From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 2:08 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Wednesday, Apr 3
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 3, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Nebula One steps forth as world's first cloud computer- Building quantum states with individual silicon atoms
- Simulations reveal formation of some glassy materials like the setting of a bowl of gelatin
- Thrusters powered by ionic wind may be efficient alternative to conventional atmospheric propulsion technologies
- All-optical magnetic switching promises terahertz-speed hard drive and RAM memory
- Resetting addicted brain: Laser light zaps away cocaine addiction
- Scientists report hint of dark matter in first results from $2 billion cosmic ray detector (Update 4)
- Mitochondrial dynamics in neurons: Whats all the fuss about?
- Astronomers anticipate 100 billion Earth-like planets
- Researchers team up with architects to create bladeless wind electricity generator
- Researchers find potential map to more effective HIV vaccine
- Thin clouds drove Greenland's record-breaking 2012 ice melt
- Metacognition: Ability to 'think about thinking' not limited to humans
- Shape from sound: New methods to probe the universe
- 'A better path' toward projecting, planning for rising seas on a warmer Earth
Space & Earth news
Berkeley code captures retreating Antarctic ice
Satellite observations suggest that the shrinking West Antarctic ice sheet is contributing to global sea level rise. But until recently, scientists could not accurately model the physical processes driving retreat of the ice sheet. Now, a new ice sheet model—called Berkeley-ISICLES (BISICLES)—is shedding light on these details.
Earth month: NASA launches new interactive image gallery
In honor of Earth month, NASA has launched a beautiful new interactive image gallery that explores and highlights our latest understanding of Earth science and our changing planet. Included are spectacular images and visualizations to help understand the latest findings.
Extreme weather threatens crops, cities: Official report
Extreme weather caused by global warming poses a growing risk to Australia's crop lands, cities and iconic sites like Kakadu National Park, according to a new report that calls for global emissions to be cut to almost zero by 2050.
Eyes in sky help when catastrophe strikes
Almost unknown to the public, a constellation of satellite guardians is flying overhead, and all it takes is a phone call for them to intervene when a country is hit by a storm, earthquake, tsunami or flood.
Dawn is in silent pursuit of Ceres
In the depths of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, far from Earth, far even from any human-made object, Dawn remains in silent pursuit of dwarf planet Ceres.
Galaxies the way they were
(Phys.org) —Galaxies today come very roughly in two types: reddish, elliptically shaped collections of older stars, and bluer, spiral shaped objects dominated by young stars. The conventional wisdom is that the two types are related to one another, ellipticals representing an older, more evolved stage of galaxies. Astronomers have discovered during the past decade that these two categories seem also to apply to galaxies in the early universe. In particular, galaxies so distant from us that their light has been traveling for about eleven and one-half billion years, 84% of the age of the universe, also generally fall into these two groups.
A new telescope probes a young protostar
(Phys.org) —IRAS 16293-2922B is a very young star – a protostar - perhaps only about ten thousand years old. Slightly smaller in mass than our Sun, it is still deeply embedded in its surrounding natal material, and apparently is even accreting some of that material onto a circumstellar disk that rings the protostar. In the past decade, it has become possible to study such extremely early stages of star formation thanks to submillimeter and infrared telescopes that can peer through the heavy obscuration of dust in the birth clouds. For the first time, astronomers have been able to address some of the key physical processes underway in these early stages of stellar gestation.
How big are galaxies?
I'm going to refrain from the initial response that comes to mind… actually, no I won't—they're really, really, really big!!!!
Scientists 'see' flux rope formation for the first time
(Phys.org) —Naval Research Laboratory scientists have observed, for the very first time, the formation of solar flux ropes, which are a type of solar magnetic field. Models of flux ropes have been drawn by theorists in the past, but scientists had never before observed them at the time they formed. The NRL team made their discovery using high-resolution images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and from the NRL-developed Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) telescopes aboard NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO).
Same-day water pollution test could keep beaches open more often
With warm summer days at the beach on the minds of millions of winter-weary people, scientists are reporting that use of a new water quality test this year could prevent unnecessary beach closures while better protecting the health of swimmers. A study analyzing the accuracy of the test appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Environmental policies matter for growing megacities, study finds
A new study shows clean-air regulations have dramatically reduced acid rain in the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea over the past 30 years, but the opposite is true in fast-growing East Asian megacities, possibly due to lax antipollution rules or lack of enforcement.
The North American Cordillera: Constructive collisions
The mountain ranges of the North American Cordillera are made up of dozens of distinct crustal blocks. A new study clarifies their mode of origin and identifies a previously unknown oceanic plate that contributed to their assembly.
2013 wintertime Arctic sea ice maximum fifth lowest on record (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —Last September, at the end of the northern hemisphere summer, the Arctic Ocean's icy cover shrank to its lowest extent on record, continuing a long-term trend and diminishing to about half the size of the average summertime extent from 1979 to 2000.
Final MAVEN instrument integrated to spacecraft
(Phys.org) —An instrument that will measure the composition of Mars' upper atmosphere has been integrated to NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft. MAVEN has a scheduled launch date of Nov. 18.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used parachute flaps in the wind
(Phys.org) —Photos from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show how the parachute that helped NASA's Curiosity rover land on Mars last summer has subsequently changed its shape on the ground.
Heating the solar wind
(Phys.org) —The Sun glows with a surface temperature of about 5500 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile its hot outer layer (the corona) has a temperature of over a million degrees, and ejects a wind of charged particles at a rate equivalent to about one-millionth of the moon's mass each year. Some of these wind particles bombard the Earth, producing radio static, auroral glows, and (in extreme cases) disrupted global communications.
Research finds second source of potentially disruptive Icelandic volcanoes
New research by The Open University and Lancaster University discovered another type of Icelandic volcanic eruption that could cause disruption. Published in Geology (February 2013), the team found magma that is twice as 'fizzy' as previously believed, which increases the likelihood of disruptive ash clouds from future eruptions.
Earth is 'lazy' when forming faults like those near San Andreas
Geoscientist Michele Cooke and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst take an uncommon, "Earth is lazy" approach to modeling fault development in the crust that is providing new insights into how faults grow. In particular, they study irregularities along strike-slip faults, the active zones where plates slip past each other such as at the San Andreas Fault of southern California.
NGC 602: Taken under the 'wing' of the small magellanic cloud
(Phys.org) —The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is one of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbors. Even though it is a small, or so-called dwarf galaxy, the SMC is so bright that it is visible to the unaided eye from the Southern Hemisphere and near the equator. Many navigators, including Ferdinand Magellan who lends his name to the SMC, used it to help find their way across the oceans.
Europe readies for solar storm risks
Europe launched its first space weather coordination centre Wednesday to raise the alarm for possible satellite-sizzling solar storms that also threaten astronauts in orbit, plane passengers and electricity grids on Earth.
Thin clouds drove Greenland's record-breaking 2012 ice melt
(Phys.org) —If the sheet of ice covering Greenland were to melt in its entirety tomorrow, global sea levels would rise by 24 feet.
Ancient pool of warm water questions current climate models
A huge pool of warm water that stretched out from Indonesia over to Africa and South America four million years ago suggests climate models might be too conservative in forecasting tropical changes.
'A better path' toward projecting, planning for rising seas on a warmer Earth
More useful projections of sea level are possible despite substantial uncertainty about the future behavior of massive ice sheets, according to Princeton University researchers.
Green Pea galaxies could help astronomers understand early universe
The rare Green Pea galaxies discovered by the general public in 2007 could help confirm astronomers' understanding of reionization, a pivotal stage in the evolution of the early universe, say University of Michigan researchers.
NASA team investigates complex chemistry at Titan
(Phys.org) —A laboratory experiment at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., simulating the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan suggests complex organic chemistry that could eventually lead to the building blocks of life extends lower in the atmosphere than previously thought. The results now point out another region on the moon that could brew up prebiotic materials. The paper was published in Nature Communications this week.
Astronomers anticipate 100 billion Earth-like planets
(Phys.org) —Researchers at The University of Auckland have proposed a new method for finding Earth-like planets and they anticipate that the number will be in the order of 100 billion.
Medicine & Health news
Ala. lawmakers tighten rules for abortion clinics
(AP)—Alabama lawmakers have given final passage to a measure placing stricter regulations on clinics that provide abortions.
Meal-induced falls in blood pressure in Parkinson's sufferers
University of Adelaide researchers are hoping to better understand why some sufferers of Parkinson's disease experience a marked reduction in blood pressure after they've eaten a meal.
African-Americans express keen interest in medical research participation, study finds
In interviews with nearly 6,000 residents of five U.S. cities, African-Americans were more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to express an interest in participating in medical research, even if studies involved providing blood or genetic samples. The findings appear online ahead of print in the American Journal of Public Health.
TGen professor discusses benefits of whole genome sequencing in study of multiple myeloma
The scientific benefits of whole genome sequencing at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) will be presented at the 14th International Myeloma Workshop, April 3-7 at the Kyoto International Conference Center.
Anaesthetists' research network to create buzz at national conference
A research network established by a network of training anaesthetists in the South West of England, and which in just nine months has become one of the most successful of its kind in the UK, is set to create a buzz at the national Group of Anaesthetists in Training (GAT) annual scientific meeting in Oxford.
Study puts average economic cost of each quad bike death at $2.3m
The average cost to the Australian economy of each quad bike related fatality is $AUD2.3 million, according to fresh research that tallied up the cost of lost earnings, emergency services, accident investigations and other factors.
Measuring ultrasound for better treatment of muscle injuries
A new tool developed at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK's National Measurement Institute, could help improve the quality of ultrasound treatment for soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains and ligament damage.
Effectiveness of a spray that greatly improves dry mouth sensation caused by anti-depressants
Researchers from the universities of Granada and Murcia have confirmed the effectiveness of a spray containing 1% malic acid, which greatly improves xerostomy, or dry mouth, caused by anti-depressant drugs. This product, combined with xylitol and fluorides, in a spray format, stimulates saliva production in patients with this illness, thus improving their quality of life.
Ophthalmologists urge early diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) continues to be the leading cause of visual impairment in the United States for people over age 65, according to a study recently published online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. AMD is a potentially blinding disease that affects more than 9.1 million Americans. This study, which tracked vision loss in relation to eye disease and treatment response in nearly 5,000 patients over a 20-year period, showed that despite the recent discovery of sight-saving drugs and advances in disease prevention, AMD still causes severe vision loss in approximately 15 percent of Americans 85 and older.
Michelle Obama challenges kids with lunch contest
(AP)—Children from across the nation will rub elbows with Michelle Obama and dine off fine china in the East Room of the White House this summer as part of a contest to promote healthy eating.
Advances in molecular testing offer new hope for lung cancer patients
The emergence of molecular diagnostic testing in lung cancer offers new hope for patients battling the number one cancer killer in the United States and abroad. Now, for the first time after a decade of biomarker testing in lung cancer, a uniform approach for testing for the EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement along with the availability of targeted therapies offer lung cancer patients the chance for improved quality of life and more time with their loved ones.
Canadian scientists charged with smuggling germs
Canadian federal police on Wednesday charged two former government scientists with allegedly trafficking in dangerous and highly contagious germs.
Early poor mental health link to early puberty
(Medical Xpress)—Children who have an earlier onset of puberty have poorer mental health from as early as preschool age, a new study by Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has found.
Cisplatin-resistant cancer cells sensitive to experimental anticancer drugs, PARP inhibitors
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors may be a novel treatment strategy for patients with cancer that has become resistant to the commonly used chemotherapy drug cisplatin, according to data from a preclinical study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Acid reflux? It's in the genes
(Medical Xpress)—For many years it has been thought that acid reflux and a related condition called Barrett's Oesophagus were acquired conditions, via diet, smoking and other lifestyle activities. However, recent family and twin studies have shown that those with Barrett's Oesophagus may have their genes to thank for their predisposition to this condition.
Scientists: China bird virus likely silent threat
Scientists taking a first look at the genetics of a bird flu strain that has killed three people in China said Wednesday that the virus could be harder to track than its better-known cousin H5N1 because it might be able to spread among poultry without showing any signs.
Cell reprogramming to cure leukaemia and lymphoma
Researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona reprogramme lymphoma and leukaemia cells to halt their malignancy. Resulting cells remain benign even when no longer subjected to treatment and reduce likelihood of developing new tumours.
China reports another death from H7N9 bird flu (Update)
A man in the Chinese province of Zhejiang has died of the H7N9 strain of bird flu, state media said Wednesday, bringing the total deaths attributed to the virus to three since the first human cases.
Time to Change evaluation shows drop in mental health discrimination
(Medical Xpress)—A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has shown there has been an 11.5% reduction in average levels of discrimination. Led by King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), the study of England's Time to Change anti-stigma programme (run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness) provides the first evidence that it is possible to change the way the public treat people with mental health problems, but that a long term focus is needed to ensure that discrimination is removed from all areas of people's lives.
Discovery could speed up heart failure and pneumonia diagnosis
(Medical Xpress)—University of Otago researchers have discovered a potential new tool to help doctors in emergency departments quickly and accurately diagnose patients with heart failure and pneumonia.
Rotorua's hydrogen sulphide does not worsen asthma
In a recently published collaborative study by the University of Otago, Wellington, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University it has been shown that there are no ill effects from low level hydrogen sulphide gas on asthma symptoms or diagnosis in Rotorua. Hydrogen sulphide or H2S is responsible for the characteristic "sulphur" smell of Rotorua.
Old drug offers new hope against Niemann-Pick Type C—rare, deadly childhood disease
(Medical Xpress)—Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is playing a leading role in one of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) first clinical trials to improve treatments for rare and neglected diseases.
High blood pressure in pregnancy may spell hot flashes later
Women who have hypertensive diseases during pregnancy seem to be at higher risk of having troublesome hot flashes and night sweats at menopause, report researchers from the Netherlands in an article published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. This is the first study to look at this association.
Tips to help your child manage the challenges of autism
(Medical Xpress)—As Autism Awareness Month kicks off this April, experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) offer tips to an increasing number of parents and children facing the challenges the disorder presents.
Targeting mental defeat among pain patients could prevent anxiety and depression
(Medical Xpress)—A new study of Hong Kong chronic pain patients suggests that targeting feelings of mental defeat could prevent severe depression, anxiety and interference with daily activities.
How the DSM-5 has come to grief
(Medical Xpress)—Widespread confusion about what constitutes grief, 'normaI' depression and clinical depression risks being exacerbated under the American Psychiatry Association's newest classification system, professor of psychiatry Gordon Parker warns.
The hunt for the creative individual
Some people are more creative than others and are literally bubbling with ideas, while others rarely or never show signs of creativity. What should we look for when searching for creative people?
Study identifies co-factors critical to PTSD development
Research led by Ya-Ping Tang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has found that the action of a specific gene occurring during exposure to adolescent trauma is critical for the development of adult-onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.) The findings are published in PNAS Online Early Edition the week of April 1-5, 2013.
Researchers probe the enigma of healing element that is also the enemy
The same factor in our immune system that is instrumental in enabling us to fight off severe and dangerous inflammatory ailments is also a player in doing the opposite at a later stage, causing the suppression of our immune response.
Are there cerebral abnormalities in eating disorders?
A report from the University of Freiburg that is published in one of the last issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics address the presence of cerebral abnormalities in eating disorders.
What triggers chronic dizziness?
A report in one of the last issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the physical and psychological triggers for attacks in Meniere's disease. Ménière's disease (MD) is a debilitating disease of the inner ear for which the main symptoms comprise vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus and a sense of fullness or pressure in the ear. Residual and movement-provoked dizziness may also occur between major attacks.
Scientists advance findings about novel, low-toxicity anticancer agent
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) have found that a new formulation of a promising anticancer agent, the small chemical molecule FL118, is even more effective in controlling two types of cancer than a version reported in PLOS ONE six months earlier proved to be. Additional evidence also suggests that the agent may successfully treat other solid tumors as well.
Forget about plaque when diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease
(Medical Xpress)—An Australian study has shown that plaque, long considered to be the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, is one of the last events to occur in the Alzheimer's brain. This finding will impact the current debate about how best to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease.
New view of origins of eye diseases
Using new technology and new approaches, researchers at Lund University in Sweden hope to be able to explain why people suffer vision loss in eye diseases such as retinal detachment and glaucoma.
Dental anesthesia may interrupt development of wisdom teeth in children
Researchers from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine have discovered a statistical association between the injection of local dental anesthesia given to children ages two to six and evidence of missing lower wisdom teeth. The results of this epidemiological study, published in the April issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association, suggest that injecting anesthesia into the gums of young children may interrupt the development of the lower wisdom tooth.
Urinary tract infections 29 times more likely in schizophrenia relapse
Schizophrenia patients experiencing relapse are 29 times more likely than healthy individuals to have a urinary tract infection, researchers report.
WHO urges more effort to beat high blood pressure
Individuals and governments need to step up their efforts to battle high blood pressure, which is estimated to affect more than one in three adults aged over 25, the World Health Organisation said Wednesday.
H7N9 bird flu cases set to climb, but no pandemic: WHO
The number of cases of H7N9 bird flu in China looks set to climb as experts identify previously unexplained infections, but a lack of human-to-human transmission means a pandemic is not on the cards, the World Health Organisation said Wednesday.
New relief for gynecological disorders
The creation of new blood vessels in the body, called "angiogenesis," is usually discussed in connection with healing wounds and tumors. But it's also an ongoing process in the female reproductive tract, where the growth and breaking of blood vessels is a normal part of the menstrual cycle. But abnormal growth of blood vessels can have painful consequences and resultant pathologies.
Smoking and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls are 'red flag' for postmenopausal osteoporosis
Depression, anxiety, and smoking are associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) in adults, but these factors have not previously been studied during adolescence, when more than 50% of bone accrual occurs. This longitudinal preliminary study is the first to demonstrate that smoking and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls have a negative impact on adolescent bone accrual and may become a red flag for a future constrained by low bone mass or osteoporosis and higher fracture rates in postmenopausal years. The study is published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, the official journal of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM).
Brain-imaging tool and stroke risk test help identify cognitive decline early
UCLA researchers have used a brain-imaging tool and stroke risk assessment to identify signs of cognitive decline early on in individuals who don't yet show symptoms of dementia.
Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is linked to arterial stiffness
(HealthDay)—Cardiac autonomic dysfunction as measured by lower heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with increases in both central and vascular vascular stiffness among youths with type 1 diabetes regardless of underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, according to research published online Feb. 22 in Diabetes Care.
Belgium study tracks trends in end-of-life decision making
(HealthDay)—In Belgium, between 1998 and 2007, euthanasia was legalized and palliative care was intensified, which led to an increase in end-of-life decisions (ELDs) and fewer life-ending acts without the patient's explicit request, according to research published online March 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Rate of nephrectomy at lymph node dissection is declining
(HealthDay)—Over the last 30 years, the incidence of nephrectomy at post-chemotherapy (PC) retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) has steadily declined, according to research published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.
Bone density can improve in spine, femur post-spine surgery
(HealthDay)—Following successful lumbar spine surgery, the bone mineral density (BMD) of the vertebral body and femoral neck can increase but appears to related to post-operative walking ability, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.
Melanoma rates rising in US children
(HealthDay)—Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, doesn't usually occur in kids, but a new study shows that it's happening more often.
Cancer cases dropped after nuke plant closed, study finds
(HealthDay)—There were about 4,300 fewer than expected cases of cancer among people in Sacramento County, Calif., in the two decades after the closure of the Rancho Seco nuclear reactor, according to a new study.
Third-generation device significantly improves capture of circulating tumor cells
A new system for isolating rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) – living solid tumor cells found at low levels in the bloodstream – shows significant improvement over previously developed devices and does not require prior identification of tumor-specific target molecules. Developed at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Engineering in Medicine and the MGH Cancer Center, the device rapidly delivers a population of unlabeled tumor cells that can be analyzed with both standard clinical diagnostic cytopathology and advanced genetic and molecular technology. The MGH team's report has been published in Science Translational Medicine.
Brain cell signal network genes linked to schizophrenia risk in families
New genetic factors predisposing to schizophrenia have been uncovered in five families with several affected relatives. The psychiatric disorder can disrupt thinking, feeling, and acting, and blur the border between reality and imagination.
Gel safe and acceptable as approach to preventing HIV from anal sex
A reformulated version of an anti-HIV gel developed for vaginal use was found safe and acceptable by HIV-negative men and women who used it rectally, according to a Phase I clinical trial published today in PLOS ONE. The study, led by researchers with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Microbicide Trials Network (MTN), tested a reduced glycerin formulation of tenofovir gel, and has spurred the development of an expanded safety study of the gel, expected to launch later this year.
Phase 1 ALS trial is first to test antisense treatment of neurodegenerative disease
The initial clinical trial of a novel approach to treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – blocking production of a mutant protein that causes an inherited form of the progressive neurodegererative disease – may be a first step towards a new era in the treatment of such disorders. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Washington University School of Medicine report that infusion of an antisense oligonucleotide against SOD1, the first gene to be associated with familial ALS, had no serious adverse effects and the drug was successfully distributed thoughout the central nervous system.
Multiple factors predict repeat suicide-related behavior in youth
New research out of St. Michael's Hospital has found that multiple factors independently predict what makes youth more likely to make repeat suicide-related behaviour.
Researchers say one specific microrna promotes tumor growth and cancer spread
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have determined that the overexpression of microRNA-155 (miR-155), a short, single strand of ribonucleic acid encoded by the miR-155 host gene, promotes the growth of blood vessels in tumors, tumor inflammation, and metastasis. As a therapeutic target, miR-155 could potentially provide a new avenue of treatment when targeted with drugs to suppress its activity.
New evidence shows PubMed Central undermines journal usage
PubMed Central may draw readership away from biomedical journal sites, with this effect increasing over time. This finding—that PubMed Central directly competes with biomedical publishers—was published online in The FASEB Journal. In the study, Phillip M. Davis shows that as articles are deposited in PubMed Central, they draw readership away from the scientific journal even when journals themselves are providing free access to the articles. Over time, this may weaken the ability of journals to build communities of interest around research papers, impede the communication of news and events to scientific society members and journal readers, and ultimately reduce the perceived value of the journal to subscribers.
Researchers develop new system to study trigger of cell death in nervous system
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a new model system to study a receptor protein that controls cell death in both humans and fruit flies, a discovery that could lead to a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Medical patients aren't bargain hunters
Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) offer low premiums but high deductibles on the premise that patients who are faced with deductibles of $1,000 or more for individual coverage (or twice that for family coverage) will shop around for the best price for the health care.
Researchers to develop next generation immunotherapy for children with deadly solid tumors
Recently, research using adoptive T-cell immunotherapy in blood cancers have shown success, most notably in the case of a seven-year-old girl whose leukemia went into remission using altered T-cells and a disabled HIV virus. Now, two of the pediatric cancer scientists involved in the T-cell/HIV study will develop a new experimental cancer immunotherapy treatment option for children with high-risk solid tumors based on the same novel approach that uses a patient's own T-cells to attack tumor cells.
Marriage can threaten health: Study finds satisfied newlyweds more likely to gain weight
On average, young newlyweds who are satisfied with their marriage gain weight in the early years after they exchange vows, putting them at increased risk for various health problems related to being overweight.
SARS-like virus seems to cause deep lung infection
A new and deadly virus that has killed 11 of the 17 patients treated for it in the Middle East and Britain appears to cause an infection deep in the lungs, researchers said Wednesday.
Dementia costs top those for heart disease or cancer, study finds
The monetary cost of dementia in the United States ranges from $157 billion to $215 billion annually, making the disease more costly to the nation than either heart disease or cancer, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
On-and-off approach to prostate cancer treatment may compromise survival
Taking a break from hormone-blocking prostate cancer treatments once the cancer seems to be stabilized is not equivalent to continuing therapy, a new large-scale international study finds.
Assessing disease surveillance and notification systems after a pandemic
Significant investments over the past decade into disease surveillance and notification systems appear to have "paid off" and the systems "work remarkably well," says a Georgetown University Medical Center researcher who examined the public health response systems during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. The findings are published online today in PLOS ONE.
Low testosterone levels may herald rheumatoid arthritis in men
Low testosterone levels may herald the subsequent development of rheumatoid arthritis in men, suggests research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
China bird flu mutates, might infect mammals
In a worrisome sign, a bird flu in China appears to have mutated so that it can spread to other animals, raising the potential for a bigger threat to people, scientists said Wednesday.
Combo therapy helps knock out fungal meningitis
(HealthDay)— A drug regimen containing two powerful antifungal medicines—amphotericin B and flucytosine—reduced the risk of dying from cryptococcal meningitis by 40 percent compared to treatment with amphotericin B alone, according to new research.
Researchers develop universal flu vaccine: New technology could become available to consumers within a decade
(Medical Xpress)—Flu is unpredictable. Influenza viruses are constantly changing—from one season to the next or even within the course of a flu season—making vaccine development difficult.
Legal levels of atrazine alter neuroendocrine, reproductive genes in zebrafish
(Medical Xpress)—A Purdue University study found an agricultural herbicide alters reproductive and neuroendocrine genes during embryonic development in fish, a finding that will help establish a genetic profile to determine atrazine's specific effects.
Feeling hungry may protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease, study finds
The feeling of hunger itself may protect against Alzheimer's disease, according to study published today in the journal PLOS ONE. Interestingly, the results of this study in mice suggest that mild hunger pangs, and related hormonal pathways, may be as important to the much-discussed value of "caloric restriction" as actually eating less.
Autism linked to increased genetic change in regions of genome instability
(Medical Xpress)—Children with autism have increased levels of genetic change in regions of the genome prone to DNA rearrangements, so called "hotspots," according to a research discovery to be published in the print edition of the journal Human Molecular Genetics. The research indicates that these genetic changes come in the form of an excess of duplicated DNA segments in hotspot regions and may affect the chances that a child will develop autism—a behavioral disorder that affects about 1 of every 88 children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Breakthrough cancer-killing treatment has no side-effects, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Cancer painfully ends more than 500,000 lives in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The scientific crusade against cancer recently achieved a victory under the leadership of University of Missouri Curators' Professor M. Frederick Hawthorne. Hawthorne's team has developed a new form of radiation therapy that successfully put cancer into remission in mice. This innovative treatment produced none of the harmful side-effects of conventional chemo and radiation cancer therapies. Clinical trials in humans could begin soon after Hawthorne secures funding.
Researchers find potential map to more effective HIV vaccine
By tracking the very earliest days of one person's robust immune response to HIV, researchers have charted a new route for developing a long-sought vaccine that could boost the body's ability to neutralize the virus.
Accused of complicity in Alzheimer's, amyloid proteins may be getting a bad rap
Amyloids—clumps of misfolded proteins found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders—are the quintessential bad boys of neurobiology. They're thought to muck up the seamless workings of the neurons responsible for memory and movement, and researchers around the world have devoted themselves to devising ways of blocking their production or accumulation in humans.
Will cell therapy become a 'third pillar' of medicine?
Treating patients with cells may one day become as common as it is now to treat the sick with drugs made from engineered proteins, antibodies or smaller chemicals, according to UC San Francisco researchers. They outlined their vision of cell-based therapeutics as a "third pillar of medicine" in an article published online April 3 in Science Translational Medicine.
Scientists identify first potentially effective therapy for human prion disease
Human diseases caused by misfolded proteins known as prions are some of most rare yet terrifying on the planet—incurable with disturbing symptoms that include dementia, personality shifts, hallucinations and coordination problems. The most well-known of these is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which can be described as the naturally occurring human equivalent of mad cow disease.
Is a better sleeping pill on the way?
(HealthDay)—A new class of sleep medications appears to help people fall asleep without causing grogginess the next day, researchers say.
Mitochondrial dynamics in neurons: Whats all the fuss about?
(Medical Xpress)—In the epic series Star Wars, the mysterious energy field known simply as, the Force, was communicated by microscopic endosymbionts known as midichlorians. Their real world counterparts, the mitochondria, are increasingly seen as the main players in almost all of the important functions of a cell. In his popular 2005 book, Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of Life, Nick Lane established that the need for genetic error correction in mitochondria belies much of their seemingly inexhaustible obsession with fission, fusion, and apoptosis. A paper just published in the Journal of Cell Science by a group in Estonia has applied automated tracking techniques to put some real numbers on all this mitochondrial fuss and maneuver, and gives us some insight as to what might be going on inside the cell.
Resetting addicted brain: Laser light zaps away cocaine addiction
By stimulating one part of the brain with laser light, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have shown that they can wipe away addictive behavior in rats – or conversely turn non-addicted rats into compulsive cocaine seekers.
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