Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 31, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Fast-recharge '3D' lithium-ion battery prototype could be perfect for electric cars- The first non-trivial atom circuit: Progress towards an atom SQUID
- Getting to know the strong force, one of the four fundamental forces of the universe
- More-efficient computation: Finding local solutions to overwhelmingly complex problems
- Spacecrafts reveal mysteries of Jupiter and Saturn rings
- Researchers electrify polymerization
- Novel nanowires boost fuel cell efficiency
- Charge it: Neutral atoms made to act like electrically charged particles
- UT professor finds economic importance of bats in the billions
- Study suggests rare genetic variants most likely to influence disease
- Stereolize creates a 234-inch touch screen (w/ video)
- Biological molecules select their spin
- Scientists isolate mysterious 'ribbon' of energy and particles that wraps around heliosphere
- Expanding the degrees of surface freezing
- Novel technique reveals how glaciers sculpted their valleys
Space & Earth news
Seismologist reflects on his firsthand experience of the Japanese earthquake
Eminent seismologist Hiroo Kanamori, Caltech's Smits Professor of Geophysics, Emeritus, has been studying the movement of the earth his entire career. On March 11 he was in Tokyo, experiencing firsthand the largest earthquake in the country's recorded history.
Giffords' astronaut husband awaiting doctors' OK
(AP) -- Space shuttle commander Mark Kelly is still awaiting doctors' final OK on whether his congresswoman wife can attend his launch in just under three weeks.
US troops exposed to polluted air in Iraq, researchers report
Military personnel and contractors stationed in Iraq risk not only enemy gunfire, suicide bombers, and roadside bombs, but the very air they breathe often is polluted with dust and other particles of a size and composition that could pose immediate and long-term health threats, scientists reported today at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
First report on bioaccumulation and processing of antibacterial ingredient TCC in fish
In the first report on the uptake and internal processing of triclocarban (TCC) in fish, scientists today reported strong evidence that TCC — an antibacterial ingredient in some soaps and the source of environmental health concerns because of its potential endocrine-disrupting effects — has a "strong" tendency to bioaccumulate in fish. They presented the findings here today at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
Giant stars reveal inner secrets for the first time
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Sydney astrophysicists are behind a major breakthrough in the study of stars known as red giants, finding a way to peer deep into their cores to discover which ones are in early infancy, which are fresh-faced teenagers, and which are facing their dying days.
Arctic ice gets a check up
Scientists tracking the annual maximum extent of Arctic sea ice said that 2011 was among the lowest ice extents measured since satellites began collecting the data in 1979. Using satellites to track Arctic ice and comparing it with data from previous years is one way that scientists track change in the Arctic system.
USGS finds 2,000-year-old coral near BP Gulf well
(AP) -- Federal scientists say they have dated coral living near the site of the busted BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico at 2,000 years old.
Human impacts on the marine ecosystems of Antarctica
A team of scientists in the United Kingdom and the United States has warned that the native fauna and unique ecology of the Southern Ocean, the vast body of water that surrounds the Antarctic continent, is under threat from human activity. Their study is published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Earth movements from Japan earthquake seen from space
Satellite images have been essential for helping relief efforts in Japan following the massive quake that struck on 11 March. Now scientists are using ESA’s space radars to improve our understanding of tectonic events.
GREAT spectrometer readied for flight on SOFIA
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists recently completed a series of nighttime, ground-based testing of the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, or GREAT, spectrometer in preparation for a series of astronomical science flights on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy in April. With the SOFIA 747SP aircraft positioned on the ramp outside NASA’s Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility, the upper door covering the telescope was opened and GREAT’s interaction with the telescope was evaluated.
NASA's TRMM satellite sees deadly rainfall over Thailand
Data from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite was used to create a rainfall map of the severe rains that fell in Thailand recently. More than 20 people have been killed in southern Thailand over the past week due to flooding and mudslides caused by extremely heavy rainfall.
Try failed stars for alien life
The search for alien life usually focuses on planets around other stars. But a lesser-known possibility is that life has sprung up on planets that somehow were ejected from their original solar systems and became free-floating in the universe, as well as on small bodies called sub-brown dwarfs, which are stars so small and dim they are not really stars at all, but function more like planets.
Airplane contrails worse than CO2 emissions for global warming: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent study published in Nature Climate Change, Dr. Ulrike Burkhardt and Dr. Bernd Karcher from the Institute for Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Centre show that the contrails created by airplanes are contributing more to global warming that all the CO2 that has been caused by the entire 108 years of airplane flight.
Scientists isolate mysterious 'ribbon' of energy and particles that wraps around heliosphere
In a paper to be published in the April 10, 2011, issue of The Astrophysical Journal, scientists on NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, including lead author Nathan Schwadron and others from the University of New Hampshire, isolate and resolve the mysterious "ribbon" of energy and particles the spacecraft discovered in the heliosphere – the huge bubble that surrounds our solar system and protects us from galactic cosmic rays.
Novel technique reveals how glaciers sculpted their valleys
The beautiful and distinctive U-shaped glacial valleys typical of alpine areas from Alaska to New Zealand have fascinated and frustrated geologists for centuries.
European settlers not the first to alter american landscape
One of the great American myths claims that before Europeans colonists settled in North America, Native Americans existed in total harmony with nature, surviving on the renewable bounty that the continent's natural environment provided and altering little of the surrounding landscapes. They were America’s first environmentalists and the land they lived in remained unspoiled. But that is not entirely true.
Spacecrafts reveal mysteries of Jupiter and Saturn rings
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a celestial forensic exercise, scientists analyzing data from NASA's Cassini, Galileo and New Horizons missions have traced telltale ripples in Saturn and Jupiter's rings to specific collisions with cometary fragments that occurred decades, not millions of years, ago.
Technology news
Chatting babies video a YouTube sensation
A video of a pair of diaper-clad babies seemingly engaged in an animated conversation in a home kitchen was a fast-spreading YouTube sensation.
Don't coil it, pour it
For the electric car to roll, a lot of large and small components must function in a safe and reliable manner. Parts for wheel hub motors, in particular, need to be constructed in a robust manner. The researchers from Fraunhofer have filed a patent for a new production process for coils for electrical motors.
Solving the problem of autonomous refuelling with robots
Robots will be used to help solve the problem of autonomous engagement for in-flight refuelling. This new research could pave the way for civil or military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights to last days or even weeks.
Mobile with electricity
Electric cars are cleaner, quieter and more efficient than gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles. Even so, they have not yet caught on. Now, however, a new era is beginning: the era of electric mobility. Experts from Fraunhofer are making important contributions to this. A selection of the research projects is being presented at the Hannover Messe trade fair.
Creating green aviation technology
"Green" research has become a burgeoning field at NASA, and Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., is definitely on board. Scientists, engineers and researchers at Ames conduct a variety of green projects in relation to aviation. “Green is not just a buzzword to us,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at Ames' Green Aviation Summit last September.
Web hosting titan under fire for killing elephant
The founder of website domain hosting firm Go Daddy was under fire on Thursday for an online video showing him proudly killing an elephant in Zimbabwe.
Google localizes search in Iraq and Tunisia
Google on Thursday began providing searches and results localized for Internet users in Iraq and Tunisia.
Google reaches privacy settlement with FTC
(AP) -- Google has agreed to adopt a comprehensive privacy program to settle federal charges that it deceived users and violated its own privacy policy when it launched a social networking service called Buzz last year.
Zite news app accused of copyright infringement
The Washington Post, Dow Jones, Time Inc. and other news organizations have accused iPad news reader Zite of copyright infringement and told the Canadian startup to stop displaying their articles.
US energy future hazy on Japan, environment fears
The United States faces tough questions as it tries to plot its energy future in the wake of the Japan nuclear disaster and long-running environmental and security concerns, analysts say.
Twitter co-founder Williams taking wing
Twitter co-founder Evan Williams is throttling back his role in the hot microblogging startup and turning his attention to a new entrepreneurial endeavor.
Japan disasters could send gadget prices higher
Disaster-hit Japan churns out many of the world's smartphones, video cameras and other gadgets and while sales are not expected to suffer around the globe, industry analysts expect prices to rise.
Google's citizen cartographers map out the world
Google on Thursday revealed that an army of citizen cartographers is behind its widely used mapping service, helping the Internet search giant chart the world, including often inaccessible places.
Cybersquatting disputes grow in 2010
The number of challenges for cybersquatting -- the misleading use of trademarks for Internet domain names -- rose by 28 percent last year, the World Intellectual Property Organisation said Thursday.
Japan disaster sparks social media innovation
(AP) -- As Japan grapples with an unprecedented triple disaster - earthquake, tsunami, nuclear crisis - the Web has spawned creativity and innovation online amid a collective desire to ease suffering.
Vodafone to buy out Indian partner for $5B
(AP) -- Vodafone has agreed to pay $5 billion cash to buy out the Essar Group's stake in their Indian joint venture.
China to raise rare earths production this year
(AP) -- China said Thursday it will increase this year's production quota for rare earths but gave no sign it might reverse plans to cut exports of the exotic metals needed by high-tech industry.
Wind power in Spain reaches historic high
Wind power became Spain's main source of electricity for the first time ever this month, in a country renowned for its focus on renewable energy, the power-generating authority REE said Thursday.
New tool makes programs more efficient without sacrificing safety functions
Computer programs are incorporating more and more safety features to protect users, but those features can also slow the programs down by 1,000 percent or more. Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a software tool that helps these programs run much more efficiently without sacrificing their safety features.
College students more connected than ever through their smart phones
For the first time, more college students are using smart phones than traditional feature phones, reports a new study from Ball State University.
Got a cool invention idea? Quirky takes your concept and turns it into a real product -- and pays you too
What are you going to do with that can't-miss gadget idea you've had in your head all these years?
Spanish scientists search for fuel of the future
In a forest of tubes eight metres high in eastern Spain scientists hope they have found the fuel of tomorrow: bio-oil produced with algae mixed with carbon dioxide from a factory.
Microsoft skewers Google in EU antitrust complaint
(AP) -- Microsoft Corp. escalated its attack on Google Inc. by complaining to European regulators Thursday that its fiercest rival is an Internet bully that abuses its dominance of online search and advertising.
Amazon, others make fixes after IU informaticists uncover online security flaws, receive free products
(PhysOrg.com) -- Internet security researchers at Indiana University and Microsoft Research have exploited software flaws in leading online stores that use third-party payment services PayPal, Amazon Payments and Google Checkout to receive products for free or at prices far below the advertised purchase price.
Professor's algorithms unlock Van Gogh mysteries
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Cornell electrical engineering professor is helping art historians do a little detective work by using computing algorithms to identify which of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings came from the same original rolls of canvas.
Stereolize creates a 234-inch touch screen (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Touch screens are nothing new. The odds are that if you have a smart phone, then you probably have one in your pocket or purse right now. Have you ever seen one that is taller than you?
Fast-recharge '3D' lithium-ion battery prototype could be perfect for electric cars
The next-generation battery, like next-generation TV, may be 3-D, scientists reported here today at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). They described a new lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, already available in a prototype version, with a three-dimensional interior architecture that could be perfect for the electric cars now appearing in auto dealer showrooms.
More-efficient computation: Finding local solutions to overwhelmingly complex problems
At a time when the Internet puts an untold amount of information at anyone’s fingertips, and automated scientific experiments churn out data faster than researchers can keep up with it, and communications networks can include billions of people, even the simplest computational tasks can become so enormous that they would overwhelm even a powerful supercomputer. But sometimes it’s enough to know just a little bit about the solution to a monstrous calculation: biologists mining genomic data, for instance, might be interested in just a handful of genes.
Medicine & Health news
Clinical trial success for Crohn's disease cell therapy
Speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting later today, Professor Miguel Forte will describe research into a new cell therapy for chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease. Patient's own blood cells are used to produce a type of cell – Type 1 T regulatory lymphocyte – that can reduce the extent of the disease.
GOP trying to use tax law to limit abortions
(AP) -- House Republicans want to limit tax breaks for insurance policies that cover abortions as lawmakers try to chip away at President Barack Obama's health overhaul.
Cooling the burn
"When we talked to the girls about cyberbullying on Facebook, it was like an explosion. They all knew someone who’d been bullied that way."
Keeping a beating heart in rhythm
Screening for a group of genetic mutations in people with a special heart condition could help doctors determine who is at risk for cardiac arrest or sudden death, reports a new study in Science Translational Medicine today.
European-wide study confirms benefits of D-penicillamine and trientine for Wilson disease
Results from the first ever European-wide retrospective analysis presented today at the International Liver CongressTM have shown both D-penicillamine and trientine continue to be effective treatments, providing positive survival rates in patients with Wilson disease free from a liver transplant.
IOVS publishes consensus findings on meibomian gland dysfunction
The first global consensus report on meibomian gland dysfunction — a major cause of lid disease and evaporative dry eye — has been published in a special issue of the Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) journal. The report is the result of findings from a two-year-long workshop composed of more than 50 leading clinical and basic research experts from around the world.
Results show benefits in using acute kidney injury criteria in the diagnosis of cirrhosis
The first clinical study investigating the use of the AKIN criteria (Acute Kidney Injury Network) in cirrhosis has shown significant benefits that have the potential to change future diagnosis, according to results from a Spanish study presented today at the International Liver Congress.
Patients with severe non-inflammatory respiratory disease face anemia risk
A study of nearly 600 patients with severe non-inflammatory respiratory disease has found that a significant percentage also suffered from anaemia, according to the April issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
Chinese food for thought
Chinese food contains a hidden recipe for living, a new analysis reveals.
More organs for transplant when icu docs help take care of brain dead donors, says UPMC
More than twice as many lungs and nearly 50 percent more kidneys could be recovered for transplant operations if intensive care physicians were to work with organ procurement organization (OPO) coordinators to monitor and manage donor bodies after brain death has occurred, according to an analysis by UPMC and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physicians that is now in the online version of the American Journal of Transplantation.
Trial to test laser acupuncture treatment for osteoarthritis
(PhysOrg.com) -- The potential for laser acupuncture to provide painless and effective treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain is being put to the test in a clinical trial beginning in Sydney.
Sequential treatment with entecavir and lamivudine results in rebound of hepatitis B virus
A two-year trial of entecavir followed by lamivudine (LAM) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection resulted in a virologic rebound rate of 24% and 12% drug-resistance rate. Patients who continued on entecavir therapy throughout the study period had undetectable HBV DNA at the two-year endpoint. Details of this trial are published in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Engineer studies how to reduce impact of power tools vibrations
Anyone who's ever used an electric or gas lawnmower knows how pushing the device can cause tingling hands. This side-effect is caused by motor vibrations and comes with the turf for people who cut grass for a living.
Researchers need to engage lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transginder populations in health studies
Researchers need to proactively engage lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in health studies and collect data on these populations to identify and better understand health conditions that affect them, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The scarcity of research yields an incomplete picture of LGBT health status and needs, which is further fragmented by the tendency to treat sexual and gender minorities as a single homogeneous group, said the committee that wrote the report.
New strategic plan for NIH obesity research seeks to curb epidemic
To combat the obesity epidemic, the National Institutes of Health is encouraging diverse scientific investigations through a new Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research.
Remove children's catheters as soon as possible to prevent bloodstream infections
Hospitals can reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by assessing daily the patient's progress and removing the device as early as possible, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online March 31 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
First study in decade provides hope for patients suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis
Results from an international study presented today at the International Liver Congress have shown Obeticholic Acid (OCA) is a safe and effective treatment in patients suffering from Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) as demonstrated by substantial decreases in the levels of alkaline phosphatase (AP) enzyme in the blood, a key marker for PBC.
Allergy season no laughing matter
For allergy sufferers, April Fools’ Day means something better than a good laugh. It’s the start of the daily Gottlieb Allergy Count.
Pilot study examines stress, anxiety and needs of young women with a unique breast cancer
When an aggressive form of breast cancer strikes a young woman, what kind of stress, anxiety and other psychological and social challenges does she face?
New therapeutic target for lung cancer
A new therapeutic target for lung cancer has been discovered by researchers at Seoul National University. It was found that a variant of the protein AIMP2 is highly expressed in lung cancer cells and also that patients demonstrating high expression of this variant show lower survival. The study is published on March 31 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
FDA panel votes to study food dyes, hyperactivity
(AP) -- A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended Thursday that the agency further study the link between food coloring and childhood hyperactivity but said products that contain the dyes do not need package warnings.
Game changer: Hepatitis C drug may revolutionize treatment
The drug boceprevir helps cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C, says Saint Louis University investigator Bruce R. Bacon, M.D., author of the March 31 New England Journal of Medicine article detailing the study's findings. The results, which were first reported at the 61st annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease's last November, offer a brighter outlook for patients who have not responded to standard treatment.
Attacking bowel cancer on two fronts
Stem cells in the intestine, which when they mutate can lead to bowel cancers, might also be grown into transplant tissues to combat the effects of those same cancers, the UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) annual science meeting will hear today.
Study suggests a relationship between migraine headaches in children and a common heart defect
Roughly 15% of children suffer from migraines, and approximately one-third of these affected children have migraines with aura, a collection of symptoms that can include weakness, blind spots, and even hallucinations. Although the causes of migraines are unclear, a new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests a connection between migraine headaches in children and a heart defect called patent foramen ovale, which affects 25% of people in the U.S.
New approach to leukemia chemotherapy -- is a cure in sight?
Speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network conference in York later today (31 March), Professor Tessa Holyoake from the University of Glasgow will discuss a brand new approach to treating chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in which a small number of cancer cells persist despite effective therapy thus preventing cure.
Greater versatility of adult stem cells thanks to 3-D lab experiments
A type of adult stem cell is now proving itself more versatile for research and therapies thanks to revolutionary 3D experiments. These cells have already shown great promise for repairing damaged bone and cartilage but until now have been fairly limited in the types of cells they can form in the laboratory.
New technique may help quell cholera outbreak
A new technique honed by University of Florida scientists can track rapid molecular changes that occur in cholera strains during epidemics and researchers hope the genetic analysis will help stamp out such outbreaks.
After 30 years, war on AIDS at 'moment of truth'
With the war on AIDS nearing its 30th anniversary, the UN on Thursday declared "a moment of truth" had come for new strategies to address the campaign's failures and brake costs that were now unsustainable.
The future of breast cancer prevention
Drugs could be used to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of the disease in the same way that statins are used for heart disease if trials looking at ways of predicting risk are successful, according to an international panel of cancer experts.
New approach to drug resistance in aggressive childhood cancer discovered
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital have identified a promising new approach to overcoming drug resistance in children with an extremely aggressive childhood muscle cancer known as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Their findings are published online this week in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and will be featured on the cover of the journal's print edition next month.
Different genes influence smoking risk during adolescence and adulthood
There is growing evidence that the risk factors for addiction change throughout the lifespan.
Latest hands-free electronic water faucets found to be hindrance, not help, in infection control
A study of newly installed, hands-free faucets at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, all equipped with the latest electronic-eye sensors to automatically detect hands and dispense preset amounts of water, shows they were more likely to be contaminated with one of the most common and hazardous bacteria in hospitals compared to old-style fixtures with separate handles for hot and cold water.
What the brain saw
The moment we open our eyes, we perceive the world with apparent ease. But the question of how neurons in the retina encode what we "see" has been a tricky one. A key obstacle to understanding how our brain functions is that its components—neurons—respond in highly nonlinear ways to complex stimuli, making stimulus-response relationships extremely difficult to discern.
First MR images to show complete borders in human cerebral cortex
Understanding functional properties of the brain’s structural units is one of the main aims of brain research. Until now only fragmentary borders of brain areas could be identified in vivo since the resolution in MR images was not high enough. By using a high-field MRI scanner (field strength of 7 Tesla), a team of researchers led by Stefan Geyer and Robert Turner from the Department of Neurophysics at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig made borders between some areas of the Brodmann map more clearly visible in a living human brain than ever before. More than a century ago, neuroanatomist Korbinian Brodmann subdivided the human cerebral cortex microscopically into structurally different areas. These “Brodmann maps” are used to this day as a classic structural guide to functional units in the cortex in neuroscientific research. This indirect correlation can be somewhat imprecise, however, as no human brain is like anoth! er. The technological breakthrough achieved by the research team from Leipzig moves the concept of an individual brain atlas into the realm of possibility.
The brain against words in the mirror
Most people can read texts reflected in a mirror slowly and with some effort, but a team of scientists from the Basque Centre on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL) has shown for the first time that we can mentally turn these images around and understand them automatically and unconsciously, at least for a few instants.
New insight into 'aha' memories
When we suddenly get the answer to a riddle or understand the solution to a problem, we can practically feel the light bulb click on in our head. But what happens after the 'Aha!' moment? Why do the things we learn through sudden insight tend to stick in our memory?
A new signaling pathway of the immune system is elucidated
A new signaling pathway, which is important for the regulation of the immune response and inflammation, was discovered by an international team of scientists led by prof Ivan Dikic from the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. The scientists studied the involvement of ubiquitin, a universally present signaling protein in the cell. In today's issue of the scientific journal "Nature" the scientists report a novel type of modified ubiquitin chains involved in regulation of various processes within the cell.
Managing the psychological effects of natural disasters
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the wake of the Queensland floods, the Christchurch earthquake, and the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis, people are asking for advice about how we should manage the effects of disaster on mental health. Many people offer opinions to media, policy makers, and survivors on this issue but much of this advice is ill-informed.
Angelina Jolie vs. Kathy Bates -- who is a valid role model?
Exposure to attractive, aggressive, female leads in films affects how men and women think about who women ought to be in the real world. Women in particular have high standards for other women, and expect them to be both stereotypically feminine and masculine i.e. beautiful and aggressive rather than beautiful and passive. That's according to new research by Laramie Taylor and Tiffany Setters, from the University of California, Davis in the US, published online in Springer's Sex Roles journal.
Immune therapy can control fertility in mammals
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males. For pets, the technique could be an alternative to castration and adverse effects of hormone administration.
Scientists discover new drug target for inflammatory bowel disease: cytokine (IL-23)
A new discovery published in the April 2001 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology raises hope that new treatments for illnesses like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are on the horizon. That's because they've identified IL-23, a cytokine used by the immune system to ward off disease, as a major contributor to the inflammation that is the hallmark of these illnesses. With this information, it is now possible to develop new treatments that stop or reduce the damaging effects of IL-23, potentially bringing relief to millions of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and possibly other inflammatory illnesses as well.
Genetic alteration may represent early stage of smoking-induced cardiovascular damage
A new study uncovers a previously unrecognized link between tobacco smoking and a gene known to influence the cardiovascular system, possibly identifying an early stage of smoking-associated cardiovascular pathology. The research, published by Cell Press in the April issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics, may serve to guide future research strategies aimed at identifying and counteracting mechanisms of smoking-induced pathology.
Older and stronger: Progressive resistance training can build muscle, increase strength as we age
Getting older doesn't mean giving up muscle strength. Not only can adults fight the battle of strength and muscle loss that comes with age, but the Golden Years can be a time to get stronger, say experts at the University of Michigan Health System.
McMaster vaccine has pet owners feline groovy
Good-bye itching, watering eyes and sneezing. McMaster University researchers have developed a vaccine which successfully treats people with an allergy to cats.
Genetic defect suggests high blood pressure may come from mom
A specific genetic defect in one Chinese family shows that high blood pressure was inherited from the female parent, researchers report in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
US cancer death rates in decline, national report finds
A report from the nation's leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2003 and 2007. The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.
Age-related conditions develop faster in adults with diabetes
Middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don't have diabetes, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
Annual report to the nation focuses on brain tumors
Lung cancer death rates in women have fallen for the first time in four decades, according to an annual report on the status of cancer published online March 31 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The drop comes about 10 years after lung cancer deaths in men began to fall, a delay that reflects the later uptake of smoking by women in the middle of the last century.
A salty way to safer shellfish
(PhysOrg.com) -- A spritz of lemon and a dash of hot sauce make oysters taste great -- but a bath of salt water might make them more safe to eat. A new report finds that exposing oysters raised in low-salinity water to a weeklong douse in ocean water before harvest can rid oysters of the dangerous Vibrio vulnificus bacterium.
Study identifies promising target for AIDS vaccine
A section of the AIDS virus's protein envelope once considered an improbable target for a vaccine now appears to be one of the most promising, new research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists indicates.
Scientists discover crucial trigger for tumor protein
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian scientists have contributed to an important international discovery, which could play a critical role in the future treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases.
HIV protein unveils vaccine target
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international study headed by a UC Davis scientist describes how a component of a potential HIV vaccine opens like a flower, undergoing one of the most dramatic protein rearrangements yet observed in nature. The finding could reveal new targets for vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. A paper describing the work was published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers discover how brain's memory center repairs damage from head injury
Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have described for the first time how the brain's memory center repairs itself following severe trauma – a process that may explain why it is harder to bounce back after multiple head injuries.
3 square meals a day paired with lean protein help people feel full during weight loss
(PhysOrg.com) -- Eating fewer, regular-sized meals with higher amounts of lean protein can make one feel more full than eating smaller, more frequent meals, according to new research from Purdue University.
Misreading faces tied to child social anxiety
Children suffering from extreme social anxiety are trapped in a nightmare of misinterpreted facial expressions: They confuse angry faces with sad ones, a new Emory University study shows.
Fruit fly's response to starvation could help control human appetites
Biologists at UC San Diego have identified the molecular mechanisms triggered by starvation in fruit flies that enhance the nervous system's response to smell, allowing these insects and presumably vertebrates—including humans—to become more efficient and voracious foragers when hungry.
Study suggests rare genetic variants most likely to influence disease
New genomic analyses suggest that the most common genetic variants in the human genome aren't the ones most likely causing disease. Rare genetic variants, the type found most often in functional areas of human DNA, are more often linked to disease, genetic experts at Duke University Medical Center report.
Researchers find link between DNA damage and immune response
Researchers offer the first evidence that DNA damage can lead to the regulation of inflammatory responses, the body's reaction to injury. The proteins involved in the regulation help protect the body from infection.
Biology news
Stink bugs shouldn't pose problem until late summer
Last fall, Stephanie Sturmfels battled stink bugs at her Pike Creek home and yard. “Stink bugs were on my deck, they were on my front porch, some were even in my house,” recalls the mother of two small children. “My four-year-old daughter, Madison, would go around and collect stink bugs in pieces of tissue.”
Studies give growers tools to bring new tropical plant to Indiana
Purdue University researchers have developed a set of propagation and production protocols that will help Indiana greenhouse growers bring a tropical plant into flower for spring sales.
Getting closer to a better biocontrol for garden pests
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found strains of bacteria that could one day be used as environmentally friendly treatments to keep caterpillars and other pests out of gardens and cultivated fields.
Argentine polo pony breeding boosted by biotech
Argentina is vastly expanding its breeding of its world class polo ponies thanks to the use of embryo transfers that help breeders get the most from their top-performing mares and stallions.
British small bird numbers bouncing back: survey
Small garden birds which were hit by the long, harsh winter a year ago have bounced back in Britain this year, according to results from the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch survey.
Video: Could cancer be our oldest ancestor?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Arizona State University researcher Paul Davies shares his theory about cancer being our evolutionary ancestor. read more
Oak trees have a lot of gall
Those valley oak trees (Quercus lobata) in California's Central Valley have a lot of gall.
New research reveals insight into lignin biosynthesis
Lignin is the durable biopolymer that gives carrots their fiber and crunch and meat grilled over a campfire its characteristic smoky flavor. Acting as the glue that holds the plant cell wall together, lignin imparts tremendous mechanical strength to the plant. Present in all land plants except mosses, lignin performs three important functions: it allows plants to grow upright as they compete for sunlight, it facilitates the upward movement of water and minerals through the plant's vascular tissue, and it protects plants from pathogens and foraging animals. Lignin also sequesters atmospheric carbon in its tissues and thereby plays an important role in the carbon cycle. Approximately 30% of non-fossil organic carbon is stored in lignin, and, after cellulose, lignin is the most abundant biological polymer on Earth.
Bee farmland activity research gives academics a buzz
(PhysOrg.com) -- Certain crops influence the number of bees in farmland habitats, according to groundbreaking new research by the University of Plymouth.
'Wicked Weed of the West' waning with effect of weevils, other nontoxic remedies
(PhysOrg.com) -- It's not often that plants are described as diabolical, but spotted knapweed has that rare distinction. A 2004 issue of Smithsonian magazine, for instance, dubbed it the "wicked weed of the West," a "national menace" and a "weed of mass destruction."
Human embryonic stem cells provide new insight into muscular dystrophy
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common inherited muscular dystrophy in adults. New research published by Cell Press online on March 31st in the journal Cell Stem Cell, uses human embryonic stem cells to make a clinically-important contribution to the understanding of this disease, and highlights the incredible potential that embryonic stem cells hold for unraveling the complex molecular mechanisms involved in a variety of human conditions.
Repulsive smell could combat bed bugs
In recent years, bed bug infestations have become increasingly common in Swedish homes. There are two different species of bed bug that suck blood from humans – the common bed bug and the tropical bed bug. Increased foreign travel has meant that tropical bed bugs frequently accompany travellers to Sweden.
Intelligent design: Engineered protein fragment blocks the AIDS virus from entering cells
In what could be a potential breakthrough in the battle against AIDS and a major development in the rational design of new drugs, scientists have engineered a new protein that prevents the virus from entering cells. This protein is based on a naturally occurring protein in the body that protects cells from viruses, except the man-made version does not cause inflammation and other side effects at the dosages needed to inhibit AIDS. This discovery was published in the April 2011 issue of The FASEB Journal.
Probiotic bacteria could help treat Crohn's disease
New research suggests that infection with a probiotic strain of E. coli bacteria could help treat an reduce the negative effects of another E. coli infection that may be associated with Crohn's disease. Researchrs from the University of Auckland, New Zealand publish their results in the April 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
It's good to have a shady side: Sun and shade leaves play different roles in tree canopies
'Outer' tree canopy leaves influence the sunlight reaching inner canopy leaves by changing their shape, says a new study.
Biomedical engineers develop computational model to better understand genomes
Biomedical engineers have developed a computational model that will help biological researchers clearly identify the significance of variations between different genomes — the complex sequences of DNA and RNA at the foundation of all living organisms. The findings will be published March 31 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology.
Micro-RNA blocks the effect of insulin in obesity
(PhysOrg.com) -- German researchers have discovered a new mechanism that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in obesity.
Research shows some algae might help reduce nuclear waste
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research conducted by Minna Krejci and her colleagues at Northwestern University in Chicago, and published in ChemSusChem, suggests that the algae, Closterium moniliferum, might one day soon be used to help separate strontium from calcium in nuclear waste. If successful, the process could lead to a reduction in the amount of nuclear waste that is left over from nuclear power facilities, and might even help in cleanup when accidents occur such as the one in Chernobyl, Ukraine, that spewed great quantities of strontium into the surrounding environment (but not like the current situation in Fukushima, because there the problem is xenon and iodine). This is important because the amount of waste is piling up; currently around hundred million gallons of toxic sludge exist in just the United States.
Closer look at cell membrane shows cholesterol 'keeping order'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cell membranes form the "skin" of most every cell in your body, but the ability to view them up close and in motion cannot be rendered by many experimental techniques. A team of scientists working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of California, Irvine, recently developed a way to magnify them dramatically. Their work has helped illuminate the important role of cholesterol within this boundary between the cell and the outside world.
Monkeys have better basic counting skills than originally thought
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent study published in Nature Communications, it appears that Old World monkeys have the ability to count better than was originally thought. The research also shows that when presented with counting tasks, these long-tailed macaques are very similar to children in suppressing their impulses.
UT professor finds economic importance of bats in the billions
Bats in North America are under a two-pronged attack but they are not the only victim – so is the U.S. economy. Gary McCracken, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, analyzed the economic impact of the loss of bats in North America in agriculture and found it to be in the $3.7 to $53 billion a year range.
Some populations of Fraser River salmon more likely to survive climate change: study
Populations of Fraser River sockeye salmon are so fine-tuned to their environment that any further environmental changes caused by climate change could lead to the disappearance of some populations, while others may be less affected, says a new study by University of British Columbia scientists.
Scientists call for more robust measures to identify and protect endangered species
Conservationists may need to change their approach to protecting animals and plants from extinction if they are to successfully shield key species and habitats from the effects of global climate change, according to a new review in the journal Science.
Aimless proteins crucial to disease, research suggests
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford University discovered that a supposedly inactive protein actually plays a crucial role in the ability of one the world's most prolific pathogens to cause disease, findings that suggest the possible role of similarly errant proteins in other diseases.
This email is a free service of PhysOrg.com
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://www.physorg.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment