Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 22, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Nanoporous graphene could outperform best commercial water desalination techniques- Researchers find evidence of 'quantum critical point' in high temperature superconductivity material
- Nearby star cluster, long forgotten, now discovered to be useful in studies of Sun and search for planets like Earth
- Foundational concept of ecology tested by experiment
- Researchers amplify variations in video, making the invisible visible
- Human antibody for dengue virus isolated
- Animal reservoir mystery solved
- Scientists explain how they created bird flu that spreads easily among mammals
- 'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorder
- Report: US to get seas rising by 2030 (Update)
- Grb2 protein holds powerful molecular signaling pathway in check
- Is your leaf left-handed? Previously overlooked asymmetry in Arabidopsis and tomato leaves
- First paternity study of southern right whales finds local fathers most successful
- Arecibo Observatory finds asteroid 2012 LZ1 to be twice as big as first believed
- Research finds Stonehenge was monument marking unification of Britain
Space & Earth news
NASA sees Chris become first hurricane of Atlantic season
NASA satellites monitoring the life of Chris in the Atlantic saw the tropical storm become the first hurricane of the Atlantic Ocean season on June 21, 2012.
NASA sees Tropical Depression Talim becoming disorganized
Tropical Storm Talim has weakened overnight due to stronger wind shear and land interaction and is now a depression. NASA satellite data from June 21 revealed that the thunderstorms that make up the tropical cyclone are scattered and disorganized.
NASA eyeing southern Gulf of Mexico low for tropical trouble
NASA satellites are providing data on a broad area of low pressure in the south-central Gulf of Mexico that has a medium chance for development into a tropical depression.
Romania to review moratorium on shale gas
Romania will review its stand on shale gas when a drilling moratorium expires in December and align itself with a future joint EU position on the controversial issue, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Friday.
Race is on to lure new SpaceX launchpad
A record-breaking mission to the International Space Station has triggered another space race back on Earth, with Florida competing against Texas and Puerto Rico for the chance to land a new launchpad for Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, and its ambitious line of Falcon rockets.
NASA space launch system core stage moves from concept to design
The nation's space exploration program is taking a critical step forward with a successful major technical review of the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will take astronauts farther into space than ever before.
Hi-C to investigate activity in solar atmosphere
(Phys.org) -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. is leading an international effort to develop and launch the High Resolution Coronal Imager, or Hi-C, on a sounding rocket from the White Sands Missile Range at White Sands, N.M. Hi-C is a next-generation suborbital space telescope designed to capture the highest-resolution images ever taken of the million-degree solar corona. Key partners include the University of Alabama at Huntsville, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, University of Central Lancashire in Lancashire, England, and the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Multiple mergers generate ultraluminous infrared galaxy
A team of astronomers led by Professor Yoshiaki Taniguchi (Ehime University) has concluded that the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) Arp 220 developed from a multiple merger among four or more galaxies. Their new imaging data from the Subaru Telescope and optical spectroscopy from the W. M. Keck Observatory revealed two tidal tails that facilitated their analysis of Arp 220's development. Because Arp 220 is an archetypal or representative ULIRG, the team's findings facilitate an understanding of ULIRG development in general.
Scientists track individual raindrops inside clouds
(Phys.org) -- Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientists are leading a multi-agency study which reveals that a very high-resolution Doppler radar has the unique capacity to detect individual cloud hydrometeors in the free atmosphere. This study will improve scientists' understanding of the dynamics and structure of cloud systems.
Euclid and the geometry of the dark universe
Euclid, an exciting new mission to map the geometry, distribution and evolution of dark energy and dark matter has just been formally adopted by ESA as part of their Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 progamme. Named after Euclid of Alexandria, the “Father of Geometry”, it will accurately measure the accelerated expansion of the Universe, bringing together one of the largest collaborations of astronomers, engineers and scientists in an attempt to answer one of the most important questions in cosmology: why is the expansion of the Universe accelerating, instead of slowing down due to the gravitational attraction of all the matter it contains?
ALMA reveals constituent of a galaxy at 12.4 billion light-years away
An international research team, led by Associate Professor Tohru Nagao from Kyoto University, and including researchers from Japan and Europe, has observed a "submillimeter galaxy" located about 12.4 billion light-years away using ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), and has successfully detected an emission line from nitrogen contained in that galaxy.
New infrared sensor to revolutionize infrared astronomical imaging
(Phys.org) -- The University of Hawaii today released the first image obtained using its new 16-megapixel HAWAII 4RG-15 (H4RG-15) image sensor on the UH 2.2-meter (88-inch) telescope on Mauna Kea. This represents a significant step forward in astronomical infrared technology because it is the first time a sensor with anywhere near this many infrared pixels has been trained on the sky.
NASA sees tropical trouble brewing in southern Gulf of Mexico
Imagery from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite has shown some towering thunderstorms within the low pressure area called System 96L, located in the southern Gulf of Mexico. NASA continues to create the imagery from the GOES satellite and NASA satellites are also monitoring the developing low. If it does organize further and become a tropical storm over the weekend, it would be named "Debby."
NASA sees first Atlantic hurricane fizzling in cool waters
Chris may have been the Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season's first hurricane, but didn't maintain that title for long. NASA satellite data revealed one good reason why Chris had weakened and became a post-tropical storm.
Disappearing grasslands: Scientists to study dramatic environmental change
The Earth's grasslands and savannas are experiencing a major transformation as woody plants, such as trees and shrubs, have begun to dominate arid lands around the globe. While ecologists document this dramatic change in vegetation — considered by many to be desertification, or a deterioration of the environment — researchers at Arizona State University suggest these changes may not be completely detrimental.
NASA satellite sees several western US fires blazing
Fires are raging in the western U.S. and in one overpass from its orbit around the Earth, NASA's Aqua satellite picked up smoke and identified hot spots from fires in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.
Arecibo Observatory finds asteroid 2012 LZ1 to be twice as big as first believed
(Phys.org) -- Using the planetary radar system at Arecibo Observatory, astronomers have determined that asteroid 2012 LZ1 is twice as large as originally estimated based on its brightness, and large enough to have serious global consequences if it were to hit the Earth. However, a new orbit solution also derived from the radar measurements shows that this object does not have any chance of hitting the Earth for at least the next 750 years.
NuSTAR mission status report: Observatory unfurls its unique mast
(Phys.org) -- NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has successfully deployed its lengthy mast, giving it the ability to see the highest energy X-rays in our universe. The mission is one step closer to beginning its hunt for black holes hiding in our Milky Way and other galaxies.
Voyager 1 at the final frontier
For nearly 35 years, NASA’s Voyager 1 probe has been hurtling toward the edge of the solar system, flying through the dark void on a mission unlike anything attempted before. One day, mission controllers hope, Voyager 1 will leave the solar system behind and enter the realm of the stars—interstellar space.
Report: US to get seas rising by 2030 (Update)
The West Coast will see an ocean several inches (centimeters higher in coming decades, with most of California expected to get sea levels a half foot higher by 2030, according a report released Friday.
Nearby star cluster, long forgotten, now discovered to be useful in studies of Sun and search for planets like Earth
(Phys.org) -- A loose group of stars that was known for over 180 years but never before studied in detail has been revealed to be an important new tool in the quest to understand the evolution of stars like the Sun, and in the search for planets like Earth. "We have discovered that a previously unappreciated open star cluster, which is a little younger than our Sun, holds great promise for use as a standard gauge in fundamental stellar astrophysics," said Jason T. Wright, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, who conceived and initiated the research.
Technology news
NYT adds tech heavyweights Ito, McAndrews to board
(AP) — The New York Times Co. is adding two technology heavyweights to its board of directors: Joichi Ito, an early investor in Twitter, Flickr and Kickstarter, and Brian McAndrews, a venture capitalist who specializes in funding technology start-up companies.
Purchasing Hawaiian isle fits with mogul's persona
(AP) — Buying an inhabited Hawaiian island may sound extreme, even for a guy known for flaunting his fortune like a playboy — driving fancy cars, wooing beautiful women, flying his own jet and spending $200 million (€157.85 million) to build a Japanese-themed compound in California's Silicon Valley.
Sandia seeks best ways to protect infrastructure, recover from disasters
Sandia National Laboratories is expecting the unexpected to help the nation prepare for severe weather and figure out the best ways to lessen the havoc hurricanes and other disasters leave on power grids, bridges, roads and everything else in their path.
UK bank customers hit by software problem
(AP) — Technicians at the British bank NatWest are trying to fix a software problem which has delayed posting of credits and debits in customer accounts.
Sea waves as renewable resource in new energy converter design
Sea waves are a renewable and inexhaustible resource found in abundance across the planet. But efficiently converting sea wave motion into electrical energy has been challenging, in part due to the difficulty of compensating for the relatively low speeds and irregular movements of ocean waves.
EU MPs deal new blow to online piracy pact
A controversial global pact to battle counterfeiting and online piracy was dealt a new setback Thursday as a key European Parliament panel rejected the deal.
Holograms: You can find some real ones here
I've seen some holograms recently. Hologram Tupac Shakur, you are no hologram.
Smarter lighting would save $110 billion, summit told
Efficient lighting would save $110 billion a year worldwide, according to a UN-led study published at the Rio+20 summit on Thursday.
Google stock split wins approval; CEO loses voice
(AP) — Google shareholders gave CEO Larry Page what he wanted Thursday by approving an unconventional stock split meant to cement his authority, but he wasn't around to hail the victory.
Texas accuses Google of withholding evidence
(AP) -- The Texas attorney general is accusing Google of improperly withholding evidence to stymie an investigation into whether the company has been abusing its dominance of Internet search.
A battle for Internet freedom as UN meeting nears
(AP) — A year after the Internet helped fuel the Arab Spring uprisings, the role cyberspace plays in launching revolutions is being threatened by proposed changes to a United Nations telecommunications treaty that could allow countries to clamp down on the free flow of information.
E-book trend slow at US libraries: study
Even as e-book sales surge, Americans are slow to look to their public libraries to take advantage of the format, a study showed Friday.
Google will allow Motorola Mobility its own space
Google intends to allow its newly acquired Motorola Mobility to keep its autonomy as it battles in the hotly contested smartphone market, executives said Thursday.
The phone that knows where you're going
(Phys.org) -- Can mobile phones predict our behavior? Three EPFL students won the "Nokia Mobile Data Challenge" by accurately predicting the place where phone users were likely to go next. Their method could be used to develop new services and applications.
Internet group picks little-known executive as CEO
(AP) — A businessman with experience in building consensus will be the next CEO of the Internet agency in charge of contentious policies surrounding Internet addresses.
Bomb threat? An app for that, too
At approximately 6:30 pm on Saturday, May 1, 2010, a smoking SUV in Times Square was reported by alert street vendors. Acting quickly, NYPD evacuated vast stretches on 7th and 8th Avenues, including Broadway theatres and several other buildings and hotels in the area. The entire area was barricaded. Times Square on a Saturday evening before the shows is teaming with people, and the terrorist knew that. The bomb failed, but had it detonated, it would have killed and wounded many, according to NYPD.
Smartphones as wallets: Using portable device for purchases on the rise, but hurdles remain
Picture walking up to the Dillard's counter, two shirts in one hand, smartphone in the other. There's no need to reach for your wallet, because all of the credit card information has been stored in your phone. One tap of the phone against a small mobile reader next to the cash register, and you're out the door.
Teens turn from Facebook to fresher social-media sites
Facebook appears to have competition for teens' attention, and they're drifting to other social-media sites as evidence mounts that the growth of the world's largest social network is slowing.
Facebook signs apps privacy agreement
(AP) — Facebook became the seventh company to agree to give people advance warning if its mobile applications pull personal information from mobile phones and tablet computers.
Zynga.com to show Facebook ads
(AP) — Zynga is starting to show ads from Facebook on Zynga.com, its stand-alone website that lets people play its online games away from Facebook.
Startup Cue aims to queue up your digital life
Cue wants to lessen data overload. The tech startup is offering a service that organizes and creates a visual daily snapshot of your online accounts - email, calendar, contacts, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, instant messages and more. The process is complex, but the task is simple: bring order to social-media clutter for consumers and businesses.
Facebook allows fix for embarrassing mistakes
For those embarrassing mistakes people make in their Facebook posts, there is finally some relief.
Researchers amplify variations in video, making the invisible visible
At this summer's Siggraph — the premier computer-graphics conference — researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) will present new software that amplifies variations in successive frames of video that are imperceptible to the naked eye. So, for instance, the software makes it possible to actually "see" someone's pulse, as the skin reddens and pales with the flow of blood, and it can exaggerate tiny motions, making visible the vibrations of individual guitar strings or the breathing of a swaddled infant in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Medicine & Health news
IU gastroenterologist develops practice guidelines for most prevalent liver disease
An Indiana University School of Medicine gastroenterologist led a team of distinguished physicians who developed the first guidelines for diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The guidelines were published simultaneously in the June issues of the journals Hepatology, Gastroenterology and the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Versatility of zebrafish research highlighted at international conference
It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease.
Telehealth can reduce deaths and emergency hospital care, but estimated cost savings are modest
For people with long term conditions, telehealth can reduce deaths and help patients avoid the need for emergency hospital care, finds a study published in BMJ today.
Researchers report high suicide rates among young Indians
Young people in India, the engine of its rapidly expanding economy, are committing suicide at a much higher rate than in the West, researchers said Friday, calling for urgent intervention.
Fast response time and microsurgery save boy's facial expression
Two-year-old Jax Cannon is giving his dad high-fives.
Beat the heat: Exercise safety on hot summer days
(Medical Xpress) -- It’s already been one of the warmest years in decades and the 90-plus degree temperatures just keep coming. It’s always important to be conscious of weather conditions when you exercise, but especially when it comes to extreme heat.
Making bad worse for expectant mothers
Some Norwegian women with birth anxiety face additional trauma in their meeting with the country's health service, according to research carried out in Stavanger.
The Affordable Care Act could have negative consequences for elderly recipients
Three provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) intended to enhance care transitions and prevent avoidable outcomes for the Medicare population are found to have inadequately addressed the needs of older, vulnerable recipients of long-term services and supports, according to George Washington University School of Nursing Assistant Research Professor Ellen Kurtzman, MPH, RN, FAAN.
Similar outcomes for robot-aided, conventional nephrectomy
(HealthDay) -- Robot-assisted and conventional laparoscopic partial nephrectomies have similar outcomes and complication rates, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Urology.
Georgia sees more anthrax cases
(AP) — At least 30 people in Georgia have contracted anthrax this year, prompting authorities to step up safety measures, medical officials said Friday.
New evidence in fructose debate: Could it be healthy for us?
A new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital suggests that fructose may not be as bad for us as previously thought and that it may even provide some benefit.
MG53 protein shown to be useful for treating traumatic tissue damage
Throughout the lifecycle, injury to the body’s cells occurs naturally, as well as through trauma. Cells have the ability to repair and regenerate themselves, but a defect in the repair process can lead to cardiovascular, neurological, muscular or pulmonary diseases. Recent discoveries of key genes that control cell repair have advanced the often painstaking search for ways to enhance the repair process.
Warning to parents over magnet danger to children
Doctors are asking parents to take extra care that their children do not swallow small magnets from toys, after two children required surgical intervention following ingestion of such small magnets. In a letter to the Lancet, Dr. Anil Thomas George and Dr Sandeep Motiwale of Queen's Medical Centre, part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK, report two separate incidents in the last 18 months of children needing surgical intervention to remove swallowed magnets.
Remembering to forget
(Medical Xpress) -- New research suggests that it is possible to suppress emotional autobiographical memories. The study published this month by psychologists at the University of St Andrews reveals that individuals can be trained to forget particular details associated with emotional memories.
Longer life for those who follow nutritional guidelines
Those who follow the nutritional guidelines issued by Sweden's National Food Agency live longer. This is shown by a new study of the diets of 17 000 Swedish men and women over a long period of time. The greatest effect was observed in men, whose risk of dying of cardiovascular disease was almost halved.
Medicine agency: Roche did not report side effects
(AP) — The European Medicines Agency is investigating "deficiencies" in the way drug maker Roche reported possible side effects in patients in the U.S., though it said there was no evidence patients are at risk.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome ups risk of type 2 diabetes
(HealthDay) -- Middle-aged women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a prospective long-term study published online June 14 in Diabetes.
Developing 'Mental toughness' can help footballers cope with high pressure penalty shoot outs
(Medical Xpress) -- Penalty shoot-outs are possibly the most stressful situations that footballers have to contend with. They need to be able to focus on the task and block out noise and other distractions coming from the stands.
Mental health care disparities persist for black and latino children
Disparities in the use of mental health services, including outpatient care and psychotropic drug prescriptions, persist for black and Latino children, reports a new study in Health Services Research.
Balancing connections for proper brain function
Neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy involve an imbalance between two types of synapses in the brain: excitatory synapses that release the neurotransmitter glutamate, and inhibitory synapses that release the neurotransmitter GABA. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying development of inhibitory synapses, but a research team from Japan and Canada has reported that a molecular signal between adjacent neurons is required for the development of inhibitory synapses.
Researchers review muscular dystrophy therapies
Leading muscular dystrophy researcher Dean Burkin, of the University of Nevada School of Medicine summarizes the impact of a new protein therapeutic, MG53, for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in an article published this week in Science Translational Medicine.
GMCSF treatment associated with improved cognition in cancer patients
Growth factors shown to cure Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model and administered to cancer patients as part of their treatment regimen were linked to significant improvements in the patients' cognitive function following stem cell transplantation, a preliminary clinical study reports.
1 in 10 fibromyalgia patients uses marijuana to ease pain
(HealthDay) -- About 10 percent of fibromyalgia patients use marijuana to relieve symptoms such as pain, fatigue and insomnia, a new study has found.
Active, outdoor teens are happier teens: study
(HealthDay) -- Teens who engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous outdoor activity reported better health and social functioning than their peers who spent hours in front of television and computer screens, a new study in Australia has found.
Many psoriasis patients undertreated for CV risk factors
(HealthDay) -- A large proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis are underdiagnosed and undertreated for cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Early loss of glucagon response to hypoglycemia found in teens
(HealthDay) -- In adolescents with type 1 diabetes the glucagon response to hypoglycemia is lost as early as one month and at a median of eight months after diabetes diagnosis, according to a study published online June 14 in Diabetes Care.
Danish scientists detect new immune alert signal
Researchers from Aarhus University have now located the place in the human body where the earliest virus alert signal triggers the human immune system. They have also discovered a new alarm signal, which is activated at the very first sign of a virus attack.
South African daffodils may be a future cure for depression
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have previously documented that substances from the South African plant species Crinum and Cyrtanthus – akin to snowdrops and daffodils – have an effect on the mechanisms in the brain that are involved in depression. This research has now yielded further results, since a team based at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences has recently shown how several South African daffodils contain plant compounds whose characteristics enable them to negotiate the defensive blood-brain barrier that is a key challenge in all new drug development.
Research: Many programs to help diabetics manage their health do work
A new study has found that programs aimed at helping people prevent or manage diabetes are most successful if they are directed at the patient or the health care system. Programs aimed at physicians were only successful for patients with poorer diabetes control.
Higher quality of life seen among regular moderate drinkers than among abstainers
Data from a nationally representative sample of 5,404 community-dwelling Canadians ages 50 and older at baseline (1994/1995) was used to estimate the effects of alcohol drinking patterns on quality of life when subjects were aged =50 years and after a follow-up period. Health-related quality of life was assessed with the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3). The authors report that most participants showed stable alcohol-consumption patterns over 6 years.
New hospital guidelines to help mothers at risk of postpartum depression
Although 13 percent of new mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD) in the first year after childbirth, few women recognize the symptoms and seldom discuss their feelings with a health care provider. University of Louisville Hospital (ULH) hopes to change this statistic through a new policy to guide hospital-based perinatal nurses in caring for women with risk of PPD.
Myelodysplastic syndrome treated with deferasirox shows beneficial iron reduction
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at six other institutions have recently tested a treatment for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, a blood-related malignancy that involves the ineffective production of blood cells, leaving patients anemic and in need of frequent blood transfusions. Because the body has no natural means to reduce iron that accumulates from repeated transfusions, patients' organs can become iron overloaded, leading to heart failure, liver injury, susceptibility to infection, and other complications. Bone marrow failure and conversion to acute leukemia may occur in patients with MDS, necessitating bone marrow transplantation. The disease can be caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer.
Parents' work-life stress hinders healthy eating
In a tight economy, with fewer jobs, many people end up working harder and sacrificing more to stay employed. A new study finds that one of those sacrifices is sometimes their own and their family's nutrition.
Incomplete recovery of lumbar discs two years after bed rest
(HealthDay) -- Recovery of the lumbar intervertebral discs following a 60-day period of bed rest is a lengthy process, with recovery incomplete at two years, according to a study published in the June 15 issue of Spine.
Reduced efficacy for CRC screenings done by non-GI docs
(HealthDay) -- Having interval colorectal cancer (CRC) colonoscopy screenings performed by nongastroenterologists compared with gastroenterologists (GIs) results in a noticeable reduction in the long-term CRC prevention rate, according to research published online June 15 in Cancer.
Risk factors ID'd for SCA in heart defect repair survivors
(HealthDay) -- In adult survivors of surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD), severe subaortic ventricular systolic dysfunction is a significant and independent predictor of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), according to research published in the July 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Cold-air anesthesia reduces pain of laser treatment
(HealthDay) -- In ablative fractionated carbon-dioxide (CO2) laser treatment for photoaging, cold-air anesthesia used in conjunction with topical anesthesia reduces pain significantly more than topical anesthesia alone, according to research published online June 13 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Drug-Eluting stents offer no advantage for A-Fib patients
(HealthDay) -- Drug-eluting stents (DESs) do not seem to offer advantages over bare-metal stents (BMSs) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation, according to research published in the July 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Skin cell transplant may offer new hope to vitiligo patients
(HealthDay) -- Skin cell transplants can restore pigment to the skin of some patients with the disorder known as vitiligo, new research finds.
Pasta made from green banana flour a tasty alternative for gluten-free diets
People with celiac disease struggle with limited food choices, as their condition makes them unable to tolerate gluten, found in wheat and other grains. Researchers from the University of Brazil have developed a gluten-free pasta product from green banana flour, which tasters found more acceptable than regular whole wheat pasta. The product has less fat and is cheaper to produce than standard pastas. Their research is published today in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Cigarette smoke damages DNA in reproductive cells of fathers, these changes inherited by offspring
When shopping for dad's Father's Day gift, consider what he gave you when you were conceived. If he smoked, your genes are likely damaged, and your odds for diseases increased. A report in the FASEB Journal shows that men who smoke before conception can damage the genes of their offspring. These inherited changes in DNA could render developing offspring susceptible to later diseases, providing evidence for quitting smoking before trying to conceive.
Zebrafish research shows how dietary fat regulates cholesterol absorption
Buttery shrimp. Fried eggs. Burgers and fries. New research suggests there may be a biological reason why fatty and cholesterol-rich foods are so appealing together.
Is arm length the reason women need reading glasses sooner than men?
Studies have consistently reported that women require reading glasses or bifocal lenses earlier than men. According to a recent Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science paper, the gender difference is caused by factors other than focusing ability, such as arm length or preferred reading distance, which should be considered when prescribing readers or bifocals.
Exercise won't affect breast milk, baby's growth: study
(HealthDay) -- Breast-feeding mothers sometimes worry that exercise may affect their breast milk -- and ultimately their baby's growth. Now, researchers who re-evaluated the few published research studies that exist say it does not appear that mom's workout will affect her infant's growth.
Finding sounds in an audible haystack
Listening to a single voice in a crowded cocktail party sometimes seems like picking a needle out of a haystack, but new research shows that people may be better at this than expected.
New study explains how stress can boost immune system
A study spearheaded by a Stanford University School of Medicine scientist has tracked the trajectories of key immune cells in response to short-term stress and traced, in great detail, how hormones triggered by such stress enhance immune readiness. The study, conducted in rats, adds weight to evidence that immune responsiveness is heightened, rather than suppressed as many believe, by the so-called "fight-or-flight" response.
Flu research should proceed with caution, experts urge
(Medical Xpress) -- The journal Science is today publishing a paper revealing that highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza, also known as bird flu, can pass from one ferret to another through the air. Publication of these results has been delayed and debated during the last several months for fear that terrorists or others might use information from the study to “weaponize” the flu virus for intentional harm.
Grb2 protein holds powerful molecular signaling pathway in check
Once considered merely a passive link between proteins that matter, Grb2 - pronounced "grab2" - actually lives up to its nickname with its controlling grip on an important cell signaling pathway, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the June 22 issue of Cell.
Scientists explain how they created bird flu that spreads easily among mammals
Scientists have created versions of the H5N1 bird flu that spread easily among mammals through droplets in sneezes and have concluded that the deadly virus could trigger a global pandemic in humans.
'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorder
The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.
Human antibody for dengue virus isolated
(Phys.org) -- A group of scientists in Singapore and the UK have isolated a human antibody capable of effectively neutralizing the mosquito-borne dengue virus. Dengue fever is currently incurable and infects an estimated 100,000 people a year, mostly in the tropics. The only treatment is alleviating the symptoms, which can include intense joint and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, high fever, and death in severe cases.
Biology news
Keeping the green in putting greens
When a patch of unwanted grass discolors a putting green, it can cause headaches for golf course managers and for the sod farmers who supply them. But a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist has developed a tool to help minimize the damage.
Civil war endangers Myanmar's ailing tigers
Efforts to stop Myanmar's tigers being hunted to extinction are under threat from a civil war raging in a region home to the world's biggest sanctuary for the endangered cats, experts warn.
Risks and rewards of quantifying nature's 'ecosystem services'
How much is a stream worth? Can we put a dollar value on a wetland? Some conservation proponents have moved to establish the economic value of "ecosystem services," the benefits that nature provides to people. The approach translates the beauty and utility of a wetland into pounds of phosphorus removed from agricultural runoff, Joules of heat pulled out of urban wastewater, and inches of floodwater absorbed upstream of riverside communities.
Infection biology: The elusive third factor
Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich have identified an enzyme that is involved in a modification pathway that is essential for bacterial pathogenicity. Because it shows no similarity to other known proteins, it may be an ideal target for development of novel antimicrobial drugs.
Rare rhino birth expected soon in Indonesia
A pregnant Sumatran rhinoceros is expected to give birth soon at a sanctuary in Indonesia, in a rare event that has only happened three times in the last century, experts said Friday.
The blue blood of the emperor scorpion x-rayed
Biologists from Mainz University are the first to successfully crystallize the hemocyanin of the emperor scorpion to shed new light on the structure and active site of the giant oxygen transport protein.
Automation of a protocol for rapidly analyzing gene expression on a large scale will yield faster results at less cost
To generate an overall view of cell function, molecular biologists build simultaneous expression, or activity, profiles of thousands of genes. Gene expression begins with a process called transcription, during which the DNA sequence encoding a gene is copied into RNA. The information contained in the transcript is then translated into a chain of amino acids that folds up to form a functional protein molecule.
New DNA equipment reveals risk of so-called symptom-free lettuce big vein associated virus
Plant Research International, part of Wageningen UR, has used its next generation sequencing DNA equipment to show that it is the Lettuce big vein associated virus (LBVaV) itself that causes necrotic symptoms in lettuce. For years it was assumed that the virus was present in lettuce without showing any symptoms. Thanks to this new knowledge about the true nature of the virus, breeding companies can better address the risks of the virus.
Researchers find some plants get their nitrogen from fungi that kill insects
(Phys.org) -- We've all grown up with stories of plants that capture, kill and eat insects; the Venus fly trap the most notable example. Now it appears some plants get their nitrogen from insects via proxy. Instead of having to develop a complicated system of traps to catch insects on their own, they rely on fungi to do their dirty work for them. A team of Canadian researchers from Brock University, St. Catharine’s, has found that some plants, as they describe in their paper published in Science, grab nitrogen from fungi that live in its roots. The fungi get it from killing insects. In return for its generosity, the fungi get carbon.
First paternity study of southern right whales finds local fathers most successful
The first paternity study of southern right whales has found a surprisingly high level of local breeding success for males, scientists say, which is good news for the overall genetic diversity of the species, but could create risk for local populations through in-breeding.
Is your leaf left-handed? Previously overlooked asymmetry in Arabidopsis and tomato leaves
Research published in the Plant Cell shows that the spiral pattern of leaf formation from the point of growth affects the developing leaf's exposure to the plant hormone auxin; This exposure leads to measurable left-right asymmetry in leaf development, in species previously assumed to have symmetric leaves.
Animal reservoir mystery solved
A team of scientists at Washington University in St. Louis has been keeping a wary eye on emerging tick-borne diseases in Missouri for the past dozen years, and they have just nailed down another part of the story.
Foundational concept of ecology tested by experiment
An elementary school science activity asks children who have each been assigned a wetland plant or animal to connect themselves with string and tape to other "organisms" their assigned plant or animal interacts with in some way.
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