Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 30, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- 11.5 billion years old: Stellar archaeology traces Milky Way's history- Wireless 'tooth tattoo' detects harmful bacteria
- Tomato genome fully sequenced
- Handful of genetic changes led to huge changes to human brain
- Researchers find new properties of the carbon material graphene
- Researchers develop nanodevice manufacturing strategy using DNA 'building blocks'
- Speeding up drug discovery with rapid 3-D mapping of proteins
- Mars missions may learn from meteor Down Under
- To spread, nervous system viruses sabotage cell, hijack transportation
- Researchers develop synthetic platelets
- Light-induced delivery of nitric oxide eradicates drug-resistant bacteria
- Breast stem-cell research: Receptor teamwork is required and a new pathway may be involved
- Electric Moon jolts the solar wind
- Research shows cue-giving robots help students learn
- Elderly humans can be identified by their unique body odor: research
Space & Earth news
Banned antibiotics in Asian fish imports: Australia
Australian officials are seeing a rising number of Asian fish imports containing banned antibiotics, a report said Wednesday.
Building 45 payloads for balloon mission
Robyn Millan's lab is a little crowded at the moment. It overflows with electronics. And foam. And parachutes and aluminum frames and drills. Based at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, Millan and her students are busy building 45 payloads -- each destined for a trip on a balloon around Antarctica as part of a NASA mission called BARREL, or the Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses.
How to measure the universe
Measuring distance doesn’t sound like a very challenging thing to do — just pick your standard unit of choice and corresponding tool calibrated to it, and see how the numbers add up. Use a meter stick, a tape measure, or perhaps take a drive, and you can get a fairly accurate answer. But in astronomy, where the distances are vast and there’s no way to take measurements in person, how do scientists know how far this is from that and what’s going where?
New study reports rise in community land rights in tropical forests; most laws unenforced
New research released today by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) shows that hundreds of millions of forest peoples in tropical nations have, in the last 20 years, quietly gained unprecedented legal rights to the land and resources owned under customary law. The research also finds, however, that more than one-third of the rules governing land rights in most of the forests of Africa, Asia and Latin America significantly limit a community's ability to exercise those rights.
Greenpeace says KFC boxes destroy Indonesia forests
Greenpeace on Wednesday accused global fastfood chain KFC of using paper packaging made using wood from Indonesian rainforests which it said was endangering the habitat of the Sumatran tiger.
NSO to use Venus transit to fine-tune search for other worlds
A century ago, scientists chased transits of Mercury and Venus in an effort to size up our solar system. Next week, they will use the last Venus transit for a century to learn how to size up other solar systems as we search for life in the universe.
Voluntary groups can promote pro-environmental practice at small scale
New research by the University of Southampton has examined the role of voluntary organisations in promoting pro-environmental behaviour change. It points to evidence of success around small-scale, local initiatives, but questions whether these can be scaled up to reach the wider public.
San Andreas Fault in Santa Cruz Mountains -- large quakes more frequent than previously thought
Recent paleoseismic work has documented four surface-rupturing earthquakes that occurred across the Santa Cruz Mountains section of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) in the past 500 years. The research, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, with assistance from the California Geological Survey, suggests an average recurrence rate of 125 years, indicating the seismic hazard for the area may be significantly higher than currently recognized. The observations help fill a gap in data on the seismic activity of the SAF in northern California, particularly south of San Francisco.
Seattle Fault Zone -- 900-930 AD earthquake larger than previously thought
A fresh look at sedimentary evidence suggests the 900-930 AD rupture of the Seattle fault possibly produced a larger earthquake than previously recognized. The Seattle fault zone, a series of active-east-west trending thrust faults, poses seismic threat to the Puget Sound region.
Peeking at peak oil: Will consumers face oil rationing within a decade?
What happens when a handful of the world's largest oil fields— accounting for two-thirds of the world's oil—run dry? What are the implications of such a prospect for food production, economic growth and ultimately, global security? In his new book, Peeking at Peak Oil ( Springer, 2012) physicist Kjell Aleklett explores the science and consequences behind the sobering reality that the world's oil production is entering terminal decline with no satisfactory alternatives.
New report examines effects of trees killed by bark beetles on wildfire
A recent report analyzing a range of published studies on the impact of bark beetles on trees in the U.S. and Canada provides a more complete picture of the effect of this destructive insect on wildfires.
NASA lunar spacecraft GRAIL complete prime mission ahead of schedule
(Phys.org) -- A NASA mission to study the moon from crust to core has completed its prime mission earlier than expected. The team of NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, with twin probes named Ebb and Flow, is now preparing for extended science operations starting Aug. 30 and continuing through Dec. 3, 2012.
ND expert: The science behind the transit of Venus
University of Notre Dame professor of physics Peter Garnavich has research interests that cover a wide range of topics in observational astrophysics. In preparation for the Tuesday (June 5) Transit of Venus, he offers an explanation of the science behind this rare event.
The last dance between Venus and the Sun
In 1761, Harvard’s Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy John Winthrop loaded a grandfather clock and a couple of students into a boat and embarked on Harvard’s first astronomical expedition.
Fly to space for $320!
Ok, at 100,000 feet it’s not really “space” but for $320 USD JP Aerospace is offering a very affordable way to get your research experiment, brand statement, artwork or anything you can imagine (and that fits into a 50mm cube, weight limits apply) into the upper atmosphere. Pretty cool!
Arctic bacteria help in the search to find life on moon Europa
In a fjord in Canada scientists have found a landscape similar to one of Jupiter's icy moons: Europa. It consists of a frozen and sulphurous environment, where sulphur associated with Arctic bacteria offer clues for the upcoming missions in the search for traces of life on Europa.
Air Force spaceplane aims for June landing
(AP) — An unmanned U.S. Air Force spaceplane that has been in orbit for over a year is coming back to Earth.
There's more star-stuff out there but it's not dark matter
(Phys.org) -- More atomic hydrogen gas — the ultimate fuel for stars — is lurking in today's Universe than we thought, CSIRO astronomer Dr. Robert Braun has found.
Mars missions may learn from meteor Down Under
A discovery about the make-up of the atmosphere of Mars could help inform future missions searching for life there.
SpaceX cargo vessel prepares to leave space station (Update)
US company SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship is preparing to make its return journey to Earth after a landmark mission to the International Space Station, NASA and SpaceX representatives said Wednesday.
Landslides linked to plate tectonics create the steepest mountain terrain
Some of the steepest mountain slopes in the world got that way because of the interplay between terrain uplift associated with plate tectonics and powerful streams cutting into hillsides, leading to erosion in the form of large landslides, new research shows.
NASA preparing to launch NuSTAR, its newest X-ray eyes
(Phys.org) -- NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is being prepared for the final journey to its launch pad on Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. The mission will study everything from massive black holes to our own sun. It is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 13.
Volcanic super-eruptions may have surprisingly short fuses
Enormous volcanic eruptions with potential to end civilizations may have surprisingly short fuses, researchers have discovered.
Electric Moon jolts the solar wind
(Phys.org) -- With the Moon as the most prominent object in the night sky and a major source of an invisible pull that creates ocean tides, many ancient cultures thought it could also affect our health or state of mind – the word “lunacy” has its origin in this belief. Now, a powerful combination of spacecraft and computer simulations is revealing that the Moon does indeed have a far-reaching, invisible influence – not on us, but on the Sun, or more specifically, the solar wind.
11.5 billion years old: Stellar archaeology traces Milky Way's history
(Phys.org) -- Unfortunately, stars don't have birth certificates. So, astronomers have a tough time figuring out their ages. Knowing a star's age is critical for understanding how our Milky Way galaxy built itself up over billions of years from smaller galaxies.
Technology news
Embraer to team up with Brazil telecoms in space plan
Brazil's leading planemaker Embraer signed a shareholding agreement Tuesday with Telebras, the country's state-owned telecom provider, to set up a joint venture to launch a communications satellite.
Novel holographic antenna designs and uses
Holographic antennas first studied around 40 years ago are again a hot topic given the potential of holographic images for a variety of applications. EU researchers developed novel prototype devices based on the associated technology with excellent commercialization potential.
What, no spellcheck? Romney app misspells 'America'
White House hopeful Mitt Romney has meticulously spelled out his vision for a better America while on the campaign trail this year. But in his new mobile app? Not so much.
Nationwide adoption of NIST-developed test predicted to cut death toll due to cigarette-caused fires
In 2003, New York became the first state requiring cigarettes sold within its borders to pass a fire safety standard based on a test developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to reduce the risk of igniting upholstered furniture and bedding, a major cause of residential fires.
Facebook launches Mideast office in Dubai
(AP) — Facebook Inc. launched its first office in the Arab world Wednesday, aiming to drum up new advertising business from Dubai as investors fret over its struggling share price.
HP tabs software exec as chief operating officer
(AP) — Hewlett-Packard Co. has promoted Bill Veghte to chief operating officer, the latest expansion of his responsibilities since the slumping technology company hired Meg Whitman as its CEO eight months ago.
French court says YouTube not obligated to control content
A Paris court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against YouTube filed by French television, saying the video-sharing website was not obligated to control content of uploaded material.
Anonymous targets Montreal Grand Prix to back students
The global group of computer hackers known as Anonymous threw its support behind Quebec students protesting hikes in tuition fees by threatening to disrupt the Montreal Grand Prix.
Iran: 'Flame' virus fight began with oil attack (Update)
(AP) — Computer technicians battling to contain a complex virus last month resorted to the ultimate firewall measures — cutting off Internet links to Iran's Oil Ministry, rigs and the hub for nearly all the country's crude exports.
Japan's NEC buys Australian IT firms
Japanese electronics giant NEC said Wednesday it will buy two IT firms from Australia's CSG, with a report pegging the price tag at about $252 million.
Apple chief vows innovation in TV and more
Apple chief Tim Cook on Tuesday vowed that creativity would remain in the company's "DNA" and hinted that products on the horizon could come in the area of television.
BlackBerry maker facing critical test this year
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, losing ground rapidly in the smartphone wars, needs to take bold steps to revive its fortunes and compete with iPhones and Android devices overwhelming the market, analysts say.
White House, industry joins to secure cyberspace
The White House and industry groups Wednesday unveiled new initiatives to combat so-called "botnets," or networks of computers controlled by hackers through virus infections.
Google adds Zagat reviews to push local search (Update)
Google on Wednesday added the Zagat restaurant review content to its Google+ social network, as it rolled out a new local search feature that takes on services such as Yelp.
Move over pie charts, here come FatFonts
(Phys.org) -- Researchers in the computer science department at the University of Calgary have developed a new font for numbers that represent their relative value. Unlike the usual numeric typefaces, the amount of ink—or dark pixels—used for each digit in FatFonts is proportional to its quantitative value.
Sun-powered plane waits for better weather to continue trip
The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse is waiting for weather conditions to improve before continuing on its first transcontinental flight, organisers said Wednesday.
Proposed new Internet neighborhoods unveiled June 13
The agency in charge of website addresses has picked June 13 as the day it will reveal proposed new names for online neighborhoods breaking the ".com" mold.
Germany sets weekend record for solar power
(Phys.org) -- Solar power plants in Germany have set a new record. “Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity," said Norbert Allnoch, Germany’s director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry in Muenster. The plants peaked at 22 gigawatts of output for a few hours over the weekend, on Friday and Saturday. The numbers are important in that they yielded almost half the country's energy mid-day electricity needs. The 22 gigawatts is up from 14 GW a year ago. Also, this 22 gigawatts of output is equal to about 20 nuclear plants.
Grid realities cancel out some of wind power's carbon savings
(Phys.org) -- Wind energy lowers carbon emissions, but adding turbines to the current grid system does not eliminate emissions proportionally, according to a report by researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory.
Bright future for solar power in space
Solar power gathered in space could be set to provide the renewable energy of the future thanks to innovative research being carried out by engineers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Internet traffic to grow fourfold by 2016: survey
The boom in the number of mobile Internet devices and tablet computers in use will help quadruple Web traffic in the coming years, a study said Wednesday.
Japan inches towards restarting nuclear reactors
Japan on Wednesday inched closer to re-starting idle nuclear reactors, just weeks after the last one was switched off amid public disquiet following the disaster at Fukushima.
Research shows cue-giving robots help students learn
(Phys.org) -- The well-known fact is that humans can teach robots, but the newer turn in educational circles is all about how robots can teach humans. The stepped-up robots are “animated” and "adaptive" agents that communicate effectively with humans by using subtle, human-like cues to engage their listeners. Two researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have demonstrated that such robots can improve how much students remember from their lessons.
Wireless 'tooth tattoo' detects harmful bacteria
Using silk strands pulled from cocoons and gold wires thinner than a spider's web, researchers at Princeton University have created a removable tattoo that adheres to dental enamel and could eventually monitor a patient's health with unprecedented sensitivity.
Medicine & Health news
Better urban planning essential to improve health of 60% of global population that will be living in cities by 2030
The proportion of the world's population that lives in cities has been steadily rising, so that three in five of all people globally will live in a city by 2030. The University College London/Lancet Commission on Healthy Cities explores the many issues other than health services that contribute to population health in a city environment.
Men and women receive different fertility advice following cancer diagnosis
There are significant gaps in the information women receive about their future fertility following cancer diagnosis, suggests a new paper published today (30 May) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Where not to have a heart attack in Australia
(Medical Xpress) -- Every single town in Australia has been rated on its proximity to cardiac care, before and after a heart attack, in a new report published in Circulation and headed by Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
How useful are short-term medical missions?
Australia is a world leader in sending medical personnel to less developed countries to assist with a variety of medical issues but the contribution of these missions has now been examined in a study, led by a University of Sydney academic, which calls for improved transparency, implementation and policymaking.
Immigrant women giving birth in Spain suffer 'great stress,' a study warns
A study conducted at the University of Granada has concluded that most immigrant women who give birth in Spain suffer "severe stress" and should receive psychological treatment after giving birth to help them overcome disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, phobic anxiety, depression or psychoticism. These disorders are caused by "the stress of labor itself combined with other personal stress factors. This is a very stressful moment in women's life due to biological, psychological and social factors".
'Just do it!' not good enough for cancer patients, researchers say
Exercise generally helps the nation's 12 million cancer survivors, but researchers are still working toward being able to prove, with scientific certainty, that prescriptions for daily yoga or 20 minutes of walking will likely extend a patient's survival.
Study: In-patient, out-patient stroke rehab might benefit from yoga
Researchers looking into the value of adapted yoga for stroke rehabilitation report that after an eight-week program, study participants demonstrated improved balance and flexibility, a stronger and faster gait, and increased strength and endurance.
Researchers complete the first epigenome in Europe
A study led by Manel Esteller, director of the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), professor of genetics at the University of Barcelona and ICREA researcher, has completed the first epigenome in Europe. The finding is published in the latest issue of the international scientific journal Epigenetics.
One in seven suffer malnourishment: UN food agency
One in seven people suffer from malnourishment, the head of the UN's food agency said Wednesday in a report released ahead of a summit on sustainable development to be held in Rio de Janeiro June 20-22.
Younger colon cancer patients have worse prognosis at diagnosis, yet better survival
Younger patients with colorectal cancer were more likely to present advanced stage tumors at diagnosis and metastasize much sooner, yet had better than or equal survival to patients 50 and older, according to data being presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago. (Abstract # 3621).
Post-transplant, eGFR impacts cardio risk independently
(HealthDay) -- In stable kidney transplant recipients, kidney function, as determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), is independently associated with cardiovascular (CVD) events and death, according to research published online May 17 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Research advises against screening campaign for chlamydia, recommends action plan to promote sexual health
New research carried out by researchers from NUI Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) has found that a national screening campaign for chlamydia in young people would not prove cost effective. The research also explored the attitudes, fears and preferences of young Irish men and women aged 18-29 years old towards accepting tests to detect chlamydia.
Female fat prejudice persists even after weight loss, study finds
Overweight women may never escape the painful stigma of obesity – even after they have shed the pounds, new research suggests.
Blocking LRRK2 activity is not a simple answer to Parkinson's disease
Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of genetic Parkinson's disease (PD). New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration demonstrates that loss of function of LRRK2 (by deletion of the kinase domain) leads to changes in motor co-ordination and causes anxiety-like behaviors and kidney degeneration in mice without affecting dopamine-mediated brain activity.
21st century bloodletting reduces cardiovascular risk
It seems that while the practice of bloodletting throughout history had little or no effect on most diseases, and the practice was abandoned in the 19th century, new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine demonstrates that blood donation has real benefits for obese people with metabolic syndrome. Two sessions of bloodletting were enough to improve blood pressure and markers of cardiovascular disease.
Injection of methotrexate not superior to oral therapy in juvenile arthritis treatment
A retrospective analysis of methotrexate (MTX) safety data found that injection of this disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) was not superior to oral therapy in long-term treatment of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Findings published in Arthritis Care & Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), suggest that with similar efficacy and tolerability the more comfortable oral approach may be more suitable to treat pediatric arthritis patients.
Study finds TV can decrease self-esteem in children, except white boys
If you are a white girl, a black girl or a black boy, exposure to today's electronic media in the long run tends to make you feel worse about yourself. If you're a white boy, you'll feel better, according to a new study led by an Indiana University professor.
Common genetic mutation increases sodium retention, blood pressure
Nearly 40 percent of the small adrenal tumors that cause big problems with high blood pressure share a genetic mutation that causes patients to retain too much sodium, researchers report.
Researchers make breakthrough in the cause of premature birth
(Medical Xpress) -- A significant breakthrough on why women go into labour early or develop the disease pre-eclampsia has been made by scientists. The discovery concerning the conditions which threaten the life of both the newborn baby and the mother was made by researchers at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) at Trinity College Dublin and Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital. The findings have just been published in the Journal of Immunology.
Photodynamic therapy added to lung-sparing surgery improves survival for mesothelioma patients
(Medical Xpress) -- Among patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, treatment with lung-sparing surgery in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) yielded unusually long survival rates, with median survival rates up to two or more years longer than is reported with traditional treatments, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The research is published in the latest issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Considering what Batman would eat helps kids' diets
(Medical Xpress) -- In the ongoing battle to get children to eat healthfully, parents may do well invoking the names of superheroes to come to their rescue, say Cornell researchers.
Facts in scientific drug literature may not be, study finds
(Medical Xpress) -- A growing concern with fraud and misconduct in published drug studies has led researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Pharmacoeconomic Research to investigate the extent and reasons for retractions in the research.
Surgical site infections more likely in patients with history of skin infection
(Medical Xpress) -- People with a past history of just a single skin infection may be three times more likely to develop a painful, costly — and potentially deadly — surgical site infection (SSI) when they have an operation, according to new Johns Hopkins research.
People know when to move on
(Medical Xpress) -- People make decisions all the time. What sandwich to order, whether to walk through that puddle or around it, what school to go to and so on. However, psychologists disagree on how good we are at making decisions.
Stanford researcher discusses new AHA call for tougher regulation of genetic testing
Rapid advances in genetic disease research that are transforming how we diagnose and treat illness require new safeguards to protect patients from the misuse of these technologies and realize their full potential, according to new American Heart Association policy recommendations.
Revised sugar labeling needed to protect consumers, says scientist
(Medical Xpress) -- Noting that consumers have little guidance to help them make informed choices about added sugar, Yale Rudd Center researcher Jennifer Pomeranz contends that putting more information about sugar on food packages is necessary, achievable, and overdue, in a paper published in First Look of the American Journal of Public Health.
Study looks at effects of cannabis on MS progression
(Medical Xpress) -- The first large non-commercial study to investigate whether the main active constituent of cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) is effective in slowing the course of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) shows that there is no evidence to suggest this; although benefits were noted for those at the lower end of the disability scale.
Taking a muscular approach towards diabetes and other diseases
Australian scientists have identified a gene that regulates muscle size, a finding that could help unlock therapies for Type 2 diabetes and diseases such as muscular dystrophy, where muscles are weakened and damaged.
Multiple sclerosis: There is no individual MS gene
Around 10,000 people in Austria suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a disease whose exact cause remains unclear. “It is very likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. But there is no individual 'MS gene’”, said Karl Vass from the University Department of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna to mark the occasion of International MS Day on Wednesday. In two studies which featured considerable involvement of the MedUni Vienna, the role of the MHC gene has now been confirmed in the development of multiple sclerosis, and it has been discovered that the diagnostic procedures used for adults are also effective for children.
Researchers say tart cherries have 'the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food'
Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation, especially for the millions of Americans suffering from debilitating joint pain and arthritis, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference (ACSM) in San Francisco, Calif.1 In fact, the researchers suggest tart cherries have the "highest anti-inflammatory content of any food" and can help people with osteoarthritis manage their disease.
Ketamine improved bipolar depression within minutes
Bipolar disorder is a serious and debilitating condition where individuals experience severe swings in mood between mania and depression. The episodes of low or elevated mood can last days or months, and the risk of suicide is high.
Hear to see: New method for the treatment of visual field defects
Patients who are blind in one side of their visual field benefit from presentation of sounds on the affected side. After passively hearing sounds for an hour, their visual detection of light stimuli in the blind half of their visual field improved significantly. Neural pathways that simultaneously process information from different senses are responsible for this effect.
Genetic variant increases risk of heart rhythm dysfunction, sudden death
Cardiovascular researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have identified a genetic variant in a cardiac protein that can be linked to heart rhythm dysfunction.
Lower limb muscle limitations hamper walking in diabetes
(HealthDay) -- In older adults, diabetes correlates with slower walking speed, and diabetes-linked reductions in muscle strength and worse muscle quality contribute to these walking limitations, according to a study published online May 17 in Diabetes Care.
School-based exercise program improves bone mass, size
(HealthDay) -- A long-term, school-based exercise program for children is associated with increased bone mass and size, with no increase in the fracture risk, according to a study published online May 28 in Pediatrics.
Obesity, overweight at diagnosis ups B-cell lymphoma prognosis
(HealthDay) -- For U.S. veterans with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), being overweight or obese at time of diagnosis correlates with improved survival, according to a study published online May 29 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
FDA warns of fake version of ADHD drug Adderall
(HealthDay) -- A counterfeit version of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall, sold online, contains the wrong active ingredients, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Misuse of over-the-counter pain medication is potential health threat
A significant number of adults are at risk of unintentionally overdosing on over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, according to a new study in the US by Dr. Michael Wolf, from Northwestern University in Chicago, and his colleagues. Their work, looking at the prevalence and potential misuse of pain medication containing the active ingredient acetaminophen as well as the likelihood of overdosing, appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Patient mental health overlooked by physician when a family member is present
Existing research shows that it is beneficial to have a loved one present when visiting the doctor, but a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests the opposite may be true for older adults suffering from poor mental health. They examined whether companion presence in routine primary care visits helps or hinders physician visit processes and found that older adults with poor mental health function may experience more communication challenges in the form of shorter visits and less patient-centered communication. The results are featured in the June 2012 issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Simple cooler preserves tuberculosis drugs, records doses
Tuberculosis, now largely controlled in the industrialized world, remains a stubbornly persistent killer in most of Africa, as well as parts of Asia and South America. The spread of multidrug-resistant strains of TB has slowed progress against the devastating disease, which is estimated to strike more than 10 million people annually. Now a modified soft-drink cooler, developed by researchers at MIT's D-Lab, could make a dent in the disease's impact.
Skin transplant offers new hope for vitiligo patients
Henry Ford Hospital dermatologists say skin transplant surgery is safe and effective for restoring skin pigmentation caused by the skin disease vitligo.
Genes predict if medication can help you quit smoking
The same gene variations that make it difficult to stop smoking also increase the likelihood that heavy smokers will respond to nicotine-replacement therapy and drugs that thwart cravings, a new study shows.
Researchers identify a 'life-and-death' molecule on chronic leukemia cells
A new study has identified a life-and-death signaling role for a molecule on the surface of the immune cells involved in the most common form of chronic leukemia. The finding could lead to more effective therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), an as yet incurable cancer that occurs in more than 16,000 Americans annually.
Exercise and a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables extends life expectancy in women in their 70s
Women in their seventies who exercise and eat healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables have a longer life expectancy, according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
A better delivery system for chemotherapy drugs
Because cancer cells grow very quickly, chemotherapy is designed to target cells whose numbers grow rapidly. But this treatment comes with a heavy price — many healthy cells essential for body functions are also targeted and killed by the toxin. This dangerous side-effect has prompted researchers to seek better and more selective ways to kill cancer cells inside the body.
A trained palate: Understanding complexities of taste, smell could lead to improved diet
Researchers at Oregon State University have made some fundamental discoveries about how people taste, smell and detect flavor, and why they love some foods much more than others.
Eat healthy -- your kids are watching
If lower-income mothers want kids with healthy diets, it's best to adopt healthy eating habits themselves and encourage their children to eat good foods rather than use force, rewards or punishments, says a Michigan State University study.
Fatty acid found in fish prevents age-related vision loss
An omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, known as DHA, prevented age-related vision loss in lab tests, demonstrates recently published medical research from the University of Alberta.
Understanding the links between inflammation and chronic disease
American parents may want to think again about how much they want to protect their children from everyday germs.
When is it ethical to prescribe placebos?
The American Medical Association's Code of Ethics prohibits physicians from prescribing treatments that they consider to be placebos unless the patients know this and agree to take them anyway. But this policy is not clearly the best way to protect or benefit patients, concludes an The American Medical Association's Code of Ethics prohibits physicians from prescribing treatments that they consider to be placebos unless the patients know this and agree to take them anyway. But this policy is not clearly the best way to protect or benefit patients, concludes an article in the Hastings Center Report. A commentary by two AMA bioethicists responding to the article also appears in the journal.
Marriage may make people happier
Married people may be happier in the long run than those who aren't married, according to new research by Michigan State University scientists.
Drug-monitoring programs needed to cut dangers linked to 'pharmaceuticalization' of 21st century
Individual use of prescription opioids has increased four-fold since the mid-1990s, in part due to increased awareness of pain control for chronic conditions such as low back pain and fibromyalgia and a Joint Commission mandate that hospitals assess patients' pain as a "vital sign" along with their blood pressure and temperature. During the same timeframe, however, the number of people using these drugs recreationally, becoming addicted to them, and dying of overdoses has also shot up. Today, nearly three quarters of all fatal drug overdoses in the United States are due to prescription drugs -- far outnumbering deaths from cocaine and heroin combined, and often outpacing car accidents as the top cause of preventable deaths.
Benefits of hypothermia for infants continue through early childhood
A treatment to reduce the body temperatures of infants who experience oxygen deficiency at birth has benefits into early childhood, according to a follow-up study by a National Institutes of Health research network.
Belief in God associated with ability to 'mentalize'
Belief in God or other higher powers may be crucially linked to humans' cognitive ability to infer other peoples' mental states, called "theory of mind" or "mentalizing," according to research published May 30 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Summer's heat may enflame hives
(HealthDay) -- Nearly one in four people develops hives at some time or another, and they can be triggered by hot summer weather.
Diabetes linked to lung cancer in postmenopausal women
(HealthDay) -- Postmenopausal women with diabetes are at a significantly higher risk of developing lung cancer, particularly if they require insulin therapy, according to research published online May 22 in Diabetes Care.
Youth mental health experts publish new guidelines to treat childhood aggression
Mayo Clinic researchers, in collaboration with other research institutions and youth mental health experts, are publishing new guidelines for primary care providers and mental health specialists to manage the common but often complex problem of childhood aggression. The goals include improving diagnosis and care and avoiding inappropriate use of medication.
Overdiagnosis poses significant threat to human health
Overdiagnosis poses a significant threat to human health by labeling healthy people as sick and wasting resources on unnecessary care, warns Ray Moynihan, Senior Research Fellow at Bond University in Australia, in a feature published on BMJ today.
Fish study raises hope for spinal injury repair
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists have unlocked the secrets of the zebra fish’s ability to heal its spinal cord after injury, in research that could deliver therapy for paraplegics and quadriplegics in the future.
Neural protective protein has two faces
(Medical Xpress) -- A protein produced by the central nervous system’s support cells seems to play two opposing roles in protecting nerve cells from damage, an animal study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests: Decreasing its activity seems to trigger support cells to gear up their protective powers, but increasing its activity appears to be key to actually use those powers to defend cells from harm.
HIV hides soon after infection, research shows
(Medical Xpress) -- A team of researchers led by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has demonstrated that latency develops soon after infection and slows when antiretroviral therapy is given.
Scientists identify agent that can block fibrosis of skin, lungs
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified an agent that in lab tests protected the skin and lungs from fibrosis, a process that can ultimately end in organ failure and even death because the damaged tissue becomes scarred and can no longer function properly. The findings were published today in Science Translational Medicine.
Despite less play, children's use of imagination increases over two decades
Children today may be busier than ever, but Case Western Reserve University psychologists have found that their imagination hasn't suffered – in fact, it appears to have increased.
Breast stem-cell research: Receptor teamwork is required and a new pathway may be involved
Breast-cancer researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that two related receptors in a robust signaling pathway must work together as a team to maintain normal activity in mammary stem cells.
To spread, nervous system viruses sabotage cell, hijack transportation
Herpes and other viruses that attack the nervous system may thrive by disrupting cell function in order to hijack a neuron's internal transportation network and spread to other cells.
Researchers identify potential new HIV vaccine/therapy target
After being infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in a laboratory study, rhesus macaques that had more of a certain type of immune cell in their gut than others had much lower levels of the virus in their blood, and for six months after infection were better able to control the virus.
Elderly humans can be identified by their unique body odor: research
New findings from the Monell Center reveal that humans can identify the age of other humans based on differences in body odor. Much of this ability is based on the capacity to identify odors of elderly individuals, and contrary to popular supposition, the so-called 'old-person smell' is rated as less intense and less unpleasant than body odors of middle-aged and young individuals.
Handful of genetic changes led to huge changes to human brain
Changes to just three genetic letters among billions led to evolution and development of the mammalian motor sensory network, and laid the groundwork for the defining characteristics of the human brain, Yale University researchers report.
Biology news
Singapore scientists design novel genome sequencing data compression method
Hitachi and Data Storage Institute (DSI), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) are devising a data compression technique to tackle the increasing volume of genome sequencing data generated by the healthcare and biomedical industry. As the volume of such data has been forecasted to double annually, the collaborators aim to develop a more efficient data storage technology that will compress genome sequencing data more effectively than existing methods. This is an extension of an earlier partnership, where Hitachi and DSI researchers discovered the pattern of typical genome data transactions that would enable current storage systems to function optimally.
Treating poultry diseases without antibiotics
Identifying antimicrobial proteins in chickens that kill pathogens is one method being used by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists to find alternatives to the use of antibiotics to control infectious poultry diseases.
Report details efforts to improve, advance indoor microbial sampling
Humans spend greater than 90 percent of their time indoors, but we're never alone there. Bacteria and viruses, scientists estimate, make up half of the world's biomass—some 10 nonillion (1 followed by 31 zeros) microorganisms—and we most often meet them within enclosed spaces. So, that's where the modern microbe hunter often looks first. A new report issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers guidance to make the hunting more effective.
Current focus of veterinary medical profession leaves research, food security, public health needs underserved
Without immediate action, a new National Research Council report warns, the academic veterinary community could fail to prepare the next generation of veterinarians for faculty teaching and research positions as well as for jobs in state diagnostic laboratories, federal research and regulatory agencies, and the pharmaceutical and biologics industry. Although the supply of veterinarians is growing, more than half of veterinary students seek training in companion animal or pet medicine. In addition, increasing debt from veterinary education may inhibit graduates from pursuing Ph.D. training that would prepare them for academic careers, key jobs in the public sector, and some positions in industry.
Time is ticking for some crop's wild relatives
A botanist brings a species of alfalfa from Siberia, to the United States. His hope? The plant survives, and leads to a new winter-hardy alfalfa. But what also happened during this time in the late 1800's, isn't just a story of legend and lore. The truth of the matter is creating a current revival in both interest and conservation of what's now called a crop's "wild relative."
Reduced tillage doesn't mean reduced cotton yields under drip irrigatio
Loss of production may be one concern cotton producers have on the Rolling Plains when considering switching to reduced- or no-tillage systems, said Dr. Paul DeLaune, Texas AgriLife Research environmental soil scientist in Vernon.
Honoring the fundamental role of microbes in the natural history of our planet
Inspired by a 2009 colloquium on microbial evolution convened at the Galapagos Islands, a new book from ASM Press, Microbes and Evolution: The World That Darwin Never Saw celebrates Charles Darwin and his landmark publication On the Origin of Species. The editors compiled 40 first-person essays, written by microbiologists with a passion for evolutionary biology, to illuminate how each scientist's thinking and career paths in science were influenced by Darwin's seminal work.
Let the sun shine and the plants will follow
Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance scientist and artist extraordinaire, in the 15th century was the first to record his observation that some plants appeared to follow the Sun, and he was not the last. How this was scientifically achieved and why this occurred, however, remained a mystery to him and everyone that followed. But a European team of researchers may have come one step closer to solving this mystery. The answer, they say, lies with auxin - a class of plant hormone. The findings of their study were published in the journal Nature.
Cattle parasite found throughout Australia, study finds
A parasite linked to dogs and responsible for an estimated $30 million loss to the national cattle industry each year is present throughout Australia, a University of Sydney study has revealed.
Europe still has a rich reservoir of unknown species
You could be forgiven for thinking that all of Europe's plants and animals were discovered, documented and named a long time ago. But it turns out that nothing could be further from the truth.
Israelis develop 'cannabis without the high'
Israeli scientists have cultivated a cannabis plant that doesn't get people stoned in a development that may help those smoking marijuana for medical purposes, a newspaper said on Wednesday.
Office bacteria all around us, especially in men's offices
Men's offices have significantly more bacteria than women's, and the office bacterial communities of New York and San Francisco are indistinguishable, according to a study published May 30 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Tuatara iconic New Zealand reptile shows chewing is not just for mammals
The tuatara, an iconic New Zealand reptile, chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet – challenging the widespread perception that complex chewing ability is closely linked to high metabolism.
Sex: it's a good thing, evolutionarily speaking
(Phys.org) -- Sure, sex may be fun, but it’s a lot of work, and the payoff is by no means certain. Scientists have speculated for a long time on why all living things don’t simply make like amoebas and split.
Got nectar? To hawkmoths, humidity is a cue
(Phys.org) -- Humidity emanating from a flower's nectar stores tells a moth if the flower is worth a visit, research led by a UA entomologist has discovered.
Anthropologists find American heads are getting larger
White Americans' heads are getting bigger. That's according to research by forensic anthropologists at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Tomato genome fully sequenced
For the first time, the genome of the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, has been decoded, and it becomes an important step toward improving yield, nutrition, disease resistance, taste and color of the tomato and other crops. The full genome sequence, as well as the sequence of a wild relative, is jointly published in the latest issue of the journal Nature (May 31, 2012).
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