells
Scripps Research Institute scientists have made a significant leap forward in the drive to find a way to safely reprogram mature human cells and turn them into stem cells, which can then change into other cell types, such as nerve, heart, and liver cells. The ability to transform fully mature adult cells such as skin cells into stem cells has potentially profound implications for treating many diseases.
Scientists map changes in genetic networks caused by DNA damage
Using a new technology called "differential epistasis maps," an international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has documented for the first time how a cellular genetic network completely rewires itself in response to stress by DNA-damaging agents.
Discovery could shrink dengue-spreading mosquito population
Each year, dengue fever infects as many as 100 million people while yellow fever is responsible for about 30,000 deaths worldwide. Both diseases are spread by infected female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which require vertebrate blood to produce eggs. The blood feeding and the egg development are tightly linked to how the mosquito transmits the disease-causing virus.
Great balls of evolution: Microbiologists evolve microorganisms to cooperate in new way
University of Massachusetts Amherst microbiologists Derek Lovley, Zarath Summers and colleagues report in the Dec. 2 issue of Science that they have discovered a new cooperative behavior in anaerobic bacteria, known as interspecies electron transfer, that could have important implications for the global carbon cycle and bioenergy.
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