From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 1:59 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Wednesday, Dec 4
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Get instant access to material presented by multiphysics simulation experts at the 2013 COMSOL Conferences. Download or view online here: http://goo.gl/S14izY
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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 4, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Two for the price of one: Single-molecule microscopy simultaneously monitors protein structure and function- How our nerves keep firing: Biologists see ultrafast recycling of neurotransmitter-filled bubbles
- Manipulating electron spin mechanically
- Oldest hominin DNA sequenced
- Massive black hole duo: Possible sighting by WISE
- Glimpsing the infrastructure of a gamma-ray burst jet
- Composite battery boost
- Better catalyst for solar-powered hydrogen production
- Sea level rise and shoreline changes are lead influences on floods from tropical cyclones
- Industrial age helps some coastal regions capture carbon dioxide
- Review: Xbox One nearly a set-top box replacement
- Virtual wall could stop the spread of oil and could help build invisible barrier for oil spills (w/ Video)
- Cosmic alcohol once again confirms the constancy of a natural constant
- Mysteries of Earth's radiation belts uncovered by Van Allen Probes twin spacecraft
- New scheme uses shared visual cues to help people remember multiple passwords
Astronomy & Space news
Sending Australians into space
India's recent launch of a mission to Mars should cause us to contemplate Australia's potential role, or lack of one, in such ventures.
Earthquake scars Earth's gravity
(Phys.org) —ESA's GOCE satellite has revealed that the devastating Japanese earthquake of 2011 left its mark in Earth's gravity – yet another example of this extraordinary mission surpassing its original scope.
NASA commercial crew partner Blue Origin test-fires new rocket engine
(Phys.org) —NASA commercial crew partner Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., announced it has tested a new, hydrogen- and oxygen-fueled engine designed to lift the company's crewed Space Vehicle on future missions out of Earth's atmosphere. Blue Origin is one of the American companies developing next generation rockets and spacecraft capable of carrying humans to low-Earth orbit.
NASA iPad app shows startling environmental changes
Human activities, a changing climate and natural disasters are rapidly altering the face of our planet. Now, with NASA's Images of Change iPad application, users can get an interactive before-and-after view of these changes.
LADEE instruments healthy and ready for science
Now in orbit around the moon, NASA's newest lunar mission has completed the commissioning phase, and its science instruments have passed their preliminary checks.
Giant Magellan Telescope's third mirror unveiled
The Giant Magellan Telescope's third primary mirror will be unveiled at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory Mirror Lab on December 6, 2013. The combined surface area of the three mirrors created to date surpasses that of any existing telescope and will help enable astronomers to peer more deeply into space than ever before once the telescope is completed.
Plasma loss mechanisms from Saturn's magnetosphere
Since the first up-close observations of Saturn, made by the Pioneer 11 probe in 1979, a great deal has been learned about the dynamics of the gas giant's magnetosphere. In-depth observations made by the Cassini orbiter, which has been circling Saturn since 2004, have revealed fundamental differences between the behavior of Saturn's magnetosphere and that of the Earth's magnetosphere.
Explosive growth of young star
A star is formed when a large cloud of gas and dust condenses and eventually becomes so dense that it collapses into a ball of gas, where the pressure heats the matter, creating a glowing gas ball – a star is born. New research from the Niels Bohr Institute, among others, shows that a young, newly formed star in the Milky Way had such an explosive growth, that it was initially about 100 times brighter than it is now. The results are published in the scientific journal, Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Dawn spacecraft fills out its Ceres dance card
(Phys.org) —It's going to be a ball when NASA's Dawn spacecraft finally arrives at the dwarf planet Ceres, and mission managers have now inked in the schedule on Dawn's dance card.
Mysteries of Earth's radiation belts uncovered by Van Allen Probes twin spacecraft
Just over a year since launch, NASA's Van Allen Probes mission continues to unravel longstanding mysteries of Earth's high-energy radiation belts that encircle our planet and pose hazards to orbiting satellites and astronauts.
Cosmic alcohol once again confirms the constancy of a natural constant
(Phys.org) —A research team led by FOM workgroup leader Prof. Dr. Wim Ubachs and Dr. Rick Bethlem has once again demonstrated that the mass ratio between electrons and protons has remained the same over the past 7.5 billion years. The group, which published this conclusion last January in Science, has recently performed a wide range of measurements that confirm their earlier finding. The new results are published on 4 December in Physical Review Letters.
A blast from its past dates the youngest neutron-star binary
X-rays streaming toward Earth from the region near a neutron star that is cannibalizing its companion star have revealed the pair to be the youngest "X-ray binary" yet known. The discovery by a team that includes a Penn State astronomer is being published in this week's issue of the The Astrophysical Journal.
Cassini spacecraft obtains best views of Saturn hexagon
(Phys.org) —NASA's Cassini spacecraft has obtained the highest-resolution movie yet of a unique six-sided jet stream, known as the hexagon, around Saturn's north pole.
Massive black hole duo: Possible sighting by WISE
(Phys.org) —Astronomers have spotted what appear to be two supermassive black holes at the heart of a remote galaxy, circling each other like dance partners. The incredibly rare sighting was made with the help of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE.
Glimpsing the infrastructure of a gamma-ray burst jet
(Phys.org) —A new study using observations from a novel instrument provides the best look to date at magnetic fields at the heart of gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic explosions in the universe. An international team of astronomers from Britain, Slovenia and Italy has glimpsed the infrastructure of a burst's high-speed jet.
Medicine & Health news
MR-guided ultrasound offers noninvasive treatment for breast cancer
A technique that uses focused ultrasound under magnetic resonance (MR) guidance to heat and destroy tumors may offer a safe and effective treatment for breast cancer, according to research being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Mammography screening intervals may affect breast cancer prognosis
In a study of screening mammography-detected breast cancers, patients who had more frequent screening mammography had a significantly lower rate of lymph node positivity—or cancer cells in the lymph nodes—as compared to women who went longer intervals between screening mammography exams. Results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Blood vessels reorganize after face transplantation surgery
For the first time, researchers have found that the blood vessels in face transplant recipients reorganize themselves, leading to an understanding of the biologic changes that happen after full face transplantation. The results of this study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Obama opens health plan sales campaign
President Barack Obama has launched a campaign to bombard Americans daily about the benefits of his health care overhaul, pressing them to give the troubled web sign-up portal a fresh try after two months of emergency repairs while trying to blunt noisy Republican calls to delay or scrap the new health insurance system as an unworkable, big government blunder.
Silencing chromosome 21
Cell biologist Jeanne Lawrence's revolutionary recent discovery of a gene that effectively turns off the chromosome responsible for Down syndrome set the scientific world abuzz. On Monday night at Northeastern, she described how her finding was just as surprising as her journey to becoming a scientist.
Dawn of the genome era
The Human Genome Project concluded in 2003, but many of its benefits are only now being realized, according to Alan Guttmacher, director of the National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Genetic factors behind radiation-induced thyroid cancer
Scientists have long sought to determine whether heredity is one of the factors responsible for increased risk of thyroid cancer, but their results have been inconclusive... until now.
'Universal' influenza vaccine development underway in Europe
A newly launched European project is set to take a major step toward the development of a universal flu vaccine. It aims to counter the emergence of new strains and seasonal epidemics.
Video: Brain mechanisms linked to obesity
Scientists are attempting to tackle obesity by exploring ways of helping people stay healthy. One research project aims at producing junk-free, albeit tasty, food, whereas another looks at better understanding food consumption stimuli.
Faith and healing: Religious coping improves outcomes for people being treated for severe psychiatric illness
Religious coping can significantly improve treatment outcomes for individuals receiving short-term treatment for psychiatric illness, according to Harvard Medical School researchers at McLean Hospital. The finding, published in the Nov. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research, is the result of an investigation by David H. Rosmarin, an HMS instructor and a clinician in the Department of Psychiatry at McLean, and colleagues of the relationship between the suicidality of psychotic patients who used religious coping versus those who did not.
New report on five-year-olds and their families
Growing Up in Ireland published new findings from the national study of almost 9,000 five-year-olds and their families. The report was recently launched by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald.
Depression during pregnancy and early motherhood
University of York researchers and their clinical NHS colleagues are expanding a project to investigate the health and wellbeing of newborn babies and their parents to include a study of depression during pregnancy and early motherhood.
Researchers urge earlier HIV testing
Last week, to coincide with World Aids Day and National HIV Testing Week, a series of mobile clinics around the region offered help and advice to raise awareness of the importance of early testing for HIV.
Website supports young people with chronic illnesses
A new resource to help young people with long-term illnesses make the transition into adult health services has been launched by Alan Sothern, Irish International hockey player who has Type 1 diabetes.
Felony HIV disclosure law criminalizes illness
Michigan's felony HIV disclosure law is driven by stigma and fear rather than medical science, according to a new University of Michigan study.
Access to technology improves health outcomes for older adults
Louis Medvene, Wichita State professor of psychology and director of the Social Relationships Research Workgroup, is exploring the potential benefits of computer access to senior citizens' health.
Pakistan records 72 polio cases in 2013: WHO
Pakistan recorded 72 cases of polio this year compared to 58 for all of 2012, a World Health Organisation (WHO)official said on Wednesday.
Spain surgeons cut giant 25kg tumour from woman's womb
Surgeons in Spain successfully removed a giant benign tumour weighing 25 kilograms (55 pounds) from the womb of a 47-year-old woman, the hospital treating her said on Wednesday.
Investigating the link between Parkinson's and pesticides
In a seemingly simple experiment, a scientist exposes rats to a certain pesticide over several days, and the rodents start showing symptoms remarkably similar to those seen in Parkinson's patients. But the scientific search for the causes of the disease, which affects 7 million to 10 million people worldwide, is nowhere near simple. An article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, dives into the potential pesticide-Parkinson's link.
Data on people's self-reported 'experienced' well-being could help inform policies
Gathering survey data on "experienced" well-being – the self-reported levels of contentment, joy, stress, frustration, and other feelings people experience throughout the day and while engaged in various activities—would be valuable to inform policies, says a new report from the National Research Council. In particular, data on specific actions intended to improve the living and working conditions of different population groups, including children or older adults, show promise in developing policies and practices in such areas as end of life care, commuting, child custody laws, and city planning, to name a few.
Face transplants thriving two years after operations
New research on face transplants may help guide future operations for accident victims needing this kind of drastic surgery.
One in seven vets suffers burn-out within 10 years of qualifying
One in seven vets is likely to be burnt-out within 10 years of qualifying, reveals research published online in Veterinary Record.
MassBiologics receives orphan drug status from FDA for hepatitis C treatment
MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) has received an orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MBL-HCV1, a monoclonal antibody developed to prevent hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence in patients receiving a liver transplant.
Successful repair of bone defects using a novel tissue engineered bone graft
Researchers at the Department of Orthopaedics, of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, led by Dr. Kunzheng Wang and Dr. Pei Yang have developed a novel biomimetic tissue engineered bone graft based on rabbit adipose derived stem cells (rASCs), collagen I and a porous beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffold. Furthermore, the critical-sized bone defects model of rabbits was used to evaluate the efficiency of the construct. This discovery, reported in the December 2013 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides a novel candidate for bone defect repair.
Jamaica scientist launches medical marijuana firm
A prominent Jamaican scientist and entrepreneur is launching a company that aims to capitalize on the growing international market for medical marijuana.
Republicans stake out new attacks on 'Obamacare'
With President Barack Obama mounting a weeks-long offensive supporting the rebooted health care website, Republicans are lining up their own pre-election campaigns attacking the controversial law as disastrous for Americans.
Exercise beneficial for dementia
Exercise may benefit older people with dementia by improving their cognitive functioning and ability to carry out everyday activities, according to a new systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. However, the authors of the review did not see any clear effect of exercise on depression in older people with dementia and say that more evidence is needed to understand how exercise could reduce the burden on family caregivers and health systems.
Study highlights massive benefits of HIV treatment in South Africa
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of HIV infection has saved 2.8 million years of life in South Africa since 2004 and is projected to save an additional 15.1 million years of life by 2030, according to a new study published online in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. The analysis suggests these dramatic benefits could be even greater if more aggressive HIV testing and treatment strategies are implemented.
Radiographic imaging exposes relationship between obesity and cancer
Researchers at the National Institute for Aging are working to improve understanding about obesity and cancer. A study, published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, is the first to use direct radiographic imaging of adipose tissue rather than estimates like body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference, and focuses on the relationship between obesity and cancer risk in aging populations. Findings emphasize the negative impact of adiposity on long term health particularly for older men and women.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients see big boost in quality of life
(HealthDay)—Rheumatoid arthritis patients can generally look forward to a much better quality of life today than they did 20 years ago, new research suggests.
Home visits during pregnancy and beyond may give poor kids a boost
(HealthDay)—Poor children get intellectual and behavioral benefits from home visits by nurses and other skilled caregivers, new research suggests.
Nonantibiotic prophylaxis can benefit recurrent UTI
(HealthDay)—Various nonantibiotic prophylaxis options are available, some of which may be beneficial for adults with recurrent urinary tract infections, according to a review and meta-analysis published in the December issue of The Journal of Urology.
Women find sexually explicit ads unappealing—unless the price is right
Sexual imagery is often used in magazine and TV ads, presumably to help entice buyers to purchase a new product. But new research suggests that women tend to find ads with sexual imagery off-putting, unless the advertised item is priced high enough.
Physician texting while 'Doctoring' may be hazardous
(HealthDay)—Physician texting while doctoring could be hazardous, according to an ideas and opinions piece published in the Dec. 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Observation units improve emergency care
(Medical Xpress)—Emory University researchers have found that the use of observation units in hospital emergency rooms could not only shorten patient stays and decrease inpatient admissions, but could save the health care system approximately $5.5 billion to $8.5 billion annually. The findings are being published in the December issue of the journal Health Affairs.
Putting the brakes on home genetic testing: Four questions with geneticist Scott Diehl
The Food and Drug Administration recently ordered an end to sales of the home genetic testing kit 23andMe. FDA medical experts said the kit's manufacturers had failed to prove their claim that the $99 test can help customers make informed decisions about their health, despite being asked for that proof for more than five years. 23andMe says that in 2013, more than 200,000 people have purchased its product.
Researchers develop new hearing test technology
Much of what is known about sensory touch and hearing cells is based on indirect observation. Scientists know that these exceptionally tiny cells are sensitive to changes in force and pressure. But to truly understand how they function, scientists must be able to manipulate them directly. Now, Stanford scientists are developing a set of tools that are small enough to stimulate an individual nerve or group of nerves, but also fast and flexible enough to mimic a realistic range of forces.
Using rapid prototyping technology in complicated surgeries
At Auburn University, the latest in printing technology is literally going to the dogs, cats and other animals. Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine is among the first veterinary programs in the United States to use three-dimensional printing and models in advance of complicated surgeries.
Omega-3 dietary supplements pass the blood-brain barrier
(Medical Xpress)—New research from Karolinska Institutet shows that omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements can cross the blood brain barrier in people with Alzheimer's disease, affecting known markers for both the disease itself and inflammation. The findings are presented in the Journal of Internal Medicine, and strengthen the evidence that omega-3 may benefit certain forms of this seriously debilitating disease.
Research highlights the value of fathers in both neurobiology and behavior of offspring
Even with today's technology, it still takes both a male and a female to make a baby. But is it important for both parents to raise that child? Many studies have outlined the value of a mother, but few have clearly defined the importance of a father, until now. New findings from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) show that the absence of a father during critical growth periods, leads to impaired social and behavioural abilities in adults. This research, which was conducted using mice, was published today in the journal Cerebral Cortex. It is the first study to link father absenteeism with social attributes and to correlate these with physical changes in the brain.
Secret-keeping depletes mental resources
(Medical Xpress)—Stress from having to keep a secret – one's sexual orientation, for example, or simply a forbidden word – can cause lapses in physical stamina, intellectual acuity, executive function and even email etiquette.
Sustainable science to promote health in Africa
When someone is diagnosed with HIV in western Kenya, chances are he will get help from FACES, a network of clinics that takes a family-focused approach to prevention, care and treatment of the virus.
Avoiding Christmas stress
If all you want to do is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas but are instead too stressed trying to Deck the Halls to feel Joy to the World, it's time to take a Christmas reality check.
More or less equal? How men factor into the reproductive equation
Researchers know a lot about how women's bodily health affects their fertility, but less is known about how men's health affects reproductive outcomes. Yale researcher Rene Almeling and co-author Miranda R. Waggoner of Princeton address this discrepancy in a study published today in the journal Gender & Society.
Misidentification of medications indicates poor health outcomes
People who identify their blood pressure medications by shape, size and color instead of by name may risk poor blood pressure control and increase their risk of hospitalization, finds a recent study in the Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives.
Food poverty becomes UK health emergency
University of Liverpool experts have warned that food poverty in the UK could become a public health emergency.
Non-drinkers seen as more socially competent in study
Students who avoid alcohol in social situations are perceived by their peers to be more socially competent than those who drink, according to new University of Sussex research.
Easy access to genetic testing
Frederick Sanger, who died recently at the age of 95, won two Nobel prizes in chemistry for his methods for sequencing proteins and DNA. Proteins were of more direct interest to many people because many disease-causing mutations are observed as changes in proteins. But we can find the protein sequence from the DNA sequence, and it turned out to be faster too, eventually playing a part in the Human Genome Project.
Cellular suicide switch discovered
A newly discovered early-warning system triggers cellular suicide when a critical RNA editing system breaks down.
Nontoxic hydrogel for breast cancer treatment
A nontoxic hydrogel developed by the A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and IBM Research offers a new way forward for breast cancer therapeutics.
Study: Potatoes may aid cancer treatment
Potatoes are not usually thought of as a super food, but a Massey University researcher has found they may have cancer-fighting properties.
New insights into cancer evolution help define screening window of opportunity
A new appreciation of how cancer cells evolve could help scientists design better screening methods to catch cancer before it advances.
New findings could tackle over-diagnosis and over-treatment of breast cancer
New research from Queen Mary University of London has revealed, for the first time, the molecule αvβ6 (alpha v beta 6) could tell doctors which cases of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), a condition where non-invasive cancerous cells are contained within the milk ducts of the breast, are most likely to develop into early 'invasive' breast cancer.
Burnout equal among inpatient and outpatient doctors, study finds
The perception that doctors who are based in hospitals burn out quicker than doctors in outpatient settings is just wrong – doctor burnout happens equally, according to a new Mayo Clinic study, published in the November issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Study reveals tobacco's toll on women's placentas
Smoking while pregnant causes severe DNA damage to cells in the placenta and significantly impairs its function, new University of Otago research suggests.
Depression in pregnant mothers may alter the pattern of brain development in their babies
Depression is a serious mental illness that has many negative consequences for sufferers. But depression among pregnant women may also have an impact on their developing babies.
Swallowing a diagnostic pill
A tiny capsule that can carry out a chemical analysis of the contents of one's stomach could identify the presence of so-called "occult" blood at very low levels. The data is automatically broadcast to an external monitoring device for detection of early stage stomach cancer by one's physician. Details of the invention and initial trials are described in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.
Dual-language learners make key gains in head start and public pre-k
A comprehensive review of research on young Latino and Spanish-speaking children confirms that widely available public programs are helping dual-language learners make important academic gains. According to scientists at UNC's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG), children who have lower English-language abilities than their peers benefit the most from programs like Head Start and public pre-k—but exactly how and why remain unanswered questions.
CNIO team turns tumor suppressor into anti-cancer target
The laboratory of Marcos Malumbres, who is head of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre's (CNIO) Cell Division & Cancer Group, working alongside Isabel Fariñas' team from the University of Valencia, shows, in a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, how in mice the elimination of the Cdh1 protein —a sub-unit of the APC/C complex, involved in the control of cell division—prevents cellular proliferation of rapidly dividing cells. These results could accelerate the development of new therapies targeting cancer.
Bed-sharing Sweden advises against infants in parental bed (Update)
Sweden, where bed-sharing between parents and infants is widespread, issued advice Wednesday warning that the practice with newborns increased the risk of sudden infant death.
More than six percent of US teens take psychiatric meds
(HealthDay)—Slightly more than 6 percent of U.S. teens take prescription medications for a mental health condition such as depression or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new survey shows.
Carbon monoxide can help shrink tumors and amplify effectiveness of chemotherapy
In recent years, research has suggested that carbon monoxide, the highly toxic gas emitted from auto exhausts and faulty heating systems, can be used to treat certain inflammatory medical conditions. Now a study led by a research team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shows for the first time that carbon monoxide may also have a role to play in treating cancer.
What a Formula 1 race does to your eardrums
As an acoustical engineer, Craig Dolder – currently a graduate student at the University of Texas, Austin – knew that loud noises can damage hearing. Even so, when Canada's Formula 1 Grand Prix coincided with an Acoustical Society of America (ASA) meeting that he was attending in Montreal, Quebec, earlier this year, Dolder was drawn to the racetrack and the deafening roar of the Formula 1 engines.
Tripped tongues teach speech secrets
Tongue twisters are not just fun to say; it turns out that these sound-related slip-ups can also open windows into the brain's speech-planning processes. A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will report new insights gleaned from a comparison of two types of tongue twisters at the 166th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), held Dec. 2-6, 2013, in San Francisco, Calif.
New target identified for preventing bone destruction in diseases such as arthritis and cancer
The skeleton is constantly being remodelled by the breakdown of old bone by cells called osteoclasts and the formation of new bone by cells called osteoblasts. This coordinated activity is essential for maintaining healthy bone. However, excessive osteoclast activity leads to bone destruction in skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer metastases in bone. A family of signaling enzymes known as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) control diverse cell functions but, up until now, little was known about the function of specific PI3K isoforms in osteoclasts.
Death of an adult son increases depressive symptoms in mothers, but not fathers
Mothers – but not fathers – exhibited symptoms of depression and experienced declines in overall health after the death of an adult son, while the death of a daughter had no such effect on either parent, according to one of the first studies to examine the impacts of the death of an adult child on parents aged 65 and older.
Deciphering the DNA of Alzheimer's patients
(HealthDay)—Data that details every gene in the DNA of 410 people with Alzheimer's disease can now be studied by researchers, the U.S. National Institutes of Health announced this week.
Many at risk for diabetes and don't know it, study finds
(HealthDay)—New research shows that many Americans who are at risk for type 2 diabetes don't believe they are, and their doctors may not be giving them a clear message about their risk.
Investment program can cut global health disparities by 2035
(HealthDay)—Global health disparities could be reduced considerably by 2035 using an investment framework, according to a report published Dec. 3 in The Lancet.
Fewer attempted labors drive increase in cesarean rate
(HealthDay)—Increases in the primary cesarean delivery rate appear to be driven by changes in rates of attempted labor as well as changes in rates of labor success, according to research published in the December issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Low rate of malignancy for BI-RADS category 3 lesions
(HealthDay)—A low malignancy rate is observed for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 3 breast lesions detected by screening ultrasonography (US), according to research published in the December issue of Radiology.
Study highlights need for better sunscreens
A low level of daily exposure to a common component of sunlight can cause skin damage at the molecular level after just a few days, new University of Michigan Medical School research shows.
Youthful suicide attempts a marker for lifelong troubles
A study that tracked more than 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 38 has found that those who attempted suicide before age 24 have been plagued by more health and psychiatric issues and had more economic difficulties later in life.
Could a vaccine help ward off multiple sclerosis?
A vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis in other parts of the world may help prevent multiple sclerosis (MS) in people who show the beginning signs of the disease, according to a new study published in the December 4, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Telemedicine brings Parkinson's care to 'anyone, anywhere'
A new study shows that a neurologist in an office thousands of miles away can deliver effective specialized care to people with Parkinson's disease. For individuals with the condition – many of whom have never seen a specialist – these "virtual house calls" could allow them to live independently while effectively manage the symptoms of the disease.
New understanding of chlamydial disease: Novel simultaneous RNA-Seq analysis tracks host/pathogen interactions
Investigators at the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have developed a new technique that can track the activity of a disease-causing microbe and the host cell response to that pathogen simultaneously. Using the new method to examine Chlamydia trachomatis infection, the study team observed how the response of the infected cell contributes to one of the hallmark outcomes of chlamydial disease—tissue scarring. Their findings appear in the December 4 issue of PLOS One.
IVF improving but fertility treatments keep multiple births high
Fertility technology in the United States has a huge influence on the frequency of twins, triplets, and other multiple births, according to new estimates published Dec. 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Eli Y. Adashi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Brown University, and his colleagues calculated that more than a third of twin births and more than three-quarters of triplets or higher-order births in the United States in 2011 were the result of fertility treatments.
Researchers unravel important role of Rb tumor suppressor in aggressive form of breast cancer
The retinoblastoma (Rb) protein plays a critical role in suppressing the multi-step process of cell migration through the bloodstream, lymphovascular invasion and the metastasis of an aggressive type of breast cancer to the lung, researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Cancer Institute, the Cincinnati Cancer Center (CCC) and the UC Brain Tumor Center have found.
Study finds inflammation linked to obesity in adults may be protective in young children
The first study of its kind, led by Melinda Sothern, PhD, CEP, Professor and Director of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, reveals that the same pro-inflammatory proteins linked to obesity and the metabolic syndrome in adults appear to protect children prior to puberty. The findings are published online in the International Journal of Obesity in the Accepted Article Preview.
Study finds origin of inherited gene mutation causing early-onset Alzheimer's
The age and origin of the E280A gene mutation responsible for early-onset Alzheimer's in a Colombian family with an unusually high incidence of the disease has been traced to a single founder dating from the 16th century.
Not in the mood but want to be? New studies bring women hope
For women, passing midlife can deal a blow to their sex drive. But two new studies just published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society, offer hope to women who want to get their sexual mojo back.
Active component of grape seed extract effective against cancer cells
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published online ahead of print in the journal Nutrition and Cancer describes the laboratory synthesis of the most active component of grape seed extract, B2G2, and shows this synthesized compound induces the cell death known as apoptosis in prostate cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
Social stigmas against breast-feeding may contribute to African-American college students' hesitation
African-American mothers breast-feed their children at lower rates than Caucasian, Latina and Asian mothers. This difference often has been attributed to socio-demographic factors such as age, income, education and personal experience with breast-feeding. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri has discovered that African-American college students are aware of the benefits of breast-feeding for infants, yet some still are hesitant about breast-feeding future children. Evidence revealed a lack of public acceptance toward breast-feeding may influence this hesitation.
Insecticide-laced underwear no match for lice
(HealthDay)—Insecticide-treated underwear won't wipe out lice infestations in homeless shelters, according to a new study.
Morphine, blood thinner plavix a bad mix for heart attack victims
(HealthDay)—Morphine appears to reduce the effectiveness of the commonly used blood-thinning drug Plavix, which could hamper emergency-room efforts to treat heart attack victims, Austrian researchers report.
Shape-shifting stops migrating cancer cells
Like a car with a front and back end, a steering mechanism and an engine to push it forward, cancer cells propel themselves through normal tissues and organs to spread cancer throughout the body. Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida, however, have managed to turn these cells into shapes like a round fried egg and an exaggerated starfish that sticks out in many directions—both of which cannot now move.
Study links sleep to mood disturbance and poor quality of life in obese
A new study shows that poor sleep quality is strongly associated with mood disturbance and lower quality of life among people with extreme obesity.
How prostate cancer cells evolve
(Medical Xpress)—UCLA researchers have discovered how prostate cancer stem cells evolve as the disease progresses, a finding that could help point the way to more highly targeted therapies.
Identifying the pathway that leads to cells forming into an individual body
All organisms begin life as a microscopic cluster of cells. What happens next, as they develop, is a source of endless fascination for scientists.
Medial prefrontal cortex linked to fear response
(Medical Xpress)—In a new paper published in the current issue of Neuron, Harvard Medical School researchers at McLean Hospital report that increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain is linked to decreased activity in the amygdala, the portion of the brain where memories of frightening events are created.
New startup looking to cure genetic diseases by editing genes in new way
(Medical Xpress)—A new startup company called Editas Medicine (with $43 million in funding) is looking to expand on research that has already led to a system called Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas (the Cas part is the name of a protein that is carried via RNA to the desired location in a DNA base pair) shortened to CRISPR/Cas. Such research, the team believes, will lead to a new type of gene therapy that could perhaps lead to cures for such diseases as Huntington's, sickle-cell anemia or cystic fibrosis.
Researchers discover protein's PC7 critical role in the brain
A team of Montréal researchers at the IRCM led by Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, in collaboration with Dr. William C. Wetsel's team at Duke University, discovered that the protein PC7 plays a critical role in the brain by affecting certain types of cognitive performance such as anxiety, learning and emotional memory. Their results, recently published in the scientific journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Nature, could have a significant impact on regulating behaviour related to anxiety disorders and trauma.
Predicting ovarian cancer survival through tumor-attacking immune cells
One way to predict survival of many types of cancer is by counting the number of tumor-attacking immune cells that have migrated into the tumor in an effort to eradicate it – a sign of the body's immune response to the cancer. However, quantifying these armies of immune cells has been difficult – until now.
Estrogen: Not just produced by the ovaries
A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team reports today that the brain can produce and release estrogen—a discovery that may lead to a better understanding of hormonal changes observed from before birth throughout the entire aging process.
Study gives new meaning to 'let your fingers do the walking'
When you are typing away at your computer, you don't know what your fingers are really doing. That is the conclusion of a study conducted by a team of cognitive psychologists at Vanderbilt and Kobe Universities. It found that skilled typists can't identify the positions of many of the keys on the QWERTY keyboard and that novice typists don't appear to learn key locations in the first place.
Repetitive sounds leave young brain starved for blood vessels
(Medical Xpress)—Repetitive sounds and seizures experienced in infancy can permanently hinder formation of blood vessels in the brains of mice, Yale University researchers report online Dec. 4 in the journal Nature.
How our nerves keep firing: Biologists see ultrafast recycling of neurotransmitter-filled bubbles
University of Utah and German biologists discovered how nerve cells recycle tiny bubbles or "vesicles" that send chemical nerve signals from one cell to the next. The process is much faster and different than two previously proposed mechanisms for recycling the bubbles.
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