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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for November 30, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Physicists close two loopholes while violating local realism- Researchers demystify glasses by studying crystals
- Graphene: Scientists figure out how to shatter the world's strongest material
- Engineered molecule changes itself to detect and attack diseased cells
- Project pioneers use of silicon-germanium for space electronics applications
- Mystery dissolves with calcium pump discovery
- Astronomers use moon in effort to corral elusive cosmic particles
- Wind speed declining in Pacific Northwest: study
- Venus holds warning for Earth
- New pseudoscorpion discovered in Yosemite National Park (w/ Video)
- The couch potato effect: Deletion of key muscle protein inhibits exercise
- Rainforest collapse drove reptile evolution
- Researchers find link between sugar, diabetes and aggression
- Study finds children with autism have mitochondrial dysfunction
- GM launches Volt, ramps up green hiring
Space & Earth news
In a 50-year career at Marshall Center, Marion Walker has 'Done it all'
On Nov. 28, 1960, 20-year-old Marlon Walker started his first day on the job at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Getting to work early every morning, Walker, then a contractor shop attendant, maintained and repaired Marshall's vehicles, and made a good living to help support his mother and five young brothers and sisters.
Novel services for tropical forest monitoring with satellite
A consortium led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing methods for monitoring tropical forests using satellite data in a project funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission. The objective of the ReCover project is to develop beyond the state-of-the-art service capabilities currently supporting the United Nations REDD programme which is fighting deforestation and forest degradation in the tropical region.
UN weather agency: scorching heat soon routine
(AP) -- The brutal heat waves that killed thousands of Europeans in 2003 and that choked Russia earlier this year will seem like average summers in the future as the Earth continues to warm, the U.N. weather agency said Tuesday.
Russia wants to build 'Sweeper' to clean up space debris
Russia is looking to build a $2 billion orbital "pod" that would sweep up satellite debris from space around the Earth. According to a post on the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos' Facebook site, (which seems to confirm an earlier article by the Interfax news agency) the cleaning satellite would work on nuclear power and be operational for about 15 years. The Russian rocket company, Energia proposes that they would complete the cleaning satellite assembly by 2020 and test the device no later than in 2023.
Biofuels production has unintended consequences on water quality, quantity in Mississippi
Growing corn for biofuels production is having unintended effects on water quality and quantity in northwestern Mississippi.
Arsenic-polluted water toxic to Bangladesh economy
The well-reported arsenic contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh – called the "largest mass poisoning of a population in history" by the World Health Organization and known to be responsible for a host of slow-developing diseases – has now been shown to have an immediate and toxic effect on the struggling nation's economy.
Water resources played important role in patterns of human settlement, research shows
Once lost in the mists of time, the colonial hydrology of the northeastern United States has been reconstructed by a team of geoscientists, biological scientists and social scientists, including University of New Hampshire Ph.D. candidate Christopher Pastore.
Oceans where fishes choke
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian marine scientists have expressed disquiet over the continued worldwide spread of large, dead zones in the ocean.
Rainforest collapse drove reptile evolution
(PhysOrg.com) -- Global warming devastated tropical rainforests 300 million years ago. Now scientists report the unexpected discovery that this event triggered an evolutionary burst among reptiles -- and inadvertently paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs, 100 million years later.
Milky Way stars move in mysterious ways
Rather than moving in circles around the center of the Milky Way, all the stars in our Galaxy are travelling along different paths, moving away from the Galactic center. This has just been evidenced by Arnaud Siebert and Benoit Famaey, astronomers at the Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory, and by their colleagues in other countries. This strange behavior may be due to perturbation caused by the central bar and spiral arms of our Galaxy, forcing stars to leave their normal circular course and take an outward path.
Active Atlantic hurricane season was a 'gentle giant' for U.S.
(PhysOrg.com) -- According to NOAA the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends tomorrow, was one of the busiest on record. In contrast, the eastern North Pacific season had the fewest storms on record since the satellite era began.
Researchers reveal way in which possible earthquakes can be predicted
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who have been examining what happens in a "model earthquake" in their laboratory have discovered that basic assumptions about friction that have been accepted for hundreds of years are just wrong. Their findings provide a new means for replicating how earth ruptures develop and possibly enabling prediction of coming severe earthquakes.
Venus holds warning for Earth
(PhysOrg.com) -- A mysterious high-altitude layer of sulphur dioxide discovered by ESA's Venus Express has been explained. As well as telling us more about Venus, it could be a warning against injecting our atmosphere with sulphur droplets to mitigate climate change.
Wind speed declining in Pacific Northwest: study
Climate change may be taking some of the wind out of nature’s sails. A new study led by Simon Fraser University shows evidence of declining wind speeds in areas across the Pacific Northwest.
Technology news
Chinese micro-blog re-emerges after shutdown
An early Chinese clone of micro-blog site Twitter that was shut down by authorities last year amid fears it was fanning unrest in the country's restive west has re-emerged.
China announces new crackdown on product piracy
(AP) -- China's government announced a new crackdown Tuesday on rampant illegal copying of products from software to music that is adding to tensions with Washington and other governments over trade and currency complaints.
Disney icon Mickey Mouse becomes videogame hero
Mickey Mouse makes his US debut as a videogame hero Tuesday in "Wasteland," featuring an alternate world that includes Walt Disney Company's long forgotten characters and attractions.
Supreme Court rejects Tiffany appeal of eBay ruling
The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by luxury retailer Tiffany of a ruling that eBay cannot be held liable for trademark infringement for counterfeit items sold through its site.
Web delivery firm says Comcast taking toll on data
(AP) -- Level 3 Communications Inc., an Internet backbone company that supports Netflix Inc.'s increasingly popular movie streaming service, complained Monday that cable giant Comcast Corp. is charging it an unfair fee for the right to send data to its subscribers.
WikiLeaks claims next target is 'big US bank'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed a fresh "megaleak" will target a major US bank "early next year," according to an interview published Monday.
Indian tech firms link with China to take on Western brands
Indian technology companies are growing in confidence. New brands are launching thick and fast, determined to take on established Western names with help from cheap Chinese factories.
US: China rise a 'Sputnik moment' for clean energy
A senior US official called China's growing innovation a "Sputnik moment" that should spur the United States to ramp up investment in clean energy, despite a shift in Washington on climate change.
Internet access to return to flights, says Lufthansa
The leading German airline, Lufthansa, said Tuesday that it will offer Internet access on nearly its entire network by the end of next year, beginning with some flights to North America.
Google close to buying Groupon: reports
Internet search giant Google is close to a deal to buy online discount shopping site Groupon for as much as six billion dollars, The New York Times and a leading technology blog reported.
Google signs deal to translate European patents
(AP) -- Google announced an agreement Tuesday to use its technology to translate patents into 29 European languages, a deal officials hope will smooth the way toward a simplified European patent system after years of infighting.
WikiLeaks under new cyber attack: Twitter feed
WikiLeaks said in a Twitter message on Tuesday that it was under a new cyber attack after a similar incident at the weekend just before the website began releasing secret US diplomatic cables.
Study assesses nuclear power assumptions
A broad review of current research on nuclear power economics has been published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. The report concludes that nuclear power will continue to be a viable power source but that the current fuel cycle is not sustainable. Due to uncertainty about waste management, any projection of future costs must be built on basic assumptions that are not grounded in real data.
New clues to road safety with use of motorcycle simulator
New research using a world leading motorcycle simulator to analyse rider behaviour has proved that safer doesn’t necessarily mean slower and that formal advanced training for bikers can demonstrate improved safety on our roads.
Cablegate leaks divide opinion on freedom of information
WikiLeaks' mass exposure of US diplomatic cables has divided liberal intellectual opinion between supporters of total government transparency and those who see a threat to democratic rule.
New record achieved with Konarka's Power Plastic photovoltaic material with 8.3% efficiency certification
National Energy Renewable Laboratory (NERL) has announced Konarka Technologies' organic-based photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells have demonstrated the highest performance for an organic photovoltaic cell at a record-breaking efficiency of 8.3%. This unprecedented certification is up from previously produced cells at 6% just two short years ago.
Celebrating a better battery
(PhysOrg.com) -- It's 30 years since research by Oxford University scientists led to the development of one of the world's most popular rechargeable batteries.
Motorola to break into 2 on Jan. 4
(AP) -- Motorola Inc. will split into two companies effective Jan. 4, finalizing the breakup of one of the founders of the U.S. electronics industry.
Ex-Goldman Sachs programmer goes on trial in NYC
(AP) -- A Goldman Sachs programmer stole secret computer code that enables high-speed trading on his last day with the company so he could help develop the same kind of system at a startup financial company, a prosecutor said Tuesday, while a defense lawyer disputed that his client had committed a crime.
Facebook co-founder's new venture to promote causes
Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, who left the social network to work on the online arm of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, launched a new venture on Tuesday to promote charitable causes.
Microsoft scrambling to keep up with Kinect demand
Microsoft said Tuesday that it sold more than 2.5 million Kinect for Xbox 360 devices worldwide in the 25 days after that the gesture-sensing videogame controllers hit the market.
Branson launches glossy iPad magazine, 'Project'
British tycoon Richard Branson launched a glossy magazine for the iPad on Tuesday, getting the jump on News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch in the race to develop publications for the hot Apple device.
EU launches antitrust probe into Google
European Union regulators will probe whether Google Inc. has been manipulating its search results to stifle competition, funnel more traffic to its own services and protect its global stranglehold of the online search market.
Declining energy quality could be root cause of current recession
An overlooked cause of the economic recession in the U.S. is a decade long decline in the quality of the nation's energy supply, often measured as the amount of energy we get out for a given energy input, says energy expert Carey King of The University of Texas at Austin.
Search for high quality fuels from inexpensive biomass gets breakthrough
Chemical engineering experts at The University of Nottingham have helped a team of international researchers find a way of producing inexpensive renewable liquid fuel out of low grade oils made from renewable products such as farm waste and wood chips.
GM launches Volt, ramps up green hiring
General Motors Tuesday launched its battery-powered Chevrolet Volt and a major hiring program to ramp up production of green vehicles.
Project pioneers use of silicon-germanium for space electronics applications
A five-year project led by the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a novel approach to space electronics that could change how space vehicles and instruments are designed. The new capabilities are based on silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology, which can produce electronics that are highly resistant to both wide temperature variations and space radiation.
Medicine & Health news
Screening tool may better identify heart disease in African-Americans
In a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), researchers say they may have an explanation as to why African Americans, despite having lower amounts of coronary artery calcification, are at increased risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular events compared with Caucasians.
Despite economic slump, donors give generously to global health, though at a slower rate
The worst global economic crisis in decades has not stopped public and private donors from giving record amounts of money to health assistance for developing countries, according to a new report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
Public health in the genomic era: A global issue
The major challenge for public health in the era of genomics is to generate the base of evidence necessary to demonstrate when use of genomic information in public health can improve health outcomes in a safe, effective and cost-effective manner, participants at an international meeting have concluded.
Study finds anti-microbials a common cause of drug-induced liver injury and failure
New research shows that anti-microbial medications are a common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) leading to acute liver failure (ALF), with women and minorities disproportionately affected. While ALF evolves slowly, once it does occur a spontaneous recovery is unlikely; however liver transplantation offers an excellent survival rate. Full findings of this ten-year prospective study are published in the December issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Scoring system is 93 percent accurate for diagnosing Wilson's disease in pediatric patients
An Italian research team confirmed that the scoring system for Wilson's disease (WD) provides good diagnostic accuracy with 93% positive and 92% negative predictive values, respectively in children with mild liver disease. In asymptomatic children, a urinary copper excretion above 40 μg/24 hours was suggestive of WD, however the penicillamine challenge test (PCT) did not provide an accurate diagnosis in this patient subset. Results of the study appear in the December issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
The National Database for Autism Research announces its first data release
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) researchers now can use data from over 10,000 participants enrolled in ASD studies. The National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), created by the National Institutes of Health, recently made the data available. Researchers can now use the NDAR portal to perform queries that simultaneously yield results from multiple datasets. The portal was designed to provide tools to define and standardize data collected by different laboratories under different protocols. It was also built to ensure a collaborative approach and open data access to the whole ASD research community.
Recommendations issued on controversial 'Ashley' procedure for disabled children
(Garrison, NY) Should parents be able to use medical means to restrict the growth of profoundly disabled children to make them easier to care for at home? A working group convened to discuss the ethical and policy considerations of "growth attenuation" proposes some guidelines in an article in the Hastings Center Report. Personal essays – including those of parents whose children cannot walk or speak -- accompany the article
Study finds low vitamin D levels in northern California residents with metabolic syndrome
Researchers from the UC Davis Health System have found that compared with healthy controls, blood levels of vitamin D are significantly reduced in patients in the Sacramento area with metabolic syndrome, a constellation of disease risk factors that affects about one in three U.S. adults and predisposes them to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer may offer better quality-of-life
In a study that compared initial treatment strategies for low-risk prostate cancer among men 65 years old, active surveillance showed higher measures on quality of life compared to an initial treatment such as radical prostatectomy, although the optimal strategy was highly dependent on individual patient preferences for surveillance or treatment, according to a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.
Risk of death increases in IBD patients with hospital-acquired infections
Death and length of stay are increased among hospitalized inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who develop hospital-acquired infections, according to a study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Also, health-care-associated and hospital-acquired infections are most frequent in patients with severe liver disease, according to an additional study published in the journal.
New approach may help dialysis patients fight anemia
A new drug called FG-2216 can stimulate production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in dialysis patients—possibly offering a new approach to treatment of kidney disease-related anemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
New genomic technique reveals obesity gene variants
Obesity is highly heritable, but so far genetic association studies have only explained a small fraction of this heritability. Now, in a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology, researchers have identified DNA variants in two nervous system genes that are associated with an excessively high BMI.
Developed world at risk of forgetting about AIDS pandemic
Media coverage on HIV/AIDS has fallen by more than 70% in developed countries over the last 20 years, according to an international team of researchers.
People with sleep apnea at higher risk for aggressive heart disease
People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder associated with obesity, have more non-calcified or "bad" plaque in their coronary arteries, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Artesunate suppositories are cost-effective intervention for severe childhood malaria
Giving emergency artesunate suppositories to children with suspected severe malaria before referring them for treatment is a cost-effective intervention that can substantially improve the management of childhood malaria in remote African settings, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health [BUSPH] researcher Yesim Tozan, PhD.
Researchers use patient's own blood to treat hamstring injury
Researchers in London say they have found an effective two-part treatment for microtears in the hamstring: injections of the patient's own blood and a steroid along with "dry-needling," in which repeated needle punctures cause controlled internal bleeding in the injured area. Results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Belly fat puts women at risk for osteoporosis
For years, it was believed that obese women were at lower risk for developing osteoporosis, and that excess body fat actually protected against bone loss. However, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) found that having too much internal abdominal fat may, in fact, have a damaging effect on bone health.
Caffeinated alcoholic beverages -- a growing public health problem
In the wake of multiple state bans on caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) and an FDA warning to four companies to remove their products from the marketplace, an article published online today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine delineates the scope of the public health problem and suggests areas of research that might help address it.
New drug fights neglected tropical disease
Researchers said Thursday they had successfully tested a Chinese-developed drug against opisthorchiasis, a neglected tropical disease that threatens some 67 million people in Southeast Asia.
Heat wave deaths highest in early summer
The risk of dying from a heat wave is highest when heat waves occur early in the summer and are hotter and longer than usual, according to a Yale study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).
Surgeon-physician marriages can place stress on careers, emotional health
Surgeons married to physicians face more challenges in balancing their personal and professional lives than do surgeons whose partners work in a non-physician field or stay at home, according to new research findings focused on surgeon marriages published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
People with chronic pain face complex dilemmas and life-changing decisions
Coping with chronic pain can affect every aspect of a person's life and cause conflict between what their mind wants to achieve and what their body allows them to do, according to research in the December issue of the Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness.
Women with migraine with aura have better outcomes after stroke
Women with a history of migraine headache with aura (transient neurological symptoms, mostly visual impairments) are at increased risk of stroke. However, according to new research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association stroke events in women with migraine with aura are more likely to have mild or no disability compared to those without migraine.
Researchers find drug-resistant HIV patients with unimpaired immune cells
Mayo Clinic researchers have shown why, in a minority of HIV patients, immune function improves despite a lack of response to standard anti-retroviral treatment. In these cases, researchers say, the virus has lost its ability to kill immune cells. The findings appear in the online journal PLoS Pathogens.
Diabetes may clamp down on cholesterol the brain needs
The brain contains more cholesterol than any other organ in the body, has to produce its own cholesterol and won't function normally if it doesn't churn out enough. Defects in cholesterol metabolism have been linked with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Now researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that diabetes can affect how much cholesterol the brain can make.
Social support is most effective when provided invisibly
New research by University of Minnesota psychologists shows how social support benefits are maximized when provided "invisibly"—that is without the support recipient being aware that they are receiving it.
Study suggests earliest brain changes associated with the genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease
What are the earliest brain changes associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease? A scientific report published in the October Journal of Alzheimer's Disease finds reduced activity of an energy-generating enzyme in deceased young adult brain donors who carry a common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease—before the protein changes or microscopic abnormalities commonly associated with the disease and almost five decades before the age at which they might have developed memory and thinking problems.
Alternative therapies may leave asthmatics gasping
Approximately 13 percent of parents turn to alternative therapies to treat their children's asthma, according to a new study from the Université de Montréal. The findings, published recently in the Canadian Respiratory Journal, suggest that this trend is associated with a two-fold higher rate of poor asthma control in children.
HIV clinical trial looks at potential benefits of treating recently-infected patients
For most people in high-income countries HIV is considered a chronic illness which can be managed with medication. But the virus still causes extensive damage to the immune system, and treatment with antiretrovirals is a lifelong commitment. Once started, usually within three to five years following infection, the course of treatment needs to be strictly followed and taken for life.
SRC-1 controls liver's 'sweet spot' for glucose production
SRC-1 (steroid receptor coactivator) orchestrates glucose production in the liver, regulating the activity of a cascade of enzymes that turns sugar production on and off in the liver, said Baylor College of Medicine and Duke University Medical Center researchers in a report that appears in the current issue of Cell Metabolism.
Source of protection against saturated fat found
A new report in the December Cell Metabolism identifies a protein without which diets high in saturated fat lead to a massive inflammatory response that can prove fatal. The studies in mice suggest that deficiencies in this protective pathway could promote inflammation in those who regularly consume high levels of saturated fat.
5.7 million Californians lack access to job-based coverage
Most Americans receive health insurance coverage through their employer, or through an employed family member's dependent coverage. Yet having a job is no guarantee of coverage, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Fewer than half of Americans have had HIV test
(AP) -- Fewer than half of Americans have had an AIDS test since guidelines were expanded to include routine screening, according to a government report released Tuesday.
Senate passes bill to boost food safety
(AP) -- The Senate passed legislation Tuesday to make food safer in the wake of deadly E. coli and salmonella outbreaks, potentially giving the government broad new powers to increase inspections of food processing facilities and force companies to recall tainted food.
UC Davis surgeons test innovative device in patient with swallowing disorder
In what might be one of the world's first medicinal body piercings, UC Davis Health System surgeons announced today that they have successfully implanted an experimental device in the throat of a man that will enable him to manually control his ability to swallow. The device, which could offer an effective treatment option for people suffering from severe swallowing problems, is controlled by pulling on a tiny metal pin that extends through the skin in the neck. The post, when pulled forward, manually opens the esophagus and allows food and water to pass.
Experimental vaccine sets sights on lung cancer
An experimental immunotherapy may someday become the newest weapon against lung cancer. Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center are enrolling patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as part of an ongoing Phase III trial.
Nutrition professor discusses new calcium guidelines
(PhysOrg.com) -- More emphasis needs to be placed on consuming calcium in light of the new 2010 dietary reference intake guidelines, says a Purdue University expert.
Everyone should boost intake of vitamin D, IOM says
(PhysOrg.com) -- The nation's top scientific advisory panel today recommended that adults modestly increase their intake of vitamin D, known as the "sunshine vitamin," from a daily dose of 200 international units to 600 international units. The panel also extended the safe upper limit for adults from 2000 IU to 4000 IU daily.
Narcissistic students don't mind cheating their way to the top
College students who exhibit narcissistic tendencies are more likely than fellow students to cheat on exams and assignments, a new study shows.
International clinical trial tests targeted drug for melanoma
Rush University Medical Center has just enrolled the first U.S. patient in an international clinical trial testing a novel drug to treat certain kinds of melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that in its advanced stages currently has few effective treatments.
Instructions on over-the-counter medications for children are found to be confusing
Instructions on boxes and bottles of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for children in the United States are confusing and hard for parents to understand and follow, according to a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.
Discovery finds cancer drugs offer new hope for Crohn's disease and sarcoidosis
A new finding out in the December 1st issue of Genes & Development offers insight into a new treatment avenue for two painful inflammatory diseases: Crohn's Disease and sarcoidosis.
Acupuncture changes brain's perception and processing of pain
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have captured pictures of the brain while patients experienced a pain stimulus with and without acupuncture to determine acupuncture's effect on how the brain processes pain. Results of the study, which the researchers say suggest the effectiveness of acupuncture, were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Report: A bit more vitamin D is good, not too much
(AP) -- Got milk? You may need a couple cups more than today's food labels say to get enough vitamin D for strong bones. But don't go overboard: Long-awaited new dietary guidelines say there's no proof that megadoses prevent cancer or other ailments - sure to frustrate backers of the so-called sunshine vitamin.
Reduced hormone therapy linked with drop in breast cancer rates
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a new UCSF study of more than 2 million mammogram screenings performed on nearly 700,000 women in the United States, scientists for the first time show a direct link between reduced hormone therapy and declines in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as well as invasive breast cancer. The researchers saw such a striking decrease, they believe they also have uncovered indirect evidence that hormones promote breast tumor growth. The declines occurred in the age groups that most widely embraced then abandoned hormone therapy.
Scientists redefine the role of plasma cells in the immune system
A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in the body's response to eliminate pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. The findings challenge a long-held dogma in the field of immunology and have potential implications for far-ranging topics from how vaccines should be administered to the origin of autoimmunity.
Hip fractures and thyroid disease linked in study
New research from UC Davis Health System finds that older men with subclinical thyroid dysfunction have an increased risk of suffering hip fractures and suggests that screening and treatment for thyroid dysfunction in its most subtle forms could reduce the incidence of this common injury.
The couch potato effect: Deletion of key muscle protein inhibits exercise
Daniel Kelly, M.D., and his colleagues at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) at Lake Nona have unveiled a surprising new model for studying muscle function: the couch potato mouse. While these mice maintain normal activity and body weight, they do not have the energy to exercise. In the December 1 issue of Cell Metabolism, Dr. Kelly's team reports what happens when muscle tissue lacks PGC-1, a protein coactivator that muscles need to convert fuel into energy.
Researchers find link between sugar, diabetes and aggression
A spoonful of sugar may be enough to cool a hot temper, at least for a short time, according to new research.
Study finds children with autism have mitochondrial dysfunction
Children with autism are far more likely to have deficits in their ability to produce cellular energy than are typically developing children, a new study by researchers at UC Davis has found. The study, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that cumulative damage and oxidative stress in mitochondria, the cell's energy producer, could influence both the onset and severity of autism, suggesting a strong link between autism and mitochondrial defects.
Photos of tiny blood vessels in the eye link air pollution to heart disease
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---By digitally photographing the tiny, hair-like blood vessels in the back of our eyes, researchers can now look directly at how small blood vessels like those that bring blood to the heart respond to air pollution.
Brain scans show effects of Parkinson's drug
Neuroscientists using a new brain imaging technique could see an investigational drug for Parkinson's disease get into a patient's brain and affect blood flow in several key structures, an indicator the drug may be effective.
Yo-yo dieting alters genes linked with stress
Stressed-out mice with a history of dieting ate more high-fat foods than similarly stressed mice not previously on diets, according to a new study in the Dec. 1 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings suggest that moderate diets change how the brain responds to stress and may make crash dieters more susceptible to weight gain.
Biology news
Fogging, misting systems can protect ornamental foliage plants from cold, experts say
Florida winters are mild by human standards, but don’t tell that to an aglaonema, sometimes called Chinese evergreen.
Predatory bugs can save cornfields
One of the worst pests of corn in the world, the corn rootworm, may owe its worldwide success partly to its larvae's nasty, sticky blood.
Humans, climate change responsible for megafauna extinctions: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- The impacts of humans, through protracted hunting, were probably decisive in the extinction of Australian megafauna around 40,000 years ago, but climate change and fire activity probably fuelled the process.
Pioneering study reveals UK biodiversity hotspot
Scientists are calling for radical new approaches to conservation following the first biodiversity audit of its kind.
Study: Ecological effects of biodiversity loss underestimated
Children aren't the only youngsters who are picky eaters: More than half of all species are believed to change their diets -- sometimes more than once -- between birth and adulthood. And a new study by ecologists at Rice University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, finds this pattern has major implications for the survival of threatened species and the stability of natural ecosystems.
Freshwater mussels discovered in urban Delaware river
Scientists working with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and The Academy of Natural Sciences have made an important discovery in the Delaware River between Chester, Pennsylvania, and Trenton, New Jersey: beds of freshwater mussels. This includes several uncommon species, two of which were previously believed to no longer exist in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Scientists discover molecular 'switch' that contributes to cellular aging process
A team of Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) scientists report finding a molecular "switch" that can "turn off" some cellular processes that are protective against aging and metabolic diseases. While more research is needed, the findings may open doors for new drug treatments to halt or slow development of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes or heart disease. The research findings appear in the December 1, 2010 issue of Cell Metabolism.
Genomic fault zones come and go
The fragile regions in mammalian genomes that are thought to play a key role in evolution go through a "birth and death" process, according to new bioinformatics research performed at the University of California, San Diego. The new work, published in the journal Genome Biology on November 30, could help researchers identify the current fragile regions in the human genome – information that may reveal how the human genome will evolve in the future.
Snakes on a rope: Researchers take a unique look at the climbing abilities of boa constrictors
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a unique study involving young boa constrictors, University of Cincinnati researchers put snakes to work on varying diameters and flexibility of vertical rope to examine how they might move around on branches and vines to gather food and escape enemies in their natural habitat. The findings by Greg Byrnes, a University of Cincinnati postdoctoral fellow in the department of biological sciences, and Bruce C. Jayne, a UC professor of biology, are published in the December issue of The Journal of Experimental Biology.
Genome 10K Project announces first 101 species for genome sequencing
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Genome 10K Community of Scientists and BGI (formerly the Beijing Genomics Institute) of Shenzhen, China, have announced a plan to sequence the genomes of 101 vertebrate species within the next two years, the first of an eventual 10,000 species to be sequenced by the Genome 10K Project.
New pseudoscorpion discovered in Yosemite National Park (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- It waits blindly in the darkness of granite caves in Yosemite National Park, moving little to conserve energy.
Gene transfer from transgenic crops: A more realistic picture
A new data-driven statistical model that incorporates the surrounding landscape in unprecedented detail describes the transfer of an inserted bacterial gene via pollen and seed dispersal in cotton plants more accurately than previously available methods.
Mystery dissolves with calcium pump discovery
Geo-microbiologists from Arizona State University have solved a long-standing conundrum about how some photosynthetic microorganisms, endolithic cyanobacteria, bore their way into limestone, sand grains, mussel shells, coral skeletons and other substrates composed of carbonate.
Engineered molecule changes itself to detect and attack diseased cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Christina Smolke has engineered biological molecules that regulate a cell's behavior by adjusting their own forms and functions in response to the internal conditions of the cell. These tools can be used to facilitate medical research and biotechnology today and could one day be used as diagnostic and therapeutic aides.
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