From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 1:56 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Friday, Aug 9
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 9, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- The world according to Itskov: Futurists convene at GF2045 (Part 2)- Physicists propose Higgs boson 'portal' as the source of this elusive entity
- Researchers speed up transistors by embedding tunneling field-effect transistor
- Study monitors DNA breaks and chromosome translocations in real time
- Researchers devise a way to measure volatile organic compound exchange in the atmosphere
- Controlling skyrmions for better electronics
- Researchers discover midair collisions enhance the strength of sandstorms
- The day before death: A new archaeological technique gives insight into the day before death
- How parents see themselves may affect their child's brain and stress level
- German companies to automatically encrypt emails (Update)
- New insights into the polymer mystique for conducting charges
- The 'genetics of sand' may shed new light on evolutionary process over millions of years
- Cells eat themselves into shape
- Chemists design 'smart' nanoparticles to improve drug delivery, DNA self-assembly
- Five times less platinum: Fuel cells could become economically more attractive thanks to novel aerogel catalyst
Space & Earth news
Researchers constrain the sources of climate- and health-afflicting air pollution from China
Particulate air pollution from incomplete combustion is affecting climate over East Asia more than carbon dioxide and cause premature deaths of over half a million annually in China alone, yet its sources have been poorly understood. In this week's issue of Environmental Science and Technology (journal of the American Chemical Society) a research team from China, Sweden, USA and South Korea use a powerful carbon-14 method to show that four-fifths of the soot particle air pollution are from fossil fuel combustion such as household cooking with coal briquettes and city traffic, drastically changing the view on sources and guiding efforts to mitigate emissions.
Enhanced oil recovery research lab targets stranded reserves
Tens of billions of barrels of oil remain stranded in aging fields in Wyoming's Big Horn, Wind River and Powder River basins, according to David Mohrbacher, director of the University of Wyoming's Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI). A portion of this stranded oil, between 1 billion and 3 billion barrels, can be recovered at today's oil prices using enhanced oil recovery techniques.
Oil exploration threatens Africa's billion dollar World Heritage Site
Africa's oldest national park could be worth US$1.1 billion per year if developed sustainably, rather than being given over to potentially-damaging oil extraction, a report released by WWF today has found.
Innovative project gives South American communities a voice in protecting their own environments
Today, as the world marks the United Nations' International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, a project at Royal Holloway University is highlighting the crucial contribution local people in South America can make in helping to protect the natural environment.
Philippine oil spill turns Manila Bay red
A diesel oil spill spread a large reddish stain over Manila Bay in the Philippines' capital on Friday, posing potential health and environmental hazards, authorities said.
Poised for discovery: Gemini's much-anticipated infrared instrument goes on-sky
(Phys.org) —Gemini Observatory's latest instrument, a powerful infrared camera and spectrograph at Gemini South, reveals its potential in a series of striking on-sky commissioning images released today.
North Atlantic atmospheric circulation increases mountainous weather systems and river flow in upland Britain
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the most important type of climatic variability in the northern hemisphere. It controls the strength of westerly winds between the "Azores high"' and the "Icelandic low" that bring a succession of weather systems to Western Europe. New research has looked at the influence of the NAO on orographic precipitation, mountainous weather systems, and river flow in upland Britain.
Astronomers celebrate 'celestial pollution' from Perseid Meteor Shower
This weekend, as millions of people gaze up at the stars and wait for Perseid meteors to streak across the sky, one would hardly think that these awe-inspiring "shooting stars" are also a source of atmospheric pollution.
NASA paints a panorama of Pacific tropical cyclones
The Central and Eastern Pacific Oceans continue to be active on Aug. 9, as Hurricane Henriette weakens and two other low pressure systems continue developing. All three systems were captured on the one panoramic satellite image.
NASA sees some strength in developing Tropical Depression 11W headed for Luzon
Tropical Depression 11W formed in the western North Pacific Ocean and appears to be tracking toward Luzon, in the Northern Philippines. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of the tropical depression as it continues to organize and strengthen.
Deep Earth heat surprise
The key to understanding Earth's evolution is to look at how heat is conducted in the deep lower mantle—a region some 400 to 1,800 miles (660 to 2,900 kilometers) below the surface. Researchers at the Carnegie Institution, with colleagues at the University of Illinois, have for the first time been able to experimentally simulate the pressure conditions in this region to measure thermal conductivity using a new measurement technique developed by the collaborators and implemented by the Carnegie team on the mantle material magnesium oxide (MgO). They found that heat transfer is lower than other predictions, with total heat flow across the Earth of about 10.4 terawatts, which is about 60 % of the power used today by civilization. They also found that conductivity has less dependence on pressure conditions than predicted. The research is published in the August 9, online Scientific Reports.
Perseids promise spectacular shooting star show
Stargazers will be treated to a spectacular fireball show early next week when Earth hits a belt of comet debris known as the Perseids, astronomers say.
Heliophysics nugget: Mapping tons of meteoric dust in the sky
(Phys.org) —Heliophysics nuggets are a collection of early science results, new research techniques, and instrument updates that further our attempt to understand the sun and the dynamic space weather system that surrounds Earth.
Bird eggs reveal urban pollution
Birds' eggs show just how serious a problem river pollution remains in the UK's former industrial heartlands, according to a new study.
Seasonal carbon dioxide range expanding as more is added to Earth's atmosphere
Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise and fall each year as plants, through photosynthesis and respiration, take up the gas in spring and summer, and release it in fall and winter.
Constructing a 3-D map of the large-scale structure of the universe
An international team led by astronomers from Kyoto University, the University of Tokyo and the University of Oxford has released its first version of a 3D map of the Universe from its FastSound project, which is surveying galaxies in the Universe over nine billion light years away. Using the Subaru Telescope's new Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph (FMOS), the team's 3D map includes 1,100 galaxies and shows the large-scale structure of the Universe nine billion years ago (Figure 1).
Researchers devise a way to measure volatile organic compound exchange in the atmosphere
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from the U.S., the Netherlands, and Italy has found a way to detect and measure the exchange of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes how they used a new technique to measure VOC concentrations in the air above an orange grove in California.
Medicine & Health news
China promotes breast-feeding amid tainted milk
With her 1-day-old son propped against her in a hospital bed nursing, Qi Wenjuan says she has no desire to feed her child with infant formula.
The physiologist who discovered the role of low blood oxygen at high altitude
Nowadays, it's well accepted that the cause for altitude sickness—the host of symptoms including headache, fatigue, digestive problems, dizziness, and sleep disorders that occurs when climbers ascend a tall peak too quickly—is low levels of oxygen in the blood. However, before the mid-1860s, altitude sickness was still a mystery. A French researcher named Paul Bert is often hailed as the father of low altitude physiology for publishing an influential book in 1878 on the sometimes-harmful effects of high altitude, attributing them to what's now known as hypoxia. However, often lost in this history is that hypoxia was first identified as the altitude sickness' root years earlier by French physician Denis Jourdanet.
Advanced nanotechnologies for diagnosing cancer
One promising area in the fight against cancer is the use of nanotechnology - the manipulation of matter at an atomic and molecular scale for specific medical aims.
Unsubstantiated claims against incretin drugs draw fiery response
The conclusions reached by the authors of a recent autopsy study stating that incretin-based drugs to treat diabetes can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer are overstated and unnecessarily alarmist, according to a Critique published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The Critique is available free on the DTT website at http://www.liebertpub.com/dia.
Smart pill bottle heads to clinical trials
Patented at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, (UAH), a smart pill bottle that notifies you to take your medications or reminds you if you missed a dose could be en route to medicine cabinets as soon as 2015.
Clinicians give thoughts on patient evaluation
In a novel twist, Western Australia researchers have asked clinicians working in the mental health field how they want the care given to patients to be evaluated.
Waking the dead? Some things you should know about dying
Not content with saving lives, doctors are now credited with (accused of?) bringing the dead back to life. But how true are the stories we hear about people "coming back" from being dead and how does it work?
California Health Interview Survey releases new 2011-12 data on health of Californians
The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) today released new data based on interviews with more than 44,000 households in California. The survey, conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, covered hundreds of topics affecting state residents' health and well-being.
Study paints complex health portrait of single-room occupancy hotel tenants in Downtown Eastside
A new study is revealing the multiple health concerns faced by an estimated 3,000 tenants in single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Autism affects different parts of the brain in women and men
Autism affects different parts of the brain in females with autism than males with autism, a new study reveals. The research is published today in the journal Brain as an open-access article.
With early, obvious benefit of a targeted cancer drug, should expensive clinical testing continue?
Generally, FDA-approved clinical trials progress through three phases: the first shows safety, the second starts to explore effects and the third seeks to prove a drug's superiority over existing treatments. But when a drug's benefit is obvious in the first or second phase, is the third, costly phase needed? The question is posed in a recent edition of the journal Nature Reviews: Clinical Oncology by Robert C. Doebele, MD, PhD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and assistant professor of medical oncology at the CU School of Medicine.
Кesearchers identify gene variations that may help predict cancer treatment response
Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center have identified four inherited genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients that can help predict survival and treatment response. Their findings could help lead to more personalized treatment options and improved outcomes for patients.
Dogs help sniff out ovarian cancer in Pa. study
Researchers in Philadelphia have begun an ovarian cancer detection study that relies on dogs' keen sense of smell.
Early maturation in girls linked to less physical activity and poorer quality of life, research finds
A series of studies from the Department for Health have found that girls who reach maturity earlier than their peers are less active and more likely to report a poorer health-related quality of life.
iPhone device detects heart rhythm problem that can cause stroke
A special iPhone case and app can be used to quickly and cheaply detect heart rhythm problems and prevent strokes, according to University of Sydney research presented at the Australia and New Zealand Cardiac Society conference today on the Gold Coast.
Study finds that some depressed adolescents are at higher risk for developing anxiety
Some adolescents who suffer with symptoms of depression also may be at risk for developing anxiety, according to a new study of children's mental health.
Formula-fed babies may be more susceptible to chronic disease, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Formula-fed infants experience metabolic stress that could make them more susceptible than breast-fed infants to a wide range of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, liver problems and cardiovascular disease, according to new research at the University of California, Davis.
Natural swimming pools also get contaminated
The use of natural pools - those that do not use chlorine or other chemical disinfection products - has seen an upward trend in recent years. Now, scientists from the University of Barcelona have discovered faecal contamination in some pools due to droppings from birds and other animals. As such, they recommend investigating the scope of the problem and determining the microbiological parameters that would ensure that people can bathe healthily.
New gene therapy advance holds promise for the treatment of the global killer HBV
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) kills between 600 000 and one million people a year globally, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Life-threatening complications from HBV include liver cancer and cirrhosis.
Seeing the brain at greater depth
Brain tissue is opaque, so classical microscopy methods require slicing the brain into ultra-thin slivers to allow light to shine through. Techniques have been developed to enhance brain tissue transparency, but the chemicals used have a range of limitations. Takeshi Imai and colleagues from the Laboratory for Sensory Circuit Formation at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have now developed a 'clearing' agent called SeeDB that resolves many of these limitations.
High lifetime costs for type 2 diabetes
A person with type 2 diabetes may spend an average of nearly $85,500 to treat the disease and its complications over his or her lifetime, reports a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the greater the lifetime costs, with costs for women slightly higher than for men. Anything that can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes could lead to a sizeable reduction in healthcare costs in the future, say the researchers.
World-first research to explain why actions speak louder than words
An innovative series of experiments could help to unlock the mysteries of how the brain makes sense of the hustle and bustle of human activity we see around us every day.
Outgoing young people become happier seniors
(HealthDay)—People who were outgoing and energetic as young adults seem to be happier with their lives by the time they hit retirement age, a new study suggests.
Gene variants linked to obesity
(HealthDay)—Variants of a gene are associated with overweight and obesity in psychiatric patients taking drugs that induce weight gain, as well in the general population, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in JAMA Psychiatry.
FDA approves rapid diagnostic test for HIV antigen, antibodies
(HealthDay)—The first rapid test to detect the HIV-1 antigen, as well as blood antibodies for the HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Low childhood conscientiousness predicts adult obesity
Results from a longitudinal study show that children who exhibit lower conscientiousness (e.g., irresponsible, careless, not persevering) could experience worse overall health, including greater obesity, as adults. The Oregon Research Institute (ORI) study examines the relationship between childhood personality and adult health and shows a strong association between childhood conscientiousness (organized, dependable, self-disciplined) and health status in adulthood. ORI scientist Sarah Hampson, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health, Hawaii report these findings in the August issue of Health Psychology. Hampson was recently the discussant for a panel on personality and health at the national American Psychological Association meeting in Honolulu, HI.
New hope for improved TB treatments
Researchers at the University of Southampton have identified new markers of tuberculosis (TB) that may help in the development of new diagnostic tests and treatments.
Shape and meaning: A study explores how the brain encodes visual objects
Opening our eyes and seeing the world before us, full of objects, is a simple action we may take for granted. Yet our brain is constantly carrying out a huge analysis only to let us see a flower, a pen, the face of our children. Where exactly in our brain does shape become meaning? A group of scientists coordinated by Davide Zoccolan of SISSA of Trieste, in collaboration with the team headed over by Riccardo Zecchina of Polytechnic University of Turin (within the Programma Neuroscienze 2008/2009 financed by Compagnia di San Paolo), studied a specific area of the brain that is located precisely halfway between the visual and the semantic analysis, shedding light on its function. The study has been just published in PLOS Computational Biology.
New treatment for brittle bone disease found
A new treatment for children with brittle bone disease has been developed by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Children's Hospital.
Addressing ethical, social, and cultural issues in global health research
Resolving complex ethical, social and cultural issues in the early stage of a global health research project or clinical trial can improve the impact and quality of that research, a new report says.
New study suggests chronic cocaine use causes profound metabolic changes, reducing the body's ability to store fat
Chronic cocaine use may reduce the body's ability to store fat, new research from the University of Cambridge suggests.
Successful treatment of triple negative breast cancer by modulation of the OGF-OGFr axis
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, led by Dr. Ian S. Zagon, have discovered that a novel biological pathway, the OGF-OGFr axis, can be modulated in human triple-negative breast cancer cells to inhibit proliferation. According to BreastCancer.org 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer and more than 39,000 deaths occur annually. Approximately 15 to 20% of all breast cancers are designated as triple-negative meaning that the cancer cells lack estrogen and progesterone receptors, and do not overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2), thereby limiting responsiveness to approved therapy.
First-trimester biomarker may help identify early GDM risk
(HealthDay)—Glycosylated fibronectin may be able to identify pregnant women during the first trimester at risk for developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), according to a study published online Aug. 5 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Reanastomosis is cost-effective for pregnancy post-ligation
(HealthDay)—For women desiring pregnancy after tubal ligation, laparoscopic reanastomosis is the most cost-effective choice for women aged 40 years or younger and for older women with higher in vitro fertilization (IVF) costs, according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Positive diagnostic strategy non-inferior to exclusion in IBS
(HealthDay)—For patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a positive diagnostic strategy is non-inferior to a strategy of exclusion for patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL), according to a study published in the August issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
IPAs and PHOs viable option for small independent practices
(HealthDay)—For small and medium-size independent practices, sharing care management and information technology resources with other practices through an independent practice association (IPA) or physician-hospital organization (PHO) is a viable alternative and may improve care for patients with chronic conditions, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
Obese youth more likely to develop asthma
(HealthDay)—Obese youth are more likely to develop asthma, and are more likely to have severe asthma, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
MRI-guided cryoablation viable for recurrent prostate cancer
(HealthDay)—In men with recurrent prostate cancer following radiation therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided focal cryoablation is feasible and seems safe, according to a study published in the August issue of Radiology.
Salmonella outbreak sickens 307 in 37 states
(HealthDay) —— A major multistate outbreak of salmonella infection linked to baby poultry was reported Friday by U.S. government health officials.
Ultrasound device might be a mood booster
(HealthDay)—Imagine putting on special ultrasound headphones and cheering up when you're feeling blue. Such a device could someday be an option, a new small study suggests.
Women seek alcohol treatment between an average of 4 to 5 years earlier than men
Epidemiological studies have revealed that historical differences between men and women in substance use – such as lifetime dependence rates, and quantities of alcohol consumed – have narrowed in recent decades. However, recent examination of gender differences in drinking patterns and rapidity of disease progression in women, generally referred to as "telescoping," among treatment-seekers is largely lacking. Results from a new study of these gender differences in a sample of individuals seeking treatment for a substance use disorder are only partially supportive of gender-contingent telescoping.
Racial differences in types of alcohol drinks consumed by adolescent girls
Previous research has shown that white, compared to black, adolescents have higher rates of alcohol use, and show more rapid increases in alcohol use. Yet little is known about racial differences in types of alcohol consumed. A study of changes that may occur regarding type of alcohol beverage consumed during adolescence, when initial experimentation may transition to greater use, has found that black and white girls report significantly different risk profiles.
Cigarette taxation helps to reduce drinking among groups considered vulnerable
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the U.S., while heavy drinking ranks as the third leading cause of preventable death. Cigarette taxation has been recognized as one of the most significant policy instruments to reduce smoking. Given that smoking and drinking often occur together, a first-of-its-kind study has examined cigarette taxation and found that increases are associated with modest to moderate reductions in alcohol consumption among vulnerable groups.
How players strike keys depends on how muscles are used for keystrokes that occur before and after
Researchers have long been aware of a phenomenon in speech called coarticulation, in which certain sounds are produced differently depending on the sounds that come before or after them. For example, though the letter n is usually pronounced with the tongue pressed near the middle of the mouth's roof (as in the word "ten"), it's pronounced with the tongue farther forward when it's followed by –th (as in "tenth"). A decade ago, researchers discovered that this phenomenon extends to a different kind of communication, American Sign Language. Knowing that hand movements could be affected according to where they fit in during sign language, researchers wondered if there was a similar effect on hands when they were used to produce sound, such as playing the piano.
Combined therapy could repair and prevent damage in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
New research on two promising gene therapies suggests that combining them into one treatment not only repairs muscle damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but also prevents future injury from the muscle-wasting disease. The work, led by a team at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, is the first to look at the approach in aged mice, a key step toward clinical trials in patients. The findings were published in July in Human Molecular Genetics.
Dengue epidemic looms for Central American region
Central America is on track to have one of its worst years ever for the painful, sometimes fatal disease of dengue, prompting governments across the region to mobilize against the mosquito-borne virus.
Lasers in toys can cause serious eye damage, FDA warns
(HealthDay)—Lasers in toys can be dangerous to children and those around them, posing the risk of serious eye injuries and even blindness, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Researchers show how brain's micro-environment fuels metastatic tumor growth
When a cancer cell breaks off from a tumor in the breast, lung or other part of the body and flows through the bloodstream to the brain, trouble erupts. Like a dandelion seed landing in the most fertile of soils, the tumor cell takes root, multiplies and rapidly grows into an often lethal metastatic brain tumor.
New inhibitor blocks the oncogenic protein KRAS
One of the major goals in the development of anti-cancer treatments is to find an inhibitor effective against the oncogenic protein known as KRAS. Despite decades of active agent research, efforts to intercede in this protein's cancer-promoting effect have not been successful. KRAS only becomes fully functional once it is anchored in the cell membrane. Therefore, the location of KRAS in the cell is closely connected with its cancer-promoting effect. In a new study, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund have now discovered how the transport of KRAS to the cell membrane can be interfered with by a new type of inhibitor. The approach that Deltarasin takes as an inhibitor is not directed against KRAS itself as previous approaches have been, but instead against the KRAS transport protein PDEδ. These research results open up approaches to cancer therapy, especially for the most deadly of all cancers, cancer of the pancreas, which is often d! etected at such a late stage that therapies can no longer counter it.
How parents see themselves may affect their child's brain and stress level
A mother's perceived social status predicts her child's brain development and stress indicators, finds a study at Boston Children's Hospital. While previous studies going back to the 1950s have linked objective socioeconomic factors—such as parental income or education—to child health, achievement and brain function, the new study is the first to link brain function to maternal self-perception.
Study monitors DNA breaks and chromosome translocations in real time
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers in the U.S. have developed a new method to study damage to DNA and resultant translocations in living cells.
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