Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 8, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Physicists demonstrate teleportation-based optical quantum entangling gate- Bizarre fossil crocodile dispels notion that these reptiles are static and unchanging
- A flow of heavy-Ion results from the Large Hadron Collider
- Our brains are wired so we can better hear ourselves speak, study shows
- New species of Pleistocene stork found on 'hobbit' island
- TB bacteria use the body's stem cells to protect themselves
- Theoretical physics breakthrough: Generating matter and antimatter from the vacuum
- Team develops 'logic gates' to program bacteria as computers
- First carbon-rich exoplanet discovered
- Eliminating tooth decay: Breakthrough in dental plaque research
- ASU astronomer opens new window into early universe
- Different origins discovered for medulloblastoma tumor subtypes
- Unlocking the secrets of our compulsions
- Gradients in the Earth's outermost core
- Redrawing the map of Great Britain based on human interaction
Space & Earth news
Scientist: Fire in Israel is a typical example of climate change effects in Mediterranean
The fire disaster in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa is a typical example of climate change effect and a taste of the future, says Dr. Guy Pe'er, one of the authors of Israel's first report to the UN on climate change. Ten years ago, Dr. Pe'er and other Israeli scientists collated knowledge about the effects of climate change for Israel. They warned already in the year 2000 of expected climatic fluctuations, heat events, decreased rainfall and delayed late winter rainfall, all of which would lead to increased risk of intense forest fires.
Cancun delegates debate climate fund: Who pays?
(AP) -- Should airline passengers pay a small tax to help out? How about global money dealers? Or perhaps governments should take what they spend subsidizing gasoline prices and put it toward the climate cause.
US space capsule launch set for Wednesday
A US company has received the go-ahead to launch its first space capsule into orbit Wednesday, in a key test for the future of commercial space flight as NASA looks to end its shuttle program.
Climate goal may spell end for some coral reefs
(AP) -- The once-vibrant coral reef shielding these sun-soaked beaches from the wrath of the sea is withering away under the stress of pollution and warmer water.
Tiny organisms give big warning about planet health
San Francisco State University scientists are studying whether a hardworking microscopic organism that helps rid the planet of too much carbon dioxide will continue to work so well in the year 2100, when the Earth’s oceans are expected to be more acidic.
Climate scientist warns world of widespread suffering if further climate change is not forestalled
One of the world's foremost experts on climate change is warning that if humans don't moderate their use of fossil fuels, there is a real possibility that we will face the environmental, societal and economic consequences of climate change faster than we can adapt to them.
New report: Don't blame the pill for estrogen in drinking water
Contrary to popular belief, birth control pills account for less than 1 percent of the estrogens found in the nation's drinking water supplies, scientists have concluded in an analysis of studies published on the topic. Their report suggests that most of the sex hormone -- source of concern as an endocrine disruptor with possible adverse effects on people and wildlife -- enters drinking water supplies from other sources. The report appears in ACS' biweekly journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Stars shrouded in glittering zirconium light up the sky
Its been said that the Universe isn’t stranger than you can imagine, its stranger than you can’t imagine. Nowhere is this more true than the study of stars. Recently, a team of scientists from the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland have discovered a star that is enveloped by clouds of glittering zirconium! Its a metal you might be more familiar with in jewelry to make false diamonds but it now looks like stars are getting in on the act and becoming more sparkly than they are already.
An Intergalactic Weather Map
(PhysOrg.com) -- This composite image shows an intergalactic "weather map" around the elliptical galaxy NGC 5813, the dominant central galaxy in a galaxy group located about 105 million light years away from Earth.
Changes in solar activity affect local climate
Raimund Muscheler is a researcher at the Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences at Lund University in Sweden. In the latest issue of the journal Science, he and his colleagues have described how the surface water temperature in the tropical parts of the eastern Pacific varied with the sun's activity between 7 000 and 11 000 years ago (early Holocene). Contrary to what one might intuitively believe, high solar activity had a cooling effect in this region.
Tracking conflict minerals in Congo
Eastern Congo's hillsides are rich in an element that most people have never heard of, a metal that is inside most of the mobile phones, laptops, and other electronics that we use every day.
Japan probe overshoots Venus, heads toward sun
A Japanese probe to Venus failed to reach orbit Wednesday and was captured by the sun's gravitational pull in a setback to Japan's shoestring space program, which will have to wait another six years to try again.
Sneak Attacks from the Sun
(PhysOrg.com) -- Our Sun can be a menace when it sends out powerful solar blasts of radiation towards the Earth. Astronomers keenly watch the Sun to learn more about what powers these solar eruptions, in hopes of being able to predict them. New research shows that one-third of the Sun's blasts are "sneak attacks" that may occur without warning.
Study suggests that trace amounts of water created oceans on Earth, other terrestrial planets
One question that has baffled planetary scientists is how oceans formed on the surface of terrestrial planets like Earth — rocky planets made of silicate and metals. It’s believed that in additionzq to Earth, the terrestrial planets Mars and Venus may have had oceans soon after their formation. There is ample evidence to suggest that these planets formed from rocky clumps called planetesimals that later combined in high-energy collisions and left their surfaces covered in molten rock, or magma. It didn’t take long for these magma oceans to cool, and many researchers contend that oceans of water were created later on, when icy objects like comets and asteroids deposited water on the rocky planets.
A swarm of ancient stars
(PhysOrg.com) -- We know of about 150 of the rich collections of old stars called globular clusters that orbit our galaxy, the Milky Way. This sharp new image of Messier 107, captured by the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, displays the structure of one such globular cluster in exquisite detail. Studying these stellar swarms has revealed much about the history of our galaxy and how stars evolve.
Evidence for ET is mounting daily, but not prove
(AP) -- Lately, a handful of new discoveries make it seem more likely that we are not alone - that there is life somewhere else in the universe.
Private company launches test spacecraft for NASA (Update)
A private company launched a spacecraft into orbit and then, in a historic first, guided it back to Earth on Wednesday in a bold test for NASA that could lead to the first commercial space station supply run next year and eventual astronaut rides.
ASU astronomer opens new window into early universe
Thirteen billion years ago our universe was dark. There were neither stars nor galaxies; there was only hydrogen gas left over after the Big Bang. Eventually that mysterious time came to an end as the first stars ignited and their radiation transformed the nearby gas atoms into ions. This phase of the universe's history is called the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), and it is intimately linked to many fundamental questions in cosmology. But looking back so far in time presents numerous observational challenges.
Gradients in the Earth's outermost core
Evidence that the outermost portion of the Earth’s core is stratified is provided by earthquake data reported by scientists at the University of Bristol this week in Nature.
Fourth planet foundin giant version of our solar system
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers have discovered a fourth giant planet, joining three others that, in 2008, were the subject of the first-ever pictures of a planetary system orbiting another star other than our sun.
Greenland ice sheet flow driven by short-term weather extremes, not gradual warming: research
Sudden changes in the volume of meltwater contribute more to the acceleration – and eventual loss – of the Greenland ice sheet than the gradual increase of temperature, according to a University of British Columbia study.
First carbon-rich exoplanet discovered
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by a former postdoctoral researcher in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics, recently measured the first-ever planetary atmosphere that is substantially enriched in carbon. The researchers found that the carbon-to-oxygen ratio of WASP-12b, an exoplanet about 1.4 times the mass of Jupiter and located about 1,200 light years away, is greater than one.
Technology news
IBM injects predictive analytics into global technology services
IBM today announced that powerful new predictive analytical capabilities, constructed using intellectual property from 21 inventions, have been incorporated into its global technology services portfolio – including information technology and strategic outsourcing services.
WikiLeaks founder is jailed, secrets still flow
(AP) -- WikiLeaks published a new set of cables Wednesday, and in a defiant message posted online the secret-spilling website promised that the leaks would keep on flowing despite the arrest and jailing of its founder on sex allegations.
Ultra-thin solar blind EUV imager reported by Imec
Yesterday at the International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco imec presents an ultra-thin hybrid AlGaN-on-Si-based extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imager with only 10µm pixel-to-pixel pitch. The wide-bandgap material (AlGaN) provides insensitivity to visible wavelengths and enhanced UV radiation hardness compared to silicon. Backside illumination in a hybrid design was used to achieve a very small pitch-to-pitch (10µm only). The novel imager shows an excellent detection down to a wavelength of 1nm.
German teen hacker apologises to Lady Gaga: report
A German teenager under criminal investigation for allegedly stealing pictures and unreleased songs from top pop stars has sent a letter of apology to Lady Gaga, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Samsung readies green memory with advanced chip stacking technology
Samsung Electronics today announced the development of an eight gigabyte registered dual inline memory module based on its advanced Green DDR3 DRAM. The new memory module, which has just been successfully tested by major Samsung customers, delivers superior performance, in particular because of its use of a three-dimensional (3D) chip stacking technology referred to as 'through silicon via' (TSV).
2.8-megawatt fuel cell to anchor Energy Innovation Park
Construction of a fuel cell with enough capacity to power 2,800 homes has begun on the UC San Diego campus as part of a renewable energy project with the city of San Diego and BioFuels Energy to turn waste methane gas from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant directly into electricity without combustion.
WikiLeaks founder is jailed in Britain in sex case
(AP) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested and jailed without bail Tuesday in a sex-crimes investigation, but his organization scarcely missed a beat, releasing a new batch of the secret cables that U.S. officials say are damaging America's security and relations worldwide.
Amazon opens Kindle book store to other merchants
(AP) -- Amazon.com is giving other merchants a chance to sell selections from its electronic book store and earn a commission.
Palm head says turnaround hurt by swifter peers
(AP) -- The head of smart-phone maker Palm said the company's attempt at a turnaround - which ended earlier this year when it was bought by Hewlett Packard for $1.8 billion in cash - was thwarted by competitors that simply moved too quickly.
S.Korea's OCI announces solar panel expansion plan
OCI, South Korea's leading manufacturer of polysilicon used in solar panel cells, Wednesday announced plans to spend 1.88 trillion won (1.65 billion dollars) over the next two years to expand output.
Kindle books to open on Web browsers
Amazon will make its Kindle electronic books available for reading on Web browsers beginning early next year, with people's digital collections saved in the Internet "cloud."
China online video firms jostle for post-TV generation
A crying shop girl runs in front of a red convertible, staring down the driver as he screeches to a halt. "That Love Comes" has all the elements of Chinese television drama, only it is not on TV.
EU slaps huge fine on South Korea, Taiwan LCD cartel
The European Commission imposed Wednesday 649 million euros in fines on South Korean and Taiwanese electronics firms for secret backroom price-fixing of LCD flat screens for Europe's TVs and computers.
Panasonic develops gallium nitride (GaN) power transistor on silicon with blocking-voltage-boosting structure
Panasonic today announced the development of a new technique to drastically increase the blocking voltage of Gallium Nitride (GaN) -based power switching transistor on silicon (Si) substrates. The blocking voltage of the Si substrate can be added to that of the GaN transistor by the new structure which will enable the blocking voltage over 3000V. The new GaN transistor extends the operating voltages of a variety of power switching systems including inverters for industrial use and uninterruptible power supply.
Waiting for a replacement part for your domestic appliance? Print your own
(PhysOrg.com) -- Media coverage: Researchers based at the Innovative Design and Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Bath have designed and developed a printer that can create objects from 3D files.
Review: Facebook fans will 'like' RockMelt browser
(AP) -- There's a lot to keep track of online. You probably have a Facebook account and an e-mail address or two. You might use Twitter or another service to share where you are or what you're reading, thinking or doing. You follow the news and do some old-fashioned Web browsing.
Analysts: LCD TV sales to fall for first time
(AP) -- A research firm says shipments of LCD flat-panel TVs will fall this year from the year before, the first such decline since the popularity of such TVs took off in 2006.
FCC exploring role in TV programming disputes
(AP) -- Federal regulators will explore whether they can do more to protect consumers from losing their television signals because of disputes over the fees that subscription-video providers pay broadcasters for their programming.
Electronic payments crowd out checks in US: Fed
Electronic payments have surged in the United States to more than 75 percent of all noncash payments as check usage continues to fall by the wayside, a Federal Reserve report showed Wednesday.
Race is on in browser wars as users' habits shift
When Dawn Shrum was in college a few years ago, her one and only Web browser was Microsoft Internet Explorer. Boy, has her browsing changed since then.
Google opens online shop for Chrome applications
Google on Tuesday opened an online shop stocked with applications tailored for its increasingly popular Chrome Web browsing software.
Not-so-confidential confidantes: Research shows that locations of online photos may reveal your friendships
Comparing the locations of photos posted on the Internet with social network contacts, Cornell University computer scientists have found that as few as three "co-locations" for images at different times and places could predict with high probability that two people posting photos were socially connected.
Hackers strike at MasterCard to support WikiLeaks
(AP) -- Hackers rushed to the defense of WikiLeaks on Wednesday, launching attacks on MasterCard, Swedish prosecutors, a Swiss bank and others who have acted against the site and its jailed founder Julian Assange.
Medicine & Health news
UBC formulation of leishmaniasis drug shown to be stable, effective in tropical temperatures
A new formulation of Amphotericin B (AmB) developed by University of British Columbia researchers has been shown to be stable in tropical climates and effective in treating Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in mouse models.
Desensitisation approaches effective against hayfever-like allergies
Immunotherapy given as pills or drops under the tongue is a safe and effective way to treat hayfever-like allergies caused by pollen and dust mites, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The researchers say the approach is an attractive alternative to immunotherapy injections in children.
French men are giving up smoking, but not French women
The prevalence of smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke among men in France has fallen by more than 15 per cent since the mid 1980s, but over the same 20-year period has increased among women. As a result, investigators from the World Health Organization French MONICA (MONItoring trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease) centre say the divergent smoking trends predict changes in death rates from coronary heart disease in French men and women since 1985 - estimated as a decline in men of 10-15 per cent, but an increase among women of 0.1-3.6 per cent.
Maintaining mobility in older age
A study by the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme, a joint initiative by Research Council's UK, examines the relationship between successful aging and mobility patterns. While maintaining mobility plays a significant part in healthy aging, a new study highlights a high degree of inactivity even among an "elite" sample of fit and healthy older people aged between 72 and 92 years.
Accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer with ultrasound
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men, but its diagnosis has up to now been inaccurate and unpleasant. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, in cooperation with AMC Amsterdam, have developed an imaging technology that can accurately identify tumors. The technology is based on ultrasound, and also has the potential to assess how aggressive tumors are. This can lead to better and more appropriate treatment, and to cost savings in health care.
Low and high vitamin D levels in older women associated with increased likelihood of frailty
A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that lower and higher vitamin D levels were associated with an increased likelihood of frailty in older women. Women with vitamin D levels between 20.0 and 29.9 ng/ml were at the lowest risk of frailty.
New test shows promise for accurate early diagnosis of Turner syndrome
A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) has demonstrated a novel and accurate test for early diagnosis of Turner syndrome. Turner syndrome affects one in 1,500 to 2,000 female live births and early diagnosis allows for the timely management of short stature and co-morbid conditions including cardiac and renal problems.
Rapid population aging will raise critical challenges for Asian governments: report
Responding to the challenges posed by a rapidly aging population will be one of the most difficult tasks for Asian governments in the first half of this century, says a report released today by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Indonesian Academy of Sciences, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the Science Council of Japan.
Improving pre-eclampsia care with the web
Problems related to pregnancy claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of women every year. Almost all of these deaths are in developing countries – the countries least able to provide effective medical care.
Therapy for incurable childhood diseases is in sight
Alpha-mannosidosis is a rare childhood disease which causes symptoms such as mental retardation or hearing loss and is linked to a lower life expectancy. A European research team headed by Professor Paul Saftig from Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU, Germany) has developed a form of therapy as part of the Alpha-Man project, which will receive around six million euros from the European Union for its next stage of trials. This will enable the first clinical trials to be conducted on people.
Youth report favorable impressions of community street outreach workers
A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy finds that youth generally perceive community street outreach workers positively, regardless of whether they have personally worked with one. Street outreach workers are typically members of the community who intervene to prevent conflict and retaliation, and in some programs, also connect individuals with needed services, such as housing, health care and job training. While communities across the United States are increasingly using street workers as a strategy to connect at-risk youth to services and prevent gang-related violence, little is known about how they are viewed by the youth in their communities, particularly among youth who have not yet worked with one.
Mayo Clinic finds seizure generation in brain is isolated from surrounding brain regions
Mayo Clinic researchers found that the part of the brain generating seizures in individuals with epilepsy is functionally isolated from surrounding brain regions. The researchers hope this finding could be a clinical biomarker to help identify individuals with abnormal brain function. This study was presented at the American Epilepsy Society's annual meeting in San Antonio on Dec. 4.
New forms of dietary fiber to boost health
High-fiber foods are on the way to becoming tastier and more appealing to consumers thanks to new types of dietary fiber now under development. These consumer friendlier forms of fiber, which could be a boon to health, are the topic of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
Home health care could help sustain health care systems, study finds
Home health care technology may provide one important solution to global concerns about how to sustain health care systems threatened by rising costs and manpower shortages, but such a change faces multiple obstacles to adoption, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Checklist keeps you, loved ones safe, happy this holiday season
From overeating to exercise and alcohol, UC San Diego Health System nutritionists, trauma specialists and poison experts offer insights for a health holiday.
New Year's: The deadliest day of the year
It's the holiday season and New Year’s partiers will soon be inundated with warnings about the risks of drinking and driving.
Daycare, nurseries do not protect against asthma
Frequent colds at the day nursery do not protect against asthma or allergy. Under the motto 'That's good for your resistance', many parents think that children benefit from being exposed to infections at a young age. Dutch researcher Daan Caudri has evidence to the contrary. He gained his doctorate on 3 December 2010 from Erasmus University Rotterdam for his research into asthma among young children.
Long-distance ultrasound exams controlled by joystick
Ultrasound is an extremely useful medical technique, provided the operator has the expertise. In small clinics, however – and still more on spacecraft – trained radiologists are rare.
NIHSeniorHealth.gov offers info on anxiety disorders in older adults
Anxiety caused by stressful events like moving or losing a job is a normal part of life. Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, are characterized by persistent, excessive and disabling fear and worry and get progressively worse if left untreated. It is estimated that anxiety disorders affect between 3 and 14 percent of older adults in a given year. To provide an older audience with additional information, NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has added a topic about anxiety disorders.
Autism breakthrough: Researchers identify possible treatment for impaired sociability
Eastern Virginia Medical School researchers have identified a potential novel treatment strategy for the social impairment of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), an aspect of the condition that has a profound impact on quality of life.
Older survivors of mechanical ventilation can expect significant disability
Patients aged 65 and older who survive an episode of mechanical ventilation during a hospitalization are more likely to suffer from long-term disabilities after leaving the hospital than those who survive hospitalization without mechanical ventilation, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. These results were borne out even though the levels of functional disability prior to hospitalization were similar in both groups.
Thousands of children suffer eye injuries from toys
Too many eye injuries happen to children around the holidays due to unsafe use of toys but the vast majority of these injuries can be prevented. December is Safe Toys and Celebrations Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology through its EyeSmart campaign reminds parents of the dangers that toys may pose to children’s eyes.
Study suggests cranberry juice not effective against urinary tract infections
Drinking cranberry juice has been recommended to decrease the incidence of urinary tract infections, based on observational studies and a few small clinical trials. However, a new study published in the January 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, and now available online, suggests otherwise.
Vitamin supplements reduce deaths caused by measles and diarrhea
Vitamin A supplements are still an effective way to reduce childhood death and disease. A new study by Cochrane researchers strongly endorses the continuation of vitamin A supplementation programmes, which reduce the incidence of measles and diarrhoea and ultimately save lives.
See off Alzheimer's with the color purple
Ground-breaking research from Professor Douglas Kell, published in the journal Archives of Toxicology, has found that the majority of debilitating illnesses are in part caused by poorly-bound iron which causes the production of dangerous toxins that can react with the components of living systems.
Frequent sex protects marital happiness for neurotic newlyweds
People who are neurotic often have more difficulty with relationships and marriage. But if neurotic newlyweds have frequent sexual relations, their marital satisfaction is every bit as high as their less neurotic counterparts, according to a study in the current Social Psychological and Personality Science (published by SAGE).
Music relieves stress of assisted breathing
Patients who need assistance to breathe through mechanical ventilation may benefit from listening to music, a new review published in The Cochrane Library shows. The researchers found that music listening may relax patients, potentially resulting in fewer complications.
FDA panel recommends approval for Contrave
A Food and Drug Administration panel on Tuesday recommended that the agency approve Orexigen Therapeutics Inc.'s weight loss drug Contrave, making it the first in group of competitors to get a positive nod from experts.
Till receipts coated in chemical linked to cancer: study
Cash register receipts and paper money have been found to contain high levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical linked to cancer, obesity and early puberty, a study published Wednesday says.
Appeals court says US can't block electronic cigarettes
A US appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government cannot block the sale or import of so-called electronic cigarettes under existing laws, in a victory for the industry.
Depressed men struggle more than depressed women
A new wide-ranging study by the University of Otago, Wellington has shown that men with common mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety, are more likely than women with those disorders to have difficulties with social and role functioning. This is despite the common perception that women often have more problems with mental health and subsequent disabilities.
Potential new treatments for hepatitis B, tuberculosis underway
A researcher and his team with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta have discovered a new class of drugs that could one day be used to treat people with hepatitis B. They have also made a similar discovery for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Whey supplements lower blood pressure
Beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease, a Washington State University study has found.
Surgery complications linked to chemotherapy delay, study finds
Patients who have complications after colorectal cancer surgery are less likely to get chemotherapy, even when it is clearly recommended for their diagnosis, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.
Toddlers with autism show improved social skills following targeted intervention
Targeting the core social deficits of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in early intervention programs yielded sustained improvements in social and communication skills even in very young children who have ASD, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study was published online December 8, 2010, in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Study shows high magnitude stressors stronger than military sexual stressors
A study of long-term, active duty military personnel who used Department of Veterans Affairs' health services showed that childhood maltreatment and other high magnitude stressors, such as being in a serious accident or a natural disaster, were more strongly associated with participants' current psychiatric symptoms than were their military sexual experiences, such as sexual harassment.
Common genetic influences for ADHD and reading disability
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and developmental reading disability (RD) are complex childhood disorders that frequently occur together; if a child is experiencing trouble with reading, symptoms of ADHD are often also present. However, the reason for this correlation remains unknown.
Widening our perceptions of reading and writing difficulties
Learning to read and write are complex processes, which can be disrupted in various ways, leading to disorders known as dyslexia and dysgraphia. Two new studies, published in a recent special issue of Elsevier's Cortex (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00109452) provide evidence of this variety, suggesting that effective treatment needs to take it into account.
New tuberculosis test cheaper for poor countries
(AP) -- Health officials say a new test to diagnose tuberculosis in less than two hours will be available to poor countries for a fraction of its original price.
New mechanism links cellular stress and brain damage
A new study uncovers a mechanism linking a specific type of cellular stress with brain damage similar to that associated with neurodegenerative disease. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 9 issue of the journal Neuron, is the first to highlight the significance of the reduction of a specific calcium signal that is directly tied to cell fate.
Mutation linked to protein degradation underlies inherited ALS
A new study identifies a previously unrecognized mutation that causes an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The research, published by Cell Press in the December 9th issue of the journal Neuron, implicates defects in a cellular pathway linked with degradation of unwanted proteins in the underlying pathology of ALS and provides new insight into this incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disease.
What Zen meditators don't think about won't hurt them
Zen meditation has many health benefits, including a reduced sensitivity to pain. According to new research from the Universite de Montreal, meditators do feel pain but they simply don't dwell on it as much. These findings, published in the month's issue of Pain, may have implications for chronic pain sufferers, such as those with arthritis, back pain or cancer.
Feeling included -- kids with disabilities have their say in landmark study
The playground can be a daunting place for any kid trying to join in and be one of the gang. For kids with disabilities it's just as important to feel included, be accepted and valued -- particularly by their peers.
Evidence of ginseng-boosted brain power is weak
Many people believe that the popular herb ginseng can improve thinking ability and prevent or even treat dementia. However, a comprehensive review of research failed to find convincing evidence of these benefits.
Watching salt intake lowers blood pressure, health risks in diabetes
For patients living with diabetes, reducing the amount of salt in their daily diet is key to warding off serious threats to their health, a new review of studies finds.
Researchers devise computer model for projecting severity of flu season
Researchers have developed a statistical model for projecting how many people will get sick from seasonal influenza based on analyses of flu viruses circulating that season. The research, conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health, appears today in the open-access publication PLoS Currents: Influenza.
Parents' influence on children's eating habits is limited
As primary caregivers, parents are often believed to have a strong influence on children's eating behaviors. However, previous findings on parent-child resemblance in dietary intakes are mixed. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reviewed and assessed the degree of association and similarity between children's and their parents' dietary intake based on worldwide studies published since 1980. The meta-analysis is featured in the December issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The real fear of dental chair revealed
Nearly one in five women – and one in ten men – will suffer ‘extreme dental anxiety’ before they even sit in the dentist’s chair, according to the biggest adult dental survey for a decade.
The Medical Minute: Clean hands equal a healthy body
According to Wikipedia, handshaking was practiced as long ago as the 5th century BCE. That's 25 centuries of passing germs around by hand.
Living in certain neighborhoods increases the chances older men and women will develop cancer
(PhysOrg.com) -- Older people who live in racially segregated neighborhoods with high crime rates have a much higher chance of developing cancer than do older people with similar health histories and income levels who live in safer, less segregated neighborhoods.
Study: People are more willing to give when they can empathize with poor women's plight
(PhysOrg.com) -- Non-profits aiding the sick or poor could increase charitable donations through ads in which consumers empathize with an actor portraying an unfortunate plight.
Brain's visual circuits do error correction on the fly
(PhysOrg.com) -- The brain's visual neurons continually develop predictions of what they will perceive and then correct erroneous assumptions as they take in additional external information, according to new research done at Duke University.
Japan team says stem cells made paralysed monkey jump again
Japanese researchers said Wednesday they had used stem cells to restore partial mobility in a small monkey that had been paralysed from the neck down by a spinal injury.
Scientists discover brain's inherent ability to focus learning
Medical researchers have found a missing link that explains the interaction between brain state and the neural triggers responsible for learning, potentially opening up new ways of boosting cognitive function in the face of diseases such as Alzheimer's as well as enhancing memory in healthy people.
Scientists find molecular glue needed to wire the brain
(PhysOrg.com) -- Yale University researchers have found that a single molecule not only connects brain cells but also changes how we learn. The findings, reported in the December 9 issue of the journal Neuron, may help researchers discover ways to improve memory and could lead to new therapies to correct neurological disorders.
Unlocking the secrets of our compulsions
Researchers have shed new light on dopamine's role in the brain's reward system, which could provide insight into impulse control problems associated with addiction and a number of psychiatric disorders.
Different origins discovered for medulloblastoma tumor subtypes
Investigators have demonstrated for the first time that the most common malignant childhood brain tumor, medulloblastoma, is actually several different diseases, each arising from distinct cells destined to become different structures. The breakthrough is expected to dramatically alter the diagnosis and treatment of this major childhood cancer.
Unraveling Alzheimer's: Simple small molecules could untangle complex disease
(PhysOrg.com) -- New molecular tools developed at the University of Michigan show promise for "cleansing" the brain of amyloid plaques, implicated in Alzheimer's disease.
Genetic test can scan fetus through mom's blood
Scientists have discovered a way to learn everything there is to know about a fetus's genetic make-up by taking a sample of the pregnant mother's blood, said a study released on Wednesday.
TB bacteria use the body's stem cells to protect themselves
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tuberculosis kills around 1.7 million people globally each year, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates around a third of the human population carries the disease, which becomes active in 10 percent of affected people. The bacteria causing the disease are becoming increasingly resistant to drugs, and new ways of treating the disease need to be found urgently.
Our brains are wired so we can better hear ourselves speak, study shows
(PhysOrg.com) -- Like the mute button on the TV remote control, our brains filter out unwanted noise so we can focus on what we're listening to. But when following our own speech, a new brain study from UC Berkeley shows that instead of one mute button, we have a network of volume settings that can selectively silence and amplify the sounds we make and hear.
Biology news
Scientists study essential oils to attract asian citrus psyllid
(PhysOrg.com) -- Chemicals emitted by citrus plants and their relatives that attract Asian citrus psyllids are being tested by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their cooperators, and could help control the spread of citrus greening disease transmitted by the psyllids.
How farm animals 'feel' contributes to productivity
CSIRO is researching ways to improve the welfare of livestock by developing scientific methods for assessing how animals 'feel' in response to common management practices.
Providing incentives to cooperate can turn swords into ploughshares
When two individuals face off in conflict, the classic problem in evolutionary biology known as the prisoner's dilemma says that the individuals are not likely to cooperate even if it is in their best interests to do so. But a new study suggests that with incentives to cooperate, natural selection can minimize conflict, changing the game from one of pure conflict to one of partial cooperation.
Size matters: The strange behavior of small particles at density interfaces
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts have found a remarkable effect while studying how marine particles sink, which could affect the way scientists assess global carbon fluxes. Their question - How fast does organic material and debris clumped together forming porous particles settle to the sea floor?
Malaria mosquitoes guided by bacteria
The composition of our skin bacteria determines whether we are attractive to malaria mosquito. This insight should make it possible to develop an effective odor trap for mosquitoes.
Bacteria with "force sensors"
If connective tissue fibres are under tension, bacteria do not bind to them so well. However, if the fibres are severed and slackened by a cut, the bacterial adhesion molecules recognise this and attach themselves, which enables them to cause infections.
The future of stem cell research
Perhaps no single scientist has had a greater impact on stem cell research than Dr. Shinya Yamanaka. While most of his colleagues were looking for ways to grow human embryonic stem cells into replacement tissues for treating patients, the Japanese researcher took the opposite approach and figured out how to rewind mature body cells to a flexible state where they could again become many types of cells in the body. His 2006 discovery of so-called iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) paves the way for pursuing regenerative medicine therapies without the need to destroy embryos.
Melanopsin looks on the bright side of life
Better known as the light sensor that sets the body's biological clock, melanopsin also plays an important role in vision: Via its messengers-so-called melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells, or mRGCs-it forwards information about the brightness of incoming light directly to conventional visual centers in the brain, reports an international collaboration of scientists in this week's issue of PLoS Biology.
Researchers use banned herbicide to prolong worms' life
It sounds like science fiction – Dr. Siegfried Hekimi and his student Dr. Wen Yang, researchers at McGill's Department of Biology, tested the current "free radical theory of aging" by creating mutant worms that had increased production of free radicals, predicting they would be short-lived. But they lived even longer than regular worms! Moreover, their enhanced longevity was abolished when they were treated with antioxidants such as vitamin C.
Scientists rediscover Africa's 'terrible hairy fly'
A group of scientists has rediscovered the world's rarest and strangest fly in a cave in Kenya, collecting the first "terrible hairy fly" specimen since 1948, a statement said Wednesday.
Birds: Soaring is better than flapping
Large birds, such as storks, save energy on the flight to their wintering grounds by soaring through the air on thermal currents. Until now, however, we knew nothing about the flight patterns of small migrating songbirds, such as whether they flap their wings or soar and whether these styles of flight allow them to save energy.
Reproductive scientists create mice from 2 fathers
Using stem cell technology, reproductive scientists in Texas, led by Dr. Richard R. Berhringer at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, have produced male and female mice from two fathers.
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