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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 12, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Math pattern analysis shows Twitter users happier the farther they are from home- VR team presents infinite walking in virtual environments (w/ video)
- First algae powered building goes up in Hamburg
- The Velkess Flywheel: A more flexible energy storage technology
- Coding boot camps promise to launch tech careers (Update)
- Researchers open door to advanced molecular electronic metrology
- Researchers devise a way to capture and release electromagnetic waves inside a metamaterial
- Study proposes alternative way to explain life's complexity
- Study reveals secrets of bacterial slime
- Ten years on, still much to be learned from human genome map
- Your next phone camera might be able to sense depth
- Reactivating memories during sleep: Memory rehearsal during sleep can make a big difference in remembering later
- New device could cut costs on household products, pharmaceuticals
- A solar booster shot for natural gas power plants
- Lightning strokes can probe the ionosphere
Space & Earth news
Putin unveils $50 bn drive for Russian space supremacy (Update)
President Vladimir Putin on Friday unveiled a new $50 billion drive for Russia to preserve its status as a top space power, including the construction of a brand new cosmodrome from where humans will fly to space by the end of the decade.
'Tapping into the vast potential of satellites'
Satellites can be used in many applications, such as identifying micromovements in a dam, managing a fleet of vehicles, and monitoring logging operations in a protected forest or a coffee plantation. Helping Swiss companies and communities make better use of space technology is the mission of José Achache, the European Space Agency's EPFL-based Ambassador.
Video 'For Good Measure' shows global reach of NASA's next rain-measuring mission
The standing joke when scientists talk about understanding Earth's weather patterns in relationship to climate change is that they need to know three things for their models: precipitation, precipitation and precipitation. Scientists need more data, more frequently, over more of Earth's surface.
Final frontiers: The deep sea
With the global population now well over seven billion people there are few remaining parts of the world relatively untouched by human activity. We assess the current state and future prospects of five final frontiers: rainforests, Antarctica, the Arctic, the deep sea and space.
'Sandy' removed from hurricane name list
The destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy has prompted the World Meteorological Organization to remove the name from a rotating list of storm titles, the UN agency said Friday.
Tracking mobile phone recycling rate to improve them
Multifunctional mobile devices like the smartphone contain small quantities of valuable materials, yet most are not recycled. Something needs to give.
Pa. gas drilling, regulation interests Brazil
From the shale underlying Western Pennsylvania to the deep-sea oil off the coast of Brazil, emerging energy sources have policymakers and entrepreneurs from both hemispheres talking business.
EU states urge lawmakers to back pollution credit plans
Six EU states, including powerhouse Germany, called on European lawmakers Friday to back efforts to revive a faltering market in pollution credits so as to bolster the bloc's fight against global warming.
NASA satellite imagery shows Cyclone Imelda one-sided
An upper-level low pressure system is sapping the cloud and thunderstorm development on the western side of Cyclone Victoria in the Southern Indian Ocean. New NASA satellite imagery showed that the bulk of rainfall was located east of the storm's center.
Russia to continue using Kazakhstan's space center
Brushing off reports that Russia may ditch its space base in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would continue to lease the space complex.
Greenhouse gases make high temps hotter in China (Update)
China, the world's largest producer of carbon dioxide, is directly feeling the man-made heat of global warming, scientists conclude in the first study to link the burning of fossil fuels to one country's rise in its daily temperature spikes.
LDCM satellite sees its birthplaces
Building and launching the Landsat Data Continuity Mission required teams of people across the United States. It is appropriate, then, that the satellite's early images include these views of the places that most contributed to its success: Greenbelt, Md.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.; and Sioux Falls, S.D. The images are considered engineering data—data that is helping scientists and engineers ensure that the satellite and its instruments are operating as designed.
Space-age domes offer a window on ocean acidification
(Phys.org) —A row of space-age domes off the Washington coast may provide a peek at the future. Not the future of space travel, but of climate change and the effects of increasingly acidic oceans.
NASA imaging sensor prepares for western wildfire season
(Phys.org) —Airborne imaging technology developed at NASA and transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (USFS) in 2012 is being tested to prepare for this year's wildfire season in the western United States.
Explosive crater twins on Mars
(Phys.org) —Dramatic underground explosions, perhaps involving ice, are responsible for the pits inside these two large martian impact craters, imaged by ESA's Mars Express on 4 January.
Zone of silence: Testing satellite antennas
(Phys.org) —Satellite engineers learn to get used to the weirdly hushed interior of the Compact Payload Test Range in ESA's ESTEC technical centre area, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. In this zone of silence, satellite antennas are tested ahead of launch.
NASA's asteroid initiative benefits from rich history
NASA's FY2014 budget proposal includes a plan to robotically capture a small near-Earth asteroid and redirect it safely to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system where astronauts can visit and explore it.
CO2 removal can lower costs of climate protection
Directly removing CO2 from the air has the potential to alter the costs of climate change mitigation. It could allow prolonging greenhouse-gas emissions from sectors like transport that are difficult, thus expensive, to turn away from using fossil fuels. And it may help to constrain the financial burden on future generations, a study now published by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research shows.
Image: Fires in Central America
On April 11, 2013, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Mexico and Central America, and acquired this true-color image of dozens of fires burning across the region.
TRMM Satellite sees Cyclone Victoria being blown apart
Tropical Cyclone Victoria is now a remnant low pressure area in the Southern Indian Ocean after running into strong wind shear that has been tearing the storm apart. When NASA's TRMM satellite passed over the storm on April 12 it saw limited areas with moderate rainfall pushed far from the center of circulation.
Study suggests same microbes may be present in oceans worldwide
(Phys.org) —A new study from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory could herald a sea change in how we think about microbes in the ocean.
The distant cosmos as seen in the infrared
(Phys.org) —At some stage after its birth in the big bang, the universe began to make galaxies. No one knows exactly when, or how, this occurred. For that matter, astronomers do not know how the lineages of our own Milky Way galaxy and its stars trace back to those first galaxies and their first stars, but astronomers have been working hard to find out. The Hubble Space Telescope announced in 1996 that it had stared at apparently dark sky for ten days at optical wavelengths, long enough to acquire a picture of the very distant universe. The resultant image, the Hubble Deep Field (HDF), reveals galaxies that are so far away that they existed when the universe was less than about 5% of its present age of 14 billion years. Since 1996 astronomers have been working to understand exactly what kinds of galaxies these remote objects are, and whether they bear any resemblance to our own Milky Way galaxy, either as it is now, or as it was when it was younger.
Lightning strokes can probe the ionosphere
(Phys.org) —Thunderstorms, and the resulting partially ionized plasma of the ionosphere, can distort radio signals traveling to satellites important to communications, navigation or national security
Technology news
US team using Twitter, Facebook to fight militants
(AP)—The U.S. official who oversees American efforts to counter al-Qaida and other militants in the online battlefield keeps a quote on his desk from a "Most Wanted" jihadi from America's South. The Alabama native wrote that "the war of narratives has become even more important than the war of navies, napalm and knives."
GeoFlow takes data for a 3-D drive
In November, during the SharePoint Conference 2012, attendees received a Public Preview of project codename "GeoFlow" for Excel, the latest business-intelligence (BI) functionality to be integrated with Microsoft Excel 2013 later this year. As an Excel add-in, GeoFlow provides interactive, 3-D geospatial and temporal data visualizations. It enables information workers to discover and share new insights from data through rich, 3-D data on a globe and fluid, cinematic guided tours—virtual cinematography moving through data.
Automobile plants make more with less
Competition is fierce in the automobile industry. Worldwide overcapacity has created price pressures that are particularly challenging for manufacturers that are already having a tough time managing their overall productivity and costs. And most major areas of efficiency improvement have already been tapped.
IBM drives flash technology deeper into the enterprise to speed big data analytics
IBM today unveiled a strategic initiative to drive Flash technology further into the enterprise to help organizations better tackle the mounting challenges of Big Data.
Verification testing of Japan's first medical body area network
Fujitsu today announced that it has successfully completed the first verification test in Japan for a medical body area network (mBAN). Conforming to IEEE 802. 15.6 standards and using a prototype device with a frequency band reserved for medical applications (400MHz), the test was conducted at Fujitsu Clinic in Kawasaki, Japan.
World's smallest, slimmest and lightest contact-free vein sensor
Fujitsu today announced a practical version of the world's smallest, slimmest and lightest contact-free vein authentication sensor.
Tech gets energy efficient
'Information and communications technologies' (ICT) use energy as well as helping to save it - more energy-efficient ICT could help make further savings and reduce CO2 emissions. An EU-funded project has developed a plug-in for data centres that consolidates workloads among servers and switches off unused machines to save energy.
Italy party says 'hacker attack' on presidential poll
An Italian protest party said its website had come under a "hacker attack" that would force it to hold a new online poll among its members on Friday to identify possible candidates for president.
Verizon to extend phone-upgrade waiting period
(AP)—Verizon Wireless, the country's largest cellphone carrier, is extending the time it takes to earn a subsidized phone upgrade from 20 months on contract to 24 months.
As mobile payments field grows, so do security concerns
Mobile payments technology, over time, could have a profound impact on the way products are sold, bills are paid and money is transferred around the world.
Web games probed over possible child pressure
A watchdog has launched an investigation into whether children face "unfair pressure" to spend money on apparently free web and app-based games, it said Friday.
Coal fights to keep power in US energy mix
Four months after pledging to lead the United States on a path to sustainable energy, President Barack Obama faces a turning point on electricity generated from coal, one of the dirtiest of fuels.
Shares in India's Infosys dive after weak earnings (Update)
Shares in Indian outsourcing giant Infosys dived Friday after it issued a disappointing growth forecast and warned of global challenges, sparking worries about other firms in the flagship sector.
RIM seeks probe into report on BlackBerry returns
The maker of the BlackBerry said Friday that it wants U.S. and Canadian regulators to investigate a "false and misleading" report by a financial analyst that claims the company's new smartphone is being returned in unusually high numbers.
Twitter acquires music site, could launch new service
Twitter said it acquired the emerging music software firm We Are Hunted, amid reports that the popular messaging platform was readying its own music service.
Most home computers, including yours, are vulnerable to attack
North Korea recently launched a cyber attack on South Korean TV stations and banks. Iran carried out a cyber campaign against U.S. banking sites. The U.S. and Israel released malware that disabled Iranian nuclear centrifuges. Or did they?
Smartphone trade-ins will matter more as subsidies go away
Taking a cue from the auto industry, phone sellers are tempting consumers with trade-in offers. In fact, there's probably a good-size down payment on a new smartphone in your pocket now.
Compact multipurpose scooter for crowded megacities
TUM CREATE has unveiled an all-new multipurpose scooter prototype, codenamed VOI, at the 3rd Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show. VOI gets its name from the Vietnamese word for elephant—a symbol of a safe and intelligent mean of transport. It is a two-wheel concept vehicle jointly developed by students from Technische Universität Muenchen and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, and was built in Singapore.
Coding boot camps promise to launch tech careers (Update)
Looking for a career change, Ken Shimizu decided he wanted to be a software developer, but he didn't want to go back to college to study computer science.
Micro transistor prototypes map the mind
(Phys.org) —To make better mind maps, a group of French scientists – building on prototypes developed at the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) – have produced the world's first microscopic, organic transistors that can amplify and record signals from within the brain itself.
A solar booster shot for natural gas power plants
Natural gas power plants can use about 20 percent less fuel when the sun is shining by injecting solar energy into natural gas with a new system being developed by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The system converts natural gas and sunlight into a more energy-rich fuel called syngas, which power plants can burn to make electricity.
Eyeglasses read to the blind (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —A unique pair of eyeglasses developed by an FIU student team could revolutionize the lives of the blind, enabling them to walk into a library or a store, pick up any book or a can of soup, and read it.
The Velkess Flywheel: A more flexible energy storage technology
(Phys.org) —A new Kickstarter project called Velkess (Very Large Kinetic Energy Storage System) has recently gotten underway to bring an inexpensive flywheel to market. The project is headed by Bill Gray, who has taken a unique approach to flywheel design—a flexible rotor made of "E-glass," a common fiberglass used in everything from sporting goods to shower doors. Rather than use advanced carbon-fiber composites manufactured to exact tolerances, Gray's soft rotor flexes in response to destabilizing forces. It is thereby able to adjust to speed transitions that confound other designs.
VR team presents infinite walking in virtual environments (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —Virtual reality experiences through the lenses and screens of future smart devices will keep on coming at us. Now a team of researchers from Vienna and the U.S. believe they have a stepped-up technology to support the intensive virtual environment apps of the future. VR designers will be interested in their paper, "Flexible Spaces: Dynamic Layout Generation for Infinite Walking in Virtual Environments," which deals with their idea of walking in the virtual world. Rather than placing the user in a virtual layout that remains constant, the researchers set a goal toward more flexible spaces–described as infinite real walking in virtual environments. Rather than being hurtled through an endless maze that can frazzle the user's nerves, however, the maze is navigable.
First algae powered building goes up in Hamburg
(Phys.org) —A 15-unit apartment building has been constructed in the German city of Hamburg that has 129 algae filled louvered tanks hanging over the exterior of the south-east and south-west sides of the building—making it the first in the world to be powered exclusively by algae. Designed by Arup, SSC Strategic Science Consultants and Splitterwerk Architects, and named the Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House, the building demonstrates the ability to use algae as a way to heat and cool large buildings.
Medicine & Health news
Are four antenatal visits enough?
Reanalysis of the World Health Organization's Antenatal Care Trial (WHOACT) shows that there is an increased risk of fetal death at between 32 and 36 weeks for women who have a reduced antenatal care package, finds research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health.
Brazil acts to spur domestic production of key medicines
Brazil announced a major initiative Thursday to spur domestic production of medicines and equipment to combat diseases such as Alzheimers.
Filmmaker David Lynch touts meditation for PTSD
Veteran filmmaker David Lynch says US authorities should use more transcendental meditation to help soldiers returning from Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Japan government gets new anti-flu powers
Japan's government on Friday gave itself new powers aimed at curbing the outbreak of infectious diseases, as the country nervously watches the spread of deadly H7N9 bird flu in China.
UN aims to end child deaths from diarrhoea, pneumonia
The United Nations launched a plan Friday aimed at all but eradicating childhood deaths from diarrhoea and pneumonia by 2025, in a bid to save the lives of some two million children every year.
Philippines warns against e-cigarette use
The Philippine health department warned the public on Friday against electronic cigarettes, saying the tobacco substitute could turn children into smokers.
Doctoral dissertation studies the use of light in measuring cerebral circulation
Tiina Näsi, a researcher of biomedical engineering at Aalto University, studied in her doctoral thesis the use of light in measuring the brain's blood circulation. This optical measurement may in the future help discover the cause of sleep disorders as well as their close connection with cardiovascular diseases. The method is currently being tested in a hospital.
App helps parents talk to tweens about sex
A new app that helps parents discuss confronting sexual issues with their tweens (10-13 year olds) has been developed in a collaboration between psychologist and Swinburne University of Technology alumna Sarah Calleja and Swinburne design students.
Academia-industry partnership creates blueprint for collaboration to develop innovative new cancer treatment
Canadians and patients around the world with the misfortune to be diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of leukemia may soon be able to thank a multi-faceted collaboration in Montreal's biopharmaceutical cluster for giving them new hope against their blood cancer.
FDA cites sanitary issues at specialty pharmacies
(AP)—The Food and Drug Administration says it has uncovered troubling sterility problems at 30 specialty pharmacies that were inspected following a recent outbreak of meningitis caused by contaminated drugs.
Surgeons reach radiation limits with 291 PELDs per year
(HealthDay)—Surgeons performing minimally invasive transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), involving fluoroscopy, are exposed to the maximum allowable radiation dose after 291 procedures performed without protective shielding, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of Spine.
US state moves forward on strictest abortion laws (Update)
North Dakota moved closer Friday to having the strictest abortion laws in the U.S., with its House of Representatives approving a measure that would outlaw the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed premise that at that point a fetus can feel pain.
FDA reviewing heart risks of Glaxo diabetes pill
(AP)—The Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting in June to reassess the safety of GlaxoSmithKline's former blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia.
American College of Physicians unveils tools to improve acute coronary syndrome care
The American College of Physicians (ACP) today unveiled two evidence-based interventions and two videos to improve the health outcomes of patients in the first year following an initial acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event such as heart attack and unstable angina (chest pain or discomfort but no part of the heart muscle dies), the most common indications of ACS.
Asbestos exposure, asbestosis, and smoking combined greatly increase lung cancer risk
The chances of developing lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, asbestosis and smoking are dramatically increased when these three risk factors are combined, and quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of developing lung cancer after long-term asbestos exposure, according to a new study.
Calorie reduction, not bypass surgery, ups diabetes control
(HealthDay)—Calorie reduction rather than the actual Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery seems to account for the improvement in glucose homeostasis in obese patients with type 2 diabetes who undergo RYGB, according to a study published online March 25 in Diabetes Care.
Study suggests dexmedetomidine before surgery reduced remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia
Surgical patients who demonstrated heightened pain sensitivity, or hyperalgesia, induced by high doses of a synthetic opioid had their symptoms alleviated by co-treatment with dexmedetomidine, according to new research. Study investigators, who presented their results today at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, concluded that dexmedetomidine may be a new and effective treatment option for opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH).
H7N9 vaccine may take months, CDC says (Update)
US public health experts said developing a vaccine for the H7N9 strain of bird flu could take "many months", as China seeks to control an outbreak which had killed 11 people by Friday.
Exercise or make dinner? Study finds adults trade one healthy act for another
American adults who prepare their own meals and exercise on the same day are likely spending more time on one of those activities at the expense of the other, a new study suggests.
Promising new antibiotic targets potentially deadly gut infections
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have developed a promising new antibiotic to treat potentially deadly gastrointestinal infections without harming the beneficial probiotic bacteria that help prevent relapse.
Same gene variant promotes pain in women, suppresses pain in men
More women than men develop chronic low back pain and sciatica. The explanation may lie with a gene variant that plays into the body's pain regulation.
Physical therapy often just as good as surgery for knee problem
(Medical Xpress)—Either physical therapy or arthroscopic surgery can relieve pain and improve mobility in patients with a torn meniscus and arthritis in the knee, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and six other centers.
Treating laughter lines leaves patients feeling more depressed
(Medical Xpress)—Injections of botulism toxin A (often referred to as Botox) to reduce crows' feet leaves people feeling more depressed, according to new research by a Cardiff University psychologist.
Deciphering the cellular reading system of DNA methylation
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists from the FMI identify how a family of proteins reads the methylation marks on the DNA so critical for cell development. These MBD proteins bind directly to methylation marks and inactivate the respective stretches of DNA. The findings are important because they provide the means to better understand how this epigenetic mark influences cell fates.
New research finds over half of young adult deaths could be preventable if parents and children work together
(Medical Xpress)—About 57 percent of deaths among American teenagers and young adults are attributable to personal decisions and could be prevented, according to new risk research from Duke University. The researchers propose ideas for specific family decision making and communication to avoid fatalities from risky situations.
Study examines condom use during sexual assaults
(Medical Xpress)—A new study found that suspect age, alcohol use, and weapon use all influence whether a suspect uses a condom during sexual assault.
Romantic comedies affect beliefs about relationships less strongly than expected
Romantic-comedy films are not a major source for developing unrealistic expectations about relationships among young adults, finds a new study to be published online this week in the National Communication Association's journal Communication Monographs.
South not the fattest part of US after all, study says
It goes against popular belief, but a recent study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) shows that the southern region of the United States is not the fattest part of the country.
Worlds first womb transplant woman is pregnant
The first woman ever to receive a uterus from a deceased donor, is two-weeks pregnant following a successful embryo transplant, her doctors said on Friday.
Teenage smoking behavior influenced by friends' and parents' smoking habits
The company you keep in junior high school may have more influence on your smoking behavior than your high school friends, according to newly published research from the University of Southern California (USC).
Clues to heart disease in unexpected places, researchers discover
A major factor in the advance of heart disease is the death of heart tissue, a process that a team of scientists at Temple University School of Medicine's (TUSM) Center for Translational Medicine think could be prevented with new medicines. Now, the researchers are one step closer to achieving that goal, thanks to their discovery of a key molecule in an unexpected place in heart cells – mitochondria, tiny energy factories that house the controls capable of setting off cells' self-destruct sequence.
Researchers use atomic force microscopy to decode secrets of our gut
A new technique based on atomic force microscopy was developed at the Institute of Food Research to help 'read' information encoded in the gut lining.
L-carnitine significantly improves patient outcomes following heart attack
L-carnitine significantly improves cardiac health in patients after a heart attack, say a multicenter team of investigators in a study published today in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Their findings, based on analysis of key controlled trials, associate L-carnitine with significant reduction in death from all causes and a highly significant reduction in ventricular arrhythmias and anginal attacks following a heart attack, compared with placebo or control.
China reports new bird flu death, two new infections
(AP)—Chinese health authorities have reported another death and two new infections from a new strain of bird flu.
Ectopic pregnancy rates higher in medicaid population
(HealthDay)—The ectopic pregnancy rate is higher among Medicaid beneficiaries than the privately insured, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Topical anesthetics effective for premature ejaculation
(HealthDay)—Topical anesthetic agents seem to be effective and are generally well tolerated for patients with premature ejaculation (PE), according to a review published in the April issue of Urology.
Drug-facilitated weight loss benefits cardiometabolic status
(HealthDay)—Obese and overweight patients with dyslipidemia or hypertension treated with phentermine and topiramate extended-release (PHEN/TPM ER) for weight loss had significant improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to research published in the April 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Topical treatment effective for toenail fungal infection
(HealthDay)—Once daily topical efinaconazole is effective in treating fungal infections of the toenail, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Surgeons support nonphysician screens for low back pain
(HealthDay)—Most spine surgeons are interested in a nonphysician clinician (NPC) model of care for screening of low back or low back-related leg pain for patients referred for a surgical assessment, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of Spine.
Multiple procedure payment reduction policy needs work
(HealthDay)—Current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) policy overestimated the work efficiencies in physician services when same-session, multiple imaging services are provided by different physicians in the same group practice, according to research published online April 9 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Cardiac function unaffected by prior intensive insulin therapy
(HealthDay)—There was no effect of intensive versus conventional insulin therapy during the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) on cardiac parameters as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) cohort (follow-up to the DCCT), but prior glycemic exposure had an impact on cardiac parameters, according to research published online March 21 in Diabetes.
Vitamin D not tied to subclinical atherosclerosis in T1DM
(HealthDay)—For individuals with type 1 diabetes, low concentrations of vitamin D metabolites are not associated with an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis, according to a study published online March 25 in Diabetes Care.
Most ED docs, nurses doubtful about suicide preventability
(HealthDay)—Less than half of emergency department (ED) physicians and nurses believe that most or all suicides are preventable, and most do not assess suicidal patients for firearm access unless the patient has a suicide plan involving a firearm, according to a study published online March 14 in Depression and Anxiety.
Changes to psychiatry's 'bible' could widen definition of ADHD
(HealthDay)—When the latest version of what is considered the "bible" of psychiatry is unveiled in May, experts believe several changes in it will broaden both the definition and diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—or ADHD.
Study shows severity of sleep apnea is influenced by race
A new study suggests that obstructive sleep apnea severity is higher in African-American men in certain age ranges, even after controlling for body mass index (BMI).
Breathing problem sometimes misdiagnosed in athletes
(HealthDay)—A vocal cord problem that restricts athletes' breathing is often misdiagnosed as exercise-induced asthma, a small new study suggests.
Immune response linked to key enzyme
(Medical Xpress)—A previously unknown function of a family of enzymes familiar to biologists may contribute to scientists' understanding of signaling molecules involved in the body's immune response and could help in the treatment of such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
Scientists map elusive 3-D structure of telomerase enzyme, key actor in cancer, aging
(Medical Xpress)—Like finally seeing all the gears of a watch and how they work together, researchers from UCLA and UC Berkeley have, for the first time ever, solved the puzzle of how the various components of an entire telomerase enzyme complex fit together and function in a three-dimensional structure.
Ten years on, still much to be learned from human genome map
(HealthDay)—As scientists mark the 10th anniversary Sunday of the completion of the Human Genome Project, they will note how that watershed effort has led to the discovery of the genetic underpinnings of almost 5,000 diseases.
Reactivating memories during sleep: Memory rehearsal during sleep can make a big difference in remembering later
Why do some memories last a lifetime while others disappear quickly? A new study suggests that memories rehearsed, during either sleep or waking, can have an impact on memory consolidation and on what is remembered later.
New bird flu strain seen adapting to mammals, humans
A genetic analysis of the avian flu virus responsible for at least nine human deaths in China portrays a virus evolving to adapt to human cells, raising concern about its potential to spark a new global flu pandemic.
Biology news
UN court to hear Australia bid to halt Japan whaling
Australia will fire the opening salvoes in a legal battle before the United Nations' highest court in June to try to stop Japan's whale hunt in Antarctica.
Opening a window into vector-borne viruses
Agricultural Research Service scientists in New York and California have developed very different technologies that share a common thread. They offer scientists new, innovative ways to probe what happens when a crop is threatened by drought or disease.
New information on the underwater environment in the Finnish coastal areas
The underwater conditions of the Bay of Bothnia are unique, and up until now very little has been known about this part of Finnish nature. The inventories of the recently completed FINMARINET project showed that aquatic bryophyte species, water mosses, classified as regionally threatened in the Bay of Bothnia, such as Platyhypnidium riparioides and Fissidens fontanus, in fact form extensive underwater mats, which provide benthic organisms with shelter and food. Previously, very little information has been available on the distribution of water mosses.
Cheers to better beer and disease resistance
For the first time in nearly a century drinkers will be able to taste beer made from Chevallier, the classic heritage barley from the Victorian period.
New orange mould named in honour of Dutch royals
A newly discovered species of orange-coloured mould has been named after soon-to-be Dutch king Willem-Alexander and his family, the scientists behind the move said Friday.
New genetic test shows up fish mislabelling
Scientists have found a new way of testing for the genes of particular kinds of fish quickly, cheaply and accurately.
Implications loom large in human gene patent case before US Supreme Court (w/ video)
A human gene patenting case before the U.S. Supreme Court next week could have major implications for biotechnology research and the public interest in the nation's patent system, according to a University of Michigan expert.
Not as evolved as we think: Adaptation neither stops nor makes value judgments, author says
Lest you think you're at the top of the evolutionary heap, looking down your highly evolved nose at the earth's lesser creatures, Marlene Zuk has a message for you: When it comes to evolution, there is no high or low, no better or worse.
'Sustainable fish' label comes under fire
The world's biggest scheme to certify that seafish come from sustainable sources has come under fire in a scientific journal, where researchers say the label is too generous and may "mislead" consumers.
Organic apples, pears to be antibiotic-free
Organic apples and pears will soon be free of a widely used antibiotic.
Disappearing nannies force parents to accept their duties
(Phys.org) —Large helpers (nannies) in a cichlid fish allow the dominant male and female to reduce their personal contribution to their offspring and territory, according to new research published today in Functional Ecology.
Study proposes alternative way to explain life's complexity
Evolution skeptics argue that some biological structures, like the brain or the eye, are simply too complex for natural selection to explain. Biologists have proposed various ways that so-called 'irreducibly complex' structures could emerge incrementally over time, bit by bit. But a new study proposes an alternative route.
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