From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 9:10 PM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Friday, Jun 14
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 14, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- A physicist's best friend: Quantum coherence in diamond augments fluorescence thermometry- Scientists capture crystallization of materials in nanoseconds
- Study explains decades of black hole observations
- Observation of magnetic flipping in single proton heralds high-precision studies into matter and antimatter
- Nanopatch: Syringe and needle replacement unveiled at TEDGLobal Conference
- Ultra-high-resolution microscopy reveals yeast aquaporin transporting water across cell membrane
- Researchers prove quantum algorithm works by solving linear equations on a quantum computer
- Google points to in-store phone use to urge retailers to get mobile
- Automated 'coach' could help with social interactions (w/ Video)
- Data from end of the last ice age illuminate the precarious nature of global ocean chemistry
- New findings regarding DNA damage checkpoint mechanism in oxidative stress
- Study uncovers secrets of biological soil crusts
- Scientists identify neurons that control feeding behavior in Drosophila
- Solar plane departs St. Louis on next leg of US tour
- Lightweight Microsoft Office available on iPhone
Space & Earth news
Science explores deepest, coldest and hottest places on the planet
Researchers are embarking on an ambitious four-year project to explore some of the deepest, coldest and hottest places on the planet. The aim is to collect and screen samples of mud and sediment from huge, previously untapped, oceanic trenches, more than 8,000 metres deep.
New report identifies 'regret-free' approaches for adapting agriculture to climate change
Whether it's swapping coffee for cocoa in Central America or bracing for drought in Sri Lanka with a return to ancient water storage systems, findings from a new report from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) chart a path for farmers to adapt to climate shifts despite uncertainties about what growing conditions will look like decades from now.
Fifty years ago, Tereshkova became first woman in space
On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to fly into space in a scientific feat that was a major propaganda coup for the Soviet Union.
UCLA climate study predicts dramatic loss in local snowfall
By midcentury, snowfall on Los Angeles–area mountains will be 30 to 40 percent less than it was at the end of the 20th century, according to a UCLA study released today and led by UCLA climate expert Alex Hall.
Intense: Navy, civilian planners get big assist in storm predictions
With the arrival of the Atlantic hurricane and Pacific typhoon season—and the often dangerous storms that can accompany it—new technology sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) will be used to help Navy and civilian officials alike plan for stormy weather, officials announced today.
California's efforts to clean up diesel engines have helped reduce impact of climate change on state, study finds
(Phys.org) —Reductions in emissions of black carbon since the late 1980s, mostly from diesel engines as a result of air quality programs, have resulted in a measurable reduction of concentrations of global warming pollutants in the atmosphere, according to a first-of-its-kind study examining the impact of black carbon on California's climate.
Data from end of the last ice age illuminate the precarious nature of global ocean chemistry
The ocean the Titanic sailed through just over 100 years ago was very different from the one we swim in today. Global warming is increasing ocean temperatures and harming marine food webs. Nitrogen run-off from fertilizers is causing coastal dead zones. A McGill-led international research team has now completed the first global study of changes that occurred in a crucial component of ocean chemistry, the nitrogen cycle, at the end of the last ice age. The results of their study confirm that oceans are good at balancing the nitrogen cycle on a global scale. But the data also shows that it is a slow process that may take many centuries, or even millennia, raising worries about the effects of the scale and speed of current changes in the ocean.
Study uncovers secrets of biological soil crusts
They lie dormant for years, but at the first sign of favorable conditions they awaken. This sounds like the tagline for a science fiction movie, but it describes the amazing life-cycles of microbial organisms that form the biological soil crusts (BSCs) of Earth's deserts. Now a research team with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has reported a unique molecular-level analysis of a BSC cyanobacterium responding to the wetting and drying of its environment. The results hold implications for land management, improved climate change models, and a better understanding of carbon cycling in soil microbial communities and how changes in global temperatures impact Earth's deserts.
Study explains decades of black hole observations
(Phys.org) —A new study by astronomers at NASA, Johns Hopkins University and Rochester Institute of Technology confirms long-held suspicions about how stellar-mass black holes produce their highest-energy light.
Medicine & Health news
Overweight and obese patients less likely to achieve remission in early RA
A new study presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, shows that overweight and obese patients are less likely to achieve successful remission in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) compared to those of normal weight.
High prevalence of NSAID prescription in those at risk of heart attack/death in primary care
New study data presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrate a high prevalence of NSAID prescriptions in patients at risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD).
Nurse-led programs help patients self-manage RA
Data first presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism demonstrate the benefits of a nurse-led programme on patient self-management and the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) co-morbidities.
Preventing injuries to horse racing jockeys
Steps to prevent injuries to racehorses could also reduce the number of jockeys injured or killed in the United States, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, published June 11 in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine.
Healthy menus for people and planet: Experts and food industry leaders probe intersection of diet and the environment
When it comes to human dietary health, less red meat is better. And when it comes to environmental health, a chicken looks more like a nut than a cow.
2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension
Lifestyle factors, lack of awareness by both patients and physicians, hesitancy in initiating and intensifying drug treatment, and healthcare structural deficiencies are amongst the reasons for the increasing problem of high blood pressure in Europe, according to new joint Guidelines issued today by the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The Guidelines, which recommend several significant changes to hypertension treatment, are launched* today at the European Society of Hypertension congress in Milan, Italy, with simultaneous online publication in the peer-reviewed journals Journal of Hypertension, the European Heart Journal, and Blood Pressure .
Court hearing on hold over lung transplant rules
(AP)—A court hearing over organ donation rules is on hold after the Pennsylvania girl at the center of the lawsuit received a lung transplant.
Drugmaker Elan plans to explore sale of company (Update)
Shares of Elan Corp PLC jumped Friday after the Irish drugmaker said it will explore a possible sale of the company while its board continues to fend off a hostile takeover bid from Royalty Pharma.
Team creates first comprehensive guidelines to reduce staph bacteria infections after surgery
Staph infections in hospitals are a serious concern, so much so that the term Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is as commonly known as MRI. Far less known is that in many of these cases, patients are infecting themselves.
Developmental protein plays role in spread of cancer
A protein used by embryo cells during early development, and recently found in many different types of cancer, apparently serves as a switch regulating the spread of cancer, known as metastasis, report researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center in the June 15, 2013 issue of the journal Cancer Research.
Using math to kill cancer cells
Here's a good reason to pay attention in math class. Nature Communications has published a paper from Ottawa researchers today, outlining how advanced mathematical modelling can be used in the fight against cancer. The technique predicts how different treatments and genetic modifications might allow cancer-killing, oncolytic viruses to overcome the natural defences that cancer cells use to stave off viral infection.
Geneticists solve mystery of EEC Syndrome's variable severity in children
By identifying a protein that acts as a genetic modifier, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have solved the mystery of why some infants are born with a grave syndrome consisting of cleft palate and major deformities of the skin and limbs, while other infants bearing the same predisposing genetic mutation bear little or no sign of the illness, called EEC.
WHO says MERS virus death toll hits 33
The global death toll from the SARS-like virus MERS has risen to 33, after two new fatalities in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Novel biomarkers improve diagnosis in rheumatoid arthritis
Data presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, show that novel antibody biomarkers could significantly improve diagnosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Researchers shed light on role of genes in autism
(Medical Xpress)—Research carried out by Medical Research Council (MRC) researchers at the University of Oxford has uncovered a chain of genetic events that are common in individuals with autism, and have examined for the first time how this chain may influence how messages are sent between nerve cells in the brain. This knowledge will help researchers better understand the role that genetics plays in autism.
Incontinence takes mental toll on younger women
New research from the University of Adelaide shows middle-aged women are more likely to suffer depression from a common medical problem that they find too embarrassing to talk about: urinary incontinence.
Research reveals that indoor tanning is driving an increase in skin cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer. While unlikely to metastasize and therefore associated with low mortality, it can be disfiguring and costly to treat. Typically, it has been seen on the heads of elderly outdoor enthusiasts: think dockworkers, golfers or Sun Belt retirees with blotchy, scabbed facial skin.
New approach for late-stage prostate cancer
(Medical Xpress)—For the past 70 years, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the standard treatment for men diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer.
HPV testing could cut cervical cancers by a third
(Medical Xpress)—Testing women for the human papillomavirus (HPV) first, instead of using the traditional cervical screening test to detect abnormal cells in the cervix, could prevent around 600 cases of cervical cancer a year in England.
Study shows how children relate to their pets
In a study of more than 1,000 school children, scientists at the University of Liverpool have shown that the bond between a child and their pet is a significant part of growing up in families from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds.
Inventor patents anti-cholesterol formula
(Medical Xpress)—Senior Brandeis research scientist Daniel Perlman '68 has discovered a way to make phytosterol molecules from plants dispersible in beverages and foods that are consumed by humans, potentially opening the way to dramatic reductions in human cholesterol levels.
Poorly managed pain relief can have devastating consequences for addicts
Research led by King's College London's National Addiction Centre (NAC) calls for systemic attempts to reduce stigma and raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals when treating current or former addicts
Research reprograms future of kidney health
University of Queensland researchers have reprogrammed adult kidney cells to act as stem cells to repair damaged kidneys.
Children help reveal diabetes trigger
(Medical Xpress)—Cases of type 1 diabetes in children mirror the spread of flu – suggesting it is triggered by an infection carried by wild animals.
Fluorescent probes shed light on embryonic brain development
The formation of a 'body plan' during embryonic development is driven by the distribution of signaling molecules called morphogens in the embryo, determining front from back and left from right. Atsushi Miyawaki, Satoshi Shimozono and colleagues from the Laboratory for Cell Function Dynamics at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, have now developed fluorescent probes that allow the distribution of the morphogen retinoic acid (RA) to be visualized in a living embryo for the first time, providing new insight into the important role that morphogens play in patterning the body during embryonic development1.
Functional MRI provides support in operations on the brain
Researchers at the MedUni Vienna have proved in a so far unique multicenter study that clinical functional magnetic resonance tomography (fMRI), in the area in which the MedUni Vienna has a leading role internationally, is a safe method in brain surgery. With the aid of fMRI imaging can pinpoint to the millimetre where critical nerve fibres (e.g. vital for speech or hand function) lie and which have to be avoided – in operations on brain tumours for example.
Smoking in bar entrances increases presence of nicotine inside, study finds
For the first time, a study has analysed the effects of the modification to the Spanish tobacco control law, implemented in 2011 in hospitality venues in Spain. The findings show that smoking on terraces and in the entrances to bars and restaurants increases the concentration of nicotine and particulate matter, which affects clients and hospitality professionals alike.
Emergency departments still missing signs of pelvic disease in teens
Despite government efforts to expand diagnostic criteria for pelvic inflammatory disease, emergency department doctors are not identifying the condition any more often in adolescent girls, finds a new study in Journal of Adolescent Health.
Researchers explode the myth about running injuries
If you are healthy and plan to start running for the first time, it is perfectly all right to put on a pair of completely ordinary 'neutral' running shoes without any special support. Even though your feet overpronate when you run – i.e. roll inwards.
Older patients will make lifestyle changes to avoid fractures, study finds
Older patients who know they are at risk of fractures will make positive lifestyle changes to avoid them, such as exercising, wearing proper footwear and taking supplements, a new study has found.
Duloxetine moderately cost-effective for treating back pain
(HealthDay)—Duloxetine is a moderately cost-effective treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP) compared with other post-first-line oral medications, according to research published in the May 15 issue of Spine.
Scientists discover key mechanism that boosts signalling function of neurons in the brain
(Medical Xpress)—Locating a car that's blowing its horn in heavy traffic, channel-hopping between football and a thriller on TV without losing the plot, and not forgetting the start of a sentence by the time we have read to the end – we consider all of these to be normal everyday functions. They enable us to react to fast-changing circumstances and to carry out even complex activities correctly. For this to work, the neuron circuits in our brain have to be very flexible. Scientists working under the leadership of neurobiologists Nils Brose and Erwin Neher at the Max Planck Institutes of Experimental Medicine and Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have now discovered an important molecular mechanism that turns neurons into true masters of adaptation.
Nanopatch: Syringe and needle replacement unveiled at TEDGLobal Conference
(Medical Xpress)—Professor Mark Kendall of the University of Queensland, Australia, has announced at this year's TEDGLobal Conference that a skin patch he and colleagues have developed will soon begin field testing in New Guinea. The Nanopatch, as it's been named, is used as a replacement for the traditional method of administering vaccines—injection with needle and syringe.
New findings regarding DNA damage checkpoint mechanism in oxidative stress
In current health lore, antioxidants are all the rage, as "everybody knows" that reducing the amount of "reactive oxygen species"—cell-damaging molecules that are byproducts of cellular metabolism—is critical to staying healthy. What everyone doesn't know is that our bodies already have a complex set of processes built into our cells that handle these harmful byproducts of living and repair the damage they cause.
Scientists identify neurons that control feeding behavior in Drosophila
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have developed a novel transgenic system which allows them to remotely activate individual brain cells in the model organism Drosophila using ambient temperature. This powerful new tool for identifying and characterizing neural circuitry has lead to the identification of a pair of neurons – now called Fdg neurons – in the fruit fly that decide when to eat and initiate the subsequent feeding action. Discovery of these neurons may help neurobiologists better understand how the brain uses memory and stimuli to produce classically conditioned responses, such as those often associated with phobias or drug tolerance. The study appears in the journal Nature.
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