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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 6, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Most accurate robotic legs mimic human walking gait (w/ Video)- Kaspersky Lab nails 'Find and Call' trojan bearing phone-book service
- Brain scanner, not joystick, is in human-robot future
- Mathematicians use network theory to model champion Spanish soccer team's style
- Evidence found for existence of intermediate size black hole
- Microscope probe-sharpening technique improves resolution, durability
- Ladybirds thrive on organic aphids
- Researchers decode molecular mechanism that sheds light on how trauma can become engraved in the brain
- Atmospheric scientists release first 'bottom-up' estimates of China's CO2 emissions
- New nanodevice builds electricity from tiny pieces
- Scientists reveal how natural systems limit the spread of "cheating" bacteria
- Source: Yahoo, Facebook have settled patent fight
- Spaceflight may extend the lifespan of microscopic worm
- Breakthrough in understanding human immune response has potential for the development of new drug therapies
- World's fastest camera used to detect rogue cancer cells
Space & Earth news
MSG-3 set to ensure quality of Europe's weather service from geostationary orbit
The latest weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat second-generation series is on its way after lifting off on an Ariane 5 at 21:36 GMT (23:36 CEST) on Thursday, 5 July from Europe’s Spaceport at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite’s sensors will ensure that Europe and Africa continue to receive up-to-date weather coverage.
Improving air quality with no-till cropping
Studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists show some no-till management systems can lower atmospheric levels of PM10—soil particles and other material 10 microns or less in diameter that degrade air quality—that are eroded from crop fields via the wind. These findings could help Pacific Northwest farmers reduce erosion from their fields and assist communities in complying with federal air quality regulations.
NASA workshop discusses how On-Orbit Robotic Satellite-Servicing becomes reality
(Phys.org) -- Envision a space with more options and increased capacity: a place where aging and ailing satellites could place a service call for a helpful boost to the right orbit, a quick repair, or a fuel top-off to keep them operating longer. According to many of the speakers and attendees at NASA’s Second International Workshop on On-Orbit Satellite Servicing, such long-discussed lifeline services are more than a dream of the future; they are options that could be achievable within the next five years.
Local factors important for water availability
An important issue that has grabbed the attention of scientists and policy makers alike is the amount of freshwater that will be available to populations across different climate settings, especially as rain belts reorganize in response to warming temperatures over the 21st century. The amount of freshwater available on land, calculated from runoff, is a function of supply and demand, where annual rainfall determines the supply and the dryness determined by solar radiation largely controls the demand. Local factors, such as vegetation and soil types that are directly tied to regional climate, modulate the surface water supply and demand. However, there are no observations to quantify the effect of regional climate on surface water availability.
Peat-based climate reconstructions run into murky waters?
Peatlands are globally important ecosystems that serve as archives of past environmental change. Peatlands form over thousands of years from the accumulation of decaying plants and hold water, or in some cases purely rainwater. Hence, both external processes, such as climate, and internal processes, such as the rates of peat growth and decay, control the water table in peatlands. However, throughout the previous century and particularly over the past decade, paleoclimatologists have increasingly relied on reconstructions of the water table in rain-fed peatlands to infer changes in rainfall through the Holocene period (the past ~12,000 years), ignoring the potentially important role of internal processes.
E-waste: Annual gold, silver 'deposits' in new high-tech goods worth $21B; less than 15% recovered
A staggering 320 tons of gold and more than 7,500 tons of silver are now used annually to make PCs, cell phones, tablet computers and other new electronic and electrical products worldwide, adding more than $21 billion in value each year to the rich fortunes in metals eventually available through "urban mining" of e-waste, experts say.
Belgian resorts riled over gloomy summer forecasts
Belgium's seaside resorts are threatening to sue a top weather site they say is dissuading tourists with coastal forecasts of a gloomy summer, the Belgian press reported Friday.
Arianespace launches rocket with 2 satellites
(AP) — The European space consortium Arianespace has launched telecommunications and weather observation satellites into orbit from its center in French Guiana.
NOAA predicts mild harmful algal blooms for western Lake Erie this year
(Phys.org) -- In its first-ever seasonal harmful algal bloom forecast for Lake Erie, NOAA researchers are predicting that western Lake Erie will have a mild bloom this summer, equivalent to conditions last seen in 2007.
NASA scientist: Climate just one factor in wildfires
(Phys.org) -- It's shaping up to be a fiery summer across the United States. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of July 3, 45 large active wildfires are currently burning in 15 states. Combined, these fires have scorched nearly three-quarters of a million acres. Since January 1, wildfires have burned nearly 2.2 million acres across the country, including devastating blazes in Colorado and New Mexico. We asked JPL Climatologist Bill Patzert to discuss the recent wildfire outbreak and whether climate change is playing a role.
HI-C sounding rocket mission has finest mirrors ever made
(Phys.org) -- On July 11, NASA scientists will launch into space the highest resolution solar telescope ever to observe the solar corona, the million degree outer solar atmosphere. The instrument, called HI-C for High Resolution Coronal Imager, will fly aboard a Black Brant sounding rocket to be launched from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The mission will have just 620 seconds for its flight, spending about half of that time high enough that Earth's atmosphere will not block ultraviolet rays from the sun. By looking at a specific range of UV light, HI-C scientists hope to observe fundamental structures on the sun, as narrow as 100 miles across.
Scanning Webb's surrogate eye
(Phys.org) -- Engineer Erin Wilson adds aluminum tape to electrical cables to protect them from the cold during environmental testing of special optical equipment. These tests will verify the alignment of the actual flight instruments that will fly aboard NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Eddies drive section of thermohaline circulation
(Phys.org) -- Giant currents that traverse the world’s oceans may not be as stable as previously thought after researchers found a branch of one of these global currents was powered and steered entirely by eddies, one of the oceans smallest features.
Prediction system to protect astronauts from solar storms
(Phys.org) -- With the impending solar maximum expected to bring heightened rates of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), putting at risk an ever-increasing human presence in space, Oh et al. designed and assessed a prediction system to keep astronauts safe from these solar storms.
Streamflow changes following the 2010 Chile earthquake
Changes in streamflow and groundwater levels are known to occur following earthquakes. But the mechanisms for the changes in streamflow are not fully understood and vary from one location to another.
Reanalyses find rising humidity in the Arctic
(Phys.org) -- Direct, reliable observations of atmospheric conditions stretch as far back as the mid seventeenth century, with otherwise consistent records being punctuated by periodic updates in methods, practitioners, and observational equipment. To bridge these shifts in technique and technology, scientists develop reanalysis models designed to tie together diverse observations into a coherent picture of the system's evolution. But, like all models or analytical techniques, reanalysis data sets can suffer from errors or biases. Identifying how the records produced by different reanalyses vary can be a difficult practice, but determining if a cluster of models consistently produces biased results can be even more difficult.
Arctic warming linked to combination of reduced sea ice and global atmospheric warming
(Phys.org) -- The combination of melting sea ice and global atmospheric warming are contributing to the high rate of warming in the Arctic, where temperatures are increasing up to four times faster than the global average, a new University of Melbourne study has shown.
Mars panorama: Next best thing to being there
(Phys.org) -- From fresh rover tracks to an impact crater blasted billions of years ago, a newly completed view from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the ruddy terrain around the outcrop where the long-lived explorer spent its most recent Martian winter.
Atmospheric scientists release first 'bottom-up' estimates of China's CO2 emissions
(Phys.org) -- Atmospheric scientists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Nanjing University have produced the first "bottom-up" estimates of China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, for 2005 to 2009, and the first statistically rigorous estimates of the uncertainties surrounding China's CO2 emissions.
Evidence found for existence of intermediate size black hole
(Phys.org) -- Over the years, cosmologists have found ample evidence of just two kinds of black holes: stellar mass black holes and supermassive black holes. The former are considered small by most standards, just several times the weight of our sun; the latter, as their name implies, huge and as heavy as millions of our sun combined. Not so easy to find have been those that lie somewhere in-between, and because of that, their existence has been mostly speculative. Now, it appears that has changed as a group of international researchers has found evidence that suggests one such black hole appears to be on the order of 90,000 of our suns. The team has found as they explain in their paper published in the journal Science, that ESO 243-49 HLX-1, first discovered in 2009, appears to have the characteristics of an intermediate mass black hole.
Technology news
Megaupload boss takes 'freedom fight' to Twitter
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has taken to Twitter as a self-styled "freedom fighter" as he waits to find out if the United States can extradite him from New Zealand to face online piracy charges.
EMC components: World's smallest common-mode filter for high-speed interfaces
TDK Corporation has developed the world’s smallest common-mode filter, which measures in at only 0.45 mm x 0.30 mm x 0.23 mm and is 75 percent smaller than current 0806 filters (IEC).
DARPA successfully tests gigapixel-class camera
This is an image of a gigapixel camera currently being developed by DARPA’s Advanced Wide FOV Architectures for Image Reconstruction and Exploitation (AWARE) program.
Unique strategies for smoother auto start-stop control yield more than 25 patent applications for Ford
In the quest to deliver better fuel efficiency for millions of drivers, Ford engineers have more than 25 patents pending for the $295 Auto Start-Stop on the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion. The best technology improves your life by doing its job effectively and then getting out of the way.
Football: France league chief hails goal-line technology, but baulks at price
The president of the French professional football league (LFP) on Friday welcomed the decision to introduce goal-line technology (GLT), but baulked at its prohibitive cost.
Facebook's 'hacker' ways trickle to branch offices
Denise Noyes stood in front of 80 fellow social-networking engineers on the 18th floor of Facebook's Seattle office on the northeast edge of downtown. Following the ring of a gong, she announced the start of Facebook Seattle's second-ever "hackathon."
Apps help smartphones become digital wallets
Wouldn't it be nice to forget your wallet - permanently? That day is coming sooner than you think. In the walletless future there will be no credit cards to lose, no cash to carry and no concert tickets to leave at home. Already, with a few taps on the screen of your smartphone, you can order a meal at a restaurant, loan your friend 20 bucks or even unlock the door to your house - so you can lose the keys, too.
Virtual servers begin to intrigue smaller businesses
With the growing buzz around cloud computing - and its benefits of ramping up efficiency while cutting information technology costs - some smaller companies are beginning to weigh its pros and cons, while acknowledging it as the next inevitable IT progression.
Samsung tips record-high profit for 2nd quarter
Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest maker of memory chips, mobile phones, flat-screen panels and televisions, said Friday that its preliminary second-quarter operating profit jumped nearly 80 percent from a year ago to a record high. Analysts said the sharp rise was driven by Galaxy smartphone sales.
US military plans fiber optic link to Guantanamo
The Pentagon plans to install a $40 million fiber optic cable between the US military jail at Guantanamo Bay and the US mainland, a spokesman said Thursday -- an indication the facility will not close anytime soon.
Apple hit with 2 more lawsuits in China
For Apple Inc. in China, it's been one step forward and two steps back when it comes to lawsuits.
Solar plane leaves Morocco for Spain
A solar-powered aircraft left the Moroccan capital on Friday for Madrid on its return journey to its home port in Switzerland, an AFP correspondent reported.
Making mirrors for the sun
With $1.5 million from the Department of Energy, University of Arizona researchers are continuing to improve groundbreaking technology to produce solar electricity at a price competitive with non-renewable energy sources.
Researchers develop new Facebook app to detect pedophiles and criminals
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) undergraduate students have developed a new privacy solution for Facebook. The Social Privacy Protector (SPP) can help parents adjust their children's profiles in one click, prevent criminals from garnering valuable personal information and keep teens safe from pedophiles.
Source: Yahoo, Facebook have settled patent fight
Facebook and Yahoo have agreed to settle a dispute over patents, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Most accurate robotic legs mimic human walking gait (w/ Video)
A group of US researchers has produced a robotic set of legs which they believe is the first to fully model walking in a biologically accurate manner.
Kaspersky Lab nails 'Find and Call' trojan bearing phone-book service
(Phys.org) -- How to lose friends and de-influence people: An app called "Find and Call" has been passing itself off as a mobile phone-book helper but has been discovered to be a Trojan which, once downloaded, has all the user’s address book contacts uploaded to a remote server where it proceeds to fire off SMS messages posing as the user. Find and Call was found both on the iOS App Store and Google Play store. Kaspersky Lab sounded the alarm on Thursday in a report from Kaspersky Lab expert Denis Maslennikov.
Medicine & Health news
The challenges and rewards of Paralympic medicine
In the Lancet paper, "Paralympic medicine," Nick Webborn of the British Paralympic Association and Peter Van de Vliet of the International Paralympic Committee Medical and Scientific Department, outline some of the issues that arise for health-care professionals when maintaining health in elite athletes with a variety of impairments.
Test approved to help treat common infection in transplant patients
(HealthDay) -- The first DNA test to help doctors treat a common viral infection in people who have had a solid organ transplant has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
LA County voters to decide on condoms in porn films
Los Angeles County voters are to decide if condom use should be obligatory for pornographic actors, after AIDS campaigners said Thursday they had collected enough signatures for a November ballot.
Record number of Africans get AIDS drugs: UNAIDS chief
A record number of Africans now have access to drugs to control the HIV virus, but the continent must work harder to strengthen the lifeline, the head of UNAIDS says.
Lung transplant recipient defies all odds
Meara Schmidt, 28, almost died a few weeks ago. Lying in her hospital bed at UCLA, the seriously ill cystic fibrosis patient felt herself slipping away and her life flashing by. But then the image of her husband appeared, and she knew she was not ready to go.
Modern medicine and patients' well being
(Medical Xpress) -- A new study has found that although there has been an explosion in the scientific underpinning of modern medicine, gaps still remain in our knowledge when it comes to clinicians looking after patients' well being, especially for older people.
Smoother sailing for elite athletes
When it comes to dealing with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, elite athletes are ‘just like us’, and ‘just like us’ they need help, research from The Australian National University reveals.
Taking tissue regeneration beyond the state-of-the-art
The University of Nottingham has begun the search for a new class of injectable materials that will stimulate stem cells to regenerate damaged tissue in degenerative and age related disorders of the bone, muscle and heart.
Simple steps can shield children from dog bites
(HealthDay) -- More than half of the 4.7 million people bitten by dogs in the United States annually are children under the age of 14.
Bird flu kills 8-year-old girl in Indonesia
(AP) — An 8-year-old girl has died of bird flu in Indonesia's eighth death from the disease this year.
Mayo Clinic YES Board creates efficiencies in emergency rooms
When minutes matter, Yes is the best answer. And emergency room physicians at Mayo Clinic are finding the YES Board is the place to find answers.
Repeat aneurysm screening for high-risk men should be considered
Aneurysm screening for men aged over 65 is cost effective and rescreening those at highest risk, at least once, should be considered, suggests a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Doctors should consider exercise a fifth 'vital sign'
In a new Lancet paper, an international team of researchers set out to examine whether sport and exercise contribute to the health of nations. They argue that although country-wide data on participation in sports are too scarce to draw any firm conclusions in this respect, the existing evidence suggests that regular participation in sports and / or exercise has clear benefits for physical and mental health, and that health professionals need to pay more attention to their patients' fitness.
300,000 people in U.S. living with Chagas disease: report
(HealthDay) -- As many as 300,000 people in the United States may have chronic Chagas disease -- mostly spread by blood-sucking insects -- health officials report.
California woman finds ways to control IBS
(HealthDay) -- Rachel Byrd doesn't remember a time before she had stomach pain and digestive issues. But her symptoms got so bad in 2009 that she rushed to the hospital, thinking her appendix had burst because the pain was so intense.
U.S. schools throwing the book at unhealthy drinks
(HealthDay) -- More U.S. elementary schools are banning unhealthy beverages from the premises, according to a new report.
Racial gap in kids' dental care vanishing: study
(HealthDay) -- Since 1964, the disparity between black and white children's dental care has narrowed dramatically, a new study finds.
New, combined equation more accurately estimates GFR
(HealthDay) -- A combined creatinine-cystatin C equation has improved performance and accuracy for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR), according to research published in the July 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Patient decision aid beneficial in papillary thyroid cancer
(HealthDay) -- Patients with early-stage papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) may benefit from the use of a patient-directed computerized decision aid (DA) to provide medical knowledge and resolve decisional conflicts regarding the use of adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, according to research published online July 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Next front in worldwide AIDS battle: Stretching use of anti-HIV drugs
(Medical Xpress) -- A Johns Hopkins expert in the drug treatment of HIV disease and AIDS is spearheading an international effort to radically shift the manufacturing and prescribing of combination therapies widely credited in the last decade for keeping the disease in check for 8 million of the 34 million infected people worldwide.
Eye research paves way for more successful cornea transplants
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at the University of Reading have made a significant breakthrough in cornea transplant research that could make future procedures more successful.
India moves closer to rolling out 'drugs for all' plan (Update)
India is moving ahead with ambitious plans to spend nearly $5 billion to supply free drugs to patients -- bringing the nation closer to universal health coverage, officials said on Friday.
Is social anxiety a hidden disability for university students?
(Medical Xpress) -- Students are often expected to speak knowledgably in front of groups of unfamiliar people as part of their education. The assessment of student presentations contributes to degree grading, and employers expect good interpersonal skills from graduates.
Heat, rainfall affect pathogenic mosquito abundance in catch basins
(Medical Xpress) -- Rainfall and temperature affect the abundance of two mosquito species linked to West Nile Virus in storm catch basins in suburban Chicago, two University of Illinois researchers report.
Introducing the world’s first nutritionally-balanced pizza
(Medical Xpress) -- A University of Glasgow scientist and an entrepreneur have teamed up to create what they claim is the world’s first nutritionally-balanced pizza.
Following an immune cell's career path
The immune system produces diverse varieties of T cells (Fig. 1), such as pathogen-destroying cytotoxic T cells and immune response-boosting helper T cells. Regulatory T (Treg) cells restrain these other cells and prevent the body from overreacting to threats or generating a dangerous autoimmune response.
Scientists find molecule to starve lung cancer and improve ventilator recovery
A new research report published online in the FASEB Journal reveals a connection among sugar, cancer, and dependence on breathing machines--microRNA-320a. In the report, Stanford scientists show that the molecule microRNA-320a is responsible for helping control glycolysis. Glycolysis is the process of converting sugar into energy, which fuels the growth of some cancers, and contributes to the wasting of unused muscles such as the diaphragm when people are using ventilators. Identifying ways to use microRNA-320a to starve tumors and keep unused muscles strong would represent a significant therapeutic leap for numerous diseases and health conditions.
Prevention is better than cure for killer cardiovascular disease
European experts in cardiovascular medicine will today gather at a two day symposium to address the national agenda on cardiovascular disease prevention, held at Imperial College London and sponsored by leading independent academic and professional publisher SAGE.
Finding right meditation technique key to user satisfaction
New to meditation and already thinking about quitting? You may have simply chosen the wrong method. A new study published online July 7 in EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing highlights the importance of ensuring that new meditators select methods with which they are most comfortable, rather than those that are most popular.
Can you hear me now? New strategy discovered to prevent hearing loss
If you're concerned about losing your hearing because of noise exposure (earbud deafness syndrome), a new discovery published online in the FASEB Journal offers some hope. That's because scientists from Germany and Canada show that the protein, AMPK, which protects cells during a lack of energy, also activates a channel protein in the cell membrane that allows potassium to leave the cell. This activity is important because this mechanism helps protect sensory cells in the inner ear from permanent damage following acoustic noise exposure. This information could lead to new strategies and therapies to prevent and treat trauma resulting from extreme noise, especially in people with AMPK gene variants that may make them more vulnerable to hearing loss.
3-D movies: thrills and ills
(HealthDay) -- "Avatar," "Hugo" and other 3-D movies thrill many viewers, but also make some feel sick, a new study finds.
Scientists discover an epigenetic cause of osteoarthritis
In what could be a breakthrough in the practical application of epigenetic science, U.K. scientists used human tissue samples to discover that those with osteoarthritis have a signature epigenetic change (DNA methylation) responsible for switching on and off a gene that produces a destructive enzyme called MMP13. This enzyme is known to play a role in the destruction of joint cartilage, making MMP13 and the epigenetic changes that lead to its increased levels, prime targets for osteoarthritis drug development. In addition to offering a new epigenetic path toward a cure for osteoarthritis, this research also helps show how epigenetic changes play a role in diseases outside of cancer. This finding was recently published online in the FASEB Journal.
Researchers discover new vaccine candidate for Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered a new vaccine candidate for the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa taking advantage of a new mechanism of immunity.
Study finds that physical education mandates not enough in most states
Children need quality physical education to combat obesity and lead healthy lives. Georgia elementary schools make the grade when it comes to providing that education, but middle and high schools in the state don't even come close, according to a University of Georgia study.
Scientists discover possible treatment to reduce scarring
Whether from surgery or battle wounds, ugly scars can affect body and mind. Now a new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal offers a new strategy to reduce or eliminate scars on the skin. Specifically, scientists from NYU describe how agents that block receptors for adenosine (a molecule generated from ATP which is used by the body to provide energy to muscles) can be applied topically to healing wounds to reduce scar size, yielding skin that feels more like the original, unscarred skin.
An economical, effective and biocompatible gene therapy strategy promotes cardiac repair
Dr Changfa Guo, Professor Chunsheng Wang and their co-investigators from Zhongshan hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China have established a novel hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) (hPAMAM) nanoparticle based hypoxia regulated vascular endothelial growth factor (HRE-VEGF) gene therapy strategy which is an excellent substitute for the current expensive and uncontrollable VEGF gene delivery system. This discovery, reported in the June 2012 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides an economical, feasible and biocompatible gene therapy strategy for cardiac repair.
Sadness increases subjective experience of pain
(HealthDay) -- Sadness increases subjective pain ratings and affects pain-evoked cortical activity, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Pain.
Obesity is a risk factor for poor remission rates in RA
(HealthDay) -- For patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNFα) therapies, obesity is related to poor remission rates, according to a study published online June 21 in Arthritis Care & Research.
Three SNPs linked to aortic stenosis in older adults
(HealthDay) -- Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with aortic stenosis involving tricuspid aortic valves in older patients, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Infant formula can be a major source of BPA: experts
(HealthDay) -- When Hacah Boros gave birth to her daughter three years ago, giving her infant formula was "completely out of the question," said the 35-year-old nurse from central Connecticut.
Patients trust doctors but consult the Internet
Patients look up their illnesses online to become better informed and prepared to play an active role in their care — not because they mistrust their doctors, a new University of California, Davis, study suggests.
Algae extract increases good cholesterol levels, research finds
A Wayne State University researcher has found that an extract from algae could become a key to regulating cardiovascular disease.
'Stoned' gene key to maintaining normal brain function
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that a protein produced by a gene identified in fruitflies, is responsible for communication between nerve cells in the brain.
Sweat glands grown from newly identified stem cells
To date, few fundamentals have been known about the most common gland in the body, the sweat glands that are essential to controlling body temperature, allowing humans to live in the world’s diverse climates. Now, in a tour de force, researchers at The Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have identified, in mice, the stem cell from which sweat glands initially develop as well as stem cells that regenerate adult sweat glands.
Breakthrough in understanding human immune response has potential for the development of new drug therapies
(Medical Xpress) -- A team of researchers at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine has gained new insights into a protein in the human immune system that plays a key role in the protective response to infection and inflammation. The research findings have just been published in the internationally renowned peer-reviewed Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Researchers decode molecular mechanism that sheds light on how trauma can become engraved in the brain
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers decode a molecular mechanism that sheds light on how trauma can become engraved in the brain
Zebrafish reveal promising mechanism for healing spinal cord injury
Scientists in Australia are studying the mechanisms of spinal cord repair in zebrafish, which unlike humans and other mammals can regenerate their spinal cord following injury. Their findings suggest a family of molecules called fibroblast growth factors could be a therapeutic target for encouraging nerve regeneration.
Biology news
Mexico, N. Zealand pressed to save marine mammals
A scientific body urged Mexico and New Zealand to take immediate action to prevent the extinction of small marine mammals that are being killed by gillnets set by the fishing industry.
EU votes down Greenland whaling
Denmark lost a bid to extend whaling by Greenland's indigenous people beyond this year, with EU nations sharing concerns that tourists were being served a glut of whale meat.
Indonesia to help smoking orangutan kick the habit
(AP) — Tori is a teenager with a bad habit. The 15-year-old orangutan has been smoking cigarettes at an Indonesian zoo for a decade, but she's about to go cold turkey.
Dogs may mourn as deeply as humans do
(HealthDay) -- Jon Tumilson's dog, Hawkeye, was an important part of his life.
Balancing the economics and ecology of ecosystems
Is it possible to put a dollar value on the beauty of a river or to judge the worth of a wetland?
Stop and go: 'Traffic policeman' protein directs crucial step in cell division
A traffic policeman standing at a busy intersection directing the flow of vehicles may be a rare sight these days, but a similar scene appears to still frequently play out in our cells. A protein called Lem4 directs a crucial step of cell division by preventing the progress of one molecule while waving another through, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found. The study is published online today in Cell.
New research finds increased growth responsible for color changes in coral reefs
Research from the University of Southampton and National Oceanography, Southampton has provided new insight into the basic immune response and repair mechanisms of corals to disease and changing environmental conditions.
Antarctic moss found able to survive due to ancient penguin colony guano
(Phys.org) -- Researchers studying moss in an elevated site in East Antarctica recently began wondering how it is that the fuzzy green plants are able to not just survive in the barren landscape, but to thrive. In that part of the continent, there isn’t much soil, just sand and rock; yet the moss, like virtually all other plants needs nutrients to survive, specifically nitrogen. To find out, they took a closer look at the material in which the moss grew and to their surprise found plenty of nutrients in it, including nitrogen.
Scientists reveal mechanism for cellular remodeling
(Phys.org) -- Actin filaments are one of the primary elements responsible for organizing cell architecture and helping them to move from one place to the next. They can be found in the smallest yeast cell and in your muscles, where they contract when you run or throw a baseball. Understanding how cells know where and when to build new actin filaments, and how are they made, has been a central question in cell biology.
Spaceflight may extend the lifespan of microscopic worm
The effect of spaceflight on a microscopic worm — Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) — could help it to live longer.
Ladybirds thrive on organic aphids
Ladybird larvae that eat prey raised on organically-grown crops are more likely to survive than those eating aphids raised on crops grown with conventional fertiliser, a new experiment shows.
Scientists reveal how natural systems limit the spread of "cheating" bacteria
(Phys.org) -- In the first field study of its kind researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of Oxford have investigated the competitive dynamics of pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of bacteria.
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