From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 2:08 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Wednesday, Aug 21
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Tuning an orchestra with the help of multiphysics simulation -- see how engineers are creating the perfect sound in COMSOL's latest blog post: http://goo.gl/0pbbzh
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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 21, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Bacteria make us feel pain... and suppress our immune response- Your mother's genes can impact your own aging process, study finds
- A brighter method to determine surface gravity of distant stars
- Triple point: Physicists pinpoint key property of material that both conducts and insulates
- The walls have ears: Princeton researchers develop walls that can listen, and talk
- NSA collected thousands of US communications (Update)
- The bitter and the sweet: Fruit flies reveal a new interaction between the two
- Mood is influenced by immune cells called to the brain in response to stress
- Two studies identify potential new drug for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- How women achieve a healthier weight may impact long-term health of offspring
- Experimental Ebola treatment protects some primates even after disease symptoms appear
- Researchers reveal hunter-gatherers' taste for spice
- Acid, not bubbles, responsible for distinctive 'bite' of carbonated beverages, researchers reveal
- Team finds new way to use X-rays to probe properties of solid materials
- Researchers decode the hamster genome
Space & Earth news
Next generation of explorers takes the stage
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday formally welcomed the eight newest candidates to the astronaut corps and unveiled a space exploration roadmap that makes clear the global community is working together on a unified deep space exploration strategic plan, with robotic and human missions to destinations that include near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars.
Peering through the global carbon cycle
The oceans are one of the sink absorbing carbon dioxide derived from human activity. Yet fully quantifying the ocean's carbon uptake under a changing climate remains challenging.
Greenpeace says Russia denies it Arctic access
Greenpeace said Wednesday that Russia had denied its ship access to Russian Arctic waters to hide the extent of its lucrative energy exploration work in the fragile ecosystem.
NASA image: Fires in Idaho and Montana
Fires that started in July continue on in late August in Idaho and Montana. Actively burning areas, detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer's (MODIS) thermal bands, are outlined in red.
NASA sees Typhoon Trami passing Taiwan for China landfall
NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Typhoon Trami's center just north of Taiwan as it headed for landfall in eastern China.
NASA image: Tropical Storm Pewa passing Wake Island
Satellite imagery showed that Tropical Storm Pewa has passed Wake Island on Aug. 21. GOES-West satellite imagery showed Pewa moving farther into the northwestern Pacific.
Rising deforestation sparks concern in Brazil Amazon
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is on the rise sharply, sparking alarm over the future of the world's biggest rainforest.
Brazil Amazon town takes a stand against deforestation
When farmer Luiz Martins Neto first moved to Sao Felix do Xingu a quarter of a century ago, the area had virgin forest, gold and a reservation for the local indigenous people.
Catalogs of distant, faint sources dark fields [rejected]
Over the past decade, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and other modern, giant telescopes have opened a new era in observational cosmology. By staring for long times at so-called "dark fields"—regions of the sky without much background emission from the solar system or the galaxy—astronomers have been able to detect very faint galaxies in the early universe, and to study their evolution from early stages to the present. More recently, deep multi-wavelength imaging surveys have been undertaken, and have revealed a complex interplay between galaxy mergers, star formation, and black holes over cosmic time, leading to new insights into the physical processes that drive galaxy formation and evolution.
Daily life shapes sustainable transportation
Imagine your life recreated in data, every car trip, bus ride, grocery store stop and burrito run—including when, why, and with whom you went—represented by blips on a computer.
Federal agencies remapping coastal areas damaged by Hurricane Sandy
A day after the administration released the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force progress report, three federal agencies have announced plans for remapping parts of the East Coast, where Hurricane Sandy altered seafloors and shorelines, destroyed buildings, and disrupted millions of lives last year.
Explainer: Light-years and units for the stars
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy pretty much nailed space with those five words. And space is so really big that our earthly measures of distance struggle.
Home cooking, traffic are sources of key air pollutants from China
Almost 80 percent of air pollution involving soot that spreads from China over large areas of East Asia—impacting human health and fostering global warming—comes from city traffic and other forms of fossil-fuel combustion, such as home cooking with coal briquettes. That's the conclusion of a study in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology, which resolves long-standing questions about sources of air pollution responsible for Asia's infamous atmospheric brown clouds.
Study finds loss of sea ice causes ecological changes
A new paper co-written by UM associate professor Mark Hebblewhite details ecological changes caused by a loss of Arctic sea ice.
Viewing Fukushima in the cold light of Chernobyl
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster spread significant radioactive contamination over more than 3500 square miles of the Japanese mainland in the spring of 2011. Now several recently published studies of Chernobyl, directed by Timothy Mousseau of the University of South Carolina and Anders Møller of the Université Paris-Sud, are bringing a new focus on just how extensive the long-term effects on Japanese wildlife might be.
New gamma-ray observatory begins operations at Sierra Negra volcano
The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma Ray Observatory has begun formal operations at its site in Mexico. HAWC is designed to study the origin of very high-energy cosmic rays and observe the most energetic objects in the known universe. This extraordinary observatory, using a unique detection technique that differs from the classical astronomical design of mirrors, lenses, and antennae, is a significant boost to international scientific and technical knowledge.
Five US institutions to share meteorite pieces
Five U.S. academic institutions will share parts of a rare meteorite that exploded in a fireball over California last year.
Cassini releases image of Earth waving at Saturn
(Phys.org) —People around the world shared more than 1,400 images of themselves as part of the Wave at Saturn event organized by NASA's Cassini mission on July 19—the day the Cassini spacecraft turned back toward Earth to take our picture. The mission has assembled a collage from those images.
Space station-inspired mWater app identifies healthy water sources
What if that clear, sparkling stream coming from the ground or a faucet were teeming with contaminants? How would you know? Whether you live in some remote region of Africa, a high rise in New York City or aboard an orbiting laboratory in space, you need reliable drinking water to survive. You now can check for yourself the cleanliness of your water using the mWater app on your mobile phone.
After a fire, before a flood: NASA's Landsat directs restoration to at-risk areas
While the 138,000-acre Silver Fire still smoldered, forest restoration specialists were on the job. They analyzed maps created using Landsat satellite data to determine where the burn destroyed vegetation and exposed soil – and where to focus emergency restoration efforts.
Fermi telescope celebrates five years in space, enters extended mission
(Phys.org) —During its five-year primary mission, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has given astronomers an increasingly detailed portrait of the universe's most extraordinary phenomena, from giant black holes in the hearts of distant galaxies to thunderstorms on Earth.
NASA sees another Earth-directed CME
On August 21, 2013 at 1:24 am EDT, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection, or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space and reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.
Human activity is 'almost certainly' driving climate change, IPCC leaked report says
Human activity is almost certainly the cause of climate change and global sea levels could rise by several feet by the end of the century, according to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report leaked to media.
A new approach to making climate treaties work
(Phys.org) —Why can't global leaders agree on a broad, effective climate change pact? More than 20 years after they began, international negotiations based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have resulted in only one legally binding treaty. That agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, has not been ratified by the United States, historically the world's largest carbon emitter.
Warming Antarctic seas likely to impact on krill habitats
Antarctic krill are usually less than 6 cm in length but their size belies the major role they play in sustaining much of the life in the Southern Ocean. They are the primary food source for many species of whales, seals, penguins and fish.
Astronomers take sharpest photos ever of the night sky (Update)
Astronomers at the University of Arizona, the Arcetri Observatory near Florence, Italy and the Carnegie Observatory have developed a new type of camera that allows scientists to take sharper images of the night sky than ever before.
Rising mountains, cooling oceans prompted spread of invasive species 450 million years ago
New Ohio University research suggests that the rise of an early phase of the Appalachian Mountains and cooling oceans allowed invasive species to upset the North American ecosystem 450 million years ago.
A brighter method to determine surface gravity of distant stars
Astronomers have found a clever new way to slice and dice the flickering light from a distant star in a way that reveals the strength of gravity at its surface.
Medicine & Health news
New survey of young adults: 7.8 million gained new or better coverage through Affordable Care Act
An estimated 7.8 million of the 15 million young adults who were enrolled in a parent's health plan last year likely would not have been eligible for this coverage without the health reform law's dependent coverage provision, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey. However, the survey also found that only 27 percent of young adults were aware of the state health insurance marketplaces that are launching October 1. Moreover, millions of low-income young adults are at risk of remaining uninsured if the states they live in choose not to expand Medicaid.
Tobacco brands slip into Myanmar without fanfare
As some of the world's biggest companies trumpet their arrival in Asia's hottest frontier market, the tobacco industry has a different strategy: It's slipping into Myanmar without fanfare.
New cancer screening technology on its way to commercialization
A colon cancer screening test developed at the University of Alberta is on its way to commercialization and potential worldwide use, through a new collaboration with a leading Chinese research institute and a U of A spinoff company.
New health economics study highlights societal benefits of knee replacement surgery
The full impact of knee replacement surgery on both patients' lives and on society includes significant overall cost savings, according to a new study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). Researchers found that for the average patient undergoing knee replacement surgery, the expense of surgery is offset by indirect savings of nearly $40,000. This translates to an average lifetime societal benefit of $10,000-$30,000. Most of the societal savings come from the patient's ability to maintain employment and increase earnings over a longer time in the workforce. The study also found benefits from fewer missed worked days and lower disability payments.
Rare polio virus spreads to Israel's north
Israel's president is urging the country's children to get polio boosters after a rare appearance of the virus spread to the north of the country.
Social workers neglect mothering issues with women in prostitution
When's the last time you heard prostitution and mothering mentioned in the same sentence?
Drug swap drives down costs
Therapeutic drug substitutions have the potential to double or even triple annual cost savings compared with savings achieved with generic substitutions, according to O. Kenrik Duru and colleagues from the University of California, Los Angeles. Therapeutic drug substitutions involve the use of less expensive substitutes that are not equivalent but have a similar treatment effect as the original medication. Their work estimates the magnitude of potential savings with drug substitution in Medicare Part D plans in the US. The study appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.
US issues advisory for Cuba over cholera cases
The United States has issued an advisory for travelers to Cuba after several foreign visitors were sickened by cholera in recent weeks.
Trial aims to advance prenatal diagnosis of genetic defects
Reproductive genetics researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) are leading a multicenter prospective clinical study investigating the effects of chromosomal abnormalities (duplicative or missing material) found prenatally through microarray analysis. The goal of the study is to gain further information on genetic variances previously not well reported in the medical literature and share it with parents during pregnancy.
Women who receive midwife care throughout their pregnancy and birth have better outcomes
Maternity care that involves a midwife as the main care provider leads to better outcomes for most women, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. Researchers found that women who received continued care throughout pregnancy and birth from a small group of midwives were less likely to give birth pre-term and required fewer interventions during labour and birth than when their care was shared between different obstetricians, GPs and midwives.
Growing share of HIV/AIDS burden shifts to changing group of regions
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is changing in unexpected ways in countries around the world, showing that greater attention and financial investment may be needed in places where the disease has not reached epidemic levels, according to a new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
For disappointed sports fans, defeats increase consumption of fat and sugar
On the Monday following a big football game, fans of the losing team seem to load up on saturated fats and sugars, whereas supporters of the winning team opt for healthier foods, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Enzyme 'Lyn' linked to anaemia
New research by a team including experts from the UWA-affiliated Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) has proved a link between an enzyme known as "Lyn" and the blood disorder anaemia.
Gastric bypass surgery changes the brain's response to food
(Medical Xpress)—The weight loss seen in patients after gastric bypass surgery for obesity may be helped by changes in the way the brain itself responds to food, reducing not only hunger but also the drive to eat for pleasure, according to a new study from the Medical Research Council (MRC). The research, published in the journal Gut, helps to explain why gastric bypass patients lose more weight over the long term than those who undergo a gastric band operation.
Daydreamers are also distracted by the world around them, new study finds
Look! A seagull. I once dropped an ice-cream in Eastbourne. Now, where was I? Oh yes…
Skin cancer death rates 70 percent higher in men
(Medical Xpress)—According to research conducted by Cancer Research UK and the University of Leeds, 3.4 men per 100,000 die from malignant melanoma each year in the UK, compared with 2.0 women. But incidence rates are similar with 17.2 men per 100,000 diagnosed compared with 17.3 women.
A vision exam for mice
How can one use simple means to investigate the visual abilities of animals? This question is being pursued by the research group of Dr. Thomas Münch at the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Tübingen. Dr. Münch is, among other things, interested in the restoration of lost visual function. Mice can suffer from similar diseases of blindness as humans, so that new therapeutic approaches can be developed by doing research on mice.
Impaired autophagy associated with age-related macular degeneration
A new study published in the prestigious PLoS One journal changes our understanding of the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers found that degenerative changes and loss of vision are caused by impaired function of the lysosomal clean-up mechanism, or autophagy, in the fundus of the eye. The results open new avenues for the treatment of the dry form of AMD, which currently lacks an efficient treatment. The University of Eastern Finland played a leading role in the study, which also involved research groups from Italy, Germany and Hungary.
New strategy tests for lethal stage of TB in Asia
More than 20,000 people in Pakistan are being tested for the potentially deadly stage of tuberculosis using a new strategy developed at UC Davis Health System to effectively detect the disease in children for the first time.
Fertility and weight relationship investigated
A peptide that controls appetite and metabolism is at the centre of research which aims to give insight into how peptides affect fertility.
Bedwetting treatments offer help
Bedwetting affects up to 20 percent of five year olds—the age when most children have learned bladder control—and can result in an array of stressful and embarrassing social, emotional and psychological problems.
New intervention reduces risky sex among bisexual African-American men
A culturally tailored HIV prevention program developed and tested by investigators at UCLA and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science has been shown to significantly reduce unprotected sex among bisexual black men.
Playing video games can boost brain power, another study says
Certain types of video games can help to train the brain to become more agile and improve strategic thinking, according to scientists from Queen Mary University of London and University College London (UCL).
Implications, solutions for US health disparities discussed
(HealthDay)—Research on health disparities in the United States, the policy implications of these disparities, and suggestions for improvement of disparities are discussed in "Health Policy Brief: Health Gaps," published Aug. 15 in Health Affairs.
Poor oral health linked to cancer-causing oral HPV infection
Poor oral health, including gum disease and dental problems, was found to be associated with oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which causes about 40 percent to 80 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Use of tPA for ischemic stroke nearly doubled from 2003 to 2011
Use of the "clot-busting" drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat patients with strokes caused by a blockage of blood flow nearly doubled between 2003 and 2011. In their paper receiving online release in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a team of researchers reports both an overall increase in the use of tPA to dissolve clots blocking arteries supplying the brain and administration of the potentially life-saving drug to a more diverse group of patients.
Psychotherapy lags as evidence goes unheeded
Psychotherapy has issues. Evidence shows that some psychosocial treatments work well for common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression and that consumers often prefer them to medication. Yet the use of psychotherapy is on a clear decline in the United States. In a set of research review papers in the November issue of the journal Clinical Psychology Review, psychologists put psychotherapy on the proverbial couch to examine why it's foundering.
Disease caused by repeat brain trauma in athletes may affect memory, mood, behavior
New research suggests that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease associated with repeat brain trauma including concussions in athletes, may affect people in two major ways: initially affecting behavior or mood or initially affecting memory and thinking abilities. The study appears in the August 21, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. CTE has been found in amateur and professional athletes, members of the military and others who experienced repeated head injuries, including concussions and subconcussive trauma.
Pazopanib shows better quality-of-life in advanced kidney cancer
Two oral targeted drugs approved for metastatic kidney cancer worked equally well, but one proved superior in tolerability, according to results of a large international clinical trial led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Insecticide-treated bed nets critical to global elimination of filariasis
An international team of scientists have demonstrated that a simple, low-cost intervention holds the potential to eradicate a debilitating tropical disease that threatens nearly 1.4 billion people in more than six dozen countries.
Virus changes its stripes: Outbreak in Panama brought Latin America's first human cases of eastern equine encephalitis
In the summer of 2010, the eastern Panamanian province of Darien experienced a phenomenon that had never been seen before in Latin America: a human outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis.
Elevated levels of copper in amyloid plaques associated with neurodegeneration in mouse models of AD
Metals such as iron, copper, and zinc are important for many biological processes. In recent years, studies have shown that these nutritionally-essential metals are elevated in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and some animal models of AD. Scientists are now exploring whether these metals are causing the neurodegeneration seen in AD or are indicative of other ongoing pathologic processes.
Vigorous physical activity linked to lower incidence of obesity in young African-American women
The prevalence of obesity has increased markedly in the U.S. in recent years. According to a new study by researchers from Boston University Slone Epidemiology Center's Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), the risk of becoming obese among young African-American women decreased with increasing levels of vigorous activity. The investigators focused on younger women because most weight gain occurs before middle age.
How personality affects fertility
Men with neurotic personality traits are having fewer children compared to previous generations, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Personality. The study examined the effect of personality on how likely a person is to have children, using extensive survey and birth registry data from Norway. It also found that men who are extraverted and open tend to have more children, while women who rank as conscientious on personality tests tend to have fewer children, although these findings were constant across generations.
New research suggests cutting calories may improve response to cancer treatment
New research suggests that restricting calories for a defined period of time may improve the success of cancer treatment, offering valuable new data on how caloric intake may play a role in programmed cancer cell death and efficacy of targeted cancer therapies. Study results were published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
Researchers discover new way to improve internal clock function
Overnight flights across the Atlantic, graveyard shifts, stress-induced insomnia are all prime culprits in keeping us from getting a good night's sleep. Thanks to new research from McGill University and Concordia University, however, these common sleep disturbances may one day be put to bed.
'Virtual heart' precision-guides defibrillator placement in children with heart disease
The small size and abnormal anatomy of children born with heart defects often force doctors to place lifesaving defibrillators entirely outside the heart, rather than partly inside—a less-than-ideal solution to dangerous heart rhythms that involves a degree of guesstimating and can compromise therapy.
What is your heart attack risk?
Researchers in India have carried out a data mining exercise to determine which are the most important risk factors in increasing the chances of an individual suffering a heart attack. Writing in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, they confirm that the usual suspects high blood cholesterol, intake of alcohol and passive smoking play the most crucial role in "severe", "moderate" and "mild" cardiac risks, respectively.
Tuberculosis genomes portray secrets of pathogen's success
By any measure, tuberculosis (TB) is a wildly successful pathogen. It infects as many as two billion people in every corner of the world, with a new infection of a human host estimated to occur every second.
Decision support system improves ADHD diagnosis
(HealthDay)—Use of a clinical decision support module results in higher quality of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in Pediatrics.
Ideal BP for kidney disease patients may be 130-159/70-89
(HealthDay)—In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), optimal blood pressure (BP) seems to be 130 to 159/70 to 89 mm Hg, according to a study published in the Aug. 20 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ultrawide field retinal imaging improves telehealth evaluation
(HealthDay)—Implementation of non-mydriatic ultrawide field retinal imaging (UWFI) in a telemedicine program significantly reduces the ungradable rate in evaluation of patients for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME), compared to the use of non-mydriatic fundus photography (NMFP), according to a study published online Aug. 12 in Diabetes Care.
Antipsychotic drug use in children for mood, behavior disorders increases type 2 diabetes risk
Prescribing of "atypical" antipsychotic medications to children and young adults with behavioral problems or mood disorders may put them at unnecessary risk for type 2 diabetes, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study shows.
Researchers agree that Alzheimer's test results could be released to research participants
A leading group of Alzheimer's researchers contends that, as biomarkers to detect signals of the disease improve at providing clinically meaningful information, researchers will need guidance on how to constructively disclose test results and track how disclosure impacts both patients and the data collected in research studies. A survey conducted by a group including experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that a majority of Alzheimer's researchers supported disclosure of results to study participants. The study is published online in Neurology.
Stronger nicotine dependence correlates with higher post-smoking weight gain
Smokers with more severe nicotine dependence are more likely to gain weight when they try to quit, according to research published August 21 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Koji Hasegawa and colleagues from Kyoto Medical Center, Japan.
Flu jab may halve heart attack risk in middle aged with narrowed arteries
The flu jab seems to almost halve the risk of heart attacks in middle aged people with narrowed arteries, finds research published in the journal Heart.
Alcohol abuse, eating disorders share genetic link
Part of the risk for alcohol dependence is genetic, and the same is true for eating disorders. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found it's likely some of the same genes are involved in both.
Schizophrenia symptoms linked to faulty 'switch' in brain
Scientists at The University of Nottingham have shown that psychotic symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia could be caused by a faulty 'switch' within the brain.
How women achieve a healthier weight may impact long-term health of offspring
New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) suggests that the healthy weight and glucose control women achieve through weight-loss surgery don't necessarily translate into health benefits for their future children.
Experimental Ebola treatment protects some primates even after disease symptoms appear
Scientists have successfully treated the deadly Ebola virus in infected animals following onset of disease symptoms, according to a report published online today in Science Translational Medicine. The results show promise for developing therapies against the virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever with human case fatality rates as high as 90 percent.
Two studies identify potential new drug for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
Vedolizumab, a new intravenous antibody medication, has shown positive results for treating both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine. The findings, published in two papers, will appear in the August 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Mood is influenced by immune cells called to the brain in response to stress
New research shows that in a dynamic mind-body interaction during the interpretation of prolonged stress, cells from the immune system are recruited to the brain and promote symptoms of anxiety.
The bitter and the sweet: Fruit flies reveal a new interaction between the two
Fruit flies have a lot to teach us about the complexity of food. Like these tiny little creatures, most animals are attracted to sugar but are deterred from eating it when bitter compounds are added.
Scientists find another flu virus in Chinese chickens
Scientists studying the H7N9 bird flu virus that has killed more than 40 people since March said Wednesday they had discovered another H7-type virus lurking in chickens in China.
MERS virus discovered in bat near site of outbreak in Saudi Arabia
A 100% genetic match for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been discovered in an insect-eating bat in close proximity to the first known case of the disease in Saudi Arabia. The discovery points to the likely animal origin for the disease, although researchers say that an intermediary animal is likely also involved.
Brain circuit can tune anxiety
Anxiety disorders, which include posttraumatic stress disorder, social phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder, affect 40 million American adults in a given year. Currently available treatments, such as antianxiety drugs, are not always effective and have unwanted side effects.
Study finds that microbes influence B-cell development in the gut
Gut bacteria exert a dramatic, systemic effect on the development of the immune system's B-lymphocytes, according to a new mouse study by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital. While influences of gut bacteria on T-lymphocytes have been noted before, this is the first time that researchers have documented early B-cell development in the gut and that microbes influence this process.
Your mother's genes can impact your own aging process, study finds
As we age, our cells change and become damaged. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging have shown that aging is determined not only by the accumulation of changes during our lifetime but also by the genes we acquire from our mothers. The results of the study are published in the journal Nature.
Bacteria make us feel pain... and suppress our immune response
The pain of invasive skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and possibly other serious, painful infections, appear to be induced by the invading bacteria themselves, and not by the body's immune response as previously thought, report scientists at Boston Children's Hospital. What's more, their research demonstrates that once the pain neurons "sense" the bacteria, they suppress the immune system, potentially helping the bacteria become more virulent.
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