Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for October 25, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New way to funnel light could have infrared applications- Engineers at Yale develop new type of mechanical memory
- Linking of mutations in 12 genes to ovarian cancer may lead to more effective prevention
- Silver and white cars are cooler, says study
- Computer scientist cracks mysterious 'Copiale Cipher'
- Restraint improves dielectric performance, lifespan
- 'Junk DNA' defines differences between humans and chimps
- Boys should get HPV vaccine too, panel says
- You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slowed growth of human prostate cancer cells
- Dividing corn stover makes ethanol conversion more efficient
- First Google.org-funded geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source
- Climate skeptic admits he was wrong to doubt global-warming data
- Go fish! Scientist trains goldfish for object perception research (w/ video)
- First-of-a-kind tension wood study broadens biofuels research
- New genetic evidence confirms coyote migration route to Virginia and hybridization with wolves
Space & Earth news
China's CNOOC says oil leak sealed: Xinhua
Chinese oil giant CNOOC has said the country's worst-ever offshore oil leak has been sealed, four months after it was first discovered, the state Xinhua news agency reported.
Small but agile Proba-1 reaches 10 years in orbit
A good photographer needs agility. So it is with ESA microsatellite Proba-1, which turns in space to capture terrestrial targets. Celebrating its tenth birthday this week, Proba-1’s unique images are used by hundreds of scientific teams worldwide.
Rutgers professor uses lichen to help cities go green
In this era of environmental consciousness, many buildings are being outfitted to "go green." A Rutgers-Camden professor is taking the term quite literally.
EU rebukes US Congress over airline emissions rules
The European Union called on the United States on Tuesday to respect EU laws after US lawmakers voted to prevent American airlines from following Europe's carbon emissions rules.
China's glaciers in meltdown mode: study
Sharp increases in temperature driven by global warming are melting China's Himalayan glaciers, an impact that threatens habitats, tourism and economic development, says a study released Tuesday.
German satellite crashed 'into Bay of Bengal'
A German satellite the size of a car re-entered the Earth's atmosphere Sunday over the Gulf of Bengal, but it was not known if any debris hit the Earth, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) said on Tuesday.
The orbits of exoplanets
(PhysOrg.com) -- An exoplanet is a planet orbiting a star other than our sun.
Climate change is altering the lives of Alaska's natives
Climate change has altered the lives of Native Alaskans in the state's interior in dramatic, sometimes dangerous ways.
Rendezvous with a near Earth object
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the most accessible goals for human spaceflight is a rendezvous with a Near Earth Object (NEO). NEOs are asteroids or comets whose orbits take them close to the earth's orbit. An NEO might someday collide with the earth -- and there are almost 6000 larger in diameter than about 100 meters known, with predictions that over ten times as many could exist. The impact of even a one-kilometer-sized NEO would probably destroy an average state, and this is certainly one reason to study them. From the perspective of pure science, NEOs are important nearby representatives of the early Solar System.
Follow the water to understand drought
Water is a precious resource many take for granted until there is too little or too much. Scientists and engineers have positioned instruments at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Observatory at Pennsylvania State University to learn much more about the water cycle there. It is one of six Critical Zone Observatories in the United States.
The preferences of uranium: Radionuclide's adsorption in Hanford Site sediments varies based on grain size
(PhysOrg.com) -- Uranium prefers petite particles. The radionuclide attaches quickly and abundantly to smaller subsurface grains, according to scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The team found that gravel and other large bits adsorbed less uranium(IV) than smaller grains. The larger particles also adsorbed uranium more slowly than the smaller ones. Using this information, the team wrote a series of mathematical formulas to predict uranium adsorption and desorption affinity and kinetics in sediments containing different grain sizes. The predictions were successfully tested using sediment from the Hanford Site.
A tool to touch the sun
A scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is leading an effort to design an instrument that would be the first to come directly into contact with the sun’s fiery atmosphere after the device is launched on a NASA probe in 2018.
The James Webb Telescope will see Earth-like worlds
The James Web Space Telescope has been in the news a lot lately. Often referred to as the replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope, its existence has been in jeopardy since a House committee voted to cut its funding this summer. While the telescope promises to revolutionize space science, its expanding budget has caused politicians and others to wonder if the promised returns justify the cost.
Bringing satellites out of retirement -The DARPA Phoenix program
It’s the dead zone. Approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth, $300 million worth of retired satellites are simply taking up space in geosynchronous orbit. Like anything a bit elderly, they might have problems, but they’re far from useless. There are a hundred willing volunteers waiting to be retrofitted, and all they need is the wave of a magic wand to come back to life. The DARPA Phoenix program might just be the answer.
Astronomy without a telescope - Green peas
The ground-breaking discovery of a new class of galaxies, Green Peas, in 2009 by a group of Galaxy Zoo volunteers – have recently been followed up by further observations in the radio spectrum.
Now there's an app for NASA's Swift Observatory
Interested in the latest discoveries of NASA's Swift satellite? The Swift team has released a free iPhone application that gives you the details of all the latest gamma-ray-burst discoveries that the Swift observatory is making throughout the universe. The app also allows users to track, in real time, the location of Swift as it orbits the Earth, to see where Swift is pointed right now, and to view an informative gallery of beautiful images obtained by the Swift satellite.
Extreme melting on Greenland ice sheet, team reports
The Greenland ice sheet can experience extreme melting even when temperatures don't hit record highs, according to a new analysis by Dr. Marco Tedesco, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The City College of New York. His findings suggest that glaciers could undergo a self-amplifying cycle of melting and warming that would be difficult to halt.
Terra satellite sees a more powerful Hurricane Rina, warnings up in Mexico
Hurricane warnings are in effect in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and visible and infrared satellite imagery from NASA continues to show Hurricane Rina getting stronger. Rina is now a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.
Northern lights take unusual trip down south
A baffling solar storm pulled colorful northern lights unusually far south, surprising space weather experts.
Jet packs rule, say deep-sea astronauts
Battery-powered jet packs are definitely the best part of tooling around on the ocean floor in practice drills for an eventual visit to an asteroid, an international crew of astronauts said Monday.
Team says Arctic ice shelf broke up before
(PhysOrg.com) -- Arctic shelf ice has been in the news of late due to its shrinkage over the past few decades that most attribute to global warning. Thus, its levels and seemingly constant calving have become ecological barometers that environmentalists have come to use to show just how fast our planet is heating up.
Strange hollows discovered on Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft has discovered strange hollows on the surface of Mercury. Images taken from orbit reveal thousands of peculiar depressions at a variety of longitudes and latitudes, ranging in size from 60 feet to over a mile across and 60 to 120 feet deep. No one knows how they got there.
First Google.org-funded geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source
New research from SMU's Geothermal Laboratory, funded by a grant from Google.org, documents significant geothermal resources across the United States capable of producing more than three million megawatts of green power – 10 times the installed capacity of coal power plants today.
Climate skeptic admits he was wrong to doubt global-warming data
Remember when scientists who had cast doubt on global temperature studies boldly embarked on an effort to "reconsider" the evidence?
Technology news
China police detain Internet users
Chinese police have begun to detain and punish people for spreading rumours online, the government said on Tuesday, as authorities intensify efforts to censor content on the Internet.
UN panel sets target to connect poor to broadband
(AP) -- A United Nations panel has given governments a target of connecting half the world's poor citizens to broadband Internet by 2015.
What your new home will look like in 2015
The fact that the average American home is slowly but surely shrinking - and will most likely continue to do so if and when the country shakes off its current financial woes - isn't exactly revolutionary news. But when members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) were asked earlier this year what they anticipate the new home size will be 2015, it's how they think single-family homes will shrink - which standard features of the average home will disappear to compensate for less square footage and which ones will remain or become more popular - that's the most revealing about the shifting needs and wants of homeowners.
Internet role in human rights gets spotlight
Technology titans and political activists gathered here on Tuesday to map ways to ensure the Internet is used as a tool for human rights instead of as a weapon of oppression.
Pew study: Tablet users don't want to pay for news
Although tablet owners spend more time consuming news than poking around on Facebook, they're reluctant to pay for news content.
Japan parliament hit by China-based cyberattack
Computers in Japan's lower house of parliament were hit by cyberattacks from a server based in China that left information exposed for at least a month, a report said Tuesday.
UMaine researchers discover revolutionary process for biofuel
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have long been interested in waste products as sources of biofuel. In Maine, those waste items could include treetops and limbs deemed by the forest products industry as unusable and often left behind in the woods.
How far can wind power go toward reducing global carbon emissions from electricity production?
With the world’s energy needs growing rapidly, can zero-carbon energy options be scaled up enough to make a significant difference? How much of a dent can these alternatives make in the world’s total energy usage over the next half-century? As the MIT Energy Initiative approaches its fifth anniversary next month, this five-part series takes a broad view of the likely scalable energy candidates.
WikiLeaks suspends release of secrets to seek cash
One of the world's most notorious secret-spillers is going silent.
Artificial Intelligence pioneer John McCarthy dies
John McCarthy, a pioneer of artificial intelligence, has died at the age of 84, the Stanford School of Engineering announced.
Netflix shares tank amid backlash and defections
(AP) -- Netflix shares plunged 35 percent Tuesday after the one-time Wall Street favorite revealed a massive departure of subscribers angered by price increases and other questionable changes at rental service that was created to make entertainment a snap.
US curbs on online poker compared to Prohibition
A former US senator who now represents poker players compared US efforts to curb online gambling to Prohibition on Tuesday as he argued for legislation that would allow Internet gaming.
Chain hotels lead the way in going green
Chain hotels are doing a better job of going green than their independent competitors, according to a new analysis by Washington State University researchers.
All-electric DeLorean DMC-12 coming in 2013
The DeLorean - yes, that DeLorean - is back.
Google updates list of government demands for info
The U.S., India and several European countries are where Google gets the most government demands to turn over information about its users and censor online material.
First Solar CEO to step down, shares plummet
(AP) -- The CEO of the nation's largest solar company is out, First Solar announced Tuesday, sending its shares tumbling more than 24 percent.
IBM names its first female CEO
(AP) -- IBM Corp. ushered in Virginia Rometty as the company's first-ever female CEO on Tuesday, as Sam Palmisano stepped down from the position.
Amazon 3Q net income sinks, missing analyst views
Amazon says its third-quarter net income sank 73 percent despite sales growth as the online retailer spent money to grow its business.
Chinese green car maker opens LA office
Environmentally-friendly Chinese car and battery maker BYD said Monday it had opened a new North American headquarters here.
Apple alums give home thermostats a new twist
Nest Labs, a startup founded by former Apple engineers, hopes to do for home thermostats what their former employer did for smartphones -- make them hip and intuitive.
Making sodium-ion batteries that are worth their salt
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although lithium-ion technology dominates headlines in battery research and development, a new element is making its presence known as a potentially powerful alternative: sodium.
Breakthrough furnace can cut solar costs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Solar cells, the heart of the photovoltaic industry, must be tested for mechanical strength, oxidized, annealed, purified, diffused, etched, and layered.
First-of-a-kind tension wood study broadens biofuels research
Taking a cue from Mother Nature, researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center have undertaken a first-of-its-kind study of a naturally occurring phenomenon in trees to spur the development of more efficient bioenergy crops.
Silver and white cars are cooler, says study
(PhysOrg.com) -- From an environment standpoint, silver and white cars are cool; black cars are not. Researchers at the Berkeley Lab Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) say that the color of your car affects your car's fuel economy and how seriously you contribute to pollution. A light-colored shell reflects more sunlight than a dark car shell. The cooler the color, the cooler the cabin air, and the less of a need to run your air conditioner.
Computer scientist cracks mysterious 'Copiale Cipher'
The manuscript seems straight out of fiction: a strange handwritten message in abstract symbols and Roman letters meticulously covering 105 yellowing pages, hidden in the depths of an academic archive.
Medicine & Health news
Quality-of-life for women an issue: in some matters of the heart, women do not fare as well as men
A Heart and Stroke Foundation study has found that women under age 55 fare worse than their male counterparts following a heart attack – and their health status declines more than that of their male counterparts after one month.
Double duty for blood pressure drugs: how they could revolutionize how we treat valve disease
A type of medication known as angiotensin-receptor blockers could reduce risk of mortality in people with a heart disease called calcific aortic stenosis (AS) by 30 per cent over an eight-year period, Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Philippe Pibarot told delegates at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. The condition is currently managed with open heart surgery.
Novartis announces 2,000 job losses, profits up
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced 2,000 job losses Tuesday, mostly in Switzerland and the United States, while reporting net profits of $3.53 billion (2.5 billion euros) for the third quarter.
Breast cancer patients needed for trial to assess imaging technique for mastectomies
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are recruiting women with breast cancer to test whether a technique to image tissue blood flow could help reduce complications after mastectomy surgery.
Mood, cognition and sleep patterns improve in Alzheimer's patients after cataract surgery
Researchers at Tenon Hospital, Paris, France, found that patients with mild Alzheimer's disease whose vision improved after cataract surgery also showed improvement in cognitive ability, mood, sleep patterns and other behaviors. Lead researcher Brigitte Girard, MD, will discuss her team's results today at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2011 Annual Meeting.
New social network, developed solely for members of medical school community, goes live this week
The School of Medicine’s Office of Information Resources & Technology is launching this week a private, internal social-networking service, called CAP Network, that could dramatically alter communication among faculty, students, postdoctoral scholars and staff like the changes wrought on a much larger scale by Facebook and LinkedIn.
Don't get tricked into hurting your eyes with unsafe contact lenses for Halloween
(Medical Xpress) -- Some people think it’s cool to give themselves “cat” eyes, “wolf” eyes or really bloodshot eyes for Halloween. That’s possible with decorative contact lenses, but an optometrist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis says beware.
Innovative transdermal patch for delivery of HIV medicine featured at AAPS Annual Meeting
An innovative delivery method for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medications has been developed through use of a transdermal patch, the first of its kind to treat HIV. This research is being presented at the 2011 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Oct. 23 – 27.
Uncovering the blind spot of patient satisfaction and patient expectations: An international survey
Patient satisfaction is increasingly recognized as an important component of quality of care. To achieve a high level of patient satisfaction, providers need to identify and address patients' expectations. However, a new international survey conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School reveals that while clinicians think it is important to ask patients about their expectations, they often fail to do so and consequently may not respond adequately. This research is published in the November issue of the British Medical Journal: Quality and Safety and was selected as the Editor's choice, making it available online in full text at no cost.
Multidisciplinary research urged for optimal melanoma surgery
In an editorial published October 23rd in the Lancet, UNC Lineberger member David Ollila, MD, and co-author John Thompson, MD, of the Melanoma Institute Australia, praise a new study on optimal margins for melanoma surgery but urge researchers to bring new molecular and genetic techniques to bear on the question of how to minimize the need for more complex surgical techniques while maximizing long-term patient survival.
Enzyme controlling cell death paves way for treatment of brain damage in newborns
where the brain is starved of oxygen around the time of delivery – is normally treated by cooling the infant, but this only helps one baby in nine. New research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, could now pave the way for new ways of treating brain damage in newborns.
Henry Ford Hospital first in United States to offer MKTP surgery as treatment option for vitiligo
Henry Ford Hospital is the first in the country to offer skin transplant surgery as part of its treatment portfolio for patients with the skin disease vitiligo.
Fixed appliances best and cheapest
Society could save millions of crowns each year if more children were fitted with fixed appliances. This is shown in unique studies performed by Sofia Petrén, a dentist and orthodontic specialist at the Department of Orthodontics at Malmö University in Sweden.
Surgical treatment within six months of lumbar disc herniation
A new study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that patients with herniated lumbar disc symptoms were significantly worse if the patients had symptoms for more than six months prior to treatment, compared to those who had symptoms for six months or less. Symptoms included pain, function, general health, work status and patient satisfaction.
IADR/AADR publish study on dental caries vaccine
In a report on a preclinical investigation titled "Flagellin Enhances Saliva IgA Response and Protection of Anti-caries DNA Vaccine," lead author Wei Shi, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his team of researchers demonstrate that anti-caries DNA vaccines, including pGJA-P/VAX, are promising for preventing dental caries. However, challenges remain because of the low immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. This study is published in the Journal of Dental Research, the official publication of the International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR).
Estimating the effectiveness of vaccination programs
In this week's PLoS Medicine, Justin Lessler of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA and colleagues describe a method that estimates the fraction of a population accessible to vaccination activities, and apply it to measles vaccination in three African countries: Ghana, Madagascar, and Sierra Leone.
New guidelines for reporting epidemiological studies that involve molecular markers
New guidelines that provide an easy-to-use checklist for the accurate and ethical reporting of epidemiological studies involving molecular markers have been proposed by a group of international researchers and are published in this week's PLoS Medicine.
High fizzy soft drink consumption linked to violence among teens
Teens who drink more than five cans of non-diet, fizzy soft drinks every week are significantly more likely to behave aggressively, suggests research published online in Injury Prevention. This includes carrying a weapon and perpetrating violence against peers and siblings.
Blood test could identify smokers at higher risk for heart disease
A simple blood test could someday quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
Doctors happily cite alcohol as cause of death, but not smoking, for fear of stigmatization
UK doctors are willing to cite alcohol as a cause of death on death certificates, but not smoking, for fear of stigmatising the deceased, shows research published online in the Journal of Clinical Pathology.
Young, apparently healthy -- and at risk of heart disease
Atherosclerosis – or buildup of fat in the walls of arteries − is thought of as a disorder of older people but it affects a large number of young men and women, according to a new Heart and Stroke Foundation study.
Controlling gene expression to halt cancer growth
(Medical Xpress) -- NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is a cancer without a cure, and one that affects all age groups. NMC is a rapid-growth disease with an average survival time of four and a half months after diagnosis, making the development of clinical trials for potential therapies or cures for this cancer difficult, to say the least.
Penn Study Explains Paradox of Insulin Resistance Genetics
(Medical Xpress) -- Obesity and insulin resistance are almost inevitably associated with increases in lipid accumulation in the liver, a serious disease that can deteriorate to hepatitis and liver failure. A real paradox in understanding insulin resistance is figuring out why insulin-resistant livers make more fat. Insulin resistance occurs when the body does a poor job of lowering blood sugars.
Neurbiological mechanism behind anorexia/self starvation found in mouse
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found inborn traits in mice, which might explain why some individuals are more prone to develop anorexia/self starvation than others. A study showing that genetic defects in the cells power plant, the mitochondria, might cause the neurons in the feeding center of the brain to die, when they are exposed to starvation, is published today in the scientific journal PNAS.
Smaller surgical procedure sufficient for high-risk melanoma
(Medical Xpress) -- A smaller surgical procedure is fully sufficient to treat patients with the more hazardous form of malignant melanoma of the skin. This according to a major international multicentre study, coordinated at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, which is now published in the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet. A smaller surgical procedure spares the patient undue suffering, gives better cosmetic results without compromising safety, and the results showed the same survival patterns as for the patients undergoing the conventional larger operation.
Fish oil supplements boost mental performance: study
(Medical Xpress) -- A particular fish oil supplement has been shown to improve blood flow to the brain during mental activity and helped to reduce mental fatigue in young adults, according to research from Northumbria University.
Study: Obesity limits effectiveness of flu vaccines
People carrying extra pounds may need extra protection from influenza.
'Sensitivity gene' predicts whether anxious children will benefit from CBT
(Medical Xpress) -- Research funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) has shown that a genetic marker, called Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism (5HTPP), can be used to predict whether a child suffering from anxiety disorder will benefit from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). This is the first time that genetic analysis has been used to assess whether a psychological treatment like CBT will work for children.
Yogurt consumption reduces cardiovascular disease precursor
Researchers at Sir Charles Gardener Hospital found that moderate daily consumption of yogurt prevents thickening of the carotid artery while the same consumption of milk and cheese had little effect in reducing CCA-IMT.
Peer pressure in preschool children
Adults and adolescents often adjust their behaviour and opinions to peer groups, even when they themselves know better. Researchers from the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands, studied this phenomenon in four-year-olds and found that preschool children are already subject to peer pressure. In the current study, the researchers found that children conformed their public judgment of a situation to the judgment of a majority of peers in spite better knowledge. (Child Development, October 25, 2011).
Study shows significant language progress after two cochlear implants
(Medical Xpress) -- An ongoing study of 45 deaf children who had two cochlear implants finds that their language skills are within the normal range. Cochlear implants replace the eardrum by delivering an electric signal from a microphone to the auditory nerves located in the cochlea in the inner ear.
Math disability linked to problem relating quantities to numerals
Children who start elementary school with difficulty associating small exact quantities of items with the printed numerals that represent those quantities are more likely to develop a math-related learning disability than are their peers, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Singling out the real breast cancer among the lumps
(Medical Xpress) -- Early detection of breast cancer saves thousands of lives each year. But screening for breast cancer also produces false alarms, which can cause undue stress and costly medical bills. Now, a recent study using patient blood reveals a possible way to reduce the number of false alarms that arise during early screening. Researchers found a panel of proteins shed by breast cancer that are easily detected and can distinguish between real cancer and benign lumps.
Researchers lead creation of heart cells
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia and now, in a major boost for drug development, scientists will be able to mimic its effects in a petri dish after identifying a new, reliable way of producing heart cells in the laboratory.
Dormant malaria parsites in red blood cells may contribute to treatment failure
Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public College Health have shown for the first time in a rodent model that the earliest form of malaria parasites can lay dormant in red blood cells and "wake up," or recover, following treatment with the antimalarial drug artesunate.
New anti-inflammatory drugs might help avoid side effects of steroids
A new class of anti-inflammatory drugs may one day serve as an alternative to steroid medications and possibly help avoid the serious side effects of steroids, based on research findings at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
Strawberries protect the stomach from alcohol
In an experiment on rats, European researchers have proved that eating strawberries reduces the harm that alcohol can cause to the stomach mucous membrane. Published in the open access journal Plos One, the study may contribute to improving the treatment of stomach ulcers.
Veterinary researchers discover first US strains of hepatitis E virus from rabbits
Researchers in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech have identified the first strains of hepatitis E virus from farmed rabbits in the United States. It is unknown whether the virus can spread from rabbits to humans.
Simple gut hormone combo makes our brains think we're full
Many of us would love nothing more than to trick ourselves into believing we are full even as our stomachs remain empty. Now, a new brain imaging study reported in the November issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism suggests there might just be a way. The key is to go with our guts – just two gut hormones, that is.
Many Alzheimer's patients get drugs with opposing effects
You wouldn't brake your car while stepping on the gas—or wash down a sleeping pill with espresso. Yet many people taking common Alzheimer's disease medications—cholinesterase inhibitors—are given medications with anticholinergic properties, which oppose their effects. Group Health Research Institute scientists investigated how often that happens and reported on the consequences in an "Early View" study e-published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Blood proteins predict survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: study
A panel of blood proteins can predict which patients with the progressive lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are likely to live at least five years or to die within two years, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Centocor R&D. The findings, published online last week in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, could help doctors determine those patients in imminent need of a lung transplant and those who can wait a while longer.
CT scans for lung cancer screening may be beneficial in detecting COPD
Among men who were current or former heavy smokers, undergoing lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT) scanning identified a substantial proportion who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that this method may be helpful as an additional tool in detecting COPD, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA.
Researchers find gene variants that cause stent thrombosis in people with coronary artery disease
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered several gene variants contributing to early stent thrombosis (ST), a devastating and often deadly complication after coronary stent implantation in people with coronary artery disease. The team found that three of these variants were associated with impaired sensitivity to the common blood thinner clopidogrel, and a fourth that affects a blood platelet receptor involved in platelet aggregation and clot formation. Analyzing these gene variants will help researchers identify patients at risk for early stent thrombosis and take measures to prevent it. The data also provide a clinical and genomic score that indicates the best predictive accuracy for stent thrombosis risk. The findings are published in the Oct. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
A World Series to remember?
It's a moment burned into the minds of Red Sox and Yankee fans alike – sitting inches away from the television, fists clenched, tightness in the chest and the unbearable urge to look away...
Standard definition of loss-to-follow-up for ART patients
A study led by Benjamin Chi of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA and colleagues reports on the development of a standard definition for loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) that can be used by HIV antiretroviral programs worldwide. Based on their findings, which are published in this week's PLoS Medicine, the authors recommend that the standard definition for LTFU should be when 180 days or more have elapsed since the patient's last clinic visit.
Gene variation predicts rate of age-related decline in mental performance
A tiny difference in the coding pattern of a single gene significantly affects the rate at which men's intellectual function drops with advancing age, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System have learned.
Gene regulatory protein is reduced in bipolar disorder
Low levels of a brain protein that regulates gene expression may play a role in the origin of bipolar disorder, a complex and sometimes disabling psychiatric disease. As reported in the latest issue of Bipolar Disorders, the journal of The International Society for Bipolar Disorders, levels of SP4 (specificity protein 4) were lower in two specific regions of the brain in postmortem samples from patients with bipolar disorder. The study suggests that normalization of SP4 levels could be a relevant pharmacological strategy for the treatment of mood disorders.
Researchers have found evidence for the existence of a hypnotic state
Researchers have found evidence for the existence of a hypnotic state -- the key was in the glazed staring eyes.
Boys should get HPV vaccine too, panel says
The controversial HPV shot given to girls should also be given to boys, in part to help prevent the spread of the virus through sex, a government medical panel said Tuesday.
You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slowed growth of human prostate cancer cells
A low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks prior to prostate removal slowed down the growth of prostate cancer cells -- the number of rapidly dividing cells -- in human prostate cancer tissue compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet.
How cannabis causes 'cognitive chaos' in the brain
Cannabis use is associated with disturbances in concentration and memory. New research by neuroscientists at the University of Bristol, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, has found that brain activity becomes uncoordinated and inaccurate during these altered states of mind, leading to neurophysiological and behavioural impairments reminiscent of those seen in schizophrenia.
Linking of mutations in 12 genes to ovarian cancer may lead to more effective prevention
More patients with ovarian carcinoma carry cancer-predisposing mutations, and in more genes, than previously thought.
Biology news
Topsy-turvy wine weather makes grape sorters shine
A topsy-turvy growing season, which zigzagged from drought to hail to heat wave, produced a distressingly mixed crop in Bordeaux this year -- but gave optical grape sorters a chance to shine.
Native bees are better pollinators than honeybees
(PhysOrg.com) -- The honeybee has hogged the pollination spotlight for centuries, but native bees are now getting their fair share of buzz: They are two to three times better pollinators than honeybees, are more plentiful than previously thought and not as prone to the headline-catching colony collapse disorder that has decimated honeybee populations, says Cornell entomology professor Bryan Danforth.
Students coax yeast cells to add vitamins to bread
Any way you slice it, bread that contains critical nutrients could help combat severe malnutrition in impoverished regions. That is the goal of a group of Johns Hopkins University undergraduate students who are using synthetic biology to enhance common yeast so that it yields beta carotene, the orange substance that gives carrots their color. When it's eaten, beta-carotene turns into vitamin A.
'Southern Pine Beetle II': Current state of knowledge on an important forest pest
The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) today announced the publication of a new synthesis of research on the southern pine beetle, a native bark beetle that impacts both the economic and ecological well-being of the forests of the southern United States.
Rhino poached to extinction in Vietnam: WWF
A critically endangered species of rhino has been poached to extinction in Vietnam, wildlife groups said Tuesday after the country's last Javan rhino was found dead with its horn hacked off.
New test can precisely pinpoint food pathogens
(PhysOrg.com) -- With Salmonella-tainted ground turkey sickening more than 100 people and Listeria-contaminated cantaloupes killing 15 this year, the ability to detect outbreaks of food-borne illness and determine their sources has become a top public health priority.
Gouldian Finch females maximize mating opportunities
The endangered Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) has peculiar mating habits that allow the species’ females to maximise fertility.
Regulatory process for organ scaling discovered
A new study has shed light on the process by which fruit flies develop with their body proportions remaining constant. The study, conducted by the research group of Professor Markus Affolter at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel and Sven Bergmann's group at the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Lausanne, has demonstrated that the morphogen Dpp and the feedback regulator Pentagone are key factors responsible for proportional tissue growth in wings of a fruit fly. This process keeps the body plan of the fruit fly Drosophila constant. Their research results, published October 25 in the online, open-access journal PLoS Biology, might also be important for organ growth in other organisms.
Researcher discovers male bottlenose dolphins using social network to secure a mate
(PhysOrg.com) -- Marine biologist Jo Wiszniewski has observed a fascinating approach to mating among the Port Stephens Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.
'Junk DNA' defines differences between humans and chimps
For years, scientists believed the vast phenotypic differences between humans and chimpanzees would be easily explained – the two species must have significantly different genetic makeups. However, when their genomes were later sequenced, researchers were surprised to learn that the DNA sequences of human and chimpanzee genes are nearly identical. What then is responsible for the many morphological and behavioral differences between the two species? Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have now determined that the insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes are highly variable between humans and chimpanzees and may account for major differences between the two species.
Dividing corn stover makes ethanol conversion more efficient
(PhysOrg.com) -- Not all parts of a corn stalk are equal, and they shouldn't be treated that way when creating cellulosic ethanol, say Purdue University researchers.
Go fish! Scientist trains goldfish for object perception research (w/ video)
The fictitious storybook character Dr. Doolittle was known for talking with animals.
New genetic evidence confirms coyote migration route to Virginia and hybridization with wolves
Changes in North American ecosystems over the past 150 years have caused coyotes to move from their native habitats in the plains and southwestern deserts of North America to habitats throughout the United States.
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