From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 2:01 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Wednesday, Jul 24
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 24, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Researchers offer explanation for higher survival rate of freshwater organisms after Chicxulub asteroid impact- NFC Ring is designed to unlock your door and smartphone
- Splice this: End-to-end annealing demonstrated in neuronal neurofilaments
- Ancient technology for metal coatings 2,000 years ago can't be matched even today
- Shedding new light on the brightest objects in the universe
- First human tests of new biosensor that warns when athletes are about to 'hit the wall'
- Full genome map of oil palm indicates a way to raise yields and protect rainforest
- Heading for regeneration
- Neural simulations hint at the origin of brain waves
- New study refutes existence and clinical potential of very small embryonic-like stem cells
- A magnetic pen for smartphones adds another level of conveniences
- Scientists reach holy grail in label-free cancer marker detection: Single molecules
- Biophysicist obtains first experimental evidence of pressure inside the herpes virus
- Starburst to star bust: Astronomers ID suspect behind dearth of high-mass galaxies
- Rules of attraction: Catching a peahen's eye
Space & Earth news
Melting glaciers leave exposed a bounty of knowledge on developing ecosystems and soil microbial communities
Glacier retreat areas provide an excellent window into the evolution of microbial communities, an ideal opportunity for scientists to study how quickly soil biological functions become established and how ecosystems begin to form. Soils are not static in the landscape, but instead evolve with time under the influence of multiple environmental factors – understanding how these factors interact can lead to advancements in the science and management of soils.
Atmospheric rivers set to increase UK winter flooding
The prolonged heat wave that has bathed the UK in sunshine over the past month has given the country an unexpected taste of summer that has seemed to be missing in recent years.
The case for climate models
In the absence of time-travelling climatologists, models are unrivalled tools for understanding future climate, even when news ones predict wider uncertainties, write Sophie Lewis and Sarah Perkins.
Heat and storms: research helps suburban homes adapt to climate change
As the heat wave turns to thunder and lightning, concerns about the impact of heat on the elderly and vulnerable in their homes remain. A research project led by UWE Bristol offers practical advice on how homes in suburban neighbourhoods can adapt to weather extremes and this has led to changes in local and national policy.
Curiosity makes its longest one-day drive on Mars
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity drove twice as far on July 21 as on any other day of the mission so far: 109.7 yards (100.3 meters).
Research examines importance of 'drought-busting' tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones that make landfall in the southeastern United States typically make news with the damage they cause. But a study by an Indiana University Bloomington researcher and several colleagues shows that the weather events also play an important role in ending drought.
Navigating our way through solar threats (w/ Video)
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are now routinely used for high accuracy operations around the globe. But the signals we rely on are vulnerable to ionospheric perturbations – fluctuations in the upper atmosphere - the ionosphere - driven by solar activity.
Space debris: A tale of two satellites
It's sometimes tough being a satellite in Earth orbit these days.
Ecological study discovers impact of the great drought on forests
(Phys.org) —The impact extreme weather can play on British forests and the lessons to be learned to make them more resilient to future climate change is the subject of an ecological study published today.
NASA sees newborn eastern Atlantic tropical depression
The fourth tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season was born west of the Cape Verde Islands in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean on July 24. NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provides continuous views of the Atlantic Ocean basin and captured an image of the newborn storm.
Cost of Arctic methane release could be 'size of global economy' warn experts
Researchers have warned of an "economic time-bomb" in the Arctic, following a ground-breaking analysis of the likely cost of methane emissions in the region.
Space art eyes creativity in tech at Smithsonian
(AP)—The familiar exteriors of astronauts' space suits often hide all of the ingenuity and mechanics that are built inside and were first imagined as "wearable spacecraft."
Study proposes changes in New Orleans area levee systems
Less may mean more when it comes to the levee systems designed to protect New Orleans from hurricanes.
NASA's Spitzer observes gas emission from comet ISON
Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have observed what most likely are strong carbon dioxide emissions from Comet ISON ahead of its anticipated pass through the inner solar system later this year.
Coastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected
For the first time, scientists have documented an acceleration in the melt rate of permafrost, or ground ice, in a section of Antarctica where the ice had been considered stable. The melt rates are comparable with the Arctic, where accelerated melting of permafrost has become a regularly recurring phenomenon, and the change could offer a preview of melting permafrost in other parts of a warming Antarctic continent.
Study of gene expression in common blue-green algae reveals what makes it bloom, toxic
If your local pond, lake, or watering hole is looking bright green this summer, chances are it has blue-green algae and it may be dangerous to you or your pets. A newly published study has used a novel approach to better understand why these algae form blooms and what makes them toxic.
Starburst to star bust: Astronomers ID suspect behind dearth of high-mass galaxies
A new study published in the journal Nature shows how vigorous star formation can turn the tables on a starburst galaxy by forcing hydrogen and other gases high into the surrounding galactic halo, leaving little fuel for the next generation of stars.
Full genome map of oil palm indicates a way to raise yields and protect rainforest
A multinational team of scientists has identified a single gene, called Shell, that regulates yield of the oil palm tree. The fruit and seeds of the oil palm are the source of nearly one-half of the supply of edible vegetable oil worldwide, and provide one of the most promising sources of biofuel.
Shedding new light on the brightest objects in the universe
A Dartmouth-led team of astrophysicists has discovered the extent to which quasars and their black holes can influence their galaxies.
Solar system's youth gives clues to planet search
Comets and meteorites contain clues to our solar system's earliest days. But some of the findings are puzzle pieces that don't seem to fit well together. A new set of theoretical models from Carnegie's Alan Boss shows how an outburst event in the Sun's formative years could explain some of this disparate evidence. His work could have implications for the hunt for habitable planets outside of our solar system. It is published by The Astrophysical Journal.
Research team solves Martian meteorite age puzzle
By directing energy beams at tiny crystals found in a Martian meteorite, a Western University-led team of geologists has proved that the most common group of meteorites from Mars is almost 4 billion years younger than many scientists had believed – resolving a long-standing puzzle in Martian science and painting a much clearer picture of the Red Planet's evolution that can now be compared to that of habitable Earth.
Shifting patterns of temperature volatility in the climate system
In recent decades there has been increased variability in yearly temperature records for large parts of Europe and North America, according to a study published online in Nature.
Researchers offer explanation for higher survival rate of freshwater organisms after Chicxulub asteroid impact
After studying what likely occurred in the aftermath of Earth being struck by the Chicxulub asteroid, a team of researchers in the U.S. has found evidence to suggest organisms in freshwater lakes and streams fared far better than did organisms that lived in the oceans. In their paper published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, the team offers an explanation of why freshwater fish and other organisms had lower rates of extinction than did those that lived in the sea.
Medicine & Health news
Differences in mammography recall rate between 2 centers, study finds
A new study at Rhode Island Hospital has found that academic medical centers have higher rates of recall following mammography than community radiology centers. The recall rate is the frequency at which a radiologist interprets an examination as positive and the patient is instructed to return for more testing. The study is published online in advance of print in the journal Radiology.
Cyclists in Tour de France dope because of high pressure to perform
Cyclists who dope in the Tour de France do so for the same reason traders on Wall Street might cheat—because of extreme pressure to perform, according to a new University of California, Davis, study.
Osteoarthritis improved by extra physiotherapy programmes
Aanual physiotherapy or regular exercise programmes make a significant difference for people with painful osteoarthritis in the knee and hip joints, and are cost-effective, new research from the University of Otago shows.
Under-18 cosmetic surgery laws need stitching up
Laws banning cosmetic surgery for Queensland minors will only be effective if the other states also jump on board, a QUT law lecturer has said.
New NIST standard reference material to help calibrate hospital CAT scanners
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new standard reference material (SRM), the first such measurement tool to enable hospitals to link important tissue density measurements made by CAT scans to international standards.
Cognitive performance of adolescent girls who walk to school is better than that of girls who travel by bus or car
Cognitive performance of adolescent girls who walk to school is better than that of girls who travel by bus or car. Moreover, cognitive performance is also better in girls who take more than 15 minutes than in those who live closer and have a shorter walk to school.
Zambia halts beef imports
Zambia's largest beef company, Zambeef said Wednesday it has stopped importing beef products from Europe after they tested positive for a cancer causing chemical.
Emergency response could be faster, better, and more confident with 'option awareness' approach
In a paper on decision making, human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) researchers found that choosing the best available emergency response could be improved by showing decision makers a depiction of the emergency decision space that allows them to compare their options visually. The researchers have developed the theory of option awareness (how people perceive and understand the desirability of available options), which can increase decision-making speed as well as accuracy, and confidence.
Medicare spending rates based on regional cost variations unlikely to improve health care
A "geographic value index" that would tie Medicare payment rates to the health benefits and costs of health services in particular regions of the country should not be adopted by Congress, says a new congressionally mandated report from the Institute of Medicine. The committee that wrote the report concluded that decisions about health care generally are made at the level of the physician or organization, such as a hospital, not at the regional level. Because individual physician performance varies, sometimes even within a single practice group, an index based on regions is unlikely to encourage more efficient behavior among individual providers, and therefore, is unlikely to improve the overall value of health care. The new report reiterates the findings of the committee's interim report released in March 2013.
Fidaxomicin: Data subsequently submitted by manufacturer prove added benefit
In the commenting procedure on early benefit assessment pursuant to the German Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), under certain circumstances drug manufacturers may submit to the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) additional documents for dossiers. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now assessed such additional information for two studies comparing the antibiotic fidaxomicin, which is used for diarrhoea caused by Clostridium difficile infections, with vancomycin.
High rate of early delirium after surgery in older adults
Close to half of older adults undergoing surgery with general anesthesia are found to have delirium in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).
Patient warming systems may affect ventilation in OR, study suggests
Forced-air systems used to keep patients warm during surgery may affect the performance of operating room (OR) ventilation systems—potentially increasing exposure to airborne contaminants, reports a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).
Brothers and sisters learn to build positive relationships in SIBS Program
Little is known about how sibling relationships impact child and family functioning, but Penn State researchers are beginning to shed light on intervention strategies that can cultivate healthy and supportive sibling relationships.
Combining treatments for people who inject drugs is the first step towards eliminating hepatitis C
The burden of liver disease could be dramatically reduced by scaling up the combination of interventions for hepatitis C infection among people who inject drugs according to University of Bristol researchers. The findings, published today [24 July], form part of new global recommendations on treating the virus.
Physical inactivity, poor diet and smoking linked to disability in older population
Disability is commonly defined as "difficulty or dependency in carrying out activities essential to independent living". With the number of disabled people expected to increase in coming years, researchers feel there is a need to define preventive strategies and slow this progression.
Much ado about babies
The management of childbirth and care of newborns have always been hotly-debated topics. PhD candidate Leah Astbury looks at narratives of reproduction in the 16th and 17th centuries and finds evidence for many of the same concerns.
Children as young as seven affected by parents smoking
A new study out today (24 July) shows that children as young as seven had elevated levels of cotinine (a by-product of nicotine) in their blood if their mother smoked, particularly children whose mothers smoked ten cigarettes a day or more.
Sex hormones linked to breast cancer risk in women under 50
Premenopausal women with high levels of sex hormones in their blood have an increased risk of breast cancer, an Oxford University study suggests, though further research is needed to understand this link.
Prescriptions for valproate not decreasing despite birth defect-causing concerns
A recent study shows that prescriptions for the antiepileptic drug valproate have not decreased in recent years even though the drug is known to cause severe birth defects and brain damage. A new study indicates that women without epilepsy are four times as likely to be prescribed this drug as are women with epilepsy.
To sleep: perchance to dream ...
"Sleep is the best medicine," says the old proverb. But many adults don't benefit enough from sleep, with as many as 60 percent reporting sleep problems at least several nights a week.
New herbal supplement helps slim and trim without side effects, studies show
Study participants who took a new herbal supplement, while also exercising and controlling their food intake, had greater success in losing weight and slimming down than did those who didn't take the supplement, report researchers at the University of California, Davis, and in India.
High levels of a specific enzyme in fetuses linked to anxiety
Mouse embryos with the human enzyme CYP2C19 in the brain develop a smaller hippocampus and anxiety-like behaviour as adults. The results of this new study, which is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, agree in principle with earlier genetic findings in humans, and can improve science's understanding of the genetic factors behind depression and anxiety disorders and contribute to the development of new anti-anxiety drugs.
Bioactive paper will revolutionize point-of-care diagnostics
A pair of University researchers have received a $600,000 CIHR award to develop a bioactive paper that aims to provide an inexpensive, point-of-care diagnostic tool to measure bronchitis in patients with airway diseases, such as asthma, COPD and chronic cough.
Scientists edge closer towards first pancreatitis treatment
Scientists have for the first time provided proof of principle for a drug-based treatment of acute pancreatitis – a disease for which currently there is no treatment.
Researchers explore childhood development and sleep patterns
Be it the stress of poor work-life balance and everyday living or the seemingly endless stream of technological advancement unleashed globally on a daily basis, sleep patterns have become neglected for some and nightmarish for others over the past 20 years. And it's not adults but children that are most likely to be affected.
Beware of cold viruses even during summertime
Is it just me or do summer colds seem much worse than winter colds? And why do we get colds during the summer anyway?
Research shows novel way in which Salmonella can resist antibiotics and antibacterial soaps
Salmonella bacteria – most frequently spread to humans by infected food – that develop a resistance to one group of antibiotics are also less susceptible to killing by other, unrelated antibiotics and a biocide used in common household items, including soap and washing up liquid, new research from the University of Birmingham has shown.
New biomarker for bowel cancer could help predict if disease will spread
Scientists have identified a protein that could play a crucial role in recognising whether bowel cancer patients need chemotherapy as there is a high risk of their bowel cancer spreading, according to a new study1 published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Study finds lack of sleep contributes to prejudice and stereotyping
Does sleepiness make one more likely to be prejudiced or to engage in stereotyping? In a recent study, Assistant Professor Sonia Ghumman from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Shidler College of Business found that individuals who lack sleep were more likely to engage in prejudice and stereotyping behavior.
New theory makes vision transparent
A computational vision scientist at the University of South Australia has just published new research describing a key advance in our understanding of how the brain perceives the physical world.
Shakespeare and cancer diagnoses: how bard can it be?
Shakespeare's plays and cancer: two seemingly unrelated topics with an underlying common thread.
Low radon concentrations accurately measurable for the first time
You can't see it, you can't smell it, you can't taste it – but at high doses, it can be lethal: the natural radioactive noble gas radon occurs especially in places where the subsoil consists of granite. It can, however, also occur in construction materials.
Trust in physician eases talks about medical expenses
Strong relationships with physicians, particularly those that are long standing, are likely to increase patients' openness to talk about health care costs when decisions are being made about their treatment options. According to a new study by Marion Danis from the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in the US, and colleagues, rushed visits with insufficient time to talk about important issues can undermine efforts to bring sensitive topics like costs into the doctor-patient relationship and can be counterproductive. The work appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.
New stem cell gene therapy gives hope to prevent inherited neurological disease
Scientists from The University of Manchester have used stem cell gene therapy to treat a fatal genetic brain disease in mice for the first time.
Does the dangerous new Middle East coronavirus have an African origin?
The MERS-coronavirus is regarded as a dangerous novel pathogen: Almost 50 people have died from infection with the virus since it was first discovered in 2012. To date all cases are connected with the Arabian peninsula. Scientists from the University Bonn (Germany) and South Africa have now detected a virus in the faeces of a South African bat that is genetically more closely related to MERS-CoV than any other known virus. The scientists therefore believe that African bats may play a role in the evolution of MERS-CoV predecessor viruses. Their results have just been published online in the journal "Emerging Infectious Diseases".
Novel gene target shows promise for bladder cancer detection and treatment
Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have provided evidence from preclinical experiments that a gene known as melanoma differentiation associated gene-9/syntenin (mda-9/syntenin) could be used as a therapeutic target to kill bladder cancer cells, help prevent metastasis and even be used to non-invasively diagnose the disease and monitor its progression.
Marijuana use in adolescence may cause permanent brain abnormalities, study finds
Regular marijuana use in adolescence, but not adulthood, may permanently impair brain function and cognition, and may increase the risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, according to a recent study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Researchers hope that the study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology—a publication of the journal Nature – will help to shed light on the potential long-term effects of marijuana use, particularly as lawmakers in Maryland and elsewhere contemplate legalizing the drug.
Researchers target HER1 receptor for peptide cancer vaccine, therapeutic agents
Small proteins called peptides that consist of 10 to 50 amino acids are being studied as cancer vaccines and as possibly safer, more effective and less costly alternatives to the monoclonal-antibody-based drugs and small-molecule inhibitors now used to treat many malignancies.
Improving medicine acceptance in kids: A matter of taste
Despite major advances in the pharmaceutical treatment of disease, many children reject medicines due to an aversion to bitter taste. As such, bitterness presents a key obstacle to the acceptance and effectiveness of beneficial drugs by children worldwide.
Researchers reveal genetic glitch at the root of allergies
Newly published research by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the Johns Hopkins Institute of Genetic Medicine reveals that a faulty genetic pathway already known for its role in some connective tissue disorders is also a potent player in many types of allergies.
Dark chocolate lovers show higher tolerance for bitterness in chocolate ice cream
To make the inherent bitterness of cocoa in chocolate ice cream more palatable, manufacturers add high levels of fat and sugar. Yet, bitterness is an integral part of the complex flavor of chocolate. In a new study published in the August issue of the Journal of Dairy Science, investigators report that consumers who prefer dark chocolate in solid form tolerate twice the amount of bitter ingredients in chocolate ice cream than those who prefer milk chocolate. Elimination of some added sugar and fats in chocolate ice cream may be acceptable, and perhaps preferable, to some consumers.
Record incidence of hantavirus disease
2824 new cases of hantavirus disease were reported in Germany in 2012, the highest number ever in a single year. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Detlev Krüger and coauthors present the main facts about this disease.
Study clarifies surgical options for kidney cancer
Surgery is often the first step in treating kidney cancer, and new data from the University of Rochester Medical Center, which contradicts earlier research, questions whether removal of only the tumor (partial nephrectomy) is better than removing the entire kidney (radical nephrectomy).
Monoclonal antibody effective against norovirus
Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) provide the first proof of concept data showing that a monoclonal antibody can neutralize human norovirus. This research, which could one day lead to effective therapies against the virus, was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.
A novel screening method makes it easier to diagnose and treat children with autism
Researchers have developed a new screening method to diagnose autism, which unlike current methods does not rely on subjective criteria. These results are published in a series of studies in the open-access journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.
A promising target to treat asthma
An enzyme known for its role in heart disease may well be a promising target to treat asthma. Researchers from the University of Iowa have found that the enzyme, called CaMKII, is linked to the harmful effects of oxidation in the respiratory tract, triggering asthmatic symptoms. The finding could lead to the development of a drug that would target the CaMKII enzyme, the researchers say.
Researchers find link between cancer, diabetes drugs and reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease
People who have endured chemotherapy for some cancers appear to have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease, as do long-term users of a commonly prescribed diabetes drug, scientists have found in separate medical investigations.
More central line infections seen in children with cancer once they leave the hospital
Pediatric cancer patients whose central lines are used to treat them at home develop three times as many dangerous bloodstream infections from their devices than their hospitalized counterparts, according to the results of a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study.
UN declares World Toilet Day
The United Nations on Wednesday declared November 19 as World Toilet Day following a proposal by Singapore whose envoy said he did not care if jokes are made.
Self-help program ups mental health in rheumatic disease
(HealthDay)—A cognitive-behavioral, self-help intervention can improve depression and anxiety in patients with rheumatic conditions, according to a study published in the July issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
New genetic cause of pulmonary hypertension identified
Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) scientists have identified new genetic mutations that can cause pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare fatal disease characterized by high blood pressure in the lungs. The mutations, found in the gene KCNK3, appear to affect potassium channels in the pulmonary artery, a mechanism not previously linked to the condition. Cell culture studies showed that the mutations' effects could be reversed with a drug compound known as a phospholipase inhibitor. The study was published today in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Whole-body computed tomography in severely injured patients in shock increases survival
The analysis of data from the TraumaRegister of the German Trauma Society (DGU) was performed by Stefan Huber-Wagner, MD, and colleagues in close cooperation with Professor Rolf Lefering, PhD, from the Institute for Research in Operative Medicine (IFOM), University of Witten/Herdecke in Cologne.
Central signaling response found in mitochondrial energy diseases
Researchers have identified a master network of signaling molecules that acts like a "fuse box" to regulate the cellular effects of defective energy flow in mitochondrial respiratory chain diseases—a diverse set of difficult-to-treat genetic-based energy disorders. Using that knowledge, they showed that nicotinic acid, a form of vitamin B3, partially restores normal functioning in cells taken from patients with mitochondrial disease.
HPV's link to oesophageal cancer
The human papillomavirus (HPV) triples the risk of people developing yet another cancer, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), according to research led by University of New South Wales (UNSW) academics.
Speaker's power to act on words influences listeners' brain response
A speaker's power to act on his words influences how a listener perceives the meaning of their message, according to research published July 24 in the open access journal PLoS ONE by Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky from the University of Marburg, Germany, and colleagues from other institutions.
'Weightism' increases risk for becoming, staying obese
Weight discrimination may increase risk for obesity rather than motivating individuals to lose weight, according to research published July 24 in the open access journal PLoS ONE by Angelina Sutin and Antonio Terracciano from the Florida State University College of Medicine.
Women want doctors' help in facing fears about sex after heart attack
Women think it would be easier to overcome their fears of sex after having a heart attack if their doctors gave them more information, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Stopping cholesterol drugs may be associated with increased risk of Parkinson's
People who stop taking cholesterol drugs may be at an increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease, according to research that appears in the July 24, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies on the relationship between cholesterol drugs called statins and the risk of Parkinson's disease have had inconsistent results.
Combo hepatitis C prevention for young drug injectors urged
UC San Francisco researchers are recommending a combination of six comprehensive measures to prevent the spread of hepatitis C, in an effort to address the more than 31,000 young people they estimate may be newly infected with the virus each year in the United States due to injection-drug use.
Maternal smoking during pregnancy associated with offspring conduct problems, study suggests
Smoking during pregnancy appears to be a prenatal risk factor associated with conduct problems in children, according to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.
Potential cause of Parkinson's disease points to new therapeutic strategy
Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a significant discovery that could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.
LITE illuminates new way to study the brain
For core faculty member Feng Zhang's lab, nature offers up the raw ingredients needed to control brain cells and understand the brain's wiring. Since joining the Broad Institute and McGovern Institute for Brain Research in 2011, Zhang has recruited neuroscientists, engineers, computer scientists, and others from diverse backgrounds who are interested in developing and optimizing the tools needed to understand the brain. The researchers have turned to bacteria for proteins that can be engineered to bind to precise locations in the genome, and to plants and algae for proteins that are activated by light. Now, Zhang's research team has brought discoveries from both areas of study together to create an expansive toolset for precisely controlling and testing the function of genes and other genetic influences in the brain.
Landmark study on origins of congenital heart disease
(Medical Xpress)—In a first-of-its-kind study published in the journal Nature, scientists identified a group of gene mutations that may be behind up to 10 percent of complex congenital heart defects, the most frequent birth defect and a leading cause of infant death. Up until this point, scientists have understood little about the origin and development of congenital heart disease.
Researcher studies protein's role in aging
With time, the amino acid known as asparagine will eventually degrade. Long considered a type of protein "damage," the phenomenon has come to be accepted as yet another part of aging: our hair turns gray, our joints begin to ache, and our asparagine turns into isoaspartic acid.
New drug may protect the heart during ischemia
Research from three Yale laboratories—in the fields of immunobiology, chemistry, and cardiology—could lead to new drugs to reduce complications during cardiac surgery or heart attacks. If they pan out in human trials, the drugs would limit the detrimental impact of ischemia—restriction of blood flow—thereby cutting the degree of damage to the heart. The research appeared in the June online issue of Circulation.
Bacterial blockade: Research explains how gut microbes can inactivate cardiac drugs
For decades, doctors have understood that microbes in the human gut can influence how certain drugs work in the body—by either activating or inactivating specific compounds—but questions have remained about exactly how the process works.
How do babies learn to be wary of heights?
Infants develop a fear of heights as a result of their experiences moving around their environments, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
An evolutionary compromise for long tooth preservation
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, have conducted stress analyses on gorilla teeth of differing wear stages. Their findings show that different features of the occlusal surface antagonize tensile stresses in the tooth to tooth contact during the chewing process. They further show that tooth wear, with its loss of dental tissue and reduction of occlusal relief decreases tensile stresses in the tooth. The result, however, is that food processing becomes less effective. Thus, when the condition of the occlusal surface changes during an individual's lifetime due to tooth wear, the biomechanical requirements on the existing dental material change as well – an evolutionary compromise for longer tooth preservation.
Face identification accuracy is in the eye and brain of the beholder, researchers say
Though humans generally have a tendency to look at a region just below the eyes and above the nose toward the midline when first identifying another person, a small subset of people tend to look further down –– at the tip of the nose, for instance, or at the mouth. However, as UC Santa Barbara researchers Miguel Eckstein and Matthew Peterson recently discovered, "nose lookers" and "mouth lookers" can do just as well as everyone else when it comes to the split-second decision-making that goes into identifying someone. Their findings are in a recent issue of the journal Psychological Science.
New study refutes existence and clinical potential of very small embryonic-like stem cells
Scientists have reported that very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), which can be isolated from blood or bone marrow rather than embryos, could represent an alternative to mouse and human embryonic stem cells for research and medicine. But their very existence is hotly debated, and a study appearing online on July 24th in the ISSCR's journal Stem Cell Reports, published by Cell Press, provides strong evidence against the existence of VSELs capable of turning into different cell types. The findings call into question current plans to launch a clinical trial aimed at testing whether VSELs can be used for regenerative medicine in humans.
Biophysicist obtains first experimental evidence of pressure inside the herpes virus
Herpes viruses are like tiny powder kegs waiting to explode. For more than 20 years scientists suspected that herpes viruses were packaged so full of genetic material that they built up an internal pressure so strong it could shoot viral DNA into a host cell during infection. No one had been able to prove that theory until now.
Neural simulations hint at the origin of brain waves
For almost a century, scientists have been studying brain waves to learn about mental health and the way we think. Yet the way billions of interconnected neurons work together to produce brain waves remains unknown. Now, scientists from EPFL's Blue Brain Project in Switzerland, at the core of the European Human Brain Project, and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in the United States, show in the July 24th edition of the journal Neuron how a complex computer model is providing a new tool to solve the mystery.
Heading for regeneration
The rabbit can't do it, neither can a frog, but zebrafish and axolotls can and flatworms are true masters of the craft: Regeneration. Why some animals can re-grow lost body parts or organs while others cannot remains a big mystery. And even more intriguing to us regeneration-challenged humans is the question whether one might be able to activate regenerative abilities in species that don't usually regenerate.
Pressurized virus blasts its infectious DNA into human cells
The virus that causes those painful lip blisters known as cold sores has an internal pressure eight times higher than a car tire, and uses it to literally blast its infectious DNA into human cells, scientists are reporting in a new study. Discovery of the pressure-driven infection mechanism—the first in a human virus—opens the door to new treatments for viral infections, they add in a study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Key molecular pathways leading to Alzheimer's identified
Key molecular pathways that ultimately lead to late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of the disorder, have been identified by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The study, which used a combination of systems biology and cell biology tools, presents a new approach to Alzheimer's disease research and highlights several new potential drug targets. The paper was published today in the journal Nature.
Want to stick with your diet? Better have someone hide the chocolate
If you are trying to lose weight or save for the future, new research suggests avoiding temptation may increase your chances of success compared to relying on willpower alone. The study on self-control by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Dusseldorf was published today in the journal Neuron.
Research reveals luxury products' role in relationships (w/ Video)
Purchasing designer handbags and shoes is a means for women to express their style, boost self-esteem, or even signal status. New University of Minnesota research suggests some women also seek these luxury items to prevent other women from stealing their man.
Laser-controlled molecular switch turns blood clotting on, off on command
Researchers have designed tiny, light-controlled gold particles that can release DNA controls to switch blood clotting off and on. The results are reported July 24 in the open access journal PLoS ONE by Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli and colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Splice this: End-to-end annealing demonstrated in neuronal neurofilaments
While popularly publicized neuroscience research focuses on structural and functional connectomes, timing patterns of axonal spikes, neural plasticity, and other areas of inquiry, the intraneuronal environment also receives a great deal of investigative attention.
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