Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 27, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- The quantum world writ large: Using short optical pulses to study macroscopic quantum behavior- New advanced biofuel as an alternative to diesel fuel
- Chemists devise means to use bacteria to encode secret messages
- Flocking robots take to the sky (w/ video)
- Researchers uncover secrets of 'miracle fruit'
- Graphene walls could make powerful electronics
- Brain rhythms are key to learning
- New 'FeTRAM' is promising computer memory technology
- 'Darkest' world enlightens astronomers about mysterious light-gobbling planet
- Facebook answers privacy flap over leftover cookies
- Frankenstein's moon: Astronomers vindicate account of masterwork
- Astronomers crack the Fried Egg Nebula
- Military tests usefulness of smart devices
- Tracing an elusive killer parasite in Peru
- Popular supplement - saw palmetto extract - has no effect on prostate health: study
Space & Earth news
Spin overtaking facts in Marcellus Shale debate
(AP) -- Some insist Marcellus Shale natural gas is a huge economic boom for America, while others are certain it's an environmental catastrophe.
A labor saving way to monitor vast rangelands
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a tool used by the military, may be suitable for keeping an eye on changing land-use patterns across vast tracts of western rangeland.
NRL launches TacSat-4 to augment communications needs
The Navy's Tactical Satellite-IV (TacSat-4) successfully launched Sept. 27 aboard an Orbital Sciences Minotaur-IV+ launch vehicle from Alaska Aerospace Corporation's (AAC) Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Island, Alaska.
New hypothesis on crater debris
A team of researchers partnered with the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) has developed a new hypothesis for the origin of crater ejecta—debris that is launched out of a crater during meteorite impacts.
Dead Sea researchers discover freshwater springs and numerous micro-organisms
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered deep freshwater springs on the Dead Sea floor that feed into this rapidly dwindling body of water.
Homeless supernovae
In a post earlier this month, we looked at a team of astronomers searching for stars that were on ejected from their birthplaces in clusters. These stars could receive the needed kick from a gravitational swing by the core of the cluster to achieve a velocity of a few tens of km/sec. But a similar mechanism can function in the cores of galaxies giving stars a speed of roughly 1,000 km/sec, enough to leave their parent galaxies. A new study asks whether we have ever witnessed any of these stellar cast offs explode as supernovae.
A magnified supernova
Supernovae are among astronomers most important tools for exploring the history of the universe. Their frequency allows us to examine how active star formation was, how heavy elements have developed, and the distance to galaxies across vast distances. Yet even these titanic explosions are only so bright, and there’s an effective limit on how far we can detect them with the current generation of telescopes. However, this limit can be extended with a little help from gravity.
AGNs as a new standard candle?
Nope. A standard candle isn’t the same red, green, blue, yellow and omni-present pink wax sticks that decorate your every day birthday cake. Until now a standard candle meant a Cepheid variable star – or more recently – a Type 1a supernova. But something new happens almost every day in astronomy, doesn’t it? So start thinking about how an active galactic nucleus could be used to determine distance...
Airlines decry EU carbon emissions scheme
Airlines denounced on Tuesday an EU plan to charge them for carbon emissions, warning it would cost the industry 17.5 billion euros ($23.8 billion) over eight years.
Astronomers discover new way to measure Universe
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers at Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute have found a new way to measure distances. This may not sound like much, but working out how far away something is, is one of the toughest fundamental problems in astrophysics and is central to cosmology as it allows scientists to work out the age of the Universe and what it’s fundamental properties are. Because their new method uses quasars, some of the brightest objects known, scientists say they will be able to determine distances much further than achieved to date, paving the way to a better understanding of dark energy.
Astronomers crack the Fried Egg Nebula
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), teams from The University of Manchester, among others, took the new picture showing for the first time a huge dusty double shell surrounding the central hypergiant.
NASA: Satellite fell in south Pacific, not Canada
That dead NASA satellite fell into what might be the ideal spot - part of the south Pacific Ocean about as far from large land masses as you can get, U.S. space officials said Tuesday.
Frankenstein's moon: Astronomers vindicate account of masterwork
Victor Frankenstein’s infamous monster led a brief, tragic existence, blazing a trail of death and destruction that prompted mobs of angry villagers to take up torches and pitchforks against him on the silver screen. Never once during his rampage, however, did the monster question the honesty of his ultimate creator, author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
Venus weather not boring after all, study shows
At first glance, a weather forecaster for Venus would have either a really easy or a really boring job, depending on your point of view. The climate on Venus is widely known to be unpleasant -- at the surface, the planet roasts at more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit under a suffocating blanket of sulfuric acid clouds and a crushing atmosphere more than 90 times the pressure of Earth's. Intrepid future explorers should abandon any hope for better days, however, because it won't change much.
'Darkest' world enlightens astronomers about mysterious light-gobbling planet
(PhysOrg.com) -- A giant Jupiter-like gas planet has been revealed to be the most light-thirsty object in the known universe -- a finding that may help astronomers better understand a mysterious characteristic of similar planets found outside our solar system.
Technology news
Apparent pro-Syria group hacks Harvard website
(AP) -- Hackers have briefly defaced Harvard University's website, replacing the home page with an image of Syria's President Bashar Assad together with a message accusing the U.S. of supporting the uprising against him and threatening retaliation.
China tells police to use social media
China has ordered police nationwide to make more use of social networking sites to ensure greater openness and "dispel misunderstandings", the state Xinhua news agency said Tuesday.
Hydrogen fuel put to the test
National Physical Laboratory has developed a suite of analytical methods to detect trace-level impurities in hydrogen fuel that can affect the performance of hydrogen fuel cells – a potentially carbon-free power source for vehicles.
Better planning required if EU is to meet energy targets
An important prerequisite for the European targets to be met is a significant increase in the use of biomass for energy. However, competition for biomass is expected to grow in the future, because biomass is used in the manufacture of many different products, including food, animal feed and various types of materials. The planning of biomass usage is poor, according to Niina Kautto.
Spain's Gamesa signs deal with Chinese firm
Shares in Spain's Gamesa, one of the world's top wind turbine makers, closed sharply higher Tuesday after it announced a new contract with a Chinese firm that is part of a surge in clear energy investments in China.
Syria wages cyber warfare as websites hacked
(AP) -- While Syrian protesters and security forces are engaged in a war of attrition on the ground, a different kind of battle is emerging online.
Facebook forms political action committee
Facebook said Monday that it is forming a political action committee (PAC) for employees of the social network to make contributions to candidates.
Google+ mobbed after doors opened, experts tell
Google+ was mobbed with visitors after the social network opened its doors to the public last week, industry tracker Experian Hitwise reported.
McAfee adds protection for mobile gadgets
Computer security firm McAfee on Tuesday will launch a service that unifies defenses for computers, smartphones and tablets.
No point switching gas and electricity suppliers, find out how much you use to save
Switching gas and electricity suppliers will not get customers the best deal. The only way householders in the UK can save money on their gas and electricity bills is to work out how much they use each month, according to a University of Warwick economist.
Asia's IT industry more competitive: study
Asian economies are closing the gap on the West in terms of their IT competitiveness, a study showed Tuesday, as they strengthen copyright protection and implement regulatory reforms .
Twitter opening international base in Ireland
Twitter, the San Francisco-based micro-blogging website, is to open an international office in Dublin, the Irish Industrial Development Agency announced -- in a tweet.
Apple sends out invite for iPhone event
(AP) -- Apple is inviting journalists to its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters next week for an iPhone-related event on Oct. 4.
Sony uniting strengths at online network
Sony on Tuesday rolled out a new way to explore online video as the Japanese entertainment titan battles to be the preferred Internet venue for games, music, films and television.
Social media fuel small businesses from startup stage
Laid off after 23 years in the mortgage lending business, Dede Parise couldn't find a job. So she took a marketing class to reinvent her career, and before long she turned an assignment into a company.
Google to finance home solar systems
(AP) -- Google says it will invest $75 million to help 3,000 homeowners install solar panels on their roofs.
Hackers hijack Twitter accounts of Chavez critics
(AP) -- Over months, Venezuelan TV soap opera writer Leonardo Padron built a Twitter following of about 250,000 people by posting more than a dozen messages a day, many of them skewering President Hugo Chavez.
Phone service finally penetrates New York Subway
New York's antiquated subway system finally entered the cell phone age Tuesday, but the surprise sight of signal bars popping up on screens didn't please all the Big Apple's harried commuters.
RIM shares soar on Icahn stake reports
Shares of Research In Motion rose sharply on Wall Street on Tuesday amid speculation that billionaire US investor Carl Icahn has taken a stake in the troubled BlackBerry maker.
New Sprint does push-to-talk without Nextel
(AP) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. will start shutting down the Nextel part of its network in little more than a year. So what are the folks who use Nextel's walkie-talkie-like push-to-talk function going to do?
Military tests usefulness of smart devices
As a Cobra attack helicopter pilot, Marine Capt. Jim "Hottie" Carlson was running support missions above Afghanistan last summer when it occurred to him that it was taking far too long to find where U.S. troops were under attack.
OnStar changes over privacy concerns
The OnStar automobile communication service used by 6 million Americans is changing its policies after privacy issues were raised over keeping former customers connected and collecting data on driving habits.
Microsoft busts spam network
Microsoft on Tuesday said it struck another blow in its battle against cyber crooks by busting a spam-sending network of virus-infected computers.
Facebook answers privacy flap over leftover cookies
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Sunday blog post by self-described hacker, writer and entrepreneur Nik Cubrilovic has set off a firestorm of discussions and accusations that Facebook violates user privacy in the form of tracking via leftover cookies. Cubrilovic accused Facebook of using cookies to track users even after users have logged off. “Logging out of Facebook only de-authorizes your browser from the web application,” he said. "A number of cookies (including your account number) are still sent along to all requests to facebook.com."
New advanced biofuel as an alternative to diesel fuel
Researchers with the DOE's Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have identified a potential new advanced biofuel that could replace today's standard fuel for diesel engines but would be clean, green, renewable and produced in the United States. Using the tools of synthetic biology, a JBEI research team engineered strains of two microbes, a bacteria and a yeast, to produce a precursor to bisabolane, a member of the terpene class of chemical compounds that are found in plants and used in fragrances and flavorings. Preliminary tests by the team showed that bisabolane's properties make it a promising biosynthetic alternative to Number 2 (D2) diesel fuel.
Medicine & Health news
Chemotherapy during pregnancy does not seem to cause developmental problems in children
Children born after their mothers were treated with chemotherapy during pregnancy appear to be unaffected by the experience in terms of the development of their mental processes and the normal functioning of their hearts, according to new research presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.
High blood pressure is linked to increased risk of developing or dying from cancer
Raised blood pressure is linked to a higher risk of developing cancer or dying from the disease according to the findings of the largest study to date to investigate the association between the two conditions.
University of NH will stop selling energy drinks
(AP) -- The University of New Hampshire has backtracked on its just-announced plan to stop selling energy drinks on campus, saying it needs more time to study the idea and gather input from students.
Jewelers want states to replace limits on cadmium
(AP) -- The U.S jewelry industry wants states to overturn laws that limit the toxic metal cadmium in children's trinkets and adopt new voluntary guidelines it helped create, saying stricter rules in several states create chaos for manufacturers and importers.
Pioneering IVF doctor dies in Australia
A pioneering Australian doctor known for his groundbreaking work on the world's first pregnancy through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has died after a long illness.
Lung function of moderately premature babies is reduced at 8-9 years but may improve with age
The negative effects that premature birth can have on the lungs of babies could be as severe in moderately premature babies as those born extremely prematurely but may be reversed in their teenage years, according to a new study.
Climate change set to increase ozone-related deaths over next 60 years
Scientists are warning that death rates linked to climate change will increase in several European countries over the next 60 yrs.
HRT therapy appears to increase risk of hospitalization from severe asthma attacks
Women taking postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may have an increased risk of severe asthma attacks requiring hospitalisation, scientists warn.
Environmental health risks of livestock farming
Emissions from livestock farms cause asthma and COPD patients living nearby to experience more exacerbations, according to research presented today at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam.
Warning on STIs: Australian report
There has been an alarming jump in some STI infections, with rates of Chlamydia up 17 percent and gonorrhoea rising 25 percent, new national surveillance figures show.
Liver cancer incidence lower in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than hepatitis C
Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis have a lower incidence of liver-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to the prospective study published in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Patients with both NAFLD and HCV had similar mortality rates.
Living donor liver transplantation improves survival over deceased donor transplants
New research shows liver transplantation candidates without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) derive a greater survival benefit from a living donor liver transplant (LDLT) than waiting for a deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT). The study now available in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, reports that survival benefit from LDLT remains significant across the range of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, but this benefit was not apparent for low MELD candidates with HCC.
Congress must protect funds for aging America, advocates say
America's experts on aging are headed for meetings with their senators and representatives to underscore the needs of the country's senior population, spurred by the first-ever Take Action Week organized by The Gerontological Society of America — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging.
Study finds lack of testing for Legionella
A new study from Rhode Island Hospital shows that guidelines concerning testing patients for possible community-acquired pneumonia due to Legionella may underestimate the number of cases being seen by clinicians. The study found that if testing was only done in patients felt to be at increased risk of Legionnaires' disease based on such guidelines, more than 40 percent of Legionella cases could be missed based on this single-center study. The researchers suggest more widespread testing for Legionella in patients admitted to hospitals with pneumonia. The study is published in BMC Infectious Diseases and is now available online in advance of print.
New national poll: 89 percent of women said mammograms vital to their health
According to a recent poll of 1,000 American voters conducted for the American College of Radiology, nearly 9-in-10 women reported that having a regular mammogram gave them a feeling of control over their own health care. Nearly 90 percent of women who had a mammogram considered mammograms important to their health and well-being.
Researchers train promotoras to combine mobile technology, cancer prevention messages
In an effort to increase cancer prevention education in the Hispanic population, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) will use cutting-edge mobile technology to provide information that encourages nutritious eating and physical activity.
Study finds aggressive glycemic control in diabetic cabg patients does not improve survival
Surgeons from Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found that in diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, aggressive glycemic control does not result in any significant improvement of clinical outcomes as compared with moderate control. The findings, which appear in this month's issue of Annals of Surgery, also found the incidence of hypoglycemic events increased with aggressive glycemic control.
New online learning module gives children of domestic violence a voice
Over half of the residents of battered women's shelters in the United States are children (National Network to End Domestic Violence, 2010). Now, a new, innovative online training program aims to elevate children's voices, so that service providers may better hear, understand, and respond to the children and families they serve.
Cancer screening rates lower among those with fatalistic attitudes
Even if health care is free, colorectal cancer screening rates among those without financial means are still low, and results of a new study suggest that may be due to an idea psychologists call cancer fatalism.
Study examines whether age for initial screening colonoscopy should be different for men, women
An analysis of results of more than 40,000 screening colonoscopies finds that men have a higher rate of advanced tumors compared to women in all age groups examined, suggesting that the age that individuals should undergo an initial screening colonoscopy should be sex-specific, according to a study in the September 28 issue of JAMA.
New analysis of the cardiovascular risks of common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
An updated study published in this week's PLoS Medicine gives some new information on the cardiovascular risks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and suggests that among these commonly used drugs, naproxen and low dose ibuprofen are least likely to increase cardiovascular risk whereas diclofenac, even in doses available without prescription, elevates risk.
Scientists uncover gene associated with blood cancers
A genomic study of chronic blood cancer - a precursor to leukaemia - has discovered gene mutations that could enable diagnosis using only a blood test, avoiding the need for an invasive and painful bone marrow biopsy.
New genetic region responsible for testicle development found
New research presented today at the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology meeting has found a genetic region, which may control testicle development in the foetus.
Exercise eases arthritis in obese mice even without weight loss
Adding another incentive to exercise, scientists at Duke University Medical Center have found that physical activity improves arthritis symptoms even among obese mice that continue to chow down on a high-fat diet.
'Finding yourself' on Facebook: Internet can be crucial to teens' psychological development
American teenagers are spending an ever-increasing amount of time online, much to the chagrin of parents who can't seem to tear their children away from Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. But despite the dangers that lurk on the web, the time that teens spend on the Internet can actually be beneficial to their healthy development, says a Tel Aviv University researcher.
Study finds dairy products in adult diets improve cognitive function
Adults who consume dairy products at least once daily have higher cognitive function than those who rarely or never drink milk or eat dairy foods, according to a new study by researchers from the University of South Australia and University of Maine.
Asians fighting alcoholism may benefit from new study
(Medical Xpress) -- New UCLA psychology research indicates that Asians who are struggling with alcoholism may benefit especially from naltrexone, one of three medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcoholism.
Public ignorant about key messages concerning diet and cancer
New research reveals widespread lack of knowledge of the importance of diet and obesity as contributing causes towards the development of cancer.
France sees labelling of contested chemical BPA
France's ecology minister on Tuesday said she would seek labelling requirements for food containers made with bisphenol A (BPA) after a watchdog agency sharpened its concern about this chemical.
As minds get quicker, teenagers get smarter
(Medical Xpress) -- Adolescents become smarter because they become mentally quicker. That is the conclusion of a new study by a group of psychologists at University of Texas at San Antonio. “Our findings make intuitive sense,” says lead author Thomas Coyle, who conducted the study with David Pillow, Anissa Snyder, and Peter Kochunov. But this is the first time psychologists have been able to confirm this important connection. The study appears in the forthcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science.
Nearly half the world's adults will experience lower urinary tract symptoms by 2018
Nearly half of all adults over 20 will experience at least one lower urinary tract symptom by 2018 - an estimated 2.3 billion people and a worldwide increase of 18% in just one decade - according to research in the October issue of the urology journal BJUI.
Treatment of common virus can reduce tumour growth
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to inhibit the growth of brain tumours by treating the common Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The virus, which is found in a wide range of tumour types, offers a possible route towards controlling tumour growth and reducing the size of the tumour as a complement to conventional cytotoxin-based therapies.
Early use of non-parental childcare is not harmful for most children
What type of childcare arrangements do parents choose before their children are 18 months old? Does the choice of childcare affect children's language skills and mental health at the age of five?
People learn while they sleep, study suggests
People may be learning while they're sleeping – an unconscious form of memory that is still not well understood, according to a study by Michigan State University researchers.
The greatest human strength? Believe it or not, it's willpower
Repeat after me: "I will not eat ice cream, I will not eat ice cream, I will not eat ice cream."
Finding key structural insights into the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease
A team of researchers from the University of Illinois and EMSL recently completed a detailed structural and dynamic characterization of full-length α-Synuclein (AS) fibrils.
US won't ask for review of court's health care ruling
The Obama administration said Tuesday it would not ask a US appeals court to reconsider its finding that part of the landmark health reform bill is unconstitutional.
Common cholesterol drug safe, may improve learning disabilities in patients with neurofibromatosis
Researchers at Children's National Medical Center have found that a cholesterol-lowering statin drug appears to be safe in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and may improve learning disabilities, including verbal and nonverbal memory. This is the first time that the drug lovastatin has been studied in children with NF1. The study, led by Maria T. Acosta, MD, a pediatric neurologist and researcher at Children's National and clinical director and cognitive director of the Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute, appears in the October 2011 issue of Pediatric Neurology.
Eating balanced meals, farm-fresh produce benefits families, communities, nutrition researchers say
Leaders at the recent United Nations meeting emphasized nutrition as critical to producing thriving children, families, and communities. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a key focus is helping farmers grow heartier crops to nourish families. University of Missouri nutrition experts say getting back to basics by eating balanced meals and farm-fresh produce can benefit families and communities in many ways.
Doctor experience matters in carotid artery procedures
Preventing a stroke by placing a stent in the carotid artery, a major artery of the head and neck, is a procedure that's skyrocketing in the United States, but the outcomes can be deadly if older patients are not in the right hands.
Alzheimer's protein kills nerve cells in nose
A protein linked to Alzheimer's disease kills nerve cells that detect odors, according to an animal study in the September 28 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings shed light on why people with Alzheimer's disease often lose their sense of smell early on in the course of the disease.
Atypical antipsychotics may aid symptons for some off-label uses, but not others
Medical evidence suggests that psychiatric drugs known as atypical antipsychotics are effective in reducing symptoms for some off-label conditions, but not others, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Window of opportunity to treat some stroke patients may be longer than originally suspected
Stroke victims may have a longer window of opportunity to receive treatment to save their brain cells, demonstrates a literature review published by University of Alberta medical researchers in Lancet Neurology.
Modern shift work pattern potentially less harmful to health
Recent research suggests that the modern day-day-night-night shift pattern for shift workers may not be as disruptive or as potentially carcinogenic as older, more extreme shift patterns.
US health insurance costs up 9% in year: study
Company-provided health insurance, one of the largest costs of US businesses and households alike, rose nine percent over the past year despite the sluggish economy, according to a new study released Tuesday.
Central Asia's hidden burden of neglected tropical diseases
The open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases will publish an article emphasizing the rising burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Central Asia on Tuesday, Sept. 27th. According to the article's co-authors, Dr. Peter Hotez, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, and Dr. Ken Alibek of Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, the region continues to suffer from a post-Soviet economic breakdown that may have contributed to a re-emergence of several NTDs in the area, especially among its most economically disadvantaged groups.
Canada orders tougher cigarette warnings
Canada's tobacco manufacturers and importers on Tuesday were given until March 2012 to adopt new austere warning labels on cigarette packages featuring a woman dying of lung cancer.
Researchers use maggots to heal diabetic wounds
(Medical Xpress) -- At the recent Interscience Conference on Anti-Microbial Agents and Chemotherapy, Dr. Lawrence Eron from the University of Hawaii presented his results on the use of maggots to heal diabetic wounds. The small trial treated 37 diabetic patients with 27 showing successful outcomes.
Popular supplement - saw palmetto extract - has no effect on prostate health: study
The most widely used over-the-counter supplement for prostate health is no more effective than a placebo in treating men's lower urinary tract symptoms.
Researchers identify enzyme that regulates degradation of damaged proteins
A study by scientists at the University of California, San Diego and UC Irvine has identified an enzyme called a proteasome phosphatase that appears to regulate removal of damaged proteins from a cell. The understanding of how this process works could have important implications for numerous diseases, including cancer and Parkinson's disease.
What do infants remember when they forget?
Six-month-old babies are severely limited in what they can remember about the objects they see in the world; if you hide several objects from an infant, they will only remember one of those objects with any detail. But a new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that when babies "forget" about an object, not all is lost.
Brain rhythms are key to learning
Neuroscientists have long known of the existence of brain waves — rhythmic fluctuations of electrical activity believed to reflect the brain’s state. For example, during rest, brain activity slows down to an alpha rhythm of about eight to 10 hertz, or cycles per second.
Biology news
Beef study: Heifers don't have to be pigs at the feed bunk
Heifers being prepared for breeding don't have to eat like pigs, stuffing themselves at all-you-can-eat feed bunks with unlimited refills, according to scientists at a Montana State University experiment station.
Battling chronic wasting disease in elk and deer
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been responsible for the severe decline of Saskatchewan’s game farm industry. Millions have been spent on programs to screen herds and compensate farmers.
Help scientists record invasion of Chinese mitten crabs
Its name might sound cuddly but the Chinese mitten crab is one of the worlds worst invasive species and scientists need help recording sightings in the UK.
New germplasm, irrigation management make a difference in corn production
Germplasm and stay-green technology utilized by Texas AgriLife Research corn breeders could make growing corn on limited water a greater possibility in the near future, according to AgriLife Research studies.
Sierra Nevada red foxes are more common than once thought
At least half a dozen Sierra Nevada red foxes, a species once believed to have been nearly wiped out in the 1920s, roam the high country wilderness south of Yosemite, U.S. Forest Service biologists said Thursday.
'Illusion of plenty' masking collapse of two key Southern California fisheries
The two most important recreational fisheries off Southern California have collapsed, according to a new study led by a researcher from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
First successful embryo transfer in wood bison
University of Saskatchewan veterinary scientists and colleagues across Canada have recently carried out the world’s first successful embryo transfer in wood bison.
A challenging decade for Britain's mammals
(PhysOrg.com) -- This year’s State of Britain's Mammals report shows that over the last decade some of our most endangered mammal species have bounced back but that many others continue to decline.
Following the trail of conservation successes
A paper by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS), James Cook University and Mongabay.com, which was published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution in early August, showed that although large-scale biodiversity declines are ongoing, certain conservation actions have made a positive difference.
Kudzu-eating beetle: Good news or bad?
Kudzu, a green leafy vine native to China and Japan brought to the United States in the 19th century, has long been cursed by farmers and timber producers for the property and crop damage it can cause.
Crabs put the pinch on marshlands
If you take a quick glance at the marsh next to Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich Port, Mass., you will notice right away that some of the grass is missing. The cordgrass there, and all around Cape Cod, has been slowly disappearing for decades.
New mitochondria mechanism identified
A team of researchers led by the University of Freiburg in Germany has identified a novel mechanism that plays a key role in the architecture and functioning of mitochondria - the power plants of the cell, giving cells the energy they need to move and divide and generate secretory products. The results are published in the journal Developmental Cell.
Do long-lived crops differ from annual crops in their genetic response to human domestication?
Most of what we have come to think of as our daily fruits, vegetables, and grains were domesticated from wild ancestors. Over hundreds and thousands of years, humans have selected and bred plants for traits that benefit us -- traits such as bigger, juicier, and easier-to-harvest fruits, stems, tubers, or flowers. For short-lived, or annual, plants, it is relatively easy to envision how such human-induced selection rapidly led to changes in morphology and genetics such that these plants soon become quite different from their wild progenitors.
Researchers find genes that help frogs resist fungus
(PhysOrg.com) -- For several decades, the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been decimating frogs, yet some populations and species have been able to resist the fatal disease, called chytridiomycosis.
New compound combats drug-resistant bacteria
(PhysOrg.com) -- Yale scientists using bits of material from the human immune system have developed a compound that can neutralize or kill several varieties of drug-resistant and other dangerous bacteria. Drug-resistant bacteria are an increasing risk to the health of the world's population. The new compound's ability to kill bacteria in the lab also is promising as a new treatment for infectious diseases.
How global warming could cause animals to shrink
The way in which global warming causes many of the world’s organisms to shrink has been revealed by new research from Queen Mary, University of London.
Gene controlling flowering boosts energy production from sorghum
A sorghum hybrid that does not flower and accumulates as much as three times the amount of stem and leaf matter may help the bioenergy industry, according to a study appearing today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Tracing an elusive killer parasite in Peru
Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, not all epidemics involve people suffering from zombie-like symptoms--some can only be uncovered through door-to-door epidemiology and advanced mathematics.
Researchers uncover secrets of 'miracle fruit'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Though not very well known in the United States, at least until the past few years, the miracle fruit is a cranberry like fruit that has the unique property of being able to make acidic or bitter foods taste sweet. And while the protein that makes this possible has been known for quite a while, just how exactly it did its trick has been a mystery; until now. A team of Japanese and French researchers working together have solved the puzzle and have published the results of their efforts in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Chemists devise means to use bacteria to encode secret messages
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the endless search to develop newer and cooler ways to send messages between people without other’s intercepting them, chemists from Tufts University working together have figured out a way to use a strain of bacteria to encode a message on a paper-like material that can then later be de-coded by the receiver. Manuel Palacios and David Walta, along with their team describe in their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, how they did it.
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