Magnetic field induced strain, also known as the magnetostrictive effect, can be traced down to the atomic level interactions between magnetic and mechanical energy. See how multiphysics simulation is helping engineers understand this phenomenon in COMSOL's recent blog post: http://goo.gl/xH2p3z
***************************************************
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 11, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New map of Universe may reconcile conflicting cosmological observations- The final nail in the Jurassic Park coffin: Next generation sequencing reveals absence of DNA in sub-fossilized insects
- 'Love hormone' oxytocin may play wider role in social interaction than previously thought
- Century-old chemistry problem solved
- Australian tarantula venom contains novel insecticide against agricultural pests
- Faulty stem cell regulation may contribute to cognitive deficits associated with Down syndrome
- Pumping draws arsenic toward a big-city aquifer
- Hottest days in some parts of Europe have warmed four times more than the global average
- Biologists uncover mechanisms for cholera toxin's deadly effects
- 'Merlin' is a matchmaker, not a magician: The protein 'arranges' other protein interactions to control growth and preven
- Unusual mechanism of DNA synthesis could explain genetic mutations
- Crucial pathway to fight gut infection discovered
- In odd-looking mutant, clues about how maize plants control stem cell number
- Calculating the true cost of a ton of mountaintop coal
- Orangutans plan their future route and communicate it to others, researchers show
Space & Earth news
Calling women astronomers
At an astronomy workshop in Perth today, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) announced the creation of a new and unique fellowship scheme aimed at senior women astronomers.
Understanding the forces that shape the Earth
Subduction is the process occurring where the Earth's tectonic plates meet - and one plate slides beneath the other, taking surface material to its interior. This process leads to a large variety of phenomena at the Earth's surface, ranging from volcanism to the deepest and most destructive earthquakes.
Scientists strike water in Kenya's parched north
The Kenyan government and UNESCO on Wednesday announced the discovery of a potentially vast supply of underground water in the impoverished, drought-stricken extreme north of the country.
Scientists are developing methods and tools that look at multiple natural hazards
Multiple disasters can have a cumulative impact leading to great human and financial loss. The awareness of all possible risks is of fundamental importance. A good example is the extent of the damage caused by the Kobe earthquake that hit Japan in April 2001. "They basically designed buildings to withstand typhoons, but not earthquakes which have opposite engineering requirements; a rigid structure versus a flexible structure," says Kevin Fleming, a researcher at GFZ, the German research centre for geosciences, in Potsdam, "and not considering all the interactions is at best inefficient and at worst counter-productive."
NASA image: Fires in Argentina Sept. 11, 2013
Wildfires have broken out in four provinces in Argentina including forest land in Cordoba. The high temperatures and gusty winds have wreaked havoc on the growth of these wildfires and the local meteorologists predict more of the same conditions in the coming days.
NASA image: Rim Fire update Sept. 11, 2013
Firefighters faced extremely hot and dry conditions which contributed to more active fire activity with isolated flare-ups inside current containment lines. The fire is active in the Clavey River Reynolds Creek and Jawbone Creek drainages as well as to the west of Harden Lake, Harden Road and Tioga Road. Moderate fire spread to the northeast into Yosemite Wilderness areas north of Hetch Hetchy reservoir is expected. Unburned tinder within and adjacent to the fire perimeter continue to consume and create spotting near or across planned containment lines. As such the percent contained remains the same. The reported containment percentage will increase when fire activity subsides.
Indonesian farmers take legal action over haze
Indonesian farmers in a province at the centre of Southeast Asia's worst smog outbreak for years have filed a lawsuit against the president in response to the haze crisis, activists said Wednesday.
Researchers map carbon footprints of UK towns and cities
The London borough of Newham is famed for producing talents such as Idris Elba, Plan B and Mo Farrah, whilst also playing host to the Olympic Stadium and West Ham United Football Club.
Tropical Storm Gabrielle batters Bermuda
Tropical Storm Gabrielle was battering Bermuda with heavy rains and powerful winds, as US forecasters warned it was strengthening and moving closer to the popular vacation spot.
New NASA rocket faces delays
The debut launch of NASA's next big rocket - now slated for 2017 - likely will be delayed a year or two because the agency simply does not have the money to finish the rocket and its accompanying crew capsule on time, a top NASA official said Friday.
NASA launches drones from to study storms (Update)
NASA scientists are using former military surveillance drones to help them understand more about how tropical storms intensify, which they say could ultimately save lives by improving forecast models that predict a hurricane's strength.
New computer model of city dynamics could pave way to planning sustainable urban areas
The sustainability of cities is a challenge facing planners across the globe. The numerous complex and wide-ranging interactions between energy consumption, water use, transportation and population dynamics make cities intrinsically complicated systems to study.
Summer heat wave may have triggered landslide on lonely Alaskan glacier
A massive landslide in Alaska's snowy Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range in July may have been caused by a summer heat wave making some slopes more vulnerable to collapse, says the scientist who first discovered the avalanche.
Policies worry farmers more than climate change, says new study
California farmers feel more threatened by climate policy than they do by climate change, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.
Mathematician uses skills to study Greenland's retreating glaciers (w/ Video)
Many outlet glaciers in Greenland feed ice from the land into fjords, where discharge of icebergs and melting of the glaciers by warmer ocean waters contribute to rising sea levels.
Evaporation basins alleviate drainage woes
A system employing evaporation basins for use in artificial drainage could improve the health of the Blackwood Basin in the South West within the century, a study has found.
Experimental blasts predict tunnel collapse severity
Safety in underground mining sites could be improved with research that reveals the speed at which collapsing tunnels eject rock debris from their side walls and tests the effectiveness of current containment measures.
Map of galactic clouds where stars are born takes shape
A UNSW-led team of astronomers has begun to map the location of the most massive and mysterious objects in our galaxy – the giant gas clouds where new stars are born.
Team attempts to restore communications with Deep Impact spacecraft
Ground controllers have been unable to communicate with NASA's long-lived Deep Impact spacecraft. Last communication with the spacecraft was on Aug. 8, 2013. Deep Impact mission controllers will continue to uplink commands in an attempt to reestablish communications with the spacecraft.
Researchers develop model to correct tornado records
(Phys.org) —In the wake of deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma this past spring, Florida State University researchers have developed a new statistical model that will help determine whether the risk of tornadoes is increasing and whether they are getting stronger.
Mobile PCB cleanup system developed
University of Calgary scientists have developed new technology that promises a safer, cheaper way to clean up hazardous PCBs in soil using ultraviolet light – the first technology of its kind in the world.
NASA 3-D image clearly shows wind shear's effect on Tropical Storm Gabrielle
Data obtained from NASA's TRMM satellite was used to create a 3-D image of Tropical Storm Gabrielle's rainfall that clearly showed wind shear pushed all of the storm's the rainfall east of its center.
Arctic ice shrinking in volume, too, ESA reports
Arctic sea ice, which has been declining in area by unprecedented amounts in summer, is also falling in volume, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Wednesday.
An unprecedented threat to Peru's cloud forests
Peru's cloud forests are some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world. A profusion of tree and plant species as well as one third of Peru's mammal, bird and frog species make their home in these perennially wet regions, located along the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains. The high elevation (6,500-11,000 feet), and remote location of these areas makes them some of the hardest to reach and therefore hardest to study ecosystems in the world. To date, scientists only believe a fraction of cloud forest tree and plant species have been discovered.
CU-Boulder student-built satellite slated for launch by NASA Sept. 15
A small beach ball-sized satellite designed and built by a team of University of Colorado Boulder students to better understand how atmospheric drag can affect satellite orbits is now slated for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Sept. 15.
Climate change may speed up forests' life cycles
Many climate studies have predicted that tree species will respond to global warming by migrating via seed dispersal to cooler climates. But a new study of 65 different species in 31 eastern states finds evidence of a different, unexpected response.
European Parliament backs switch in biofuels
The European Parliament on Wednesday backed plans to cap the use of traditional biofuels to address concern over greenhouse gas emissions.
NASA satellites analyze Hurricane Humberto's clouds and rainfall
Two NASA satellites passed over the hurricane in the Eastern Atlantic on Sept. 10 gathering information about the environment of Hurricane Humberto. NASA's Aqua satellite gathered infrared and visible data on Humberto's clouds while NASA's TRMM satellite measured the rainfall rates occurring from those clouds. Humberto is the first hurricane of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.
Study provides insights on protecting world's poor from climate change
The worst impacts of climate change on the world's poorest fishing communities can likely be avoided by careful management of the local environment and investing in the diversification of options for local people, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and James Cook University.
Soyuz capsule returns from space station
A Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts touched down to Earth early on Wednesday morning after undocking from the International Space Station following 166 days in space.
Device gives scientists front-row seat to lightning strikes
A device developed at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has become a valuable tool in researchers' quest to determine how lightning is spawned in clouds, to map strikes from beginning to end and to better predict severe weather.
Global warming could change strength of El Nino
Global warming could impact the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), altering the cycles of El Niño and La Niña events that bring extreme drought and flooding to Australia and many other Pacific-rim countries.
Pumping draws arsenic toward a big-city aquifer
Naturally occurring arsenic pollutes wells across the world, especially in south and southeast Asia, where an estimated 100 million people are exposed to levels that can cause heart, liver and kidney problems, diabetes and cancer. Now, scientists working in Vietnam have shown that massive pumping of groundwater from a clean aquifer is slowly but surely drawing the poison into the water. The study, done near the capital city of Hanoi, confirms suspicions that booming water usage there and elsewhere could eventually threaten millions more people. The study appears in the current issue of the leading journal Nature.
Hottest days in some parts of Europe have warmed four times more than the global average
Some of the hottest days and coldest nights in parts of Europe have warmed more than four times the global average change since 1950, according to a new paper by researchers from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Warwick, which is published today (11 September 2013) in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
Astronomers explain why disk galaxies eventually look alike
(Phys.org) —It happens to all kinds of flat, disk galaxies – whether they're big, little, isolated or crowded in a cluster. They all grow out of their irregular, clumped appearance and their older stars take on the same smooth look, predictably fading from a bright center to a dim edge.
Calculating the true cost of a ton of mountaintop coal
To meet current U.S. coal demand through surface mining, an area of the Central Appalachians the size of Washington, D.C., would need to be mined every 81 days.
Technology news
Market study provides insight into world of enterprise search systems
Many companies still find it a challenge to search systematically for in-house data wherever they might be stored – and to actually find them. Enterprise search solutions are designed to provide support in that process. Now, Fraunhofer IAO has brought out a new market study that provides an initial glimpse into the little researched market of company search engines. The market study is acting as a prelude to further research in the field.
Project to develop intelligent and wearable body exoskeleton
The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO is partner in the Robo-Mate project, starting in September 2013. Together with 11 European partners this research project aims at designing a human-guided exoskeleton to improve work safety and enhance productivity in the industrial environment.
Biodegradable cabinet: A new approach to sustainability
A furniture design academic from Sheffield Hallam University has started creating furniture made from 100 per cent biodegradable material, which can be composted at the end of its lifespan.
Southeastern takes 12 pct stake in News Corp.
Southeastern Asset Management Inc., the investment firm that along with activist investor Carl Icahn opposed the proposed buyout of Dell Inc., disclosed that it has taken a nearly 12 percent stake in News Corp.
Qualcomm may repurchase up to $5 billion shares
Qualcomm says its board has approved a $5 billion stock repurchase program.
Pandora names ex-aQuantive head McAndrews as CEO
Internet radio giant Pandora has named the former head of digital advertising company aQuantive, Brian McAndrews, as its new chief executive.
Tina Brown quits Daily Beast, launches new venture (Update)
Media star Tina Brown announced Wednesday she was leaving the Daily Beast, the online news website she founded five years ago.
NSA has long role as top US locksmith, lock-picker
More than two decades ago, civilian government scientists were expressing concerns with the National Security Agency's role in developing global communications standards.
After delays, Dell sets new path under private buyout
After a bruising shareholder battle, Dell appears set for a new path under a private equity buyout aimed at reviving the fortunes of the former number one computer maker.
Intel prepared for shifts in computing, new CEO says
Discounting critics who contend it is mired in the slowing personal-computer market, microchip giant Intel Corp. assured a gathering of industry experts Tuesday that it is well-positioned to profit from the fast-changing demands of consumers and businesses.
Netflix launches in Netherlands, its 41st country
Netflix is launching its video streaming service in the Netherlands Wednesday, making good on plans it announced three months ago. It also set a price: 7.99 euros ($10.63) per month. The first month is free.
Moto X plant seen as harbinger of more US manufacturing
The mobile phone in Dennis Woodside's hand looks like something Captain America would carry, with a cherry red back, glossy white front and thin rings of metallic blue around the side buttons and camera lens.
Satellites guide you to right places
Visiting a new city and want to find something interesting to do? Just turn on a new smartphone satnav app from an ESA start-up company for your own personalised city tour.
Beyond peer review: NIST and five journals find a way to manage errors in research data
Traditional peer review is not enough to ensure data quality amid the recent boom in scientific research findings, according to results of a 10-year collaboration between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and five technical journals.
Seeking out silent threats to simulation integrity
Large-scale computing has become a necessity for solving the nation's most intractable problems. Due to their sheer number of cores, high-end computers increasingly exhibit intermittently incorrect behaviors—referred to as "soft errors"—placing the validity of simulation results at risk. A team of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory investigated the impact of soft errors on a full optimization algorithm. The team found that without intervention, soft errors would invalidate simulations in a significant fraction of all cases. They also found that 95% of the soft errors can be corrected.
Apple and the religious roots of technological devotion
"We sign our work." Apple's ad campaign, rolled out this summer, makes a big deal about it: "This is our signature. And it means everything. Designed by Apple in California."
Online data brokers know you surprisingly well
I'm a middle-aged guy who lives in a house that was built more than 50 years ago. I'm married, have a white-collar job and sometimes read financial newsletters for fun.
Amazon lobbies heavily for Internet sales tax
When Peter Ollodart realized earlier this year a bill in Congress to require sales taxes on all Internet purchases could wipe out his company's slim profits, the owner of Puget Sound Instrument flew to Washington, D.C., to persuade lawmakers to oppose it.
Grocery stores add tech features to stay competitive
Like many grocery shoppers, Michele Ricketts dreads long checkout lines. But lately, she's been breezing by the cash register at her neighborhood Ralphs even with the usual crowds at the store.
Researcher wins best paper award for automated interview coach
University of Rochester researcher M. Ehsan Hoque has won a best paper award at the 2013 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp 2013) for a computer system designed to help people practice social interactions.
Apple shares hit hard on iPhone disappointment
Apple shares fell hard Wednesday after the US tech giant's unveiling of two new iPhones failed to allay concerns over a loss of momentum in the smartphone market.
Mercedes offers luxury S-Class hybrid
Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz is offering a hybrid version of its flagship S-Class luxury sedan that can drive emissions-free—and still provide the kind of pampering and power the pricey brand's wealthy customers expect.
EU unveils major telecom reforms, end to roaming charges
The European Commission adopted controversial telecom sector reforms Wednesday which it said would create a 'fully connected' Europe and include an end to hugely unpopular mobile phone roaming charges.
Researchers find sudden rise of global ecology of interacting robots that trade on markets at speeds too fast for humans
Recently, the global financial market experienced a series of computer glitches that abruptly brought operations to a halt. One reason for these "flash freezes" may be the sudden emergence of mobs of ultrafast robots, which trade on the global markets and operate at speeds beyond human capability, thus overwhelming the system. The appearance of this "ultrafast machine ecology" is documented in a new study published on September 11 in Nature Scientific Reports.
Review: Slick iOS 7 shines on Apple's new iPhones (Update)
One of the best things about Apple's latest iPhones is the slick new iOS 7 software that runs the devices. But that souped-up operating system could end up hurting sales because the free software upgrade will also work on iPhones released since 2010, giving owners of the older models less incentive to buy Apple's newest products.
In the World: Small Mexican village produces clean water with solar-powered system
In a small village deep in the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula—a day's drive from any source of clean, drinkable water—researchers from MIT are testing a system that purifies water with the help of the sun.
Detecting program-tampering in the cloud
For small and midsize organizations, the outsourcing of demanding computational tasks to the cloud—huge banks of computers accessible over the Internet—can be much more cost-effective than buying their own hardware. But it also poses a security risk: A malicious hacker could rent space on a cloud server and use it to launch programs that hijack legitimate applications, interfering with their execution.
Automakers bet on alternative-fuel cars for future
Judging by the slew of electric and hybrid vehicles being rolled out at the Frankfurt Auto Show, it might seem carmakers are tapping a large and eager market.
Medicine & Health news
NY mayor praises Mexico soda tax plan (Update)
President Enrique Pena Nieto's plan to tax sugary drinks to curb Mexico's obesity epidemic earned him praise Tuesday from New York's mayor and health advocates but soda makers slammed it as ineffective.
US porn makers slam HIV claims, vow to end moratorium
US porn filmmakers who have suspended production after a number of actors reportedly tested HIV-positive accused critics Tuesday of "political posturing" and making unfounded claims.
US probes likely synthetic pot outbreak
A federal team has arrived in Colorado to help investigate hospital reports that synthetic marijuana is to blame for scores of recent illnesses and possibly three fatalities in the state.
US lawmakers examine gender imbalance in India
Millions of sex-selective abortions in India have skewed gender ratios, and the origins of the problem can be traced to American-supported population control strategies decades ago, a U.S. congressional panel heard Tuesday.
Reality TV star discusses addiction recovery
(HealthDay)—At first glance, the story of Michael Paul Sorrentino is a classic rags-to-riches tale: A fitness store employee and model is struck by Hollywood lightning in his mid-20s, transforming him from a virtual unknown to a reality TV sensation in the flash of a paparazzi bulb.
New innovative training to improve the care of people with dementia in general hospitals
Academics and healthcare professionals from across Greater Manchester as well as people with a diagnosis of dementia and family carers have teamed up to devise a new training programme for general hospital staff.
Experts call for football alcohol advertising restrictions
Newcastle University academics have called for the Government to consider restricting alcohol marketing during televised football matches after studying a selection of games and finding they were 'bombarded' by refereneces to drink.
New research provides crucial insight into lives of children in care
The findings from one of the most comprehensive long-term studies ever undertaken into children in care will be revealed at Queen's University Belfast today (Wednesday 11 September).
The Zuelch Prize 2013—reward for brain researchers
Maximum reward, minimum punishment: these are the maxims humans and animals often apply when making decisions. A network of nerve cells in the brain conveys gratification. This reward system uses the messenger substance dopamine to influence learning, memory and decision-making processes in the brain. For their research into the reward system and other modulating networks, Wolfram Schultz from the University of Cambridge and Raymond J. Dolan from University College London have been awarded this year's K.J. Zülch Prize of the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation. Both brain researchers have made important discoveries about the structure and function of the brain's reward system. The Prize will be conferred on 13 September 2013 in Cologne.
Brachytherapy to treat cervical cancer declines in US, treatment associated with higher survival
A study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) found that brachytherapy treatment was associated with better cause-specific survival and overall survival in women with cervical cancer. The population-based analysis also revealed geographic disparities and decline in brachytherapy treatment in the United States. Brachytherapy is a type of cancer treatment in which radioactive implants are inserted directly into the tissue near the tumor site.
WHO chief accuses tobacco giant of 'sabotaging' EU health bill
The World Health Organisation chief on Wednesday accused tobacco giant Philip Morris of seeking to "sabotage" a proposed EU measure to clamp down on tobacco industry marketing aimed at women and youngsters.
FDA approves Botox for crow's feet
If you have a high school reunion coming up, here's a medical development that you may want to keep an eye on.
Childbirth risks not the same for all obese women
Obesity raises the chances of complications and medical interventions in childbirth. But a new study by Oxford University shows the risks are not the same for all obese women.
Obstructive lung disease linked with decline in memory and information processing
Obstructive lung disease (OLD) has been linked with a decline in cognitive functioning, including memory and information processing.
Feds seek to legalize marijuana industry banking
The Justice Department and federal banking regulators will help clear the way for financial institutions to transact business with the legitimate marijuana industry without fear of prosecution, Deputy Attorney General James Cole told Congress on Tuesday.
Average age of women giving birth increases over the last year, CDC says
The average age of women giving birth in America rose last year as the nation's birthrate held steady after several years of decline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Vision trumps hearing in study
A Duke University study used puppet-based comedy to demonstrate the complicated inner-workings of the brain and shows what every ventriloquist knows: The eye is more convincing than the ear.
Some painkillers tied to certain birth defects in study
(HealthDay)—Women taking prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocet early in pregnancy are twice as likely to give birth to babies with devastating neural tube defects such as spina bifida, a new study suggests.
Radiographic findings mirror clinical severity in H7N9 flu
(HealthDay)—In patients with novel avian-origin influenza A H7N9 virus infection, radiological findings mirror the severity of the clinical presentation, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.
Future issues important for fertility preservation decisions
(HealthDay)—Future decisions and issues must be considered by cancer patients in their fertility preservation decision-making process, according to a clinical opinion piece published in the August issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Cardiac imaging not useful for screening healthy athletes
(HealthDay)—The prognostic value of using cardiac imaging to screen healthy athletes is uncertain, according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging.
About half of health care providers are 'digital omnivores'
(HealthDay)—About half of health care providers are "digital omnivores," meaning they use a tablet, smartphone, and laptop/desktop computer routinely in a professional capacity, according to a report published by Epocrates.
Measures of glucose and its variability are inter-related
(HealthDay)—Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and glycated albumin (GA) are inter-related and correlate with retinopathy and nephropathy, while only HbA1c correlates with cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online Aug. 29 in Diabetes.
Unplanned readmission common after spine fusion
(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing spine fusion for adult spinal deformity, unplanned hospital readmissions are relatively common and are often related to surgical site infections, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
Prevalence of hospitalization due to hypertensive disease up
(HealthDay)—From 1980 to 2007, the prevalence of hospitalization attributable to hypertensive disease increased for U.S. adults, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Technique for analyzing specific T-cell responses could pave way for more rationally designed vaccines
Among different populations, a vaccine can vary in efficacy against a specific pathogen. Unraveling the discrepancy requires tools to analyze the exact nature of responses by a specific type of immune cell: the T cell. Now, a research team from Singapore and the United States has developed an approach that simultaneously identifies and characterizes T cells specific to a variety of antigens—the part of the pathogen recognized by the immune system. The work could lead to more personalized and thus effective vaccine designs.
Neurosurgeon provides 'asleep' option for patients undergoing DBS surgery
Patients who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to control life-disrupting symptoms caused by Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders traditionally have been awake during the procedure. Today, patients have another option.
Automated method could prevent blindness by detecting glaucoma in its early stages
A team of researchers led by Jun Cheng of the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research, Singapore, has developed a novel automated technology that screens for glaucoma more accurately and quickly than existing methods.
Brain-damaging complications of malaria arise from immune response to parasite antigens absorbed by blood vessels
Most deaths caused by the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum result from the onset of cerebral malaria. This severe neurological condition arises when parasites accumulate within the brain vasculature. Numerous studies over the years, using a mouse model of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), have also revealed that host immune cells play a critical part.
'Minor infection' impacts women's social lives
(Medical Xpress)—New research has shown that a common vaginal infection, often regarded as minor, is having a major effect on women's lives, with recurrent sufferers avoiding sex and even social activities.
New study discovers copper destroys highly infectious norovirus
Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered that copper and copper alloys rapidly destroy norovirus – the highly-infectious sickness bug.
A phone call can change your life, study finds
They say a phone call can change your life and for colorectal or bowel cancer survivors this is true, a new study by a QUT researcher has found.
Association between virus, bladder cancers detected
A Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)-developed biological detection technology has been employed as part of an international collaboration that has detected a virus in bladder cancers.
Weather patterns play significant role in seasonal influenza
Influenza is like a cloud, moving across Canada with the fall weather. McMaster researchers have established that the spread of seasonal flu in Canada is tied to low temperature and low humidity, and travels west to east—findings that may have significant implications on measures such as the timing of vaccination programs across the country. The findings were published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Autistic children with better motor skills more adept at socializing
In a new study looking at toddlers and preschoolers with autism, researchers found that children with better motor skills were more adept at socializing and communicating.
Genetic make-up of rare gastrointestinal tract tumour decoded
Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are relatively rare tumours of the gastrointestinal tract that can occur both as a harmless incidental finding and as aggressive, malignant disease. Two key genetic mutations that can lead to these tumours developing are already known, however it was believed that other, hitherto unknown genes, also had a role to play. Researchers at the MedUni Vienna have now successfully decoded not only individual genes, but also the entire genetic make-up of these tumours.
New, even more effective HPV vaccine in sight
A recently published paper by the Department of Immunodermatology at the Medical University of Vienna has unveiled a second-generation prophylactic HPV vaccine. In future, this will not only protect against the majority of genital high and low-risk types, but also the types that are responsible for the development of skin warts.
Mosquito bites deliver potential new malaria vaccine
This study suggests that genetically engineered malaria parasites that are stunted through precise gene deletions (genetically attenuated parasites, or "GAP") could be used as a vaccine that protects against malaria infection. This means that the harmless (attenuated) version of the parasite would interact with the body in the same way as the infective version, but without possibility of causing disease. GAP-vaccination would induce robust immune responses that protect against future infection with malaria.
Nearly 60 percent of uterine cancer cases preventable, report says
(HealthDay)—Regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can prevent three of every five new cases of endometrial cancer in the United States, according to a new review of scientific evidence.
Transplanting fat may be effective treatment for metabolic disease
(Medical Xpress)—Transplanting fat may treat such inherited metabolic diseases as maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) by helping the body process the essential amino acids that these patients cannot, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
Obesity combined with exposure to cigarette smoke may pose new health concerns
Millions of people who are obese and smoke tobacco may face additional health problems—including their responses to common prescription medicines—that extend beyond the well-known links with cancer, heart attacks and stroke, according to a report presented here today.
New antibiotic shows promise for treating MRSA pneumonia
A drug approved just two years ago for treating bacterial infections may hold promise for treating the potentially fatal MRSA pneumonia, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
How schizophrenia affects the brain
It's hard to fully understand a mental disease like schizophrenia without peering into the human brain. Now, a study by University of Iowa psychiatry professor Nancy Andreasen uses brain scans to document how schizophrenia impacts brain tissue as well as the effects of anti-psychotic drugs on those who have relapses.
Drug treatment means better, less costly care for children with sickle cell disease
The benefits of hydroxyurea treatment in people with sickle cell disease are well known—fewer painful episodes, fewer blood transfusions and fewer hospitalizations. Now new research from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and other institutions reveals that by preventing such complications, the drug can also considerably lower the overall cost of medical care in children with this condition.
Vegas mom gives birth to quintuplets in Arizona
A Las Vegas family is nearly twice as big as it was last week after welcoming quintuplets.
Radiotherapy in girls and the risk of breast cancer later in life
Exposing young women and girls under the age of 20 to ionizing radiation can substantially raise the risk of their developing breast cancer later in life. Scientists may now know why. A collaborative study, in which Berkeley Lab researchers played a pivotal role, points to increased stem cell self-renewal and subsequent mammary stem cell enrichment as the culprits. Breasts enriched with mammary stem cells as a result of ionizing irradiation during puberty show a later-in-life propensity for developing ER negative tumors - cells that do not have the estrogen receptor. Estrogen receptors - proteins activated by the estrogen hormone - are critical to the normal development of the breast and other female sexual characteristics during puberty.
New genetic clue to anorexia
The largest DNA-sequencing study of anorexia nervosa has linked the eating disorder to variants in a gene coding for an enzyme that regulates cholesterol metabolism. The finding suggests that anorexia could be caused in part by a disruption in the normal processing of cholesterol, which may disrupt mood and eating behavior.
Trauma centers serving mostly white patients have lower death rates for patients of all races
Nearly 80 percent of trauma centers in the United States that serve predominantly minority patients have higher-than-expected death rates, according to new Johns Hopkins research. Moreover, the research shows, trauma patients of all races are 40 percent less likely to die—regardless of the severity of their injuries—if they are treated at hospitals with lower-than-expected mortality rates, the vast majority of which serve predominantly white patients.
Low dose antibiotic treatment of C-difficile as effective as high dose in hospital setting
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) treatment in a hospital setting using low dose oral vancomycin showed similar effectiveness compared to high dose, according to a new study by researchers at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. These data were presented yesterday at the 53rd Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy meeting in Denver.
Study gives new hope for women suffering from recurrent miscarriage
A team of researchers, led by the University of Warwick, have published new data that could prove vital for advances in care for women who suffer from recurrent miscarriage.
Fat marker predicts cognitive decline in people with HIV
Johns Hopkins scientists have found that levels of certain fats found in cerebral spinal fluid can predict which patients with HIV are more likely to become intellectually impaired.
Obesity may be associated with even occasional migraines
People who get occasional migraines are more likely to be obese than people who do not have migraines, according to a study published in the September 11, 2013, online issue of Neurology.
Valley fever hospitalizations increase in Calif.
A new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the annual rate of hospitalizations for valley fever, a potentially lethal but often misdiagnosed disease, has doubled over the past 12 years in California.
First proteomic analysis of birth defect demonstrates power of a new technique
The first proteomic analysis of an animal model of a rare, sometimes deadly birth defect, Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), has revealed that the molecular mechanisms that cause it are more complex than previously understood. SLOS involves multiple neurosensory and cognitive abnormalities, mental and physical disabilities, including those affecting vision and in severe cases, death before the age of 10.
Research uncovers potential preventive for central line infection
A team of researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has developed an antibody that could prevent Candida infections that often afflict hospitalized patients who receive central lines.
Chest pain duration can signal heart attack
Patients with longer-lasting chest pain are more likely having a heart attack than those with pain of a shorter duration, according to a study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.
New mutation identified, associated with better survival in lung cancer patients
Japanese researchers have identified a mutation associated with a higher incidence of lung cancer in Japanese women who do not smoke, but better survival in lung cancer patients. In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, the team from the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies shows that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a gene that protects cells from oxidative stress is found four times more frequently in women than in men.
Public opinion poll shows gap between experts and public on need to cut Medicare spending
As debate over the national debt and the federal budget deficit begins to heat up again, an analysis of national polls conducted in 2013 shows that, compared with recent government reports prepared by experts, the public has different views about the need to reduce future Medicare spending to deal with the federal budget deficit. Many experts believe that future Medicare spending will have to be reduced in order to lower the federal budget deficit but polls show little support (10% to 36%) for major reductions in Medicare spending for this purpose. In fact, many Americans feel so strongly that they say they would vote against candidates who favor such reductions. Many experts see Medicare as a major contributor to the federal budget deficit today, but only about one-third (31%) of the public agrees.
Testosterone deficiency not the only cause of age-associated changes in men
Just as the symptoms of menopause in women are attributed to a sharp drop in estrogen production, symptoms often seen in middle-aged men – changes in body composition, energy, strength and sexual function – are usually attributed to the less drastic decrease in testosterone production that typically occurs in the middle years. However, a study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers finds that insufficient estrogen could be at least partially responsible for some of these symptoms.
Variation in bitter receptor mRNA expression affects taste perception
Do you love chomping on raw broccoli while your best friend can't stand the healthy veggie in any form or guise? Part of the reason may be your genes, particularly your bitter taste genes.
New meningitis vaccine protects against epidemic strain
One shot of MenAfriVac dramatically reduced incidence of all cases of meningitis by 94% and carriage prevalence of the epidemic strain by 98%, while an epidemic persisted in unvaccinated parts of Chad.
Aerobic fitness boosts learning, memory in 9-10-year-old children
Physical fitness can boost learning and memory in children, particularly when initial learning on a task is more challenging, according to research published September 11 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Lauren Raine and colleagues from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Depression may be worse when accompanied by anger, irritability
(HealthDay)—Irritability and anger in people with major depression are associated with greater severity of depression and other problems, a long-term study suggests.
Almost 17 percent of women obese nine months post-delivery
(HealthDay)—Obesity occurs among about 17 percent of women nine months following delivery, and is associated with increasing parity in socioeconomically disadvantaged women, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Poorer outcomes after non-cardiac surgery in DM
(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, diabetes is associated with adverse perioperative complications and mortality, according to a study published online Aug. 29 in Diabetes Care.
Autonomic dysfunction predicts cardiovascular events in T2DM
(HealthDay)—Autonomic dysfunction predicts cardiovascular events for patients with type 2 diabetes; and, the presence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) predicts severe hypoglycemia (SH) in type 2 diabetes, according to two studies published online Aug. 19 in Diabetes Care.
'Exposure therapy' along with antidepressants may help with OCD
(HealthDay)—New research suggests that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder do better when they combine intensive "exposure therapy" with an antidepressant rather than taking a common two-drug combination.
Testing for hereditary breast cancer? Toolkit helps families talk, cope, decide what to do
Actress Angelina Jolie made headlines in May when she revealed she underwent a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her risk of cancer.
First randomized trial of targeted cancer medicine in all tumor types
A further step along the road to the personalisation of cancer medicine, where treatment is based on the individual molecular characteristics of tumours rather than their primary site, will be presented at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013), which starts on Friday 27 September in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Tingling sensation caused by Asian spice could help patients with chronic pain
The science behind the tingling sensation caused by eating a popular Asian spice has been explained by researchers at UCL. The study, which is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, helps shed light on the complex interactions between the senses of taste and touch, and could lead to a greater understanding of the causes of the tingling sensations experienced by many chronic pain patients.
The neuroscience of erogenous zones
Our erogenous zones are a little odd. There are certain areas of our bodies, which if touched gently, create erotic feelings, while other adjacent body parts do not. For example a woman may enjoy having her neck or ear lobe stroked, but not her cheek or forehead. Why is that?
Crucial pathway to fight gut infection discovered
The researchers found virulent E. coli bacteria blocked a pathway that would normally protect the gut from infection. These infections are particularly serious in young children and can result in diarrhoea and other complications such as kidney damage.
Faulty stem cell regulation may contribute to cognitive deficits associated with Down syndrome
The learning and physical disabilities that affect people with Down syndrome may be due at least in part to defective stem cell regulation throughout the body, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The defects in stem cell growth and self-renewal observed by the researchers can be alleviated by reducing the expression of just one gene on chromosome 21, they found.
Versatile microRNAs choke off cancer blood supply, suppress metastasis
A family of microRNAs (miR-200) blocks cancer progression and metastasis by stifling a tumor's ability to weave new blood vessels to support itself, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report today in Nature Communications.
Genetic test could identify which prostate cancers require treatment
The level of expression of three genes associated with aging can be used to predict whether seemingly low-risk prostate cancer will remain slow-growing, according to researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center. Use of this three-gene biomarker, in conjunction with existing cancer-staging tests, could help physicians better determine which men with early prostate cancer can be safely followed with "active surveillance" and spared the risks of prostate removal or other invasive treatment. The findings were published today in the online edition of Science Translational Medicine.
AIDS vaccine candidate appears to completely clear virus from the body
An HIV/AIDS vaccine candidate developed by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University appears to have the ability to completely clear an AIDS-causing virus from the body. The promising vaccine candidate is being developed at OHSU's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. It is being tested through the use of a non-human primate form of HIV, called simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV, which causes AIDS in monkeys. Following further development, it is hoped an HIV-form of the vaccine candidate can soon be tested in humans. These research results were published online today by the journal Nature. The results will also appear in a future print version of the publication.
Who's got guts? Young infants expect animals to have insides
A team of researchers has shown that 8-month-old infants expect objects they identify as animals to have insides. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
'Love hormone' oxytocin may play wider role in social interaction than previously thought
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that oxytocin - often referred to as "the love hormone" because of its importance in the formation and maintenance of strong mother-child and sexual attachments - is involved in a broader range of social interactions than previously understood.
Biology news
Scientists unveil new way to grow quality wheat faster
University of Queensland scientists have discovered a fast way to develop a new strain of wheat that is resistant to stripe rust and pre-harvest sprouting.
Ph.D. student names three new algae species in the Everglades
Sylvia Lee never intended on finding, let alone naming, three new species of algae in the Florida Everglades.
Substance that gives grapefruit its flavor and aroma could give insect pests the boot
The citrus flavor and aroma of grapefruit—already used in fruit juices, citrus-flavored beverages, and prestige perfumes and colognes—may be heading for a new use in battling mosquitoes, ticks, head lice and bedbugs thanks to a less expensive way of making large amounts of the once rare and pricey ingredient, a scientist said here today.
Chinese loan causes panda-monium in Belgium
Rival Dutch- and French-speaking communities in Belgium are at each others' throats again, this time because of a loan by China of two pandas to the linguistically divided nation.
New cell component important to tea and wine-making
Scientists have discovered where plants build tannins, complex chemicals used by plants for defence and protection. The source is the tannosome, a newly discovered organelle that is found in most land plants.
Bees' flight secrets revealed
Honeybees uses a combination of what they feel and see to streamline their bodies and gain maximum 'fuel efficiency' during flight, a world first study has found.
Formal mathematics underpins new approach that standardizes analysis of genome information
Researchers in Singapore have developed and tested mathematical tools, or algorithms, that are more accurate and robust than those currently used in analyzing high-throughput genetic sequencing data. The algorithms can determine the location and activity of specific nucleic acid sequences in a broad range of high-throughput techniques that detect gene–protein interactions. The research group, led by Shyam Prabhakar of the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore, also showed they could use the algorithms to generate meaningful results from degraded tissue and tissue constructed from several different cell types.
Bacteria enhance growth of fruit trees up to 40 percent
Improvement in reforestation and agriculture is possible thanks to the work of scientists in the Center of Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) who use different strains of fungi and bacteria to promote development and health in trees, which have enabled them to accelerate growth of different species up to 40 percent.
Researchers move endangered mussels to save them
(Phys.org) —Researchers have transported two endangered freshwater mussel species from Pennsylvania to Illinois in an attempt to re-establish their populations in the western part of the Ohio River Basin.
Study helps quantify biodiversity decrease around farmland
Animal biodiversity suffers near conservation areas that border big farms, and the effects can spread for miles, according to a new study by University of Florida researchers and their colleagues.
Cold no curb on appetite
Living in a low temperature environment does not affect bacteria's appetite for hydrocarbons, according to recent research. This new knowledge could affect environmental risk assessment in the Arctic.
Tiny number of Asian carp could be big problem for the Great Lakes
(Phys.org) —A tiny number of Asian carp could establish a population of the invasive fish in the Great Lakes, according to new research from the University of Waterloo.
New technology transforms research in viral biology
Researchers at The Mount Sinai Medical Center have developed an innovative system to test how a virus interacts with cells in the body—to see, for example, what happens in lung cells when a deadly respiratory virus attacks them.
Study: Wind farms killed 67 eagles in five years
A new study by government scientists says wind energy facilities have killed at least 67 golden and bald eagles in the last five years, but the number could be much higher.
Crop-raiding elephants flee tiger growls
Wild Asian elephants slink quietly away at the sound of a growling tiger, but trumpet and growl before retreating from leopard growls, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found. The work, published Sept. 11 in the journal Biology Letters, could help Indian farmers protect their crops from marauding elephants and save the lives of both people and animals.
Pacific humpback whale abundance higher in British Columbia
Humpback whale populations are on the rise in the coastal fjords of British Columbia, doubling in size from 2004 to 2011, according to results published September 18 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Erin Ashe from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St. Andrews and colleagues from other institutions.
Plants in space: A novel method for fixing plant tissue samples maximizes time, resources, and data
At work on the International Space Station, researchers studying plant and cell growth in space encountered a challenge. Imaging revealed interesting spaceflight-associated root morphologies. They needed to fix the tissues for further study back on Earth, but conventional fixation methods require separate fixatives depending on whether the sample is intended for molecular or morphological study. If the scientists wanted to study how spaceflight affected patterns of gene expression central to morphological patterns of cell growth, they needed a fixation method that would allow them to study both perspectives.
How chromosome ends influence cellular aging
By studying processes that occur at the ends of chromosomes, a team of Heidelberg researchers has unravelled an important mechanism towards a better understanding of cellular aging. The scientists focused on the length of the chromosome ends, the so-called telomeres, which can be experimentally manipulated. Their research, which was conducted at the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), allows for new approaches in the development of therapies for tissue loss and organ failure associated with senescence (cellular aging). The research results may also be significant for cancer treatment. They were recently published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
Horsetail spores found able to 'walk' and 'jump' (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —A trio of researches working at University Grenoble in France has discovered that spores produced by horsetail plants are able to move around using "legs" known as elaters. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers describe the types of movement exhibited by the spores when subjected to changing humidity conditions.
Biologists uncover mechanisms for cholera toxin's deadly effects
Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have identified an underlying biochemical mechanism that helps make cholera toxin so deadly, often resulting in life-threating diarrhea that causes people to lose as much as half of their body fluids in a single day.
In odd-looking mutant, clues about how maize plants control stem cell number
In plants, the growth of organs such as roots, leaves and flowers depends upon the activity of meristems. These reservoir-like compartments hold stem cells, which have the ability to develop into various different cell types.
Unusual mechanism of DNA synthesis could explain genetic mutations
Researchers have discovered the details of how cells repair breaks in both strands of DNA, a potentially devastating kind of DNA damage.
'Merlin' is a matchmaker, not a magician: The protein 'arranges' other protein interactions to control growth and preven
Johns Hopkins researchers have figured out the specific job of a protein long implicated in tumors of the nervous system. Reporting on a new study described in the Sept. 12 issue of the journal Cell, they detail what they call the "matchmaking" activities of a fruit fly protein called Merlin, whose human counterpart, NF2, is a tumor suppressor protein known to cause neurofibromatosis type II when mutated.
Embryonic stem cells produced in living adult organisms
A team from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has become the first to make adult cells from a living organism retreat in their evolutionary development to recover the characteristics of embryonic stem cells.
Orangutans plan their future route and communicate it to others, researchers show
Male orangutans plan their travel route up to one day in advance and communicate it to other members of their species. In order to attract females and repel male rivals, they call in the direction in which they are going to travel. Anthropologists at the University of Zurich have found that not only captive, but also wild-living orangutans make use of their planning ability.
Discovery of cell division 'master controller' may improve understanding and treatment of cancer
In a study to be published in the journal Nature, two Dartmouth researchers have found that the protein cyclin A plays an important but previously unknown role in the cell division process, acting as a master controller to ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division.
Australian tarantula venom contains novel insecticide against agricultural pests
Spider venoms are usually toxic when injected into prey, but a new protein discovered in the venom of Australian tarantulas can also kill prey insects that consume the venom orally. The protein is strongly insecticidal to the cotton bollworm, an important agricultural pest, according to research published September 11 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Glenn King and Maggie Hardy from the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, Australia, and colleagues from other institutions.
The final nail in the Jurassic Park coffin: Next generation sequencing reveals absence of DNA in sub-fossilized insects
It is hardly possible to talk about fossil insects in amber without the 1993 movie Jurassic Park entering the debate. The idea of recreating dinosaurs by extracting DNA from insects in amber has held the fascination of the public for two decades. Claims for successful extraction of DNA from ambers up to 130 million-years-old by various scientists in the early 1990s were only seriously questioned when a study at the Natural History Museum, London, was unable to replicate the process. The original claims are now considered by many to be a text-book example of modern contaminant DNA in the samples. Nonetheless, some scientists hold fast to their original claims.
This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://phys.org/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment