From: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 2, 2013 at 9:19 PM
Subject: [Forum Pascala PRALNIA] Fwd: Phys.org Newsletter Thursday, Aug 22
To: pascal.alter@gmail.com
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 23, 2013 at 2:02 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Thursday, Aug 22
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 22, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Physicist proves impossibility of quantum time crystals- Researchers figure out why gold nanoparticles can penetrate cell walls
- Computer simulations indicate calcium carbonate has a dense liquid phase (w/ Video)
- Chemical engineers' research may lead to inexpensive, flexible solar cells (w/ Video)
- Researchers find mother beetles eat young that beg too much
- NIST ytterbium atomic clocks set record for stability
- Study offers insight into Saharan dust migration
- Wolves howl because they care
- Yahoo shares gain as it tops Web traffic
- Scientists transform non-beating human cells into heart-muscle cells
- Astronomers use Hubble images for movies featuring space slinky
- Morphing manganese
- New risk model sheds light on arsenic risk in China's groundwater
- Jekyll and Hyde: motion may explain similar enzymes' divergence
- Toxic nanoparticles might be entering human food supply, study finds
Space & Earth news
Former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton dies
NASA says former space shuttle astronaut and test pilot C. Gordon Fullerton has died at age 76.
Predicting when lightning will strike
When something is unlikely to happen, people often say that there is a greater chance of being struck by lightning. The fact is however that lightning does strike, and is one of the leading weather-related causes of death and injury.
Women at NASA manage novel hurricane mission
Women at NASA have made important contributions to the agency's missions, since its founding in 1958. But, as recently as 20 years ago, the number of women in key technical and project management positions was small. In 1993, women were 11 percent of all managers at NASA. By 2012, women made up 30 percent of all NASA managers, according to a Workforce Information Cubes for NASA (WICN) report provided by the National Shared Services Center at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss.
NASA image: Agricultural fires in central Africa
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite detected hundreds of fires burning in central Africa on August 21, 2013. The fires are outlined in red. Most of the fires burn in grass or cropland which is obscured by the smoke in this image.
To protect Amazon, Colombia enlarges nature reserve
Colombia on Wednesday more than doubled the size of a huge nature reserve as it fights to protect the Amazon from deforestation.
More than 300,000 affected by Sudan floods: WHO
More than 300,000 people across Sudan have been affected by floods which killed almost 50 people this month, the UN's World Health Organisation said in a statement received Thursday.
Workers strike at world's largest radio telescope
Workers at the world's largest radio telescope are staging a strike to demand better pay and working conditions.
How does your garden grow?
Food and biofuel crops could be grown and maintained in many places where it wasn't previously possible, such as deserts, landfills and former mining sites, thanks to an inexpensive, non-chemical soil additive.
What's for dinner on Mars?
Imagine finding freeze-dried meats and fruits, dehydrated vegetables, egg crystals, ghee-like anhydrous butter, powdered milk and chipotle peppers in your kitchen, but not a morsel of fresh food.
California's iconic redwoods in danger from fire and infectious disease
First it was sudden oak death, the oak disease caused by the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, that threatened California's extensive coastal forests.
More efficient and economical capture of power plant carbon dioxide emissions
A consortium led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a new technology that captures the carbon dioxide emissions of power plants more economically and ecologically. The International Energy Agency IEA regards carbon dioxide capture as essential if the emission reduction targets set for greenhouse gases are to be met. The new technology is based on a combination of traditional circulating fluidised bed combustion and oxyfuel combustion, enabling more extensive use of cheaper fuels and even biomass. Political decisions and legislative changes will be necessary before widespread implementation of this new technology.
NASA crashes helicopter to study safety
NASA researchers will drop a 45-foot-long helicopter fuselage from a height of about 30 feet to test improved seat belts and seats and advance experimental techniques and crashworthiness data.
NASA Goddard plays major role in NASA lunar mission
(Phys.org) —In partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Calif., Goddard's Wallops Flight Facility will launch the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer known as LADEE in September, a robotic mission that will study the moon's thin atmosphere and dust particles.
Beetles modify emissions of greenhouse gases from cow pats
Cattle contribute to global warming by burping and farting large amounts of greenhouse gases. Some of the same gases are also emitted from cow pats on pastures. But now researchers from the University of Helsinki have found that beetles living in cow pats may reduce emissions of the key greenhouse gas - methane.
Old concrete can protect nature
Usually we think of demolished concrete walls and floors as environmental contaminants, but in fact this material may turn out to be a valuable resource in nature protection work. This is the conclusion from researchers from University of Southern Denmark after studying the ability of crushed concrete to bind phosphorus.
Hindcast experiments capture long-term climate fluctuations
Will there be rather warm or cold winters in Germany in the coming years? We may have a long way to go before reliable forecasts of this kind can be achieved. However, marine scientists, under the auspices of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, recently managed to successfully hindcast climate shifts in the Pacific. These shifts also have a profound effect on the average global surface air temperature of the Earth. The most recent shift in the 1990s is one of the reasons that the Earth's temperature has not risen further since 1998. The study, published in the online edition of Journal of Climate, shows the potential for long-term climate predictions.
The 'whole' problem with recycling
Findings from a University of Alberta researcher shed new light on what may be stopping people from recycling more.
A Pacific-wide satellite view catches Tropical Storm Pewa and a developing storm
A view of the Pacific Ocean from NOAA's GOES-West satellite caught Tropical Storm Pewa moving through the Northwestern part of the ocean and two developing low pressure areas, one designated System 94E, several hundred miles off the Mexican coast.
NASA catches Typhoon Trami's landfall in China
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Typhoon Trami during the time it was making landfall in eastern China and captured an infrared view of the storm.
Scientists explore deepest trough in Caribbean Sea
The man whose research team discovered the wreckage of the Titanic has now turned his attention to the deepest trough of the Caribbean Sea.
NASA spacecraft reactivated to hunt for asteroids: Probe will assist agency in search for candidates to explore
(Phys.org) —A NASA spacecraft that discovered and characterized tens of thousands of asteroids throughout the solar system before being placed in hibernation will return to service for three more years starting in September, assisting the agency in its effort to identify the population of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, as well as those suitable for asteroid exploration missions.
Radar images of asteroid 2005 WK4
(Phys.org) —A collage of radar images of near-Earth asteroid 2005 WK4 was generated by NASA scientists using the 230-foot (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2013.
Russian spacewalkers encounter faulty equipment (Update 2)
A pair of spacewalking Russian cosmonauts installed a new telescope mount on the International Space Station on Thursday, despite a flaw in the device.
3-D Earth model more accurately pinpoints source of earthquakes, explosions
During the Cold War, U.S. and international monitoring agencies could spot nuclear tests and focused on measuring their sizes. Today, they're looking around the globe to pinpoint much smaller explosives tests.
A solar magnetic reversal means there's no need to flip out—yet
You may have read the sun's magnetic field is heading for a change in field polarity – meaning it will flip upside down – and could have ripple effects throughout the entire solar system.
Study offers insight into Saharan dust migration
Satellite pictures of Saharan dust clouds have been in the news all summer, but to Shankar Chellam, they have just raised more questions.
Astronomers use Hubble images for movies featuring space slinky
(Phys.org) —Astronomers have assembled, from more than 13 years of observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a series of time-lapse movies showing a jet of superheated gas—5,000 light-years long—as it is ejected from a supermassive black hole.
Morphing manganese
An often-overlooked form of manganese, an element critical to many life processes, is far more prevalent in ocean environments than previously known, according to a study led by University of Delaware researchers that was published this week in Science.
New risk model sheds light on arsenic risk in China's groundwater
Arsenic-laden groundwater used for cooking and drinking could pose a risk to the health of almost 20 million people across China. This is shown by a study carried out by Eawag scientists in collaboration with Chinese colleagues and published today in Science. The estimates are based on a risk model incorporating geological and hydrological data, as well as measurements of arsenic in wells. The study is being adopted by the authorities in the national groundwater monitoring program.
Medicine & Health news
Australian parties snub tobacco money
Australia's ruling Labor party pledged a ban on tobacco company donations if returned to office Thursday and the conservatives followed suit, ordering an end to campaign funds from cigarette firms.
Study seeks super agers' secrets to brain health
They're called "super agers"—men and women who are in their 80s and 90s, but with brains and memories that seem far younger.
Hand transplantation: A Swiss research success
Hope for hand amputees: researchers at Inselspital and the University of Bern have successfully tested a new method for local immunosuppression.
Two alternative treatments may help relieve postoperative nausea
Two simple, non-drug treatments—aromatherapy and intravenous administration of a simple sugar solution—may offer effective new approaches to relieving nausea and vomiting after surgery, report a pair of studies in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).
Brazil hires 4,000 Cuban doctors to treat poor (Update)
Brazil will import thousands of Cuban doctors to work in areas where medical services and physicians are scarce, and Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota defended the plan Thursday as a way to give "the best possible medical services for the Brazilian population."
Practical intervention helps patients to quit smoking before surgery
A simple four-part program—including referral to a quit-smoking hotline and a free supply of nicotine patches—can increase the percentage of patients who quit smoking before undergoing surgery, reports a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).
What goes wrong in a brain affected by Alzheimer's disease?
The ability of different regions of the brain to communicate gradually breaks down with aging and in Alzheimer's disease, but there are key differences between these two processes. Some of these differences are reported in a study that compared neural networks, signaling efficiency, and disruptions in connectivity in the brains of healthy elderly subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease. The article is published in Brain Connectivity.
Risk factor reduction after heart attack—age, race, and gender matter
Risk factor modification efforts could help reduce the chance of another heart attack and death among the more than 15 million Americans with coronary heart disease. Yet some patients—especially women and minorities—leave the hospital with poorly managed risk factors. An article in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, evaluates cardiac risk factors and management strategies by age, sex, and race among 2,369 patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction. The article is available free on the Journal of Women's Health website.
Exercise effective and safe in patients with moderate kidney disease
A structured exercise and lifestyle program can improve fitness, body composition, and heart function in patients with kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings suggest that patients with kidney disease can benefit from greater physical activity and can do so safely even though they may have other medical problems.
Researchers identify gene variants that may cause kidney problems in lupus patients
Variants in a particular gene are linked with an increased risk for kidney complications in patients with lupus, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings could lead to better treatments to protect the kidney health of patients with the disease.
Article examines fecal microbiota transplantation
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a highly effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, with very early experience suggesting that it may also play a role in treating other gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI diseases. The topic is examined in the Review Article, "An overview of fecal microbiota transplantation: techniques, indications, and outcomes" in the August issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Also in this issue, the journal launches a new section called VideoGIE, which features high-quality videos of endoscopic procedures.
Early temporary ART for HIV-infected infants prevents damage to immune system and delays need for life-long treatment
Giving antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately after diagnosis for a limited period of time is more beneficial than postponing treatment in young infants infected with HIV, slowing progression of the disease and delaying the time to starting long-term ART, according to new research published in The Lancet.
Half of all UK seven year olds not exercising for recommended minimum
Half of all UK seven year olds are sedentary for six to seven hours every day, and only half clock up the recommended daily minimum of moderate to vigorous physical activity, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Breast is best: Good bacteria arrive from mum's gut via breast milk
Scientists have discovered that important 'good' bacteria arrive in babies' digestive systems from their mother's gut via breast milk.
Study helps explain increased melanoma risk in individuals with red hair
A person's skin pigment, which determines hair color and skin tone, is influenced by the melanocortin-1 (MC1R) gene receptor. For the population's one to two percent of redheads, a mutation in MC1R accounts for their red hair color and typical light skin.
Counterfeit medicine trade targets Africa's poor
From Cameroon to Ivory Coast, Kenya to the DR Congo, traders in counterfeit drugs do a thriving business with the utmost cynicism and sometimes at the cost of human lives.
Test-tube babies: A simpler, cheaper technique? (Update)
Since the first test-tube baby was born more than three decades ago, in vitro fertilization has evolved into a highly sophisticated lab procedure. Now, scientists are going back to basics and testing a simpler and cheaper method.
Not all memories fade with age
It may happen more than you care to admit. You draw on a memory from the not-so-distant past, and the bucket comes back empty. Your 10-year-old child, however, can recall the moment in a flash. "It was last summer. That street-fair we went to in Delaware. The guy with the wrinkly dog."
New light-activated suncream will cut skin cancer
With a Bank Holiday weekend around the corner and the expected return of sunny weather, families around Britain are hoping not to put the suncream away just yet.
Early behavioural problems linked to lower GCSE grades
As thousands of 16-year-olds find out their GCSE results, new research has found that three-year-olds who display hyperactivity, inattention or conduct problems are at risk of worse academic outcomes when GCSEs come around.
Brain scans reveal differences in depression and bipolar disorder, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Brain scans measuring blood flow can help diagnose bipolar disorder at an early stage and distinguish the condition from depression, according to a study conducted by a University of Pittsburgh research team published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Study finds grandmothers who raise their grandkids struggle with depression
(Medical Xpress)—Grandmothers who care for their grandkids fulltime need help for depression and family strains, report researchers from the Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.
Diet soda, aspertame and staying healthy: Q&A with nutritionist Jan Starkey
Coca-Cola this month began rolling out an advertising campaign to defend artificial sweeteners and to tout diet soft drinks as a healthy way to help people lose or manage their weight.
Study suggests chlamydia infection rates have changed over time but remains common among young women
(Medical Xpress)—A study exploring the frequency of chlamydia antibodies among young women – a marker for current and past infection – found this increased between 1993 and 2002, and then declined from 2007 to 2010. The first ever English population-based study of chlamydia antibodies, led by researchers from the University of Bristol, Public Health England and Imperial College, published today [21 Aug] in PLOS ONE.
New mobile technology can test for agricultural pathogens in Africa
A University of Colorado Boulder faculty member will travel to Africa later this month to test a mobile smartphone technology developed by his team to rapidly detect and track natural carcinogens, including aflatoxin, which is estimated to contaminate up to 25 percent of the global food supply and cause severe illnesses in humans and animals.
FDA approves lifesaving test for tuberculosis
A health scourge once considered to be largely contained in the United States has made an alarming resurgence in parts of the country. Recent tuberculosis outbreaks – including an episode in South Carolina that infected 53 children – have brought renewed attention to the need to remain vigilant against that potentially deadly disease.
Scientists pinpoint a new molecular mechanism tied to pancreatic cancer
(Medical Xpress)—New research led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Baylor College of Medicine could aid efforts to diagnose and treat one of the most lethal and hard-to-treat types of cancer.
Myanmar must act fast to curb drug resistant TB, experts say
Health officials called Thursday for urgent action to tackle "alarming" rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Myanmar where nearly 9,000 people catch the strain of the infectious disease each year.
Parent-led anxiety treatment could improve children's lives, study finds
A new study by the University of Reading has found that delivering Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) via parents could be an efficient and effective way of treating childhood anxiety disorders.
23andMe conducts the first genetic study of non-syndromic striae distensae (stretch marks)
23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, has conducted the first genetic study of striae distensae (stretch marks). Researchers at the company identified four genetic markers significantly associated with the development of stretch marks that inform why some individuals are more susceptible to the skin condition.
Brain size may signal risk of developing an eating disorder
New research indicates that teens with anorexia nervosa have bigger brains than teens that do not have the eating disorder. That is according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado's School of Medicine that examined a group of adolescents with anorexia nervosa and a group without. They found that girls with anorexia nervosa had a larger insula, a part of the brain that is active when we taste food, and a larger orbitofrontal cortex, a part of the brain that tells a person when to stop eating.
Engaging in a brief cultural activity can reduce implicit prejudice
A small cue of social connection to someone from another group—such as a shared interest—can help reduce prejudice immediately and up to six months later, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Childhood obesity linked to emotional issues
Schoolchildren suffering from obesity are at higher risk of developing psychological problems than their slimmer counterparts, according to new research.
Targeted cancer treatment: Cause of skin infections identified
Targeted, successful cancer treatments are very often accompanied by unpleasant side effects. Especially in anti-EGFR treatments the skin is often so badly affected by inflammations that patients consider breaking off the highly effective treatment. Researchers at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna (CCC), an establishment belonging to the MedUni Vienna and the Vienna General Hospital, have now managed to break down the mechanisms significantly involved in the uncontrolled inflammatory process.
Fetal stem cell transplantation favorably impacts radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction
Patients receiving cranial irradiation treatment for brain cancer may find the treatment life-saving, but often suffer progressive and debilitating cognitive detriments, including spatial learning and memory deficits. The cognitive deficits are a contributing factor to the often significant adverse impacts on the surviving patients' quality of life after radiation therapy. In an effort to improve post-irradiation cognitive impairment, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues at Neuralstem, Inc. (Rockville, MD), have transplanted fetal stem cells into laboratory animals with radiation-induced cognitive impairments and found that this led to a number of cognitive improvements. The study appears as an early e-publication for the journal Cell Transplantation.
How hormones and microbes drive the gender bias in autoimmune diseases
Females can mount more powerful immune responses than males, but the flip side of this enhanced protection against infections is a greater risk for autoimmune disorders. Shedding light on the underlying causes of the gender bias in autoimmune diseases, a study published by Cell Press August 22nd in the journal Immunity reveals that certain gut microbes prevalent in males can help protect them against type 1 diabetes. The study demonstrates that these microbes cooperate with sex hormones to cause this gender bias and provides an important framework that could lead to better treatments.
Study reveals how SARS virus hijacks host cells
UC Irvine infectious disease researchers have uncovered components of the SARS coronavirus – which triggered a major outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002-03 – that allow it to take over host cells in order to replicate.
Fetal tissue-derived stem cells may be ideal source for repairing tissues and organs
Multipotent fetal dermal cells (MFDCs) may be an ideal source for cell therapy for repairing damaged tissues and organs. Their performance is superior to that of adult dermal cells, said a research team in Italy that developed a cell isolation technique for MFDCs and subsequently published a study that appears as an early e-publication for the journal Cell Transplantation.
In the face of trauma, distance helps people find clarity, study shows
In the wake of tragedies such as the Sandy Hook school shooting, the Boston Marathon bombing and the devastating explosion in the Texas town of West, people are often left asking, "Why did this happen?"
Protein-based urine test predicts kidney transplant outcomes
Levels of a protein in the urine of kidney transplant recipients can distinguish those at low risk of developing kidney injury from those at high risk, a study suggests. The results also suggest that low levels of this protein, called CXCL9, can rule out rejection as a cause of kidney injury. The study appears online Aug. 22 in the American Journal of Transplantation. The work was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
US circumcision rates drop by 10 percent, CDC reports
(HealthDay)—Male circumcision rates in the United States declined 10 percent between 1979 and 2010, federal health officials reported Thursday.
New device IDs disease-causing germs
(HealthDay)—A new spectrometer system designed to identify 193 yeast and bacteria that are capable of making people sick has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Screening strategy doesn't affect hip dysplasia outcomes
(HealthDay)—Degenerative changes with hip dysplasia are similar in long-term maturity follow-up regardless of ultrasound screening approach, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in Pediatrics.
Flu vaccination protects patients at risk for acute MI
(HealthDay)—Recent influenza does not predict acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but vaccination offers a significant protective benefit for the prevention of AMI, according to research published online Aug. 21 in Heart.
Tofacitinib ups rheumatoid arthritis treatment response
(HealthDay)—The addition of tofacitinib to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment regimens improves patient response to non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to a study published in the Aug. 20 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dipyrone negates aspirin's antiplatelet effect
(HealthDay)—There is an unfavorable pharmacological drug interaction between the non-narcotic analgesic dipyrone and aspirin in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to research published online Aug. 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Hyperbaric oxygen chambers aren't cure-alls, FDA warns
(HealthDay)—Despite claims on some websites, there is no evidence that hyperbaric oxygen therapy cures or is an effective treatment for diseases such as cancer, autism, diabetes or other diseases, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
Abuse of painkillers raises risk of heroin use, study finds
(HealthDay)—Illegal use of prescription pain drugs increases a person's risk of becoming a heroin user, a U.S. government report suggests.
CDC frees up drug that fights brain-eating amoeba
(HealthDay)—Miltefosine, a potentially life-saving experimental drug to treat people infected with a rare but deadly brain-eating amoeba, is now available to U.S. doctors directly from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency announced Thursday.
Foreign-born hispanics have survival advantage in NSCLC
(HealthDay)—Compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) and U.S.-born Hispanics, foreign-born Hispanics with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a reduced risk of disease-specific mortality, according to research published online Aug. 19 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Study suggests focus on lifestyle changes—not weight loss—is key to kids' health
A UCLA School of Nursing study has found that both healthy-weight and obese children who participated in an intensive lifestyle modification program significantly improved their metabolic and cardiovascular health despite little weight loss.
Study adds lung damage to harmful effects of arsenic
A new study confirms that exposure to low to moderate amounts of arsenic in drinking water can impair lung function. Doses of about 120 parts per billion of arsenic in well water—about 12 times the dose generally considered safe—produced lung damage comparable to decades of smoking tobacco. Smoking, especially by males, made arsenic-related damage even worse.
Stroke risk similar among men and women smokers worldwide
Smoking cigarettes may cause similar stroke risks for men and women, but women smokers may be at greater risk for a more deadly and uncommon type of stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
In mild strokes, ultra-early treatment may eliminate risk of disability
In the case of mild or moderate strokes, getting treatment ultra-fast – within 90 minutes of experiencing symptoms – greatly reduces the risk of suffering disability, according to a new study reported in the American Heart Association's journal Stoke.
New findings lead researchers to call for worldwide recording of smoking in death registries
Researchers today call for official death registries in all countries to record whether the dead person was a smoker, in a research article published in The Lancet.
Older workers who drive top traffic death list, CDC reports
(HealthDay)—Older workers who drive as part of their job have significantly higher traffic death rates than younger workers, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
The stress and cancer link: 'Master switch' stress gene enables cancer's spread
In an unexpected finding, scientists have linked the activation of a stress gene in immune-system cells to the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body.
Human brains are hardwired for empathy, friendship, study shows
Perhaps one of the most defining features of humanity is our capacity for empathy – the ability to put ourselves in others' shoes. A new University of Virginia study strongly suggests that we are hardwired to empathize because we closely associate people who are close to us – friends, spouses, lovers – with our very selves.
First to measure the concerted activity of a neuronal circuit
Neurobiologists from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have been the first to measure the concerted activity of a neuronal circuit in the retina as it extracts information about a moving object. With their novel and powerful approach they can now not only visualize networks of neurons but can also measure functional aspects. These insights are direly needed for a better understanding of the processes in the brain in health and disease.
Team learns how sleeping sickness parasite defeats immune system
(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with members from across Europe has discovered the mechanism by which the sleeping sickness parasite overcomes the immune system in humans. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes the three step process that the parasite uses to defeat an immune system response. They also report that they have developed a mutant type of protein that disrupts the parasitic process allowing the immune system to destroy the invader.
Scientists transform non-beating human cells into heart-muscle cells
In the aftermath of a heart attack, cells within the region most affected shut down. They stop beating. And they become entombed in scar tissue. But now, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have demonstrated that this damage need not be permanent—by finding a way to transform the class of cells that form human scar tissue into those that closely resemble beating heart cells.
Team creates cells that line blood vessels
In a scientific first, Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists have successfully grown the cells that line the blood vessels—called vascular endothelial cells—from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), revealing new details about how these cells function. Using a unique approach, the researchers induced the differentiation of specific cell types by generating mechanical forces on the surface of the iPSC-derived endothelium mimicking the flow of blood. For example, cells that felt a stronger "flow" became artery cells, while those that felt a weaker "flow" became vein cells.
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Autor: Pascal Alter , blog: Forum Pascala PRALNIA , 9/02/2013 12:19:00 PM
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