From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 2:02 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Monday, Jul 22
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 22, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Sony patent proposes camera button to send vital-signs info- Google-owned Motorola Mobility on job hunt for wearables director
- SIM sleuth finds security flaw that may affect 750M phones
- Researchers use DNA origami technique to build nanoantennas with docking sites
- CIA co-sponsoring geoengineering study to look at reversing global warming options
- Thin, flexible glass for energy storage
- Declining sea ice strands baby harp seals
- Coherence activity in neuronal cultures from noise focusing
- Underwater propulsion from a 3D printer
- A scientific experiment is able to create a wave that is frozen in time
- From obscurity to dominance: Tracking the rapid evolutionary rise of ray-finned fish
- A new method for clicking molecules together
- New research reveals that people who migrate to wealthier countries aren't any happier
- "Valleytronics" – a new type of electronics in diamond
- Scientists capture pitch drop on camera for first time (w/ Video)
Space & Earth news
Haze from Indonesian fires returns to Malaysia
Haze blanketed parts of Malaysia on Monday, weeks after the region suffered its worst pollution from forest fires in Indonesia in more than a decade.
Fires in Eastern Russian and Siberia
Forest fires are burning north and east of Russia's Irkutsk Oblast. The Irkutsk Oblast is located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers.
Gold rush-era discards could fuel cellphones, TVs (Update)
(AP)—Across the U.S. West, early miners digging for gold, silver and copper had no idea that one day something else very valuable would be buried in the piles of dirt and rocks they tossed aside.
US jets drop unarmed bombs on Great Barrier Reef
US fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in an "emergency jettison" during a training exercise, officials said on Sunday, ruling out any risk to the public or environment.
Wildfires projected to get more common, harder to control
Devastating wildfires the likes of which razed Slave Lake in 2011 will become more common and tougher to control, according to new research from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
Safe livelihoods for informal gold miners in South and Southeast Asia
Safer ways for informal miners in South and Southeast Asia to prospect for gold will be investigated under an Australian Government grant won by The Australian National University (ANU) and Minelab.
What the Earth and Moon Look Like From Saturn
Did you smile and wave at Saturn on Friday? If you did (and even if you didn't) here's how you—and everyone else on Earth—looked to the Cassini spacecraft, 898.4 million miles away.
Fish-tracking robots take to the seas and skies off Portugal
A unique field experiment being conducted off the coast of Portugal this week combines ocean robotics and marine biology in a complex aquatic dance. Researchers are using a fleet of robotic vehicles to track over a dozen Mola mola (ocean sunfish) as they forage across the coastal ocean. During this experiment, engineers and marine biologists are working together to test new techniques for tracking multiple animals in real time, collecting environmental data in the water around each animal, and controlling and coordinating a diverse group of robotic vehicles. Collaborators are also testing advanced capabilities for seafloor mapping and for search and rescue, in concert with local maritime authorities.
Land-clearing Blazes in Indonesia
In Indonesia, land-clearing blazes dot the countryside. Fires for clearing land have been outlowed for all but the smallest landowners, but the "slash-and-burn" practice still persists despite cloaking Southeast Asia in toxic pollution for weeks. Better and more available satellite technology is helping identify culprits behind land-clearing blazes in Indonesia.
Fires in Idaho
Forest fires continue to plague the hot, dry western part of the United States this summer. In Idaho, several fires were spotted by NASA's Aqua satellite on July 20, 2013. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS's thermal bands, are outlined in red.
Geochemical 'fingerprints' leave evidence that megafloods eroded steep gorge
The Yarlung-Tsangpo River in southern Asia drops rapidly through the Himalaya Mountains on its way to the Bay of Bengal, losing about 7,000 feet of elevation through the precipitously steep Tsangpo Gorge.
NASA wants spacesuit repair kit on Russian launch
(AP)—NASA is rushing to get spacesuit repair tools on a launch to the International Space Station this weekend.
First high-resolution national carbon map—Panama
A team of researchers has for the first time mapped the above ground carbon density of an entire country in high fidelity. They integrated field data with satellite imagery and high-resolution airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to map the vegetation and to quantify carbon stocks throughout the Republic of Panama. The results are the first maps that report carbon stocks locally in areas as small as a hectare (2.5 acres) and yet cover millions of hectares in a short time. The system has the lowest demonstrated uncertainty of any carbon-counting approach yet—a carbon estimation uncertainty of about 10% in each hectare overflown with LiDAR as compared to field-based estimates. Importantly, it can be used across a wide range of vegetation types worldwide.
Large coronal hole near the sun's north pole
The European Space Agency/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, captured this image of a gigantic coronal hole hovering over the sun's north pole on July 18, 2013, at 9:06 a.m. EDT. Coronal holes are dark, low density regions of the sun's outermost atmosphere, the corona. They contain little solar material, have lower temperatures, and therefore, appear much darker than their surroundings.
Ancient ice melt unearthed in Antarctic mud
Global warming five million years ago may have caused parts of Antarctica's large ice sheets to melt and sea levels to rise by approximately 20 metres, scientists report today in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Loss of African woodland may impact on climate, study shows
Deforestation in parts of Africa could be reversed with changes to land use, a study suggests.
New study ignites debate over Indonesia's mud volcano
Scientists on Sunday sparked a fresh debate over what triggered Indonesia's Lusi mud volcano, still spewing truckloads of slime more than seven years after it leapt catastrophically into life.
NASA's Hubble sees a stranger in the crowd
The constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) is the largest of the Zodiac constellations, and the second largest overall after Hydra (The Water Snake). Its most appealing feature, however, is the sheer number of galaxies that lie within it. In this picture, among a crowd of face- and edge-on spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies, lies NGC 4866, a lenticular galaxy situated about 80 million light-years from Earth.
Sea level rise: New iceberg theory points to areas at risk of rapid disintegration
In events that could exacerbate sea level rise over the coming decades, stretches of ice on the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland are at risk of rapidly cracking apart and falling into the ocean, according to new iceberg calving simulations from the University of Michigan.
Most flammable boreal forests in North America become more so
A 2,000-square-kilometer zone in the Yukon Flats of interior Alaska – one of the most flammable high-latitude regions of the world, according to scientists – has seen a dramatic increase in both the frequency and severity of fires in recent decades. Wildfire activity in this area is higher than at any other time in the past 10,000 years, the researchers report.
CIA co-sponsoring geoengineering study to look at reversing global warming options
The CIA along with NASA and NOAA is reportedly funding a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) project whose goal is to study several geoengineering options aimed at reversing global warming. Dana Liebelson and Chris Mooney have written an article which has been printed in both Slate and MotherJones claiming that William Kearney, a spokesman for NAS told them that the CIA is the "US intelligence community" member identified on the NAS web site describing the project.
Medicine & Health news
Analysis: 40-year-old US abortion fight heats
(AP)—Abortion opponents have fought back vigorously in the 40 years since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized the procedure. Now, their battle is gaining ground in some states where new laws are creating stringent barriers to a woman ending her pregnancy.
New case of H7N9 bird flu confirmed in China: Xinhua
A 61-year-old woman from northern China was confirmed Saturday as having contracted the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus, state media reported.
Older patients need special care in emergency departments
A large international study led by the Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine at The University of Queensland suggests that emergency departments should focus their attention on the needs of frail older people.
Coping strategies for new nurses
(Medical Xpress)—Empowering graduate nurses with self-coping strategies to help them adjust to the workforce is the focus of a new Flinders University research project.
'Miracle' mum gives gift of life
An Aberdeenshire woman will today (Thursday July 18), hand over a donation to the Aberdeen Fertility Centre who helped her conceive the two 'miracle babies', she feared she might never have.
Call for better sugary foods import data as obesity rises
Better collection of data on food sugar levels will provide ammunition for the ongoing battle against rising obesity according to researchers at The University of Western Australia.
Study finds that TAML activators don't interfere with development of zebrafish embryos
A family of molecules developed at Carnegie Mellon University to break down pollutants in water is one step closer to commercial use. Study results published online in the journal Green Chemistry show that the molecules, which are aimed at removing hazardous endocrine disruptors from water sources, aren't endocrine disruptors themselves as they proved to be non-toxic to developing zebrafish embryos.
Researchers identify 146 contemporary medical practices offering no net benefits
While there is an expectation that newer medical practices improve the standard of care, the history of medicine reveals many instances in which this has not been the case. Reversal of established medical practice occurs when new studies contradict current practice. Reporters may remember hormone replacement therapy as an example of medical reversal. A new analysis published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings documents 146 contemporary medical practices that have subsequently been reversed.
Physician bonuses help drive increases in surgery with minimal patient benefit
Financial incentives for Ontario surgeons are likely a key factor driving greater use of laparoscopic colon cancer surgery, says a study led by a McMaster University surgeon.
Scientists to study novel mechanisms of epileptic seizures to identify targets for therapy
Ten percent of Americans experience a seizure in their lifetime, with three million diagnosed with epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder. Anticonvulsant medications can mitigate the hyperactivity of neurons that leads to seizures, but not without severe side effects, including cognitive impairment.
Dog bite infection costs Canadian her arm, legs
A rare infection resulting from a dog bite cost an Ottawa woman her left arm and both legs, a Canadian newspaper said Monday.
Former prisoners more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions
Complications of diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and other preventable conditions are more likely to land former prisoners in the hospital, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the July 22 online issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
BMC surgeon recommends off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting be abandoned
In a Special Report in the current issue of Circulation, Boston Medical Center cardiothoracic surgeon Harold Lazar, MD, has found that off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery has failed to show any significant improvement in short-term morbidity or mortality as compared to the traditional on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. He recommends that the technique be abandoned, unless surgeons who perform off-pump surgery can show that their own results are as good as results reported with the traditional on-pump surgery.
Parents' experiences with pediatric retail clinics examined
Parents who had established relationships with pediatricians still accessed care for their children at retail clinics (RCs), typically located in large chain drugstores, mostly because the clinics were convenient, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.
Study examines use of transthoracic echocardiography
A study of the use of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at an academic medical center suggests that although 9 in 10 of the procedures were appropriate under 2011 appropriate use criteria, less than 1 in 3 of the TTEs resulted in an active change in care, according to a report of the research by Susan Matulevicius, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
No benefit associated with echocardiographic screening in the general population
A study in Norway suggests echocardiographic screening in the general public for structural and valvular heart disease was not associated with benefit for reducing the risk of death, myocardial infarction (heart attack) or stroke, according to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.
US judge delays state's abortion law
(AP)—A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a new North Dakota law that bans abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected—as early as six weeks into pregnancy, calling the law "clearly invalid and unconstitutional."
Study links mental illness to early death in people with epilepsy
People with epilepsy are ten times more likely to die early, before their mid-fifties, compared with the general population, according to a 41 year study in Sweden published today in the Lancet and part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Antioxidants—too much of a good thing?
In older men, a natural antioxidant compound found in red grapes and other plants—called resveratrol—blocks many of the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, according to research published in The Journal of Physiology.
To savor the flavor, perform a short ritual first
Birthday celebrations often follow a formula, including off-key singing, making a birthday wish while blowing out candles, and the ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake. New research suggests that this ritual not only makes the experience more memorable, but might also improve the taste of the cake.
Program may hold promise for reducing avoidable hospital readmissions
Recent federal legislation imposes financial penalties on hospitals that experience excessive patient readmissions within 30 days. A new study published today in the Journal of Hospital Medicine looks at the potential of a program designed to improve the discharge process and prevent avoidable rehospitalizations.
Cold caps tested to prevent hair loss during chemo
(AP)—The first time Miriam Lipton had breast cancer, her thick hair fell out two weeks after starting chemotherapy. The second time breast cancer struck, Lipton gave her scalp a deep chill and kept much of her hair—making her fight for survival seem a bit easier.
'Alarming' rise in children injured by falling TVs
(AP)—Falling televisions sent nearly 200,000 U.S. children to the emergency room over 20 years, and the injury rate has climbed substantially for these sometimes deadly accidents, a study found.
Hormones may usher abused girls into early adulthood
During the sort of tense situation that makes palms sweat and voices quaver, children and young adults are typically awash in cortisol, a stress hormone that sounds an alarm and prepares the body for fight-or-flight responses to danger.
Skipping breakfast may be healthy way to shed weight
If you skip breakfast, don't worry about overeating at lunch or the rest of the day, report Cornell nutritional scientists July 2 in the journal Physiology and Behavior. In fact, nixing breakfast a few times a week may be a reasonable strategy to shed pounds, they say.
Best to be straightforward with parents of overweight and obese kids
University of Otago research into how best to engage parents of overweight and obese children has found motivational interviewing (MI) offers no real advantages over usual care—that of simply giving feedback in a straightforward and non-judgemental way.
Eight in 10 now survive skin cancer
(Medical Xpress)—More than eight out of 10 people diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, will now survive the disease, compared to only around five in 10 in the early 70s, according to a new report from Cancer Research UK.
New nano coating could preserve vaccines and save millions of lives
(Medical Xpress)—The delivery and storage of vaccines poses a big challenge for public health officials in remote locations and the developing world. Most vaccines are stable below or around room-temperature, but they degrade over time if not refrigerated.
Screening Aussie toddlers' diets
A Flinders University researcher has developed a new risk assessment tool to identify Australian toddlers with poor diets.
Study lays groundwork for norovirus anti-viral treatments
An animal model of the human norovirus created at the University of Michigan Health System lays the groundwork for understanding the biology of the pesky virus and developing antiviral drug treatment.
Anti-antibiotics
Antimicrobial peptides are natural antibiotics found in all multicellular organisms. These molecules are viewed as potential drug candidates in the post-antibiotic era because widespread microbial resistance against them has yet to emerge.
Study highlights female cancer patients unhappy with insufficient fertility support
Young female cancer patients are unhappy about the way fertility preservation options are discussed with them by doctors before starting cancer treatment, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Sheffield and The Children's Hospital, Sheffield.
World's first IVF baby born after preimplantation genome sequencing is now 11 months old
The largest genomic institute of the world, BGI Shenzhen, China (hereinafter BGI), together with Reproductive & Genetic Hospital CITIC-XIANGYA (hereinafter CITIC-XIANGYA) announced today that they have successfully applied Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to detect in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos with genetic abnormalities. The successful application of preimplantation sequencing (the most advanced form of preimplantation genetic screening, PGS) opens a new chapter in the field of human assisted reproduction, providing new hopes for IVF couples.
Plain packaging reduces allure of cigarettes: study
Scientists on Monday said they had evidence that plain packaging for cigarettes diminishes the appeal of smoking, as anti-tobacco campaigners suggest.
Burundi's longest cholera epidemic kills at least 17
A cholera epidemic in Burundi, the longest in the small central African country's history, has killed at least 17 people in 10 months, a top health official told AFP Monday.
Could turning on a gene prevent diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 % of cases of diabetes around the world, afflicting 2.5 million Canadians and costing over 15 billion dollars a year in Canada. It is a severe health condition which makes body cells incapable of taking up and using sugar. Dr. Alexey Pshezhetsky of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, affiliated with the University of Montreal, has discovered that the resistance to insulin seen in type 2 diabetics is caused partly by the lack of a protein that has not previously been associated with diabetes. This breakthrough could potentially help to prevent diabetes.
When cells are consumed by wanderlust
(Medical Xpress)—In experiments on zebrafish, Freiburg researchers have demonstrated that the same proteins that lead to the formation of metastases in humans also cause the cells to migrate during embryonic development. The study was conducted by a team headed by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Driever and Prof. Dr. Thomas Brabletz and including researchers from the Department of Developmental Biology, the Department of Visceral Surgery at the University Medical Center, and the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies. The scientists hope their findings on cell migration in zebrafish will open up new perspectives for research on proteins that control metastasis and thus the malignancy of cancer.
Socioeconomic disparities linked to use of eye care
(HealthDay)—People with age-related eye disease such as cataracts or glaucoma are less likely to see an eye care provider if they are in a low socioeconomic position, according to research published online July 18 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Chemoprophylaxis found to be safe after spine trauma surgery
(HealthDay)—Thromboembolic chemoprophylaxis seems to be safe and efficacious in at-risk trauma patients having spinal stabilization surgery, according to a retrospective review published in the July 15 issue of Spine.
Lifestyle factors linked to less aggressive prostate cancer
(HealthDay)—Adherence to lifestyle recommendations intended to reduce the risk of cancer generally is associated with a lower risk of highly aggressive prostate cancer in men newly diagnosed with the disease, according to a study published online July 16 in Nutrition and Cancer.
Homemade blowgun darts pose choking dangers for teens
(HealthDay)—It seems kids will never stop coming up with creative ways to injure themselves, if the cases of three teen boys and their homemade blowguns are any indication.
New hope for hormone resistant breast cancer
A new finding provides fresh hope for the millions of women worldwide with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Australian scientists have shown that a specific change, which occurs when tumours become resistant to anti-oestrogen therapy, might make the cancers susceptible to treatment with chemotherapy drugs.
82 percent of adults support banning smoking when kids are in the car
A new poll shows 82 percent of adults support banning smoking in cars when children under 13 are riding in the vehicle.
Surprise finding shows oxytocin strengthens bad memories and can increase fear and anxiety
It turns out the love hormone oxytocin is two-faced. Oxytocin has long been known as the warm, fuzzy hormone that promotes feelings of love, social bonding and well-being. It's even being tested as an anti-anxiety drug. But new Northwestern Medicine research shows oxytocin also can cause emotional pain, an entirely new, darker identity for the hormone.
Teen eating disorders increase suicide risk
Is binge eating a tell-tale sign of suicidal thoughts? According to a new study of African American girls, by Dr. Rashelle Musci and colleagues from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in the US, those who experience depressive and anxious symptoms are often dissatisfied with their bodies and more likely to display binge eating behaviors. These behaviors put them at higher risk for turning their emotions inward, in other words, displaying internalizing symptoms such as suicide. The study is published online in Springer's journal, Prevention Science.
Protein complex linked to cancer growth may also help fight tumors, researchers say
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital in China have discovered a gene expression signature that may lead to new immune therapies for lung cancer patients. They found that NF-κB, a protein complex known to promote tumor growth, may also have the ability to boost the immune system to eliminate cancerous cells before they harm, as well as promote antitumor responses.
New protocol developed to decontaminate human fetal tissues used for cell transplantation
The use of central nervous system fetal tissues derived from routine elective abortions to provide stem cells for transplantation procedures aimed at restoring damage done by neurodegenerative diseases is an established therapy. However, fetal tissue microbial contaminants have been known to cause brain infections in cell transplantation recipients. Now, a research team from Germany has developed a "washing" technique that decontaminates the fetal tissues from which stem cells are derived.
Melatonin pre-treatment is a factor that impacts stem cell survival after transplantation
When melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, was used as a pre-treatment for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) prior to their transplantation into the brains of laboratory animals to repair damage from stroke, researchers in China found that the stem cells survived longer after transplantation. Previous studies had shown that 80 percent of transplanted MSCs died within 72 hours of transplantation. By contrast, the melatonin pre-treatment "greatly increased" cell survival, said the researchers.
Hospice workers struggle on front lines of physician-assisted death laws
Laws that allow physician-assisted death in the Pacific Northwest have provisions to protect the rights of patients, doctors and even the state, but don't consider the professionals most often on the front lines of this divisive issue – hospice workers who provide end-of-life care.
How to manage concussions (w/ Video)
Concussions, the most common traumatic brain injury, can have serious long-term health effects; therefore, diagnosis and management of these injuries are important. A primer published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides physicians with current approaches to diagnosing and managing concussions in patients.
Integrative medicine interventions found to significantly reduce pain, improve quality of life
An integrative approach to treating chronic pain significantly reduces pain severity while improving mood and quality of life, according to a new study from the Bravewell Practice-Based Research Network (BraveNet) published last month in BioMed Central Complementary and Alternative Medicine journal. Researchers found a reduction in pain severity of more than 20 percent and a drop in pain interference of nearly 30 percent in patients after 24 weeks of integrative care. Significant improvements in mood, stress, quality of life, fatigue, sleep and well-being were also observed.
Breastfed children are less likely to develop ADHD later in life, research finds
We know that breastfeeding has a positive impact on child development and health —including protection against illness. Now researchers from Tel Aviv University have shown that breastfeeding could also help protect against Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescents.
Study finds depletion of alveolar macrophages linked to bacterial super-infections
A recent study published in the July issue of the Journal of Immunology helps explain why some humans contract bacterial super-infections like pneumonia with influenza. The research was led by Le Bonheur Pediatrician-in-Chief Jon McCullers, MD – an infectious disease specialist who is also chair of the Department of Pediatrics for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and adjunct faculty at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
30 million girls risk genital mutilation: UNICEF
More than 125 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation, and 30 million more girls are at risk in the next decade, UNICEF said Monday.
Vaccinating boys plays key role in HPV prevention
Improving vaccination rates against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in boys is key to protecting both men and women, says new research from University of Toronto Professor Peter A. Newman from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
Studies suggest new key to 'switching off' hypertension
A team of University of California, San Diego researchers has designed new compounds that mimic those naturally used by the body to regulate blood pressure. The most promising of them may literally be the key to controlling hypertension, switching off the signaling pathways that lead to the deadly condition.
Vascular complications of fungal meningitis after contaminated spinal injections
A case series by researchers at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., examined three patients with ischemic stroke who later received a diagnosis of fungal meningitis attributed to epidural injections of contaminated methylprednisolone for low back pain.
Novel 'top-down' mechanism repatterns developing brain regions
Dennis O'Leary of the Salk Institute was the first scientist to show that the basic functional architecture of the cortex, the largest part of the human brain, was genetically determined during development. But as it so often does in science, answering one question opened up many others. O'Leary wondered what if the layout of the cortex wasn't fixed? What would happen if it were changed?
New research shows weight a factor in graduate school admissions
Want to go to graduate school? Your weight could determine whether or not you receive an offer of admission.
Scientists prove ticks harbor Heartland virus, a recently discovered disease in the United States
Scientists have for the first time traced a novel virus that infected two men from northwestern Missouri in 2009 to populations of ticks in the region, providing confirmation that lone star ticks are carrying the recently discovered virus and humans in the area are likely at risk of infection. The findings were published online today in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
2 kids in Ontario allegedly poisoned at daycare
(AP)—Canadian police have arrested a home daycare operator for allegedly poisoning two young children.
For a healthy brain, don't let the trash pile up
Recycling is not only good for the environment, it's good for the brain. A study using rat cells indicates that quickly clearing out defective proteins in the brain may prevent loss of brain cells.
Failure to destroy toxic protein—not buildup of protein itself—contributes to Huntington's disease
Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's. Names forever linked to what they represent: diseases that ravage the brain's neurons and leave entire regions to wither and die. These and other so-called neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the buildup of toxic proteins that lead to the death of neurons. But now, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered that the progression of disease is not due to the buildup of toxins itself, but rather in the individual neurons' ability to flush these toxins out. Further, they have identified a therapeutic target that could boost this ability, thereby protecting the brain from the diseases' deadly effects.
MS research could help repair damage affecting nerves
Multiple sclerosis treatments that repair damage to the brain could be developed thanks to new research.
A first in front line immunity research
Monash University researchers have gained new insight into the early stages of our immune response, providing novel pathways to develop treatments for diseases from multiple sclerosis to cancer.
A flip of the mitotic spindle has disastrous consequences for epithelial cells
Constructing a body is like building a house—if you compromise structural integrity, the edifice can collapse. Nowhere is that clearer on a cellular level than in the case of epithelial sheets, single layers of cells that line every body cavity from the gut to mammary glands. As long as epithelial cells pack tightly and adhere to their neighbors, the cellular business of building tissue barriers and constructing ducts goes smoothly. But if epithelial cells fail to hold together, they die, or worse, produce jumbled masses resembling tumors known collectively as carcinomas.
Common stem cell in heart and lung development explains adaption for life on land
The evolution of adaptations for life on land have long puzzled biologists – are feathers descendents of dinosaur scales, how did arms and legs evolve from fins, and from what ancient fish organ did the lung evolve?
A bad alliance: Rare immune cells promote food-induced allergic inflammation in the esophagus
Food is an integral part of life; but, for some, it can be harmful. Allergic inflammation caused by inappropriate immune responses to some types of food has become a major public health issue. Over the past ten years, the prevalence of food allergies has increased by nearly 20 percent, affecting an estimated six million people in the U.S.
Stem cell advance boosts prospects for retina treatment
Blind mice have been able to see once more in a laboratory exploit that marks a further boost for the fast-moving field of retinal therapy, according to a study published on Sunday.
Proteomics can improve breast cancer treatment
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a protein that could help physicians decide what type of therapy patients with hormone driven breast cancer should go through. In a study, published in Nature Communications, they show that high levels of a protein called retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) in breast tumors can be linked to an insufficient response to the cancer drug tamoxifen. The findings are based on a novel proteomics technique, developed at the Science for Life Laboratory.
Mixing drugs and alcohol for better asthma inhalers
(Medical Xpress)—Asthma inhalers could soon become much more effective, thanks to a clever new way of making the particles they deliver invented by a Melbourne chemical engineer and his team.
Coherence activity in neuronal cultures from noise focusing
A research led by researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB) and published on Nature Physics enables to establish a basic mechanism of collective of self-organization of cultured neuronal networks. Authors have been able to determine the physical origin of neurons' collective dynamics, which takes place spontaneously.
Learning a language depends on good connection between regions of the left hemisphere of the brain
Language is a uniquely human ability. The average person's vocabulary consists of about thirty thousand words, although there are individual differences in the ability to learn a new language. It has long been believed that language acquisition depends on the integration of the information between motor and auditory representation of words in the brain, but the neural mechanisms that lie behind learning new words remained unclear.
Chips that mimic the brain
No computer works as efficiently as the human brain – so much so that building an artificial brain is the goal of many scientists. Neuroinformatics researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have now made a breakthrough in this direction by understanding how to configure so-called neuromorphic chips to imitate the brain's information processing abilities in real-time. They demonstrated this by building an artificial sensory processing system that exhibits cognitive abilities.
Gallo Center scientists identify key brain circuits that control compulsive drinking in rats
A research team led by scientists from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco has identified circuitry in the brain that drives compulsive drinking in rats, and likely plays a similar role in humans.
Evolution picks up hitchhikers
In a twist on "survival of the fittest," researchers have discovered that evolution is driven not by a single beneficial mutation but rather by a group of mutations, including ones called "genetic hitchhikers" that are simply along for the ride. These hitchhikers are mutations that do not appear to have a role in contributing to an organism's fitness and therefore its evolution, yet may play an important role down the road.
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