Graphene: Exciting Material with Novel Properties
The world's strongest material is also its thinnest. This one-atom-thick compound is making big waves in the scientific community because of its novel properties.
The Phys.org team would like to share a four-part blog series about the graphene revolution from our current sponsor, COMSOL: http://goo.gl/o032R
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 17, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Hybrid energy harvester generates electricity from vibrations and sunlight- Best image yet of atoms moving in real time produced (w/ video)
- Going places: Rat brain 'GPS' maps routes to rewards
- Massive galaxy had intense burst of star formation when universe was only 6 percent of current age
- A silicon platform for quantum computers
- Structural dynamics underlying memory in aging brains
- Coelacanth genome surfaces: Unexpected insights from a fish with a 300-million-year-old fossil record
- Completion of the zebrafish reference genome yields strong comparisons with the human genome
- Study reveals natural process that blocks viruses
- Reproductive tract secretions elicit ovulation
- Candidate most massive binary star identified
- A new twist for quantum systems
- Gene regenerates heart tissue, critical finding for heart failure prevention
- Super-nanotubes: 'Remarkable' spray-on coating combines carbon nanotubes with ceramic
- Examining function of all genes in the zebrafish genome to benefit human health
Space & Earth news
Scripps vessel named for Sally Ride
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the nation's newest research vessel will be named R/V Sally Ride, in honor of the former UC San Diego faculty member who was the first American female astronaut and the youngest American to fly in space.
Rotterdam rain radar to facilitate very accurate measurement of city precipitation
The construction of a rain radar has started on the roof of the Nationale Nederlanden building in Rotterdam. This will yield a very accurate picture of precipitation patterns in the city and thus help prevent flooding and water damage. The project is being supported financially by the City of Rotterdam, the Province of Zuid-Holland and the European Union.
New research exposes limitations of environmental models and data sets
Our data on the natural world is uncertain. And so are the models we use to make sense of it. The Uncertweb project, funded by the EU, aims to clarify both of these sources of doubt. The project is designed to ensure that users appreciate the uncertainties contained within the environmental data and models. Many of these are increasingly found on the web and come without much indication as to their limitations. "If we don't have procedures that prevent anyone doing anything they like with data and models, you get a mashup, not reliable outputs, says project investigator Lucy Bastin, a software developer with a special interest in environmental data at Aston University in the UK. This approach has a wide range of applications in areas such as remote sensing and ecological forecasting.
UC Berkeley selected to build NASA's next space weather satellite
(Phys.org) —NASA has awarded the University of California, Berkeley, up to $200 million to build a satellite to determine how Earth's weather affects weather at the edge of space, in hopes of improving forecasts of extreme "space weather" that can disrupt global positioning satellites (GPS) and radio communications.
Europe's rollercoaster carbon prices set to hit Australia
Australia's key strategy to tackle climate change is looking shaky, after another price drop on the world's biggest carbon market raised fresh doubts about the future of emissions trading schemes.
Helping to forecast earthquakes in Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley, home to the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone and the West Valley fault zone, has been the site of repeated surface-faulting earthquakes (of about magnitude 6.5 to 7). New research trenches in the area are helping geologists and seismologists untangle how this complex fault system ruptures and will aid in forecasting future earthquakes in the area.
NASA OKs East Coast rocket test launch this week
NASA says a private company can conduct a test launch this week of an unmanned rocket intended to help eventual supply runs to the International Space Station.
Predicting the unpredictable
(Phys.org) —EPFL scientists have developed the first system to issue early-warning alerts for landslides. Early-warning systems like this are already in place for other natural disasters such as tsunamis and tornadoes.
Eye exam for a satellite
You don't just strap a satellite to a rocket, launch it, and voilà, it takes measurements. Beyond maneuvering into the right orbit, there are a series of check-out procedures to make sure the satellite performs in space as it did in ground tests. You have to make sure the communication signals are strong and clear. You have to exercise moving parts like shutters and doors. You have make sure the solar panels are oriented to the Sun and batteries and thrusters are working properly.
The scientific legacy of 'undiscovering' an island
The 'undiscovery' of an island by a team of scientists led by the University of Sydney resulted in worldwide scientific debate, the correction of databases and a re-evaluation of the infallibility of certain information.
New high-speed cameras for Westerbork telescope
(Phys.org) —This week, a team of Dutch astronomers and engineers led by astronomer Joeri van Leeuwen (ASTRON) was awarded a grant to turn the new 'Apertif' receivers on the Westerbork telescope into high-speed cameras. The receivers will expand the Westerbork field of view by over a factor 30 but the system is restricted to making images at the rate of one every second. The new upgrade increases this to 10,000 frames per second, allowing astronomers to survey the sky with greater sensitivity to quick changes. The grant of 540.000 euro by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is part scientific 'NWO-M' investment subsidy, part related to the top sector High Tech Systems and Materials due to the potential for mobile broadband communications. Astronomers will use these new high-speed cameras to detect bright radio flashes from our Milky Way, and beyond.
Irrigation can give rise to increased precipitation
PhD candidate Obbe Tuinenburg defended his doctoral thesis on the 15th of April, 2013. His research related to the effects of large-scale irrigation in India on the atmosphere and rainfall. One of the conclusions of this research is that a small increase in irrigation during the months directly before and after the monsoon season can give rise to increased precipitation in the same catchment basin. His doctoral thesis supervisor is Pavel Kabat. His co-supervisor is Ronald Hutjes.
East Coast test rocket launch scrubbed (Update 2)
A private company contracted by the U.S. space agency to make supply runs to the International Space Station scrubbed a Wednesday test launch of an unmanned rocket, saying cables linked to the rocket's second stage apparently detached too early in blustery winds.
Orbital Sciences ready for first launch of Antares rocket
Orbital Sciences, one of two private US firms chosen by NASA to shuttle cargo to the International Space Station, is preparing for the first launch of its Antares rocket Wednesday.
How to target an asteroid
(Phys.org) —Like many of his colleagues at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., Shyam Bhaskaran is working a lot with asteroids these days. And also like many of his colleagues, the deep space navigator devotes a great deal of time to crafting, and contemplating, computer-generated 3-D models of these intriguing nomads of the solar system.
ALMA pinpoints early galaxies at record speed
(Phys.org) —A team of astronomers has used the new ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) telescope to pinpoint the locations of over 100 of the most fertile star-forming galaxies in the early Universe. ALMA is so powerful that, in just a few hours, it captured as many observations of these galaxies as have been made by all similar telescopes worldwide over a span of more than a decade.
European fisheries flip with long-term ocean cycle
A sudden switch from herring to sardines in the English Channel in the 1930s was due to a long-term ocean cycle called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), an international study shows. This is the first evidence linking the AMO to trends in important European fisheries.
Sofia observations reveal a surprise in massive star formation
(Phys.org) —Researchers using the airborne Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) have captured the most detailed mid-infrared images yet of a massive star condensing within a dense cocoon of dust and gas.
Candidate most massive binary star identified
Astronomers have observed a binary star that potentially weighed 300 to 400 solar masses at birth. The present day total mass of the two stars is between 200 and 300 times that of the Sun, depending on its evolutionary stage, which possibly makes it the most massive binary star known to date. The results of this study, which was led by astronomer Hugues Sana of the University of Amsterdam and bachelor student Tayo van Boeckel, have been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters.
SN 1006: X-ray view of a thousand-year-old cosmic tapestry
(Phys.org) —This year, astronomers around the world have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of X-ray astronomy. Few objects better illustrate the progress of the field in the past half-century than the supernova remnant known as SN 1006.
Massive galaxy had intense burst of star formation when universe was only 6 percent of current age
(Phys.org) —Smaller begets bigger. Such is often the case for galaxies, at least: the first galaxies were small, then eventually merged together to form the behemoths we see in the present universe.
Technology news
Tech-savvy Vietnam coffee farmers brew global takeover
Most Vietnamese coffee farmers have never heard of a double tall skinny latte, but they could tell you the price of the beans that go into one in their sleep.
US eases export rules on aerospace parts
The United States on Tuesday eased rules on the export of select items in the aerospace industry, in an effort to reduce regulations that are thought to be putting American firms at a disadvantage.
Smart production process for natural gas from CO2 and hydrogen ready for market
An innovative process for storing electricity generated from renewable energy sources is now market ready, a fourth patent application having been filed. The process, which was developed by Austrian company Krajete GmbH and is based on microorganisms, enables a highly efficient and environmentally friendly conversion of climate-damaging CO2 and hydrogen into - storable - methane. The innovative method makes use of a natural metabolic process in microorganisms known as "archaea" to generate pure methane the main constituent of natural gas. In addition to power storage, the clean solution developed by this leading Austrian innovator also provides resource-conserving options for the production of biofuels and the low-cost purification of biogas and waste gas.
Boston Marathon attacks: A restrained US media and online response
Winters in Boston are bitterly cold and excessively long. So it's little wonder that residents greet Patriot's Day – the mid-April, Massachusetts-only holiday marking the Revolutionary battles at Lexington and Concord – with such enthusiasm. To mark the ritual start of spring, Bostonians pack Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox, and they line Boylston Street to cheer on the finishers of the prestigious Boston Marathon.
Student engineering teams' innovations for developing nations showcased
Could algae that feast on wastewater produce clean bio-fuels and a healthful supply of fish food? Can impoverished African community gardeners learn to use and maintain a simple, centuries-old, non-electric water pump to grow more vegetables?
Green tourism: Reducing the carbon footprint of holidaymakers
Each year our desire to get away from it all contributes to around 5% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Ignoring the impact of tourism on the environment would be equivalent to ignoring the carbon emissions of a developed industrialised nation.
Smaller pixels, smaller thermal cameras for warfighters
The military uses long-wave infrared (LWIR) cameras as thermal imagers to detect humans at night. These cameras are usually mounted on vehicles as they are too large to be carried by a single warfighter and are too expensive for individual deployment. However, DARPA researchers recently demonstrated a new five-micron pixel LWIR camera that could make this class of camera smaller and less expensive.
Leverkusen unveil high-tech stadium plans
Bayer Leverkusen, who are on course to return to the Champions League next season, unveiled plans on Tuesday to turn their ground into a high-tech friendly "Stadium of the Future" for football fans.
Palestinians seeking statehood look to high-tech
(AP)—Palestinians are turning to their fledgling high-tech sector as they lay the groundwork for a future state, saying the unique hardships of life in the West Bank have fostered a creative spirit conducive to the world of startups.
Toyota's hybrid vehicle sales pass 5 million
Toyota's global sales of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have surpassed 5 million in a milestone for a technology that was initially greeted with skepticism.
Make India a global solar energy hub, says PM
India's prime minister urged global companies on Wednesday to make the sun-baked South Asian nation a solar energy hub as the country seeks to cut its chronic power shortages.
Taiwan tech industry faces up to Samsung
Taiwanese companies have long viewed tech giant Samsung as a major threat and the battle has recently appeared to tilt in favor of the South Korean rival as Taiwan's smartphone, memory chip and display panel makers suffered sagging exports.
FoxConn to pay Microsoft royalties for Android devices
Taiwan tech giant Hon Hai, parent company of FoxConn, will pay royalties to Microsoft to ward off a lawsuit over its production of devices using rival Google's Android and Chrome platforms.
Dutch high-tech group ASML posts sharp Q1 slump
The Dutch company ASML, which supplies computer chip-making systems and is a global high-tech bellwether, posted on Wednesday sharp drops in sales and net profit for the first quarter 2013, but said it expected business to pick up later in the year.
To save endangered languages, tribes turn to tech
In a conference room in a Las Vegas casino, about three dozen people are swishing their fingers across iPads, trying out test versions of new apps.
World's energy 'as dirty now as 20 years ago', IEA says
Progress towards the use of cleaner fuel technology has stalled, with production of the world's energy as "dirty" now as it was two decades ago, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.
Making an alternate fuel usable in cars: Researcher tackles natural gas storage
When it comes to American consumers' vehicular preferences, Texas A&M University chemist Hongcai Joe Zhou says the choice often boils down to simple economics more so than availability, environment or altruism.
Undisclosed glitch disrupts Google Mail for two hours (Update)
Google suffered disruptions on several of its cloud-based services including Google Mail for about two hours Wednesday for reasons that were not disclosed.
How smart are your clothes? Researcher designs interactive electronic fabrics
From corsets to caftans, we have seen dramatic changes in popular style over the past 100 years. New research from Concordia University now brings the future of fashion into focus by taking a closer look at the next quantum leap in textile design: computerized fabrics that change their colour and their shape in response to movement.
India's TCS reports 22% rise in quarterly profit
India's biggest IT outsourcing firm, Tata Consultancy Services, on Wednesday reported a 22 percent jump in quarterly net profit, in line with market forecasts, led by stronger outsourcing orders.
Obama threatens veto of cybersecurity bill
President Barack Obama threatened on Tuesday to veto a major cybersecurity bill unless Congress amends it to include more protections for privacy and civil liberties.
Wireless, cable companies can't rest on their networks
Think of your car as a smartphone on four wheels. Or your smartphone as a wallet. Or your home as a connected network center where thermostats, video cameras, lights and televisions all "talk" to each other. That "talking" would more likely be stammering if the Internet or wireless network weren't working properly.
Free video services nibble at Netflix's consumer base
It's too early to tell how well baseball's New York Mets will do this season, but for Mets fans, it's easy to go online and relive the glory days of the team's last World Series-winning year, back in 1986 - without having to pay anything for it.
Navy develops high impact, high integrity polymer for air, sea, and domestic applications
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Chemistry Division scientists have developed a second generation, cost-effective polyetheretherketone (PEEK)-like phthalonitrile-resin demonstrating superior high temperature and flammability properties for use in numerous marine, aerospace and domestic applications.
Apple stock falls to one-year low on supplier news
Shares of Apple Inc. fell below $400 for the first time in a year and half on Wednesday, after a supplier hinted at a slowdown in iPhone and iPad production.
ACLU: Slow smartphone updates are privacy threat
One of the leading U.S. civil-rights organizations is taking on an unusual cause: spotty smartphone updates. The American Civil Liberties Union is asking the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate what it considers a failure by U.S. wireless carriers to properly update the Google-built operating system used on Android phones. The ACLU says that sluggish fixes have been saddling many smartphone users with software that is out of date and therefore dangerous.
Asia leads as world's clean energy investment sags
China and Japan stepped up spending last year in renewable energy but overall global investment declined due to economic and policy uncertainties in the West, a study said Wednesday.
Microsoft offers security enhancement for sign-ins (Update)
Microsoft is offering enhanced security for its email, storage and other services.
'The Legend of Zelda' game coming to Nintendo 3DS
The princess-rescuing adventurer Link is coming to the Nintendo 3DS.
EBay 1Q revenue grows but falls below estimates
EBay grew its earnings and revenue in the first quarter thanks to growth in its PayPal business and its e-commerce sites. But revenue fell shy of Wall Street's expectations, causing investors to send the company's stock lower in after-hours trading.
Provo, Utah, next city for ultra-fast Google Fiber
Google says it will take over a troubled municipal fiber-optic system and make Provo, Utah, the third city to get its high-speed Internet service via fiber-optic cables.
Twitter will mine people's tweets to target ads (Update)
Twitter on Wednesday began to allow ads to be targeted at users based on the words written in 'tweets' and messages forwarded to followers at the popular social network.
Prototype generators emit much less carbon monoxide
Portable electric generators retrofitted with off-the-shelf hardware by the University of Alabama (UA) emitted significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide (CO) exhaust, according to the results* of tests conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Security holes in smartphone apps (w/ Videos)
(Phys.org) —Popular texting, messaging and microblog apps developed for the Android smartphone have security flaws that could expose private information or allow forged fraudulent messages to be posted, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis.
Engineers use brain cells to power smart grid
(Phys.org) —The unmatched ability of the human brain to process and make sense of large amounts of complex data has caught the attention of engineers working in the field of control systems.
Stress relief: Battery-free wireless 'smart skin' sensors could provide remote monitoring of aging infrastructure
(Phys.org) —Major bridge failures in recent years have focused attention on the need to monitor America's highway bridges and other infrastructure. As thousands of bridges, parking garages and other structures age, improved methods for detecting deterioration could save lives and prevent economic disruption.
Computer scientists design new keyboard layout on touch screen devices (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —The research team of Antti Oulasvirta at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics has created a new keyboard called KALQ that enables faster thumb-typing on touchscreen devices. They used computational optimization techniques in conjunction with a model of thumb movement to search among millions of potential layouts before identifying one that yields superior performance. A user study confirmed that, after a short amount of practice, users could type 34% faster than they could with a QWERTY layout.
New text-mining algorithm to prioritize research on chemicals, disease for public database
A new text-mining algorithm can help identify the most relevant scientific research for a public database that reveals the effects of environmental chemicals on human health, according to research published April 17 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Allan Peter Davis, Thomas Wiegers and colleagues from North Carolina State University.
Medicine & Health news
CT and serum LDH shows promise as survival predictor for some metastatic melanoma patients
Combining CT imaging findings with baseline serum lactate dehydrogenase levels is showing promise as a way to predict survival in patients with metastatic melanoma being treated with anti-angiogenic therapy.
Radiation dose level affects size of lesions seen on chest CT images
The estimated size of chest lymph nodes and lung nodules seen on CT images varies significantly when the same nodes or nodules are examined using lower versus higher doses of radiation, a new study shows. The size of lymph nodes and lung nodules is an important determinant of treatment and treatment success.
Iterative reconstruction plus longitudinal dose modulation reduces radiation dose for abdominal CT and save lives
Radiation dose reduction has moved to the forefront of importance in medical imaging with new techniques being developed in an effort to bring doses down as low as possible. What difference can these techniques make? Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine aimed to find out.
Some minorities believe they are less likely to get cancer compared to whites, study shows
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues analyzed national data to investigate the differences in cancer prevention beliefs by race and ethnicity. They found that minorities, including blacks, Asians and Hispanics, have differing beliefs about cancer prevention and feel they are less likely to get cancer than did whites. The researchers concluded that more culturally relevant information about cancer prevention and risk needs to reach minority populations.
Osteoporosis costs EU countries 37 billion every year
A new report prepared in collaboration with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations, is the first to describe in detail the epidemiology, burden, and treatment of osteoporosis in all 27 member states of the European Union (EU27).
New scorecard shows inequalities in osteoporosis care in the EU
Today a panel of international experts working in cooperation with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) have published SCOPE – or Scorecard for Osteoporosis in Europe.
French executives on trial over faulty breast implants (Update)
France launched one of its biggest-ever trials on Wednesday as five managers from company PIP faced charges of selling faulty breast implants that sparked a global health scare.
Popular stop-smoking app updated to help more users butt out
An enhanced version of a smoking cessation app developed at the University of Waterloo was launched today with new features to help keep even more people from smoking.
Beijing H7N9 bird flu victim leaves hospital (Update)
A seven-year-old girl who contracted the H7N9 strain of bird flu left hospital on Wednesday and appeared before media in an apparent bid by health authorities to cool concerns about the deadly virus.
Suspected common source of hepatitis A in Nordic countries
Four of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway) have detected more hepatitis A cases than usual among people who did not travel abroad during the incubation period before they became ill (domestic infection). Frozen berries may be the source of infection.
E-health made easier—and more comfortable
The future of health care could be found in a tiny, paper-thin skin patch that collects vital information. The Bio-patch sensor developed by researchers at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology is inexpensive, versatile and, best of all, comfortable to wear.
Periodontitis: The underestimated danger
According to information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), periodontitis is one of the most frequent and underestimated common diseases worldwide. Although the loss of every second tooth is attributable to it, this disease, and its possible consequences, is still not being taken seriously. Corinna Bruckmann, periodontitis expert at the Bernhard Gottlieb University Dental Clinic at the MedUni Wien, also makes this point: "Current figures show that periodontitis escapes the subjective awareness of those affected, in older people even more so than in younger ones."
FDA approves Phase II of stem cell trial for ALS
For nearly two years, University of Michigan neurologist Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D. has led the nation's first clinical trial of stem cell injections in patients with the deadly degenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Is your migraine preventive treatment balanced between drugs' benefits and harms?
Migraine headaches are a major cause of ill health and a reduced quality of life. Some individuals suffer from a frequent and severe migraine problem which means that they require regular medication to try and prevent them. A new review of the medications, which may help to prevent episodic migraines, appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The authors, Tatyana Shamliyan from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and her colleagues, compare published research on the drugs available to find those which offer the best migraine prevention coupled with the fewest adverse side-effects.
60 percent of peds hospitals have electronic health records
(HealthDay)—Since 2008 there has been an increase in the proportion of children's hospitals adopting electronic health records (EHRs), with EHRs in almost 60 percent of children's hospitals in 2011, according to research published online April 15 in Pediatrics.
Anti-sickling therapies should be focus for sickle cell science
Pain is an undeniable focal point for patients with sickle cell disease but it's not the best focus for drug development, says one of the dying breed of physicians specializing in the condition.
Boston doctors agonize over 'ugly job' of amputations
Doctors carried out at least 13 leg amputations after the Boston marathon bombings, and for the surgeons, it was an agonizing decision.
French execs accused of breast implant swindle
The computer records were scrubbed, inspectors said there was no mention of industrial silicone in quality-control documents, and an employee at the factory in southern France said they were instructed not to ask too many questions about the breast implants sold worldwide.
Number of dengue cases declines in Brazil
Brazil's health ministry says the number of dengue cases in Latin America's biggest country has started to decline after rising sharply in the first three months of the year.
News focus on aggression in ice hockey shifted from violence to safety rules, equipment
Popular media perspectives on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in sports like ice hockey has changed over time and may influence people's attitudes towards these injuries, according to research published April 17 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Michael Cusimano and colleagues from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Differences in staging and treatment likely to be behind UK's low bowel cancer survival
Incomplete diagnostic investigation and failure to get the best treatment are the most likely reasons why survival for bowel cancer patients is lower in the UK than in other comparable countries, according to new research published in the journal Acta Oncologica.
Gene study helps understand pulmonary fibrosis
A new study looking at the genomes of more than 1,500 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and devastating lung disease, found multiple genetic associations with the disease, including one gene variant that was linked to an increase in the risk of death.
Study suggests light drinking in pregnancy not linked to development problems in childhood
Light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to adverse behavioural or cognitive outcomes in childhood, suggests a new study published today (17 April) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Beijing H7N9 flu victim to return home
A seven-year-old girl who contracted the deadly H7N9 strain of bird flu was to leave a Beijing hospital on Wednesday, staff said, as the death toll from the virus in China remained at 16.
Babies born even slightly early may lag behind, study says
(HealthDay)—Many women choose to have labor induced or to have an elective Cesarean delivery before the full term of their pregnancy is up, but a new study suggests their child's development may suffer if they are born even a little early.
Activated carotid bodies key in metabolic disruption
(HealthDay)—Activation of carotid bodies (CB) by insulin may account for increased sympathoadrenal activity that results in insulin resistance (IR) and arterial hypertension, according to an experimental study published online March 25 in Diabetes.
Routine CT imaging can be used to identify osteoporosis
(HealthDay)—Abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging, conducted for other indications, can be used to identify patients with osteoporosis, according to a study published in the April 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Longer breastfeeding duration boosts risk of iron deficiency
(HealthDay)—Longer breastfeeding duration is associated with increased odds of iron deficiency in healthy children, according to a study published online April 15 in Pediatrics.
Similar outcomes for robotic, laparoscopic prostatectomy
(HealthDay)—For men undergoing routine surgical treatment for localized cancer of the prostate, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) does not result in better functional outcomes compared to laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP), according to a study published in the April issue of Urology.
Helping children make sense of the senseless
(HealthDay)—It's the day after the Boston Marathon bombings and three people are dead, including an 8-year-old boy who came to cheer on friends during the race. The boy's mother and sister are both seriously injured. A nation is on edge—again. And parents are wondering what to tell their young children and how to help them cope with the carnage.
Smoking bans in public housing could save dollars, lives
(HealthDay)—Smoking bans in subsidized housing, including public housing and rental assistance programs, would save $521 million a year, according to new U.S. government research.
Some slightly obese may gain from weight-loss surgery, guidelines say
(HealthDay)—Even people who are slightly obese could be candidates for weight-loss surgery under new guidelines released by three U.S. medical groups.
Cell-permeable peptide shows promise for controlling cardiovascular disease
Atherosclerosis – sometimes called "hardening of the arteries" – is a leading cause of death and morbidity in Western countries. A cell-permeable peptide containing the NF-kB nuclear localization sequence (NLS) shows promise as a potential agent in controlling the development of atherosclerotic disease. This study is published in the May 2013 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Help your neighbor…help yourself
(Medical Xpress)—Looking to improve your happiness, self-esteem and relationship satisfaction? Put down that self-help book and try working on your desire to help those in need.
Bladder cancer patients over 70 less likely to get curative treatment
(Medical Xpress)—Older bladder cancer patients are less likely than younger patients to receive treatments intended to cure their disease such as surgery to remove the bladder or radiotherapy. But this difference cannot be fully explained by age, according to new research by scientists published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Experts propose strategies to reduce, end tobacco use
What would it take to end tobacco use once and for all? This is the question several scholars, scientists and policy experts address in a provocative series of articles on various strategies for eliminating tobacco use, if not entirely, at least enough to significantly slow the global death toll estimated at 1 billion people by the end of this century, with the status quo.
Researchers discover new treatment possibilities for Lou Gehrig's disease
(Medical Xpress)—A team led by Dr. Alex Parker, a professor of pathology and cellular biology and a researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), has identified an important therapeutic target for alleviating the symptoms of Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and other related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.
Curbing patients' risky behaviour
Much of the burden of disease and ill health facing the NHS is as a result of 'risky' health behaviours such as smoking, excess drinking and over-eating. Given that time for counselling patients about this is limited, the biggest challenge facing clinicians is to find an efficient way of helping patients consider a change in behaviour and to take action.
Prescription drug regulator aimed at curbing painkiller abuse
(Medical Xpress)—According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month.
Patients who have STEMI heart attacks while hospitalized more likely to die
(Medical Xpress)—If you suffer a heart attack while walking down the street and are taken to the hospital quickly, your chances of survival are very good. But if you have a heart attack while already in the hospital for something else, you are 10 times more likely to die.
Medical myth: You can control the sex of your baby
Despite most parents ultimately just wishing for a healthy baby, there are many cultural and social factors that can drive the desire for a baby of a particular sex.
Discovery of genetic defect that triggers epilepsy
Researchers at the University Department of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna have identified a gene behind an epilepsy syndrome, which could also play an important role in other idiopathic (genetically caused) epilepsies. With the so-called "next generation sequencing", with which genetic changes can be identified within a few days, it was ascertained that the CNTN2 gene is defective in this type of epilepsy.
HPV vaccination to provide even more protection in future against infections
At present over one hundred strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) are known, fourteen of which can trigger cancer. The HPV vaccinations currently in use provide protection from 70 percent of these cancers. "With the next generation of the HPV vaccine we will reach 90 percent," says Elmar Joura of the University Department of Gynaecology at the MedUni Vienna on the occasion of the forthcoming Immunology Week. This next vaccine generation is currently undergoing clinical trials at the MedUni Vienna and should be available in approximately two years' time.
People present themselves in ways that counteract prejudices toward their groups, study finds
Individuals from stigmatized groups choose to present themselves in ways that counteract the specific stereotypes and prejudices associated with their group, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Drunk driving not the only way alcohol leads to teen deaths, study says
(HealthDay)—Less than one-third of the 4,700 annual underage drinking-related deaths in the United States result from road crashes, according to a new study.
U.S. infant mortality rates finally dropping again: report
(HealthDay)—After five years of leveling off, the U.S. infant mortality rate is finally on the decline again, a new government report shows.
Small, high-powered magnets hazardous to kids remain on market
Last summer Kelly Bruski went to the store with her sons to buy a birthday gift for her boyfriend. When the boys, now 6 and 9, chose a magnet desk-toy called Buckyballs, "I saw they were really picking out a gift for themselves," said Bruski, a sales rep in Crystal Lake, Ill.
Virus-like particles provide vital clues about brain tumors
Exosomes are small, virus-like particles that can transport genetic material and signal substances between cells. Researchers at Lund University, Sweden, have made new findings about exosomes released from aggressive brain tumors, gliomas. These exosomes are shown to have an important function in brain tumor development, and could be utilized as biomarkers to assess tumor aggressiveness through a blood test.
Molecule treats leukemia by preventing cancer cell repair, scientists report
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory have identified a molecule that prevents repair of some cancer cells, providing a potential new "genetic chemotherapy" approach to cancer treatment that could significantly reduce side effects and the development of treatment resistance compared with traditional chemotherapy.
New computational model can predict breast cancer survival
Columbia Engineering researchers, led by Dimitris Anastassiou, Charles Batchelor Professor in Electrical Engineering and member of the Columbia Initiative in Systems Biology, have developed a new computational model that is highly predictive of breast cancer survival. The team, who won the Sage Bionetworks / DREAM Breast Cancer Prognosis Challenge for this work, published their results—"Development of a Prognostic Model for Breast Cancer Survival in an Open Challenge Environment"—in the April 17 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
Few breast cancer survivors maintain adequate physical activity despite benefits
Breast cancer survivors are among the women who could most benefit from regular physical activity, yet few meet national exercise recommendations during the 10 years after being diagnosed, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Prior studies and available evidence show a strong association between physical activity and reduced mortality, extended survival and higher quality of life among breast cancer survivors. With 2.9 million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S. and another 80,000 added annually, there is considerable interest in the factors that promote health and well-being among these women.
Mindfulness therapy might help veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder
Mindfulness exercises that include meditation, stretching, and acceptance of thoughts and emotions might help veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder find relief from their symptoms.
Improved molecular tools streamline influenza testing and management
Over 40,000 people die each year in the United States from influenza-related diseases. In patients whose immune systems are compromised, antiviral therapy may be life-saving, but it needs to be initiated quickly. It is therefore crucial to diagnose and type the influenza rapidly. Scientists in the Netherlands have designed and evaluated a set of molecular assays that they say are a sensitive and good alternative for conventional diagnostic methods and can produce results in one day without the need for additional equipment. The results are published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
Children and teens with autism more likely to become preoccupied with video games
Children and teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use screen-based media, such as television and video games, more often than their typically developing peers and are more likely to develop problematic video game habits, a University of Missouri researcher found.
Fecal transplant studied for kids with bowel disease
(HealthDay)—Fecal transplantation—an innovative enema treatment—may help reduce or eliminate symptoms of ulcerative colitis in most children and young adults, according to a small study.
Prepared for trauma, overwhelmed by carnage
(HealthDay)—It was an uneventful early afternoon on Monday in the emergency departments at Boston area hospitals. Staffs were working purposefully, efficiently through routine caseloads.
New drug combination therapy developed to treat leukemia
A new, pre-clinical study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center suggests that a novel drug combination could lead to profound leukemia cell death by disrupting the function of two major pro-survival proteins. The effectiveness of the therapy lies in its ability to target a pro-survival cell signaling pathway known as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, upon which the leukemia cells have become dependent.
HIV-infected moms who breastfeed exclusively have lower levels of virus in breast milk
HIV-infected women in sub-Saharan Africa who fed their babies exclusively with breast milk for more than the first four months of life had the lowest risk of transmitting the virus to their babies through breast milk, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Women who stopped breast feeding earlier than four months had the highest concentrations of HIV in their breast milk, and those who continued to breastfeed, but not exclusively, had concentration levels in-between the two practices. The findings are online in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Team taps the wisdom of the crowd to impact breast cancer prognosis
Two new reports issuing in Science Translational Medicine (STM) today showcase the potential of teams of scientists working together to solve increasingly complex medical problems. The results demonstrate that better predictors of breast cancer progression than those currently available can be rapidly evolved by running open Big Data Challenges such as The Sage Bionetworks/DREAM Breast Cancer Prognosis Challenge (BCC).
Patient satisfaction with hospital stay does not reflect quality of surgical care
Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of a hospital's service quality, but new Johns Hopkins research suggests that it doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of the surgical care patients receive.
Family history of Alzheimer's associated with abnormal brain pathology
Close family members of people with Alzheimer's disease are more than twice as likely as those without a family history to develop silent buildup of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.
Hair analysis reveals elevated stress hormone levels raise cardiovascular risk
–Hair strands contain valuable information about senior citizens' stress levels that can be used to determine an individual's cardiovascular disease risk, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Simple reminders may help prevent fractures
Reminding primary care doctors to test at-risk patients for osteoporosis can prevent fractures and reduce health care costs, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Common osteoporosis drug slows formation of new bone
Although the drug zoledronic acid slows bone loss in osteoporosis patients, it also boosts levels of a biomarker that stops bone formation, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Discovery may help prevent HIV 'reservoirs' from forming
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how the protein that blocks HIV-1 from multiplying in white blood cells is regulated. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS, and the discovery could lead to novel approaches for addressing HIV-1 "in hiding" – namely eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1 that persist in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Cell Host & Microbe.
Blood pressure out of control at safety-net clinics
Federally funded safety-net clinics for the uninsured lag behind other health care providers in controlling blood pressure among the low-income patients who rely on them for care, a new Michigan State University analysis suggests.
Study finds US facing neurologist shortage
Americans with brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis (MS) who need to see a neurologist may face longer wait times or have more difficulty finding a neurologist, according to a new study published in the April 17, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The findings are being released as nearly 150 neurologists will descend on Capitol Hill next Tuesday, April 23, 2013, to encourage Congress to protect patients' access to neurologists and ensure there will be care for the one in six Americans currently affected by brain disease.
In the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage, study finds
Osteoarthritis, which affects at least 20 percent of adults in the United States, leads to deterioration of cartilage, the rubbery tissue that prevents bones from rubbing together. By studying the molecular properties of cartilage, MIT engineers have now discovered how the earliest stages of arthritis make the tissue more susceptible to damage from physical activities such as running or jumping.
Teens' brains are more sensitive to rewarding feedback from peers
Teenagers are risk-takers—they're more likely than children or adults to experiment with illicit substances, have unprotected sex, and drive recklessly. But research shows that teenagers have the knowledge and ability to make competent decisions about risk, just like adults. So what explains their risky behavior?
Teen break-ups occur independent of how well couples handle disagreements
Adults who resolve and recover from conflict are known to be happier in their romantic relationships but the same does not hold true for teen romances, according to research published April 17 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Thao Ha and colleagues from the Behavioural Science Institute of Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Making fruit easier to eat increases sales and consumption in school cafeterias
No matter how you slice it, cutting fruit into bite-sized pieces prompts children to eat more apples during lunchtime, according to a recent study by Cornell University researchers.
US panel backs inhaler drug for lung disease
A panel of U.S. respiratory experts voted Wednesday in favor of approving an experimental inhaler drug from GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance for treating chronic lung disease.
Detecting autism from brain activity
Neuroscientists from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the University of Toronto have developed an efficient and reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children. Their findings appear today in the online journal PLOS ONE.
Scientists find ethnicity linked to antibodies
(Medical Xpress)—Cracking the DNA code for a complex region of the human genome has helped 14 North American scientists, including five at Simon Fraser University, chart new territory in immunity research.
Researchers identify and block protein that interferes with appetite-suppressing hormone
Ever since the appetite-regulation hormone called leptin was discovered in 1994, scientists have sought to understand the mechanisms that control its action. It was known that leptin was made by fat cells, reduced appetite and interacted with insulin , but the precise molecular details of its function —details that might enable the creation of a new treatment for obesity—remained elusive.
Recipe for large numbers of stem cells requires only one ingredient
Stem cells and tissue-specific cells can be grown in abundance from mature mammalian cells simply by blocking a certain membrane protein, according to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their experiments, reported today in Scientific Reports, also show that the process doesn't require other kinds of cells or agents to artificially support cell growth and doesn't activate cancer genes.
Half of Tamiflu prescriptions weren't taken in 2009 swine flu pandemic
Around half the antiviral drug Tamiflu that was prescribed during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic was never used, researchers have discovered.
Researchers decipher molecular basis of bone's remarkable strength and resiliency
The bones that support our bodies are made of remarkably complex arrangements of materials—so much so that decoding the precise structure responsible for their great strength and resilience has eluded scientists' best efforts for decades.
One step closer to understanding biology behind genetic variants linked to blood cell traits
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge have unpicked genetic variants that affect the formation of blood cells. They found that around a third of the variants play a role in gene regulation, and that the action of these variants is specific to individual cell types. The discovery is an important step towards unravelling the biological mechanisms behind variants identified in genome-wide scans of blood traits.
Study reveals natural process that blocks viruses
The human body has the ability to ward off viruses by activating a naturally occurring protein at the cellular level, setting off a chain reaction that disrupts the levels of cholesterol required in cell membranes to enable viruses to enter cells. The findings, discovered by researchers in molecular microbiology and immunology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, hold promise for the development of therapies to fight a variety of viral infections.
Completion of the zebrafish reference genome yields strong comparisons with the human genome
Researchers demonstrate today that 70 per cent of protein-coding human genes are related to genes found in the zebrafish and that 84 per cent of genes known to be associated with human disease have a zebrafish counterpart. Their study highlights the importance of zebrafish as a model organism for human disease research.
Gene regenerates heart tissue, critical finding for heart failure prevention
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a specific gene that regulates the heart's ability to regenerate after injuries.
Examining function of all genes in the zebrafish genome to benefit human health
Equipped with the zebrafish genome, researchers have designed a method to assay the function of each and every gene and to explore the effects genetic variation has on zebrafish. So far the team has generated one or more mutations in almost 40% of all zebrafish genes.
Compound that could prevent acute blood cancer relapse identified
Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Japan report today that they have identified a compound that could be used as a new treatment to prevent relapse in acute myeloid leukemia patients.
Scientists reverse memory loss in animal brain cells
Neuroscientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have taken a major step in their efforts to help people with memory loss tied to brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
Going places: Rat brain 'GPS' maps routes to rewards
While studying rats' ability to navigate familiar territory, Johns Hopkins scientists found that one particular brain structure uses remembered spatial information to imagine routes the rats then follow. Their discovery has implications for understanding why damage to that structure, called the hippocampus, disrupts specific types of memory and learning in people with Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline. And because these mental trajectories guide the rats' behavior, the research model the scientists developed may be useful in future studies on higher-level tasks, such as decision-making.
Structural dynamics underlying memory in aging brains
(Medical Xpress)—When the brains of those who have succumbed to age-related neurodegeneration are analyzed post-mortem, they typically show significant atrophy on all scales. Not only is the cortex thinner and sparser, but the hollow ventricles inside the brain are grossly enlarged. In the absence of any specific disease, these general trends are still familiar. It has traditionally been assumed that the dynamic microfeatures of aged brains—the growth of the fine neurites and the synapses they make—would similarly be degenerate. In other words, synaptic growth would have either entered some form of stasis, or alternatively, a state of permanent decay with replacement by matrix or scar tissue. Contrary to these expectations, recent research shows increased structural plasticity in the axonal component of synapses in the aged mouse cortex. Reporting in the current issues of PNAS, researchers provide evidence that the observed behavioral deficits in these animals may be! due to an inability to maintain persistent synaptic structure, rather than because of a loss of plasticity.
Biology news
USDA starts new program to track farm animals
(AP)—The federal government has started a new livestock identification program to help agriculture officials quickly track livestock in cases of disease.
Sumatran tiger may be euthanized at Indonesia zoo (Update)
An emaciated female Sumatran tiger was in critical condition at Indonesia's largest zoo Wednesday and may have to be put down after another rare tiger died at the problem-plagued facility earlier this month.
More Grand Canyon condors die of lead poisoning
Lead ammunition continues to take a deadly toll on endangered California condors that live in and around the Grand Canyon. Seven of the 80 wild condors in Arizona and Utah have died since December; three of those deaths have been definitively linked to lead poisoning from ingesting spent lead ammunition fragments in carrion and lead poisoning is suspected in the other four deaths.
Research shows great promise for millet grains
Climate change, water scarcity, increasing world population, and rising food prices are only some of the socioeconomic factors that threaten agriculture and food security worldwide, especially for disadvantaged populations that live in arid and sub-arid regions. In the May issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), researchers looked into how millet grains serve as a major food component for millions of people in these countries, as well as for people with special diet needs and those seeking foods high in nutrients.
Russian forests and tigers left floored by illegal logging
The forests of the Russian Far East are being pushed to the brink of destruction due to pervasive, large-scale illegal logging, largely to supply Chinese furniture and flooring manufacturers, according to a new report by WWF-Russia.
Nitrogen key to uptake of other corn nutrients, study shows
(Phys.org) —A historical analysis of corn research shows that new hybrids are taking up more nitrogen than older plant varieties after the crucial flowering stage, a clue as to how plant scientists will need to adapt plants to increase yields.
Doctoral student sheds light on Asian bird's migration patterns
(Phys.org) —An Arizona State University biologist and her team have found that the Asian subspecies of great bustard, one of the heaviest birds capable of flight, covers migratory routes of more than 2,000 miles, travelling to and from its breeding grounds in northern Mongolia and wintering grounds in Shaanxi province in China.
New study looks at microbial differences between parents, kids and dogs
As much as dog owners love their children, they tend to share more of themselves, at least in terms of bacteria, with their canine cohorts rather than their kids.
Bear baiting may put hunting dogs at risk from wolves
Bear hunters will tell you that a good way to attract a bear is to put out bait. And in 10 states, including Michigan and Wisconsin, that's perfectly legal. Hunting dogs are another useful technique in the bear-hunter's toolkit, and 17 states say that's just fine.
UGA research finds sterilized dogs live longer
Many dog owners have their pets spayed or neutered to help control the pet population, but new research from the University of Georgia suggests the procedure could add to the length of their lives and alter the risk of specific causes of death.
In-package plasma process quickly, effectively kills bacteria
(Phys.org) —Exposing packaged liquids, fruits and vegetables to an electrical field for just minutes might eliminate all traces of foodborne pathogens on those foods, according to a Purdue University study.
Researchers measure cavitation noise in trees
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from Grenoble University in France has found that under experimental conditions, roughly half of the noise created by drying wood is due to cavitation. The team made this discovery while studying the noises trees make in drought conditions. They presented their findings at last month's American Physical Society meeting.
Reproductive tract secretions elicit ovulation
Eggs take a long time to produce in the ovary, and thus are one of a body's precious resources. It has been theorized that the body has mechanisms to help the ovary ensure that ovulated eggs enter the reproductive tract at the right time in order to maximize the chance of successful fertilization.
Key ingredient in mass extinctions could boost food, biofuel production
Hydrogen sulfide, the pungent stuff often referred to as sewer gas, is a deadly substance implicated in several mass extinctions, including one at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago that wiped out more than three-quarters of all species on Earth.
Coelacanth genome surfaces: Unexpected insights from a fish with a 300-million-year-old fossil record
An international team of researchers has decoded the genome of a creature whose evolutionary history is both enigmatic and illuminating: the African coelacanth. A sea-cave dwelling, five-foot long fish with limb-like fins, the coelacanth was once thought to be extinct. A living coelacanth was discovered off the African coast in 1938, and since then, questions about these ancient-looking fish – popularly known as "living fossils" – have loomed large. Coelacanths today closely resemble the fossilized skeletons of their more than 300-million-year-old ancestors. Its genome confirms what many researchers had long suspected: genes in coelacanths are evolving more slowly than in other organisms.
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