Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 9, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Technique turns computer chip defects into an advantage- World's smallest battery: Charging makes nano-sized electrodes swell, elongate and spiral
- Better batteries from the bottom up
- Fahrenheit -459: Neutron stars and string theory in a lab
- Platinum-coated nanoparticles could lead to better fuel cells
- Scientists discover fractal pattern in Scotch tape
- Discovery: Some frogs eliminate foreign objects via their bladders
- Critics raise doubts on NASA's arsenic bacteria
- Impaired clearance, not overproduction of toxic proteins, may underlie Alzheimer's disease
- Alzheimer's patients can't effectively clear sticky plaque component
- Massive gene loss linked to pathogen's stealthy plant-dependent lifestyle
- Cloud 'feedback' affects global climate and warming, study says (w/ Video)
- National team of scientists peers into the future of stem cell biology
- Blue whale-sized mouthfuls make foraging super efficient
- The end of planet formation, as told by trace elements from the mantles of Earth, the moon and Mars
Space & Earth news
South Africa unveils space agency
South Africa unveiled its national space agency on Thursday, aiming to become a leader in earth observation technology across the continent in 10 years, the minister of science and technology said.
Bolivian says climate talks may commit 'ecocide'
(AP) -- Bolivia's President Evo Morales, addressing a U.N. climate conference with modest goals, said Thursday that governments will be committing "ecocide" if they fail to act decisively to halt global warming.
Project will monitor tremor activity beneath southern San Andreas Fault
The Berkeley Seismological Laboratory will begin early next year to install earthquake detectors on the southern San Andreas Fault near the town of Cholame to study mysterious tremors discovered beneath the area.
Early meteorological winter in the U.S. Midwest captured by NASA
NASA's Terra satellite captures daily visible and infrared images around the Earth and took a daytime image of a blanket of snow in the Upper Midwest this week. Even though astronomical winter is less than two weeks away, the central and eastern U.S. are already experiencing meteorological winter.
Geminids meteor shower to be 'lively' show
Baby, it's cold outside -- but you can still enjoy the best meteor shower of the year. The 2010 Geminid meteor shower promises to be lively, with realistic viewing rates of 50-80 meteors per hour and potential peaks reaching 120 meteors per hour. Anytime between Dec. 12-16 is a valid window for Geminid-watching, but the night of Dec. 13-14 is the anticipated peak.
Tiny protozoa may hold key to world water safety
Right now, it looks a little like one of those plastic containers you might fill with gasoline when your car has run dry. But Scott Gallager is not headed to the nearest Mobil station. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) biologist has other, grander plans for his revolutionary Swimming Behavioral Spectrophotometer (SBS), which employs one-celled protozoa to detect toxins in water sources.
A day in the life of Doppler-on-wheels
'Tis the season ... for snow. Thundersnow.
Black holes and warped space: New UK telescope shows off first images
Spearheaded by the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory and funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the e-MERLIN telescope will allow astronomers to address key questions relating to the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planets.
Space station tracks months-long voyages of ships at sea
ESA’s experimental ship detector on the International Space Station has pinpointed more than 60 000 ocean-going vessels so far. It has been able to follow the routes of individual ships for months at a time.
Time running out to save climate record held in unique eastern European Alps glacier
A preliminary look at an ice field atop the highest mountain in the eastern European Alps suggests that the glacier may hold records of ancient climate extending back as much as a thousand years.
Forecast system to warn of toxic algal outbreaks along Texas' shoreline
Texas officials and coastal managers will now receive early notice of outbreaks of toxic algae that threaten public health and affect beach and fishing activities along the coast. Weekly bulletins generated by the NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Forecast System are based on observations from state partners, coupled with models, imagery and data from NOAA's powerful tide and current and weather systems.
Scientists begin 5-month study of cloud life cycles
(PhysOrg.com) -- Ski season is snow season, and snow season means clouds – exactly what a team of atmospheric scientists in "Ski Town USA" are anticipating. For the next five months, a dense collection of remote-sensing instruments will gather data from the clouds at four different elevations on Mount Werner in the Steamboat Springs ski area. Scientists will use these data to study how clouds – especially those that produce rain and snow - evolve in mountainous terrain. They will use the data to verify the accuracy of measurements used in computer models of the Earth's climate system.
Bering Sea chill yields fatter plankton, pollock diet changes
Despite a 30-year warming trend, the last three years in the Bering Sea have been the coldest on record. A University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist says that the cold temperatures have helped produce larger zooplankton in the Bering Sea, which may affect the way Walleye pollock feed.
Probing Question: Is the moon shrinking?
While everything else changes, itэs comforting to think that some things in the universe will always stay the same. The sun always rises and sets, the tides ebb and flow, and the moon hangs in the night sky, just as it has since time began.
Shining new light on dark energy with galaxy clusters
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists' murky understanding of dark energy may have just gotten a little clearer, thanks to recent work by a team of researchers that includes astrophysicist Neelima Sehgal of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at SLAC. The team used observations from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, or ACT, in the Chilean Andes to more narrowly define the properties of dark energy, that enigmatic entity that's thought to make up approximately 70 percent of the mass-energy of the universe and is pushing space apart.
Cloud 'feedback' affects global climate and warming, study says (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Changes in clouds will amplify the warming of the planet due to human activities, according to a breakthrough study by a Texas A&M University researcher.
The end of planet formation, as told by trace elements from the mantles of Earth, the moon and Mars
New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the Moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. The predicted sizes of the projectiles, which hit within tens of millions of years of the giant impact that produced our Moon, are consistent with current planet formation models as well as physical evidence such as the size distributions of asteroids and ancient Martian impact scars. They predict that the largest of the late impactors on Earth, at 1,500-2,000 miles in diameter, potentially modified Earth's obliquity by approximately 10 degrees, while those for the Moon, at approximately 150-200 miles, may have delivered water to its mantle.
Odyssey orbiter nears martian longevity record
(PhysOrg.com) -- By the middle of next week, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter will have worked longer at Mars than any other spacecraft in history.
Technology news
Procter & Gamble moves from soap operas to tweets
(AP) -- Goodbye, "Guiding Light." Hello, YouTube.
Making Internet faster
There is no single entity behind the Internet. It is made up of different networks that are managed by service providers. These service providers – or operators – manage what data is being sent and monitor the amount of traffic being used in terms of simple web browsing, multimedia streaming or peer to peer file sharing. When the data traffic on a network is too dense what experts call "bottlenecks" can occur, slowing the delivery of information to your computer, which can result in a slower Internet experience.
Facebook's Zuckerberg pledges to give away wealth
(AP) -- Another 17 of America's richest people, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, junk bond pioneer Michael Milken and AOL co-founder Steve Case, have pledged to give away most of their wealth.
Bebo founder returns to social network as adviser
(AP) -- Bebo, the social network that was dumped by AOL two years after the Internet company purchased it, is trying to regain some startup magic by bringing back its founder.
Avant-garde music offers a gateway to artificial intelligence
(PhysOrg.com) -- Stretching their boundaries, artificial intelligence researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have teamed up with musicians on an unlikely project: a digital conductor of improvised avant-garde performances.
Visa becomes next target for WikiLeaks backers
(AP) -- The websites for Visa and MasterCard were inaccessible for parts of Wednesday, likely the result of attacks by WikiLeaks supporters who are angry that the credit card companies had stopped processing donations to the organization.
Largest dam heralds 'new era' for poor Laos: ADB
The largest hydropower project in poverty-stricken Laos has opened a "new era" in the country's development, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Thursday.
Kids go on expensive buying sprees in iPhone games
(AP) -- "The Smurfs' Village," a game for the iPhone and other Apple gadgets, was released a month ago and quickly became the highest-grossing application in the iTunes store. Yet it's free to download.
WikiLeaks' payment processor to sue card companies
(AP) -- WikiLeaks' payment processor said Thursday that it was preparing to sue credit card companies Visa and MasterCard over their refusal to process donations to the secret-spilling website.
Key to Robonaut 2's dexterity is human-like hands
Great hands. Elite athletes have them, and they are a standout characteristic of Robonaut 2.
Hybrid energy harvesting device developed for generating electricity from heat and light
Fujitsu Laboratories today announced that it has developed a new hybrid energy harvesting device that generates electricity from either heat or light. With this single device, it is possible to derive energy from two separate sources, which previously could only be handled by combining individual devices. Furthermore, because the cost of the hybrid device is economical, this technology paves the way to the widespread use of highly efficient energy harvesting devices. The new technology has great potential in the area of energy harvesting, which converts energy from the surrounding environment to electricity. Since there is no need for electrical wiring or battery replacements, this development could enable the use of sensors in previously unserved applications and regions. It also has great potential for powering a variety of sensor networks and medical-sensing technologies.
EU project to build Electric Solar Wind Sail
The European union has selected the Finnish Meteorological Institute to lead an international space effort whose goal is to build the largest and fastest man-made device.
Greedy algorithms best for multiple targets
What algorithms should an air defense system work with? Particle swarm algorithms if there are ten targets to be hit. If there are more than ten targets, greedy algorithms work best. These findings are presented by researcher Fredrik Johansson at the Informatics Research Centre, University of Skovde, in Sweden.
Fujitsu develops technology to manufacture power-supply transistors on nearly any flat-surface material
Fujitsu Laboratories announced the development of a technology that enables the manufacture of power-supply transistors on nearly any flat surface, including glass, plastic, or copper. High breakdown-voltage was achieved by forming a high breakdown-voltage power-supply transistor on a target substance using zinc-oxide (ZnO) material and protecting the transistor's channel using a polymer layer. This new technology will enable power-supply circuits to be manufactured on a wide range of flat surfaces, with potential applications including sensors and piezoelectric devices.
Four-bln-dlr electricity warehouse planned for Mexico
Dubai-based company Rubenius plans to invest four billion dollars in a massive alternative energy storage site in northwest Mexico, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Wednesday.
eBay wins preliminary EU court backing in L'Oreal fight
US online auction site eBay won preliminary backing from Europe's highest court Thursday in a copyright battle with French cosmetics giant L'Oreal.
India eyes Internet revolution to reach rural areas
India said Thursday it aims to sharply expand its national broadband network as it seeks a "revolution" to bring high-speed Internet to the country's rural heartland.
Internet group calls for '.xxx' porn domain name
Internet specialists gathered in Colombia Thursday called for the creation of an ".xxx" domain for pornographic websites, saying it would make it easier to police them.
Thinner and tougher: A new kind of blast-resistant glass
Whether in a hurricane, tornado, or bomb attack, a leading cause of injury and death is often fast-flying shards of glass. Explosions and high winds can cause windows in buildings to shatter-spewing jagged pieces of glass in every direction.
Taiwan's Quanta to join Foxconn as iPad 2 supplier: report
Taiwan's Quanta Computer will assemble Apple's iPad when the US giant releases the second generation of the popular tablet next year, local media reported Thursday.
Amazon's UK site selling WikiLeaks excerpts
(AP) -- Portions of the diplomatic cables contained in WikiLeaks are available for sale on Amazon's U.K. website, an odd twist after the company ousted the organization from its hosting service.
Google says 300,000 Android phones activated daily
More than 300,000 smartphones running on Google-backed Android software are activated daily, according to an engineering vice president at the Internet giant.
Medicine & Health news
S. Africa halts rollout of circumcision device
(AP) -- The South African government has halted the rollout of a controversial male circumcision device, health department spokesman Fidel Hadebe said Wednesday.
Lower levels of education are associated with increased risks of heart failure
Results from a large European study suggest that poorly educated people are more likely to be admitted to hospital with chronic heart failure than the better educated, even after differences in lifestyle have been taken into account. The study is published online today (Thursday 9 December) in the European Heart Journal.
Aromatase inhibitors increased risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women with breast cancer
Postmenopausal women who take aromatase inhibitors as a treatment for breast cancer may be at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease, according to the results of a meta-analysis.
Most women do not get recommended mammograms
Only half of eligible women in the United States are getting their annual mammograms, even if they have insurance to pay for the procedure, according to data presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Estrogen alone is effective for reducing breast cancer risk
While endogenous estrogen (i.e., estrogen produced by ovaries and by other tissues) does have a well-known carcinogenic impact, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) utilizing estrogen alone (the exogenous estrogen) provides a protective effect in reducing breast cancer risk, according to study results presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.
Obese women with ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer have poorer survival rates
Obesity was associated with worse overall and disease-free survival in women with operable breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, but for the first time, researchers observed this finding in only a specific subset of patients – those with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/HER2-negative disease.
Adding ipilimumab to standard chemotherapy treatment for late-stage lung cancer may improve survival
Ipilimumab used in combination with paclitaxel/carboplatin for stage IIIb/IV non-small cell lung cancer showed superior results in progression free survival when compared to paclitaxel/carboplatin alone, according to research presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. This symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and the University of Chicago.
Weekend and public holiday admissions increased the risk of hospital deaths by up to 41 percent
Patients treated by Welsh (UK) hospitals for upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding were 41% more likely die if they were admitted on a public holiday and 13% more likely if it was at the weekend, according to research in the January issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
Identifying lung cancer gene markers shows promise in identifying patients needing chemo
Cancer researchers have identified six gene markers present in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that show promise in helping oncologists better identify which tumors will relapse after curative surgery, according to a study presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. This symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and the University of Chicago.
University of Hawaii at Manoa research focuses on congenital abnormality
Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa have developed innovative techniques that could have profound effects on congenital cervical vertebrae malformation research.
Personalized molecular therapy shows promising results for people with advanced lung cancer
A new study shows that a combination of epigenetic therapy and molecular targeted therapy has promising results at combating advanced lung cancer according to research presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. This symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and The University of Chicago.
Non-invasive SRT as good as surgery for elderly patients with early lung cancer
A new study shows that a new type of targeted radiation therapy called stereotactic radiation therapy is just as good as surgery for patients aged 75 and older with early-stage lung cancer, according to research presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. This symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and the University of Chicago.
Medical science helps UK athletes reach peak performance
A new hand-held medical device will help UK athletes reach the top of their game when preparing for upcoming sporting competitions. UK Sport, the UK's high performance sports agency, has reached an agreement to become the first organisation to use cutting edge technology developed by Argento Diagnostics to improve training programmes for athletes.
Chinese study suggests that alcohol increases angiographically significant coronary artery disease
Among a large number of Chinese men presenting with chest pain or EKG changes, sequential subjects undergoing cardiac angiography were evaluated for obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) lesions according to their reported recent alcohol intake. The study population consisted of 1,476 consecutive men 36 to 84 years of age; participants were categorized as nondrinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, or heavy drinkers.
Diagnosing deafness early could help teenagers' development
Researchers from the University of Southampton are investigating whether deaf teenagers have better language skills if they are identified as deaf just after they are born.
Exemestane may be another first-line, adjuvant therapy for hormone-receptor positive, early-stage breast cancer
Exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor that blocks production of estrogen, may provide another post-surgery option for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive, early-stage breast cancer.
Stricter testing for federal ground beef program may not lead to safer meat: report
A new National Research Council report finds no scientific basis that more stringent testing of meat purchased through the government's ground beef purchase program and distributed to various federal food and nutrition programs -- including the National School Lunch Program -- would lead to safer meat.
Two decades of Nuss procedure outcomes: Refinements in groundbreaking surgery for chest deformity
Since 1987, when a surgeon at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters developed a minimally-invasive surgery to correct sunken chest, the procedure has been adopted world-wide as a standard of care and continually refined to increase its effectiveness and safety, according to a paper published in the December issue of the Annals of Surgery.
A double block of blood vessels to starve cancerous tumors
A novel strategy of blocking the growth of blood vessels with antibodies should result in improved treatment of cancerous tumors.
Patients may not have to stop taking anti-platelets for some surgeries
Despite the common clinical practice among surgeons to discontinue their patients' anti-platelet therapy prior to surgery, a recent study of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) indicated that this practice may be unnecessary. The study will be published in the December issue of the Annals of Vascular Surgery.
National kidney-swap program marks 1st success
(AP) -- As grateful as she was when her sister-in-law offered in October to donate a kidney on her behalf, Kathy Niedzwiecki didn't believe for one second her prediction that it would happen before Christmas.
New QRISK score to predict heart disease in younger people
Experts at The University of Nottingham have developed a new 'score' to help GPs detect heart disease in younger people - before it damages their health.
Study examines effect of water-based and silicon-based lubricant
A new study by sexual health researchers at Indiana University found that women who used lubricant during sex reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction and pleasure.
Weightlifting slashes lymphedema risk after breast cancer treatment
Weightlifting may play a key role in the prevention of the painful limb-swelling condition lymphedema following breast cancer treatment, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Combined with the team's previous findings that the exercise limits a worsening of symptoms among women who already have lymphedema, the new data cements the reversal of long-running advice that breast cancer survivors should avoid lifting anything heavier than five pounds after they finish treatment. The research results will be presented today (Dec. 8, 2010) at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published online concurrently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Study validates Type 1 diabetes computer model's predictive success through lab testing
A La Jolla Institute team, led by leading type 1 diabetes researcher Matthias von Herrath, M.D., has demonstrated the effectiveness of a recently developed computer model in predicting key information about nasal insulin treatment regimens in type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. Development of the software, the Type 1 Diabetes PhysioLab Platform, was funded through the peer-reviewed grant program of the American Diabetes Association.
Medical journal criticizes Canada asbestos exports
(AP) -- A medical journal is criticizing Canada for exporting asbestos to poor countries, joining others who have condemned the practice as hypocritical.
Surgeon general: 1 cigarette is 1 too many
(AP) -- Think the occasional cigarette won't hurt? Even a bit of social smoking - or inhaling someone else's secondhand smoke - could be enough to block your arteries and trigger a heart attack, says the newest surgeon general's report on the killer the nation just can't kick.
Cholera spreading fast throughout Haiti: US study
Cholera is spreading rapidly throughout Haiti, highlighting the need for urgent efforts to curb the epidemic, a report from the US-based Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday.
Sunscreen can prevent melanoma
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have shown that daily sunscreen use can prevent melanoma in adults.
Death risk dependent on dialysis center choice
If you need dialysis for advanced kidney disease, where you get it could make a big difference. A large study found that patients in certain large chain facilities are significantly more likely to die than those treated elsewhere. Mortality was also higher in for-profit than non-profit dialysis centers.
Exposure to North Dakota road material may increase risk of lung cancer
New data shows that people exposed to the mineral erionite found in the gravel of road materials in North Dakota may be at significantly increased risk of developing mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer most often associated with asbestos exposure, according to research presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. This symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and The University of Chicago.
Researchers track the impacts of depression during pregnancy
The cocktail of hormones cascading through depressed mothers' bodies may play an important role in the development of their unborn children's brains.
Drug combination shows promise for newly diagnosed blood cancer patients, study finds
A new three-drug combination used to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma may be effective as a front-line therapy for newly diagnosed patients, according to a study led by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Scientists to develop new rapid test in fight against sexually transmitted infections
Scientists from the University of Southampton have secured funding to develop an ultra-rapid sexually transmitted infection (STI) detection system for clinics that can detect STIs in under 15 minutes.
Study: Half of women over 40 get annual mammograms
(AP) -- Remember the uproar last year when a government task force said most women don't need annual mammograms? It turns out that only half of women over 40 had been getting them that often to start with, even when they have insurance that covers screening.
Oncologists value survival over quality of life
For oncologists, drugs that help cancer patients live longer are worth more than drugs that help patients live well, researchers find.
Sesame Street program improves development for children in Indonesia: study
Children exposed to Jalan Sesama, an Indonesian version of the children's television show Sesame Street, had improved educational skills and healthy development, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over a 14-week period, the children who had the greatest exposure to Jalan Sesama improved significantly in literacy, mathematics, early cognitive skills, safety knowledge and social awareness, compared to those with no or low exposure to the program. The study is available online in advance of publication in the International Journal of Behavioral Development.
Study: When to end a run
Runners who continue running when they are exhausted unknowingly change their running form, which could be related to an increased risk for injury.
Buprenorphine treatment produces improved outcome for babies born addicted
Babies born into the world addicted to drugs because of their mother's dependence on pain medication, or opioids, may be weaned off the substance more comfortably, with a shorter hospital stay and at a reduced cost, if the mother receives a new treatment option during pregnancy.
Esophageal cancer risk lower than expected for patients with GERD
The risk of esophageal cancer among patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is not as high as many may think, according to new research from University of Michigan gastroenterologists.
Researchers uncover new risk factors for brain metastases in breast cancer patients
Nearly one-fifth of all metastatic breast cancer patients develop brain metastases and have significantly shorter overall survival than patients who do not have brain involvement. One way to improve the affected patients' survival might be to prevent the brain metastases from arising in the first place. With that in mind, researchers have been working on a predictive model that accurately identifies these high risk patients. Now, Veeraiah Siripurapu, M.D., and colleagues from Fox Chase Cancer Center have verified several factors -- including high tumor grade, negative progesterone receptor status, and inflammatory breast cancer -- that are associated with an increased risk.
Bone drug Zometa flops in breast cancer study
(AP) -- Doctors are reporting a stunning setback for a promising new approach for fighting breast cancer.
Blood-thinning treatment standards changing for heart patients, new research shows
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Massachusetts General Hospital have found that warfarin, a known anticoagulation (blood-thinning) drug, may not be as beneficial to some patients with atrial fibrillation as previously thought.
Immune system changes linked to inflammatory bowel disease revealed
Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have discovered some of the key molecular events in the immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. The results, which help researchers move one step further in their efforts to develop new drugs to treat inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, are reported in the November 2010 edition of the journal Mucosal Immunology from the Nature Publishing Group.
Life expectancy slips, stroke dips to No. 4 killer
(AP) -- A new government report shows U.S. life expectancy has dropped slightly after mostly inching up over the years.
Look: What your reaction to someone's eye movements says about your politics
It goes without saying that conservatives and liberals don't see the world in the same way. Now, research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln suggests that is exactly, and quite literally, the case.
Protein targeted to stop melanoma tumor growth
Halting the growth of melanoma tumors by targeting the MIC-1 protein that promotes blood vessel development in tumors may lead to better treatment of this invasive and deadly cancer, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers in The Foreman Foundation Research Laboratory.
A 'stitch in time' could help damaged hearts
A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has demonstrated the feasibility of a novel technology that a surgeon could use to deliver stem cells to targeted areas of the body to repair diseased or damaged tissue, including cardiac muscle damaged by a heart attack. The technique involves bundling biopolymer microthreads into biological sutures and seeding the sutures with stem cells. The team has shown that the adult bone-marrow-derived stem cells will multiply while attached to the threads and retain their ability to differentiate and grow into other cell types.
Fewer synapses equal more efficient learning
(PhysOrg.com) -- Neurons exchange information via special connections, the synapses. New synapses are constantly being formed, existing synapses are reinforced and redundant synapses are eliminated. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology and the Yale University studied the adhesion protein SynCAM1, which glues synapses together. When they increased the amount of SynCAM1 in neurons, the number of synapses grew.
Computer-based program may help relieve some ADHD symptoms in children
An intensive, five-week working memory training program shows promise in relieving some of the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, a new study suggests.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is ultimately a stem cell disease
For years, scientists have tried to understand why children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy experience severe muscle wasting and eventual death. After all, laboratory mice with the same mutation that causes the disease in humans display only a slight weakness. Now research by scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and a new animal model of the disease they developed, points a finger squarely at the inability of human muscle stem cells to keep up with the ongoing damage caused by the disorder.
Alzheimer's patients can't effectively clear sticky plaque component
Neurologists finally have an answer to one of the most important questions about Alzheimer's disease: Do rising brain levels of a plaque-forming substance mean patients are making more of it or that they can no longer clear it from their brains as effectively?
Impaired clearance, not overproduction of toxic proteins, may underlie Alzheimer's disease
In Alzheimer's disease, a protein fragment called beta-amyloid accumulates at abnormally high levels in the brain. Now researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that in the most common, late-onset form of Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid is produced in the brain at a normal rate but is not cleared, or removed from the brain, efficiently. In addition to improving the understanding of what pathways are most important in development of Alzheimer's pathology, these findings may one day lead to improved biomarker measures for early diagnosis as well as a new approach to treating this devastating disorder.
Thought for food: New research shows imagining food consumption reduces actual consumption
If you're looking to lose weight, it's okay to think about eating your favorite candy bar. In fact, go ahead and imagine devouring every last bite — all in the name of your diet.
Biology news
Three endangered elephants found dead in Indonesia
Three endangered Sumatran elephants have been found dead after their herd rampaged through a village in western Indonesia, a conservationist and officials said Thursday.
Infrared sheds light on beneficial microbes
Infrared spectroscopy can quickly spot beneficial fungi on roots in soil, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil scientist Francisco Calderon.
States now fund majority of human embryonic stem cell research
States, not the federal government, now fund the majority of human embryonic stem cell research conducted in the United States, according to a recent study in the journal Nature Biotechnology. In addition, states varied substantially in the extent to which they prioritized human embryonic stem cell research, and much of the research performed in the states could likely have been funded by the National Institutes of Health under federal guidelines established by President Bush in 2001.
The double-edged sword of dominance
A study of chimpanzees has revealed that dominant animals with higher testosterone levels tend to suffer from an increased burden of parasites. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine observed the primates' behavior and studied their droppings to draw the link between dominance and infection status.
It's in the water: Scientists patent fish disease vaccine
Tainted water is one of the most deadly conduits for disease known to man – and fish.
Cholera strain evolves new mechanism for causing disease
New clinical strains of cholera appear to have evolved a distinctly different mechanism to cause the same disease according to research published in the current issue of the online journal mBio.
Experts link 'stress' to Bengal tigers getting smaller
India's endangered Bengal tiger is dwindling not only in numbers, but also in stature, according to a recent survey that suggests the famed big cats are getting physically smaller.
Blue whale-sized mouthfuls make foraging super efficient
How much can a blue whale eat in a single mouthful and how much energy do they burn while foraging? These are the questions that Bob Shadwick from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and his colleagues have asked and discovered that blue whales can swallow almost 2,000,000kJ (almost 480,000kcalories) in a single mouthful of krill, and eat 90 times as much energy as they burn during a dive.
When their tools get dull, leaf-cutters switch jobs (w/ Video)
When their razor-sharp mandibles wear out, leaf-cutter ants change jobs, remaining productive while letting their more efficient sisters take over cutting, say researchers from two Oregon universities.
Key protein discovered that allows nerve cells to repair themselves
A team of scientists led by Melissa Rolls, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State University, has peered inside neurons to discover an unexpected process that is required for regeneration after severe neuron injury. The process was discovered during Rolls's studies aimed at deciphering the inner workings of dendrites -- the part of the neuron that receives information from other cells and from the outside world. The research will be published in the print edition of the scientific journal Current Biology on 21 December 2010.
Ice-age reptile extinctions provide a glimpse of likely responses to human-caused climate change
A wave of reptile extinctions on the Greek islands over the past 15,000 years may offer a preview of the way plants and animals will respond as the world rapidly warms due to human-caused climate change, according to a University of Michigan ecologist and his colleagues.
Powdery mildew at an evolutionary dead end
The size of a genome tells us nothing about the comprehensiveness of the genetic information it contains. The genome of powdery mildew, which can destroy entire harvests with its fine fungal threads, is a good example of this. Although the pathogen has almost 120 million base pairs, and therefore one of the largest genomes of the sac fungi, at barely 6,000, its gene count is far lower than that of comparable species.
Evolutionary arms race between smut fungi and maize plants
Fungi are a major cause of plant diseases and are responsible for large-scale harvest failure in crops like maize and other cereals all over the world. Together with scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich, Regine Kahmann, from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, and Jan Schirawski, who is now based at the University of Gottingen, analysed the genetic make-up of Sporisorium reilianum, an important maize parasite. Based on a comparison with the genome of a related fungal species, they succeeded in identifying new genes that play an important role in maize infestation. (Science, December 10, 2010)
National team of scientists peers into the future of stem cell biology
Remarkable progress in understanding how stem cell biology works has been reported by a team of leading scientists, directed by experts at UC Santa Barbara. Their research has been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Massive gene loss linked to pathogen's stealthy plant-dependent lifestyle
An international team of scientists, which includes researchers from Virginia Tech, has cracked the genetic code of a plant pathogen that causes downy mildew disease. Downy mildews are a widespread class of destructive diseases that cause major losses to crops as diverse as maize, grapes, and lettuce. The paper describing the genome sequence of the downy mildew pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, which attacks the widely studied model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, is the cover story of this week's edition of the journal Science.
Critics raise doubts on NASA's arsenic bacteria
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA’s announcement last week that bacteria had been discovered that appeared to replace phosphorus with arsenic and thrive even in the most poisonous environments, has now come under fire from a number of scientists.
Discovery: Some frogs eliminate foreign objects via their bladders
(PhysOrg.com) -- Three species of Australian frogs have been found to be able to move transmitters implanted in them to their bladders for elimination. This process appears to be a unique way of eliminating foreign objects from the body, which has never been seen before.
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