From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 1:59 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 26
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 26, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Proton radius puzzle may be solved by quantum gravity- Speed-of-light 'nano-camera' produces 3D translucent objects
- Mapping the entire brain with new and improved Brainbow II technology
- Atlas teams head for DARPA Robotics Challenge
- Blood stem cell longevity explained
- Researchers looking to use nanographene oxide to destroy tumors
- Gift Guide: PS4, Xbox 1 won't disappoint gamers
- Study finds the forgotten ape threatened by human activity and forest loss
- Home computers discover gamma-ray pulsars
- Germ-killing nanosurface opens up new front in hygiene
- Cheap Motorola smartphone available in US early
- NREL test helps make moisture barriers better
- UN advances Internet privacy resolution (Update)
- Sequencing study lifts veil on wine's microbial terroir
- Better combustion through plasma
Space & Earth news
Pacific islander fails in bid to be first climate refugee
A Pacific islander whose homeland is threatened by rising seas failed in an attempt to become the world's first climate change refugee Tuesday, with a New Zealand judge dismissing his case as "novel" but "unconvincing".
Climate change will cause 'serious economic losses' in Pacific
The Pacific region faces serious economic losses due to climate change and it is critical that nations causing the problem step in to help, the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday.
Limestone caves provide measure of Australian groundwater
Australia's limestone caves hold precious clues to Australia's groundwater – the nation's most important savings bank of fresh water, a leading water scientist says.
Video: Earth's wandering magnetic field
Earth's magnetic field is continuously changing.
China expands carbon emissions trading scheme
China's commercial hub Shanghai began carbon emissions trading on Tuesday, as the nation which is the world's biggest carbon emitter expands a pilot scheme.
Mercury meteorite among world's rarest rocks
(Phys.org) —Talk about a precious stone—the largest piece of the only known meteorite from the planet Mercury has found its way to Yale, where it is now on display at the Peabody Museum of Natural History.
VTT introduces deforestation monitoring method for tropical regions
Halting deforestation in tropical regions requires verification of forest conditions. VTT has developed a new satellite image based method for accurate assessment of tropical forest cover. Part of the EU's seventh framework programme, the ReCover project has involved using satellite imaging to map forest cover in sites in Mexico, Guyana, Columbia, Congo and the Fiji Islands over a period of up to 20 years.
NASA satellite tracks Tropical Cyclone Lehar moving toward India
Tropical cyclone Lehar, located in the Bay of Bengal, continues to gain intensity while heading toward the same area of India where a much weaker tropical cyclone Helen recently came ashore. NASA's TRMM satellite passed over Lehar and measured rainfall and cloud heights to give scientists an understanding of how the storm is behaving.
NASA sees Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alessia's remnants trying to reorganize
After making landfall near Darwin on Nov. 24, the remnants of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alessia worked its way over to Australia's Northern Territory where it was seen from NASA's Aqua satellite. Aqua passed over the remnant low and captured infrared data on it that revealed that although the low remains disorganized, some strong thunderstorms were over the northwestern coast of the Northern Territory.
China to send 'jade rabbit' to Moon: state media
China will launch its first ever moon rover early next month, state media said Tuesday, with the vehicle named "Jade Rabbit" in a nod to Chinese folklore.
Private US launch of satellite delayed
The private US company SpaceX Monday postponed the launch of a rocket carrying a telecoms satellite.
Video: 37 thousand science observations from the Herschel space observatory
This animation shows the timeline of over 37 000 scientific observations made by ESA's Herschel space observatory throughout its entire mission, condensed into less than a minute.
Low-cost sensors gather air pollution data
(Phys.org) —Epidemiologists' understanding of the relationship between exposure to airborne pollutants and a range of health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and asthma, has grown increasingly precise in recent years.
Another Mars mission... but what about the rest of the solar system?
Following India's maiden Mars probe launch earlier in the month, last week saw the successful launch of the Martian Atmospheres and Volatiles Evolution mission, or MAVEN for short.
Q&A: Comet ISON
(Phys.org) —Don Yeomans, a senior research scientist at JPL, keeps a watchful eye on near-Earth objects—asteroids, comets and other space rocks. Yeomans heads a group charged by NASA to watch for objects whose orbits bring them close to Earth.
Hurricane season ends with no Atlantic basin storms
(Phys.org) —The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on Saturday, Nov. 30, had the fewest number of hurricanes since 1982, thanks in large part to persistent, unfavorable atmospheric conditions over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and tropical Atlantic Ocean. This year is expected to rank as the sixth-least-active Atlantic hurricane season since 1950, in terms of the collective strength and duration of named storms and hurricanes.
A tale of two comets: MESSENGER captures images of Encke and ISON
On November 18, NASA's Mercury-orbiting MESSENGER spacecraft pointed its Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) at 2P/Encke and captured this image of the comet as it sped within 2.3 million miles (3.7 million kilometers) of Mercury's surface. The next day, the probe captured another companion image of C/2012 S1 (ISON), as it cruised by Mercury at a distance of 22.5 million miles (36.2 million kilometers) on its way to its late-November closest approach to the Sun.
Lowering stand density reduces mortality of ponderosa pine stands
As trees grow larger in even-aged stands, competition develops among them. Competition weakens trees, as they contend for soil moisture, nutrients, and sunlight. Competition also increases trees' risk to bark beetles and diseases, and subsequently leads to a buildup of dead fuels. A recent study, led by Dr. Jianwei Zhang, research forester at the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station, considered if the onset of this risk could be determined. The study, which appears in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, also considered if the relationship between density and mortality varies with site quality as ponderosa pine stands developed.
Latest GOES-R instrument cleared for installation onto spacecraft
The latest advanced instrument that will fly on NOAA's next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R known as GOES-R spacecraft is completed and cleared for installation onto the satellite.
Large study shows pollution impact on coral reefs—and offers solution
One of the largest and longest experiments ever done to test the impact of nutrient loading on coral reefs today confirmed what scientists have long suspected – that this type of pollution from sewage, agricultural practices or other sources can lead to coral disease and bleaching.
Pollution yields longer-lasting storm clouds
(Phys.org) —A new study reveals how pollution causes thunderstorms to leave behind larger, deeper, longer lasting clouds. Appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 26, the results solve a long-standing debate and reveal how pollution plays into climate warming. The work can also provide a gauge for the accuracy of weather and climate models.
How NASA revived the Kepler Space Telescope
(Phys.org) —You may have thought that NASA's Kepler spacecraft was finished. Well, think again. A repurposed Kepler Space telescope may soon start searching the sky again.
Curiosity's electrical issue resolved
(Phys.org) —NASA's Mars rover Curiosity resumed full science operations on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Groundbreaking deepwater fossil study reveals reef's past and future
(Phys.org) —Many people look back at their time on the Great Barrier Reef by viewing holiday snaps. Scientists have taken an even longer look back at the Great Barrier Reef via another image caught in time - deepwater fossils - which reveal the important role the deepwater reef plays in the health of the whole reef.
Submillimeter wavelengths shine through the intergalactic dust
(Phys.org) —Where do you go to look at the stars? Away from city lights, certainly. But if you're serious about peering far out into space, to the observable edges of our universe, at submillimeter wavelengths, you have to do a little better than that. You have to go farther and higher, up to where the atmosphere is thin. And if you want to look at the stars for more than a few nights a year, you also need some place that is very, very dry. Clouds, of course, obstruct the view of stars and galaxies, but even water vapor in the atmosphere can interfere with incoming electromagnetic radiation.
Home computers discover gamma-ray pulsars
The combination of globally distributed computing power and innovative analysis methods proves to be a recipe for success in the search for new pulsars. Scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Gravitational Physics and Radio Astronomy together with international colleagues have now discovered four gamma-ray pulsars in data from the Fermi space telescope. The breakthrough came using the distributed computing project Einstein@Home, which connects more than 200,000 computers from 40,000 participants around the world to a global supercomputer. The discoveries include volunteers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the USA.
GREAT3 challenge seeks new methods for measuring weak gravitational lensing
(Phys.org) —Think you can figure out a way to unlock one of the biggest secrets of the universe? The recently launched third Gravitational Lensing Accuracy Testing challenge (GREAT3) is giving researchers the opportunity to do just that.
Comet dances with sun, death; giving mixed signals
Comet ISON is teasing the solar system as it dances with the sun and it's giving astronomers mixed signals.
Medicine & Health news
The British Sexual Health Survey comes of age
Over 15,000 adults aged 16-74 participated in interviews between September 2010 and August 2012. Studying this large representative sample of people living in Britain allowed the researchers to produce key estimates on patterns of sexual behaviour, attitudes, health, and wellbeing across the population. Two previous Natsal surveys have taken place, in 1990 and 2000, making it one of the biggest and most comprehensive studies of sexual behaviour undertaken in a single country.
European drug experts sound warning on austerity
Drug experts and policy makers from around Europe gathered in Athens to urge governments to exclude drug-abuse treatment from austerity budget cuts, citing an alarming rise in HIV infections among drug users in Greece.
Supreme Court will take up new health law dispute (Update)
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to referee another dispute over President Barack Obama's trouble-plagued health care law, whether businesses can use religious objections to escape a requirement to cover birth control for employees.
Bayer bids 1.8 bn euro for Norway's Algeta
German pharmaceutical group Bayer has made a bid for its Norwegian partner and competitor Algeta, specialised in cancer treatments, for 1.8 billion euro ($2.4 billion), the Nordic company said Tuesday.
Japan man contracts HIV through blood transfusion
The Japanese government and Red Cross said Tuesday that a man in his 60s has contracted HIV through a blood transfusion, while testing continued on another patient who received blood from the same donor.
UN says two more polio cases found in Syria
The World Health Organization says it has discovered two additional cases of the highly contagious polio virus in Syria, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 17.
Speech, not tones, produces better hearing test
It's taken 70 years to invent a better hearing test. That's how long we've been using the classic 'beep' audiology test, first developed to assess returned soldiers from WW2.
One in ten women in Britain report having experienced non-consensual sex
One in ten women (9.8%) and roughly one in seventy men (1.4%), when asked "Has anyone actually made you have sex with them, against your will?" said yes, according to new results published as part of the third Natsal survey, published in The Lancet.
HIV genotype unneeded in new treatment computer modeling
New computer models described today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy predict how patients whose HIV therapy is failing will respond to any new combination of drugs, without the need for an HIV genotype: a test used in wealthy countries to read the genetic code of the virus and help select drugs to which the virus is sensitive.1 In fact, the models were significantly more accurate predictors of treatment response than the genotype.
No more turkey trash talk
Turkeys are heading to tables around the country for traditional holiday meals and countless leftovers, and its reputation as a sleep inducer gives many an excuse to nap rather than wash dishes or toss around a football. But turkey is not really to blame, and it's time to set the record straight.
Ground-breaking scan may identify liver disease
A ground-breaking scan that can identify and help to treat liver disease, could make painful and invasive liver biopsies a thing of the past, thanks to a trial being led by the University of Birmingham.
Elderly suicides in France stir euthanasia debate
Two couples in their 80s have committed suicide in Paris, reigniting a debate in France on euthanasia which is still illegal in the country.
How can we measure the value and impact of orthopaedic care?
Healthcare expenditures currently account for 18% of the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some experts have suggested that an emphasis on value may be an effective strategy to evaluate healthcare costs. In a recent article published in the inaugural issue of JBJS Reviews, authors Benedict U. Nwachukwu, MD, MBA; Kamran S. Hamid, MD, MPH; and Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, argue that understanding value necessitates measuring outcome and cost at the patient level, and that the focus should be on results from validated disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures and health-related quality-of-life measures, measured across the continuum of a patient's care cycle.
Study finds limited resources for injured surgeons
Nearly half of orthopaedic surgeons sustain at least one injury during their career and, in many cases, the resources available to them are inadequate, according to a Vanderbilt study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Women living with HIV share their stories through photography
Having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, can create many challenges for individuals physically, socially and emotionally. A University of Missouri researcher found that participating in photovoice, a process by which individuals document their lives by taking pictures, empowered women living with HIV to realize their strengths in the midst of their struggles.
Rwanda launches 'non-surgical' circumcision drive to combat HIV
Rwanda launched Tuesday a national drive to "non-surgically" circumcise 700,000 men in a bid to cut rates of HIV infection, claiming to be the first country in the world to do so.
Supreme Court to take up birth control religion case
The US Supreme Court said Tuesday it will take up a case involving a firm seeking to limit the availability of birth control to female employees enrolled in a company health plan on religious grounds.
Researchers explore five new avenues for rehabilitation research
Because the concept of permanent neurological injury has given way to recognition of the brain's potential for long-term regeneration ad reorganization, rehabilitations strategies are undergoing radical changes. The potential for five new translational interventions was examined in an article published ahead of print on November 13 by Neurology Clinical Practice.
Interaction of nurses, pharmacists, and other non-physician clinicians within pharmaceutical industry is common
Scrutiny of physician relationships with industry has culminated in passage of the US Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act), intended to bring greater transparency to such relationships. However, according to authors in this week's PLOS Medicine, interactions with industry of non-physician clinicians—Registered Nurses, advanced practice nurses with prescriptive authority, physicians' assistants, pharmacists, dieticians, and physical or occupational therapists—have not undergone the same scrutiny, although they may be involved in the same types of decision making as physicians. Quinn Grundy (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco) and colleagues conducted the first (to their knowledge) systematic review of the evidence regarding interactions of non-physician clinicians with industry and beliefs regarding such interactions.
Princeton to offer meningitis B vaccine to 6,000
Princeton University says a meningitis vaccine not yet licensed for use in the U.S. will be made available on campus starting Dec. 9 to nearly 6,000 students.
American medical groups protesting physician cuts
(HealthDay)—Medical societies are taking action against the mass cancellations of physicians in Medicare Advantage plans in many states, according to an article published online Nov. 22 in Medical Economics.
Increasing the number of insured patients is not tied to higher ICU usage in Massachusetts
A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that increasing the number of insured patients is not associated with higher intensive care unit (ICU) usage in Massachusetts.
Regular physical activity in later life boosts likelihood of 'healthy aging' up to sevenfold
It's never too late to get physically active, with even those starting relatively late in life reaping significant health benefits, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
C-section rate for private patients double that of publicly funded patients
The rate of scheduled caesarean sections among private patients is around double that of publicly funded patients, indicates a study of more than 30,000 women in Ireland, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Government grants reduce HIV risks for teenage girls in South Africa
A large-scale study, led by Oxford University, has identified that government grants in Southern Africa can reduce major HIV risks for teenage girls. Their findings are published in the journal, The Lancet Global Health.
MR spectroscopy shows differences in brains of preterm infants
Premature birth appears to trigger developmental processes in the white matter of the brain that could put children at higher risk of problems later in life, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
ADHD linked to social and economic disadvantage
Scientists have found evidence of a link between social and economic status and childhood attention deficit disorder (ADHD) in the UK.
Brits having less sex—but more variety
When it comes to the bedroom, the British may be getting less busy, but more creative. According to results from the latest national sex survey, Britons are having sex less often—but the kinds of sex they're having are more diverse than in the past.
Risk of HIV treatment failure present even in those with low viral load
People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) run a higher risk of virologic failure than previously thought, even when their number of RNA copies of the retrovirus per millilitre of blood is slightly above the detection threshold, according to a study by Claudie Laprise at the University of Montreal's Department of Social and Preventative Medicine. Her findings were published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The study was conducted in close collaboration with doctors from the Clinique médicale du Quartier Latin de Montréal, based on data from the files of 1,860 people living with HIV and covering a period of 12 years. Nearly 94% of the patients were men.
Research slows on mental health drugs as investment shrinks
Research into medications to treat mental health disorders, which affect almost a quarter of the US population, has slowed as major pharmaceutical companies cut back investment in this area, psychiatrists say.
FDA approves H5N1 avian influenza vaccine
(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first adjuvanted vaccine for the prevention of H5N1 influenza in adults at greater-than-average risk of exposure.
Princeton students safe to travel despite meningitis outbreak: CDC
(HealthDay)—Despite recent outbreaks of bacterial meningitis at Princeton University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, U.S. heath officials said Monday that students are safe to travel home for the Thanksgiving break.
Spending on vascular care not tied to amputation reduction
(HealthDay)—There are significant regional differences in spending on vascular care in patients who ultimately need amputation for severe peripheral arterial disease, according to a study published online Nov. 20 in JAMA Surgery.
CDC: More than one in 10 kids diagnosed with ADHD
(HealthDay)—More than one in 10 children and adolescents are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an increase of 42 percent in less than a decade, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Family doc finds mid-level providers increase revenue
(HealthDay)—Hiring mid-levels—physicians assistants and nurse practitioners—can improve productivity, resulting in increased physician take-home pay, according to an article published Nov. 10 in Medical Economics.
'Deep pragmatism' as a source of morality
You could be forgiven for believing that some of the most vexing issues of our time—partisan gridlock, abortion, climate change, Middle East strife—might never yield to progress. After all, the debates are so emotionally fraught that it can be a challenge just to bring both sides to the table, never mind getting them to listen.
French drugmaker warns on morning-after pill (Update)
A French contraceptive maker said Tuesday its morning-after pill doesn't work when taken by women who weigh more than 80 kilograms (176 pounds) and plans to change its labels to warn patients.
STIs and risky sex still an issue
New results from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), published in The Lancet, provide a picture of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and testing, uptake of sexual health interventions and service use, and risk behaviours in Britain.
Improved dementia diagnosis possible, new study shows
(Medical Xpress)—Nearly 36 million people worldwide are estimated to currently have dementia. That number is expected to almost double every 20 years. Researchers are diligently working to find better, more accurate methods for earlier diagnosis.
Majority of very young children in California eat fast food at least once a week
(Medical Xpress)—A surprisingly large percentage of very young children in California, including 70 percent of Latino children, eat fast food regularly, according to a new policy brief by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Antidepressants are not 'happy pills'
Depression medicines are not 'happy pills' or 'a quick fix'—these are the views of people who use antidepressants that have been recorded in a series of frank, heartfelt video interviews.
Britain: One in six pregnancies are unplanned
One in six pregnancies among women in Britain are unplanned, and one in 60 women (1.5%) experience an unplanned pregnancy in a year, according to new results from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), published in The Lancet.
Oxycodone preferred by majority of drug abusers
(Medical Xpress)—A nationwide survey of opioid drug abusers in rehab indicates that because of the high it produces, the prescription painkiller oxycodone is the most popular drug of choice. Hydrocodone, also prescribed to treat pain, is next in line. In all, some 75 percent of those surveyed rated one of these drugs as their favorite.
Vitamins can damage the body's own defences
Each year, we spend billion of dollars on dietary supplements. New research indicates that vitamin pills may upset the fragile balance in our cells and thus cause more harm than good.
New cholesterol guidelines biggest change in more than 25 years
(Medical Xpress)—New cholesterol guidelines for identifying adults at risk for heart disease represent the biggest change in such expert advice in more than 25 years, according to Loyola University Health System preventive cardiology experts.
Cardiac arrest linked to air pollution
HIGH air pollution levels are linked to an increase in the rate of cardiac arrest, according to a study of St John Ambulance call-outs in Perth.
Sleeping sickness treatment mystery unlocked
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the Universities of Dundee and Glasgow have discovered how drugs that have been used for 60 years to kill the parasite that causes sleeping sickness actually work.
Substance suppresses unchecked leukemia cell division
Scientists of the University of Freiburg and the Freiburg University Medical Center from the collaborative research center Medical Epigenetics (SFB 992) have discovered a new active substance that inhibits cell division in leukemia cells and could play an important role in the fight against cancer. Junior professor Dr. Stefan Günther was in charge of the research project, which also included research groups participating in SFB 992 Medical Epigenetics led by Prof. Dr. Manfred Jung from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Dr. Oliver Einsle from the Institute of Biochemistry, and Prof. Dr. Roland Schüle from the Freiburg University Medical Center. The team published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
When the living and the deceased don't agree on organ donation
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the 2006 Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) or enacted similar legislation giving individuals the "First Person Authorization" (FPA) to consent to organ donation after death via a signed donor card or driver's license, or by enrollment in a donor registry. While such laws give hospitals legal authority to proceed with organ procurement without consent of the registered donor's family, a new study shows that organ procurement organizations' implementation of FPA has been inconsistent and incomplete.
Electronic cigarettes: New route to smoking addiction for adolescents
E-cigarettes have been widely promoted as a way for people to quit smoking conventional cigarettes. Now, in the first study of its kind, UC San Francisco researchers are reporting that, at the point in time they studied, youth using e-cigarettes were more likely to be trying to quit, but also were less likely to have stopped smoking and were smoking more, not less.
Medical research needs kids, but two-thirds of parents unaware of opportunities
To improve healthcare for children, medical research that involves kids is a must. Yet, only five percent of parents say their children have ever participated in any type of medical research, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.
Researchers have a nose for how probiotics could affect hay fever
A study has shown that a daily probiotic drink changed how cells lining the nasal passages of hay fever sufferers reacted to a single out-of-season challenge. However, it did not lead to significant changes in hay fever symptoms, although this challenge test may not have accurately represented natural allergen exposure.
High-fat diet during puberty speeds up breast cancer development
New findings show that eating a high-fat diet beginning at puberty speeds up the development of breast cancer and may actually increase the risk of cancer similar to a type often found in younger adult women.
A brain reward gene influences food choices in the first years of life
Research has suggested that a particular gene in the brain's reward system contributes to overeating and obesity in adults. This same variant has now been linked to childhood obesity and tasty food choices, particularly for girls, according to a new study by Dr. Patricia Silveira and Prof. Michael Meaney of McGill University and Dr. Robert Levitan of the University of Toronto.
Treatment target identified for a public health risk parasite
In the developing world, Cryptosporidium parvum has long been the scourge of freshwater. A decade ago, it announced its presence in the United States, infecting over 400,000 people – the largest waterborne-disease outbreak in the county's history. Its rapid ability to spread, combined with an incredible resilience to water decontamination techniques, such as chlorination, led the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United Sates to add C. parvum to its list of public bioterrorism agents. Currently, there are no reliable treatments for cryptosporidiosis, the disease caused by C. parvum, but that may be about to change with the identification of a target molecule by investigators at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). The findings of this study have been recently published in the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (AAC) journal.
Genetics contribute to increased risk for end-stage renal disease for African Americans with chronic kidney disease
In the United States, African Americans have approximately twice the risk of end-stage renal disease compared to white Americans, despite a similar prevalence in earlier stages of chronic kidney disease. A large study co-authored by George Washington University (GW) researcher Dominic Raj, M.D., identifies factors that mediate differences in the progression of chronic kidney disease between black patients and white patients, as well as among black patients, in order to reduce the excess burden of end-stage renal disease and its complications in black patients.
Watch out for sleepy drivers this Thanksgiving holiday
(HealthDay)—Thanksgiving is a time of travel, but one expert warns that sleep deprivation and darkness can cause drivers to become sleepy even though they believe they're alert.
Thyroid shield deemed essential during use of C-arm fluoroscopy
(HealthDay)—The best way for surgeons to reduce scattered radiation exposure to the thyroid is by wearing a shield tightly or wearing it loosely in combination with a bismuth masking reagent, according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of Spine.
Pediatric surgeries often performed in general hospitals
(HealthDay)—The volume of general pediatric surgery performed in the United States is high, and these procedures are divided between specialized pediatric institutions and general hospitals, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in Pediatrics.
Screening new inmates for HIV may not reveal many new undetected cases, study shows
More than 90 percent of HIV-infected inmates entering prison in North Carolina had previously tested positive for the virus, according to a study published in the November 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Disputed asthma drugs have safe record in British Columbia
A popular combination asthma therapy dogged by safety concerns has not harmed British Columbians and should remain in use, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
Micronutrient supplements reduce risk of HIV disease progression and illness
Long-term (24-month) supplementation with multivitamins plus selenium for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Botswana in the early stages of disease who had not received antiretroviral therapy delayed time to HIV disease progression, was safe and reduced the risk of immune decline and illness, according to a study appearing in the November 27 issue of JAMA.
Drug improves remission of Crohn disease among children and adolescents
Among children and adolescents with Crohn disease not responding to treatment, use of the drug thalidomide resulted in improved clinical remission after 8 weeks of treatment compared with placebo, according to a study appearing in the November 27 issue of JAMA.
Study finds no increased risk of retinal detachment with use of certain antibiotics
In contrast to findings of a recent study, researchers in Denmark did not find an association between use of a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones (such as ciprofloxacin) and an increased risk of retinal detachment, according to a study appearing in the November 27 issue of JAMA.
Induced hypothermia does not improve outcomes for patients with severe bacterial meningitis
In a study of adults with severe bacterial meningitis, therapeutic hypothermia (reduction of body temperature) did not improve outcomes, and it may even have been harmful, according to a study appearing in the November 27 issue of JAMA.
Health insurance increases preventive care but not risky behaviors
People with health insurance are more likely to use preventive services such as flu shots and health screenings to reduce their risk of serious illness, but they are no more likely than people without health insurance to engage in risky health behaviors such as smoking or gaining weight, researchers at UC Davis and University of Rochester have found.
Scientists characterize effects of transplanted fecal microbiota
Scientists at the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and physicians at Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, MD, have found that restoring the normal, helpful bacteria of the gut and intestines may treat patients suffering from recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. Transplanting fecal matter of healthy donors into patients with recurrent C. difficile infection (RCDI) appears to restore normal bacterial composition and resolve infection. The study findings appear in the November 26th issue of PLOS ONE.
2009 pandemic flu death toll much higher than official worldwide estimates
A research team consisting of more than 60 collaborators in 26 countries has estimated the global death toll from the 2009 outbreak of the H1N1 virus to be 10 times higher than the World Health Organization's count, which was based on laboratory-confirmed cases of this flu. The study, which appears online in PLOS Medicine, suggests that the pandemic virus caused up to 203,000 respiratory deaths around the world.
New therapeutic target identified for Huntington's disease
A new study published 26th November in the open access journal PLOS Biology, identifies a new target in the search for therapeutic interventions for Huntington's disease – a devastating late-onset neurodegenerative disorder.
National study finds donor age not a factor in most corneal transplants
Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, and corneas from donors over 71 perform slightly less well but still remain healthy for most transplant recipients, according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and led by the UC Davis Health System Eye Center and the University of Cincinnati Eye Institute.
High salt levels in common medicines put patients at increased risk of cardiovascular events
Researchers at the University of Dundee and University College London found that taking the maximum daily dose of some medicines would exceed the recommended daily limits for sodium, without any additional dietary intake.
Women act like men during speed dating
On a TV show or in a movie, if a guy and a girl are at a party and one approaches the other to strike up a conversation, chances are that it was the guy who approached the girl.
Viral replication may not be primary cause of HIV-1 persistence in patients receiving cART
(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with members from Europe and the U.S. has found that viral replication may not be the main reason that the HIV virus is able to persist in the cells of infected patients for many years. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers outline a study they conducted with volunteer HIV infected patients and the results they found that indicated there is likely another cause for the long term persistence of HIV in human patients.
A gene mutation for excessive alcohol drinking found
UK researchers have discovered a gene that regulates alcohol consumption and when faulty can cause excessive drinking. They have also identified the mechanism underlying this phenomenon.
New technique for testing drugs to treat cystic fibrosis and epilepsy
Researchers from the University of Southampton, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Quebec at Montreal, have developed a new microsystem for more efficient testing of pharmaceutical drugs to treat diseases such as cystic fibrosis, MG (myasthenia gravis) and epilepsy.
Implantable slimming aid: Gene network regulates blood-fat levels
Swiss biotechnologists have constructed a genetic regulatory circuit from human components that monitors blood-fat levels. In response to excessive levels, it produces a messenger substance that signalizes satiety to the body. Tests on obese mice reveal that this helps them to lose weight.
Scientists discover how leukemia cells exploit 'enhancer' DNA elements to cause lethal disease
A team of researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has identified a leukemia-specific stretch of DNA called an enhancer element that enables cancerous blood cells to proliferate in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a devastating cancer that is incurable in 70% of patients. Just as important, the findings offer a mechanistic insight into how a new class of promising drugs – one version of which is already in human clinical trials – appears to halt the growth of cancer cells so effectively.
Drug reduces brain changes, motor deficits associated with Huntington's disease
A drug that acts like a growth-promoting protein in the brain reduces degeneration and motor deficits associated with Huntington's disease in two mouse models of the disorder, according to a study appearing November 27 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that protecting or boosting neurotrophins—the molecules that support the survival and function of nerve cells—may slow the progression of Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Blood stem cell longevity explained
(Medical Xpress)—The blood stem cells that live in bone marrow are at the top of a complex family tree. Such stem cells split and divide down various pathways that ultimately produce red cells, white cells and platelets. These "daughter" cells must be produced at a rate of about one million per second to constantly replenish the body's blood supply.
Mapping the entire brain with new and improved Brainbow II technology
(Medical Xpress)—Among the many great talks at the recent annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience were three special lectures given sequentially during the evenings. The first described how we might translate the known circuit diagram of the worm, and the range of neural activities it supports, into it's play in a 2D world. The second followed with how we might trace the trickle of information from the larger 3D world, through the more complex theater of the fly brain, and back out again. The third, and most gripping story in the trilogy, was Jeff Lichtman's talk about using his new technology—known as Brainbow II— to turn the wild synaptic jungle into a tame and completely taxonomized arboretum which we can browse at our leisure.
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