Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Phys.org Newsletter Wednesday, Oct 10

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 10, 2012:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Scientists provide detailed view of brain protein structure: Results may help improve drugs for neurological disorders
- A roadmap for graphene
- Complex brains evolved much earlier than previously thought, 520-million-year-old fossilized arthropod confirms
- Photonic gels are colorful sensors
- ALMA spots surprising spiral structure, reveals secrets of a dying star
- Plasmonics shows promise for optically induced graphene electronics
- Researchers develop new technique for heterogenizing homogenous nano catalysts
- Duke, Stanford scientists win Nobel for chemistry (Update 5)
- Close call: Bad weather drives up phone calls to our nearest and dearest
- Review: Tablet apps fill in gap, won't replace PCs
- Suomi NPP satellite sees auroras over North America
- Skin hair skims heat off elephants
- RNA-based therapy brings new hope for an incurable blood cancer
- China to collect samples from Mars by 2030: Xinhua
- Study shows evidence that transplanted neural stem cells produced myelin

Space & Earth news

How much water does a steelhead need to thrive?
Pescadero Estuary, located an hour south of San Francisco, is a coastal habitat under intense pressure from several interest groups, some human, others wild. The 643 citizens of the nearby town of Pescadero need fresh water to drink. Local farmers need irrigation water to grow crops. The wild denizens of the wetlands, such as the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake, need the land for their habitat. And the estuary's endangered fish species need specific seasonal water regimens and salinity levels to survive.

NOAA satellites: Helping save lives for 30 years
Thirty years ago, about 300 miles off the coast of New England, a barrage of towering, 25-foot waves battered a catamaran sailboat, causing it to begin sinking. A satellite, orbiting in space, detected the signal from an emergency beacon onboard the boat. A short while later, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter pulled the three passengers to safety.  

Marshall Center lighting the match to learning more about fires in space
(Phys.org)—Fast forward. A crew of astronauts is on its way to explore the red depths of Mars. A piece of equipment catches fire along the journey. What's the best way for astronauts to quickly extinguish that fire in conditions beyond low-Earth orbit? Or avoid a fire even starting?

Marine scientists charting the location of North Atlantic deep-sea coral reefs
A team of marine biologists and geologists have unveiled the first-ever set of maps detailing where vulnerable deep-sea habitats including cold water coral reefs and sponge fields are likely to be found in the North East Atlantic.

Climate change to lengthen growing season
Across much of Norway, the agricultural growing season could become up to two months longer due to climate change. A research project has been studying the potential and challenges inherent in such a scenario.

Research vessel Polarstern returns with new findings from the Central Arctic during the 2012 ice minimum
Polarstern is expected back from the Central Arctic expedition "IceArc" in Bremerhaven on 8 October 2012 after a good two months. 54 scientists and technicians from twelve different countries conducted research on the retreat of the sea ice and the consequences for the Arctic Ocean and its ecosystems over a period of two months in the High North. A number of new technologies were used for to film and photograph life in and below the ice down to a depth of 4400 metres. Since its departure from Tromsø (Norway) on 2 August 2012 Polarstern has travelled some 12,000 kilometres and conducted research at 306 stations. These included nine ice stations where the ship moored to an ice floe for several days to examine the ice, the water beneath it and the bottom of the sea.

Halving food losses would feed an additional billion people
More efficient use of the food production chain and a decrease in the amount of food losses will dramatically help maintaining the planet's natural resources and improve people's lives. Researchers in Aalto University, Finland, have proved a valid estimation, for the first time, for how many people could be fed with reducing food losses. The world's population is an estimated seven billion people. An additional one billion can be fed from our current resources, if the food losses could be halved. This can be achieved if the lowest loss percentage achieved in any region could be reached globally.

Brazil sets up special security force to protect Amazon
Brazil said Wednesday it was setting up a special environmental security force to combat soaring illegal deforestation in the Amazon region.

Scholar exposes environmental efforts of big brands as 'token' efforts
(Phys.org)—A study by a scholar at The University of Queensland reveals that the 'green revolution' advertised by the world's biggest brands and corporations is misleading consumers.

Singer Sarah Brightman to become space tourist (Update)
British singer Sarah Brightman revealed on Wednesday that Russia will launch her as a space tourist to the International Space Station (ISS) in a multi-million dollar voyage aimed at "realising dreams".

Athlete looking at Sunday for supersonic skydive (Update)
Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner hopes to make a second attempt to become the world's first supersonic skydiver with a 23-mile (37-kilometer) free fall over New Mexico on Sunday or Monday.

NASA eyes Typhoon Prapiroon's U-turn
Typhoon Prapiroon is making a U-turn in the Philippine Sea, changing direction from northwest to northeast. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the typhoon as it began turning. Visible satellite imagery revealed its most powerful thunderstorms south and east of the center.

Experts: Global warming means more Antarctic ice
The ice goes on seemingly forever in a white pancake-flat landscape, stretching farther than ever before. And yet in this confounding region of the world, that spreading ice may be a cockeyed signal of man-made climate change, scientists say.

Testing Mars and Moon soil for sheltering astronauts from radiation
(Phys.org)—Humans venturing beyond Earth orbit deeper into space face increased exposure to cosmic radiation, so ESA has teamed with Germany's GSI particle accelerator to test potential shielding for astronauts, including Moon and Mars soil.

Bright object on Mars is likely plastic from rover
NASA says a small bright object detected on Mars is likely a piece of plastic from the Curiosity rover.

SpaceX Dragon capsule arrives at space station (Update)
A private company successfully delivered a half-ton of supplies to the International Space Station early Wednesday, the first official shipment under a billion-dollar contract with NASA.

Loopholes discovered in Sun's magnetic belt
(Phys.org)—The mystery surrounding how an electrically charged solar wind can be unleashed from around the Sun's equator – an area where strong magnetic fields should strap it to the surface – has been solved by an international team of researchers.

Small fish can play a big role in the 'biological pump'
(Phys.org)—A study in today's issue of Scientific Reports, a new online journal from the Nature Publishing Group, shows that small forage fish like anchovies can play an important role in the "biological pump," the process by which marine life transports carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and surface ocean into the deep sea—where it contributes nothing to current global warming.

Artist to send picture disc into orbit to serve as time capsule
(Phys.org)—Multimedia artist Trevor Paglen, part of a group known as Creative Time, has created a gold-plated crystalline silicon disc with bit mapped re-creations of photographs etched onto its surface. The disc is to serve as a form of time capsule that will orbit Earth for billions of years—if all goes according to plan. The disc, containing 100 images and referred to as the "Last Pictures" project, has been attached to the EchoStar XVI satellite, scheduled for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome sometime over the next few months.

China to collect samples from Mars by 2030: Xinhua
China is planning to collect samples from the surface of Mars by 2030, according to the chief scientist of the country's lunar orbiter project, state media reported Wednesday.

Sweeping X-ray imaging survey of dying stars is 'uncharted territory'
The death throes of dying stars are the focus of a sweeping new survey using NASA's Chandra X-ray satellite observatory.

Suomi NPP satellite sees auroras over North America
(Phys.org)—Overnight on October 4-5, 2012, a mass of energetic particles from the atmosphere of the Sun were flung out into space, a phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection. Three days later, the storm from the Sun stirred up the magnetic field around Earth and produced gorgeous displays of northern lights. NASA satellites track such storms from their origin to their crossing of interplanetary space to their arrival in the atmosphere of Earth.

ALMA spots surprising spiral structure, reveals secrets of a dying star
(Phys.org)—Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have discovered a totally unexpected spiral structure in the material around the old star R Sculptoris. This is the first time that such a structure has been found around a red giant star. It is also the first time that astronomers could get full three-dimensional information about such a spiral. This work is one of the first ALMA early science results to be published.

Technology news

Controlling air flow over wings during supersonic flight
EU-funded researchers evaluated control techniques of air flow over aeroplane wings during supersonic flight. The optimal wing design developed should lead to important reductions in noise, emissions and fuel consumption.

Maths to turn people's media into national news
Technology will put the power to make news into the hands of ordinary people and revolutionise the way the vast reservoir of the public's digital content is handled thanks to new research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Investors get 1st look at big FedEx cost cut plan
(AP)—Investors are driving up shares of FedEx Corp. after the world's second-largest package delivery company promised to boost profits by shedding jobs, aircraft and underused assets.

S. Korean court upholds jail terms for cyber-bullies
A Seoul court on Wednesday upheld jail terms handed down to seven South Koreans for leading an online smear campaign against a hip-hop musician that claimed his US academic degrees were fake.

Fly like an eagle: New launch and recovery system takes UAV into the future
A shipboard-capable system designed to support both the launch and recovery of the Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) successfully completed final demonstration flight testing Sept. 27 at a testing range in eastern Oregon.

ONR looks to lighten the load for Marines
Marking a return to its high-mobility, high-tempo expeditionary roots, the Marine Corps is focused on the need to "Lighten the Load" for the warfighter—and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is putting heavy effort into innovative new technologies that will help.

China rejects US claims over telecom firms
A US Congressional report that warns two Chinese telecom companies pose a national security risk and should face restrictions in the US market is "groundless", China has said.

Microsoft CEO Ballmer pay slips 4 pct to $1.3M
(AP)—Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer's pay package fell 4 percent after his bonus was trimmed, partly due to slower-than-planned progress in the software company's online business and a drop in revenue at its Windows division.

As mobile devices advance, PC future murky
The PC is not dead, but it's no longer king of the technology universe.

President's documents now accessible on smartphone
The government is launching a new mobile app to provide access to the president's public documents and activities.

Reducing the environmental impact: New tools to aid in recycling flat-screen monitors, TVs
(Phys.org)—Millions of flat-screen monitors and television sets will soon become obsolete, posing environmental hazards, and Purdue University researchers are developing tools to help industry efficiently recycle the products.

A tactile glove provides subtle guidance to objects in the vicinity
Researchers at HIIT and Max Planck Institute for Informatics show how computer vision-based hand tracking and vibration feedback on the user's hand can be used to steer the user's hand toward an object of interest. A study shows an almost three-fold advantage in finding objects from complex visual scenes, such as library or supermarket shelves.

Google launches online 'Cultural Institute' chronicling 20th century
Google on Wednesday launched its online "Cultural Institute", a digital visual archive of landmark 20th century events and personalities, created in cooperation with 17 museums and institutes from across the globe.

Global PC sales set to drop in 2012: survey
Global sales of personal computers are set to show a decline for the first time in 11 years, a new forecast showed Wednesday.

Spotify to stream music on Samsung TVs in Europe
Swedish music streaming service Spotify said Wednesday the South Korean electronics giant Samsung would be first to offer its music catalogue on its Smart TVs in Europe.

New-look eBay moves toward social shopping (Update)
Online commerce giant eBay unveiled a new look for its website Wednesday inspired by social networks, giving consumers personalized suggestions to help them sift through the huge shopping site.

Obama gets sudden spike in Facebook 'likes'
US President Barack Obama got an exceptional spike of more than one million "likes" on Facebook this week in his battle with Republican Mitt Romney in the social media space, a monitoring site showed.

Netflix pledges to caption all content by 2014
(AP)—Netflix will offer closed captions on all TV and movie content by 2014 as part of a settlement with a deaf Massachusetts viewer who sued the company.

Confidential records breached at Fla. college
(AP)—Officials at a Florida Panhandle college say hackers accessed nearly 300,000 records in the school's computer systems that contains names, Social Security and bank routing numbers of students, teachers, staff and retirees.

Lenovo overtakes HP as biggest PC maker
Worldwide sales of PCs fell sharply in the third quarter, two research firms said Wednesday, as consumers held off for the new version of Windows and spent their electronics dollars on smartphones and tablets instead.

Twitter says its ads pay off for candidates
Twitter released a study Wednesday showing its paid messages pay off for political candidates, not only in garnering attention but in driving campaign contributions.

Immersive game showcases new Internet Explorer
Microsoft teased the release of the next generation of Internet Explorer by unveiling an online game crafted to show that websites can be as richly playful as "apps."

Distributed Credential Protection: Trying to beat the hackers and protect our passwords
(Phys.org)—Recent breaches at LinkedIn and Yahoo have heightened the public's concern about password protection. At LinkedIn, millions of user passwords were found and publicly posted. And at Yahoo, hackers broke into a server and stole passwords which were then used to breach other accounts with the same passwords in use. In response, computer security company RSA has developed a technique that it claims can prevent hackers from gaining access to user passwords on servers.

Navy evaluating second electromagnetic railgun innovative naval prototype
The Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun program is evaluating the second of two industry railgun prototype launchers at a facility in Dahlgren, Va., officials announced today.

Making crowdsourcing more reliable
Researchers from the University of Southampton are designing incentives for collection and verification of information to make crowdsourcing more reliable.

Review: Tablet apps fill in gap, won't replace PCs
There's nothing I like more than getting some writing done at my favorite neighborhood coffeehouse. It's relaxing, I'm more productive and the place makes a great cappuccino.

Medicine & Health news

Rapidly progressive alopecia shows favorable prognosis
(HealthDay)—Patients with rapidly progressive alopecia areata (RPAA) tend to show favorable prognosis regardless of treatment selected, according to research published online Sept. 24 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Computational intelligence opens up new avenues in Alzheimer's research
Researchers from the Computational Intelligence Group based at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid's Facultad de Informática have used machine learning and data mining techniques to compare gene expresssion levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in two key regions of the hippocampus: the dentate gyrus, where the disease appears to have little or no effect, and the entorhinal cortex, where Alzheimer's disease produces major neuronal damage.

Study examines link between runners' foot injuries, ill-fitting shoes
Loyola University Medical Center researchers are conducting a first-of-its kind study of marathon runners to determine if there is link between foot injuries and ill-fitting shoes.

Indonesia's mentally ill shackled and forgotten
Between rice fields and coconut trees on Indonesia's "paradise" island of Bali, a man lies chained by the ankles to a rotting wooden bed in a garden, staring at roosters tottering by.

Cuba closes 54 hospitals since 2010: government
Cuba said Tuesday it has closed 54 hospitals since 2010, a sign that recent drastic budget cuts are taking a toll on one of this Communist island's most prized achievements: its vaunted healthcare system.

Canada tackles mental health woes in developing countries
Canada announced Wednesday it was disbursing Can$19.4 million in aid for 14 poorer countries to treat mental health disorders.

New heart valve replacement procedure 'transforms' care for inoperable patients with advanced disease
(Medical Xpress)—A Painted Post woman is recovering after undergoing a less invasive heart-valve replacement procedure at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The valve replacement technique is meant for patients who cannot withstand traditional surgery.  

New research looks to reduce animal testing for drug development
Researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London are looking at ways of testing the side effects of new drugs without using animals.

Australia: Heroin and opioid deaths on the rise
A total of 500 Australians aged 15 to 54 died from accidental opioid overdoses in 2008 and preliminary estimates suggest deaths of this nature will be higher again in 2009 and 2010, according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

The role of beta cell regeneration in type 2 diabetes
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared type 2 diabetes as the epidemic of the 21st century. A study is focusing on understanding the mechanisms underlying insulin resistance and the role of beta-cell regeneration.

Exposure to air pollution particles at mountaintop mining sites may lead to cardiovascular dysfunction, study finds
A published study by researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and School of Public Health is the first of its kind to suggest that exposure to air pollution particles from mountaintop mining sites may impair the blood vessels' ability to dilate, which may lead to cardiovascular disease.

Specially developed Wii games can help prevent falls
New research, launched today and funded by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI), shows that playing video games can help older people improve their balance and make them less likely to fall.

Furore in Belgium over psychiatrist's TV sex confession
A Belgian pyschiatrist specialising in eating disorders triggered a national furore Wednesday after confessing on a TV show to "inappropriate" sex with several patients.

Invisible tails help cancerous mRNA evade the body's censors
In innumerable spy movies, the hero or a villain imprints a key in clay in order to later make an exact copy. In the body, the clay is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which imprints a gene and transfers the plans to a ribosome, where the mRNA's code is manufactured into a protein – the shady shop where the clay imprint becomes a key.

World first network on integrative mental health to improve treatments
The first network of its kind endorsing an integrative approach to the treatment of mental health has been launched as part of World Mental Health Week

Dengue spreads in Madeira archipelago: officials
Dengue has spread in Portugal's Madeira archipelago since it appeared last week and there are now 18 confirmed cases, health officials said Wednesday.

Researchers develop an advanced computer simulator to manage hospital emergencies
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona researchers have developed an advanced computer simulator to manage hospital emergencies. The model has been created with data from the Emergency Services of the Hospital of Sabadell and can be adapted to any hospital center. The system offers optimal solutions for several possible scenarios in aspects such as human resources, costs, time, space, equipment available and distribution of patients.

Grape consumption associated with healthier dietary patterns
In a new observational study presented today at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition (FNCE) in Philadelphia, PA, researchers looked at the association of grape consumption, in the non-alcoholic forms most commonly consumed – fresh grapes, raisins and 100% grape juice – with the diet quality of a recent, nationally representative sample of U.S. children and adults. Their findings suggest that, among adults and children, consumption of grapes and grape products is associated with healthier dietary patterns and increased nutrient intake.

UC Irvine opens clinical trial of novel treatment for brain cancer
UC Irvine doctors are enrolling patients with the deadly brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme in a clinical trial of a vaccine that may prevent the cancer's return or spread after surgery.

Study challenges assumptions on wartime sexual violence
A new study by the Simon Fraser University-based Human Security Report Project (HSRP), released today at the United Nations headquarters in New York, finds that there is no compelling evidence to support a host of widely held beliefs regarding wartime sexual violence.

Checklists can effectively assess work-related risk of musculoskeletal injuries
A new paper by Thomas J. Albin, PE, CPE, of High Plains Engineering Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, confirms that observational assessment tools, often called checklists, used to assess risk factors such as wrist extension and motion repetition, can be valid tools in identifying work-related risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries. Published in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation, Albin presents a comprehensive, multi-step yet simple approach for improving the use and effectiveness of checklists.

2nd firm agrees to temporary shutdown in outbreak
(AP)—A Massachusetts company run by the same executives who operated a specialty pharmacy linked to a fatal meningitis outbreak has agreed to temporarily shut down for inspection by state and federal regulators.

Is delaying premature delivery safe? Professor questions the use of drugs that delay premature birth
Professor Alfirevic from the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the University of Liverpool argues that although premature children tend to have lower cognitive ability than their peers and 14.9 million are born prematurely each year worldwide, is it really possible to stop spontaneous preterm labour?

HRT taken for 10 years significantly reduces risk of heart failure and heart attack
HRT therapy has been subject to much discussion due to both positive effects (reduced risk of cardiovascular disease) and negative effects (increased risk of breast cancer). A paper published in the BMJ Group's Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare back in January cast doubt on the "unreliable" Million Women Study which associated HRT with an increased risk of breast cancer.

FGM significantly reduces sexual quality of life, suggests new study
Women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) have a significantly lower sexual quality of life finds a new study published today (10 October) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Unsuspected PE seldom linked to death in cancer patients
(HealthDay)—Unsuspected pulmonary embolism (UPE) is not associated with an increased risk of death in cancer patients when compared to patients without pulmonary embolism (PE), according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Retinal hemorrhage pattern can predict inflicted brain injury
(HealthDay)—In children under the age of 3, a high dot-blot count for retinal hemorrhages (RHs) is a strong predictor of inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI) rather than accidental traumatic brain injury (ATBI), according to research published online Oct. 8 in Pediatrics.

DNA findings hold potential for cancert treatment
(Medical Xpress)—Six years ago, Boise State University biology professor Greg Hampikian and computer science colleague Tim Andersen announced that they had identified tiny DNA and protein sequences that were absent in nature. Hampikian termed these sequences 'nullomers' and a headline in the New Scientist magazine proclaimed the sequences as "DNA Too Dangerous to Exist."

Alpha wave blocks your mind for distraction, but not continuously
Alpha waves were long ignored, but gained interest of brain researchers recently. Electrical activity of groups of brain cells results in brain waves with different amplitudes. The so called alpha wave, a slow brain wave with a cycle of 100 milliseconds seems to play a key role in suppressing irrelevant brain activity. The current hypothesis is that this alpha wave is associated with pulses of inhibition (every 100 ms) in the brain.

Busting common myths about the flu vaccine
(Medical Xpress)—With cold and flu season upon us, many companies have geared up for what is predicted to be a busy flu season producing 150 million doses of the influenza vaccine, up 17 million from last year.

Study gives clues to causes of motor neurone disease
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the University of Bath are one step further to understanding the role of one of the proteins that causes the neurodegenerative disorder, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

The paradox of BMI and life expectancy
(Medical Xpress)—Although the medical cost to the community rises as more and more people become obese, there is little adverse association between being overweight and life expectancy, new research has confirmed.

Gluten-free craze for general population not supported by science, professor finds
(Medical Xpress)—There is no benefit for the average healthy adult to follow a gluten-free diet, according to research published by an Arizona State University professor in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The study debunks the idea that going gluten-free is an effective way to lose weight.

Interaction between auditory cortex and amygdala responsible for our response to unpleasant sounds, research finds
(Medical Xpress)—Heightened activity between the emotional and auditory parts of the brain explains why the sound of chalk on a blackboard or a knife on a bottle is so unpleasant.

Precautions for hantavirus urged when opening, cleaning hunting camps
As people head out to deer camps or cabins this fall, they may want to take some precautions to safeguard themselves against a potentially fatal virus that sickened nine and killed three in California's Yosemite National Park this past summer, warned an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Vitamin B crucial to children's mental health, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—A new study has uncovered a significant link between vitamin B levels and the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Study advances cancer-killing cream for melanoma
(Medical Xpress)—RMIT University researchers have designed a peptide that imitates a melanoma-killing virus, in a biomedical engineering advance that could lead to the development of a cream to target and treat Australia's "national cancer".

Women respond better to the treatment of lymph gland cancer with antibodies than men
(Medical Xpress)—Women respond much better than men to the treatment of chronic follicular lymphoma with a monoclonal antibody that targets CD20 (rituximab). These are the findings of a multi-centre, Austria-wide study by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft medikamentöse Tumortherapie (AGMT) carried out under the supervision of the University Department of Internal Medicine I and study leader Ulrich Jäger, which has now been published in the journal Haematologica. It was also discovered that the volume of lymphoma cells has an important role to play.

For women with gestational diabetes, study shows reduced risk of type 2 diabetes solely through dietary modification
(Medical Xpress)—By sticking to a healthy diet in the years after pregnancy, women who develop diabetes during pregnancy can greatly reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a study supported by the National Institutes of Health has found.

Blinking rate, not just pupil response, an important measure of alterness
The speed and degree to which the pupil of the eye responds is a standard test for alertness. It has also been used to assess how sleepy or exhausted a person is. Now, research to be published in the International Journal of Bioinformatics Research and Applications suggests that measuring pupil response alone is not enough and that a person's rate of blinking should also be incorporated to obtain a more precise measure of alertness. The work could be important in the care of people with multiple sclerosis and other conditions. It might also be automated and ultimately used to automatically monitor patients, drivers, pilots, machine operators or others.

Research undermines tobacco industry's claims that 'plain packaging' is unfair
(Medical Xpress)—Two research studies led by University of Otago researchers have challenged tobacco companies' claims about plain packaging.

Getting sleepy at the wheel? Dangerous 'Microsleep' may occur without a break
(Medical Xpress)—Nodding off at the wheel could be easier than you think. All participants in a QUT study showed extreme levels of sleepiness 40 minutes into a simulated driving test after waking early that day.

Study links diabetic foot ulcers with higher risk of death, heart attack and stroke
(Medical Xpress)—People with diabetes who develop foot ulcers are at more risk of dying prematurely than those without the complication, finds a new large-scale study. The researchers say the findings highlight the potential need for improved detection and management of those with diabetes and foot ulcers.

Researchers offer insight into cognitive changes in multiple sclerosis
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with colleagues in the Department of Neurology at St Vincent's University Hospital and University College Dublin have recently reported new insights into cognitive changes in multiple sclerosis, using newly developed signal processing methods. The findings have been recently published in the international journal PlosOne.

HPV vaccination does not lead to an increase in sex
A study published in Vaccine reveals that contrary to recent discussions, the HPV vaccination does not increase sexual activity in adolescent girls.

Study highlights the power of positive relationships for girls' mental health
(Medical Xpress)—The experience of being bullied is particularly detrimental to the psychological health of school girls who don't have social support from either adults or peers, according to a new study by Dr. Martin Guhn and colleagues from the University of British Columbia in Canada. In contrast, social support from adults or peers (or both) appears to lessen the negative consequences of bullying in this group, namely anxiety and depression. The work is published online in Springer's Journal of Happiness Studies.

Research reveals more about spatial memory problems associated with Alzheimer's
Researchers at Western University have created a mouse model that reproduces some of the chemical changes in the brain that occur with Alzheimer's, shedding new light on this devastating disease. Marco Prado, Vania Prado and their colleagues at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry's Robarts Research Institute, looked at changes related to a neurotransmitter or chemical messenger, named acetylcholine (ACh), and the kinds of memory problems associated with it.

Loss of protective heart failure protein linked to critical limb ischemia
Restoring diminished levels of a protein shown to prevent and reverse heart failure damage could also have therapeutic applications for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), suggests a new preclinical study published online October 9 in Circulation Research from researchers at the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University .

High toll of mental illness and addictions must be addressed
Mental illnesses and addictions take more of a toll on the health of Ontarians than cancer or infectious diseases, according to a new report by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario – yet this burden could be reduced with treatment, say scientists from Canada's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Criteria used to diagnose sports head injuries found to be inconsistent
In recent years it has become clear that athletes who experience repeated impacts to the head may be at risk of potentially serious neurological and psychiatric problems. But a study of sports programs at three major universities, published in the October 2 Journal of Neurosurgery, finds that the way the injury commonly called concussion is usually diagnosed – largely based on athletes' subjective symptoms – varies greatly and may not be the best way to determine who is at risk for future problems. In addition, the way the term concussion is used in sports injuries may differ from how it is used in other medical contexts, potentially hindering communication about the factors most relevant to patient outcomes.

Living near livestock may increase risk of acquiring MRSA
People who live near livestock or in livestock farming communities may be at greater risk of acquiring, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a new study led by an international team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Dutch Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. A comparison of livestock density, place of residence and existing information on risk factors found that regional density of livestock is an important risk factor for nasal carriage of livestock-associated (LA) MRSA for persons with and without direct contact with livestock. The results are featured in the November issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Does immune dysfunction contribute to schizophrenia?
A new study reinforces the finding that a region of the genome involved in immune system function, called the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), is involved in the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia.

Study discovers gene signature that predicts prostate cancer survival
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a six-gene signature that can be used in a test to predict survival in men with aggressive prostate cancer, according to new research published in the October issue of The Lancet Oncology. This is the first study to demonstrate how prognostic markers may be useful in a clinical setting.

Scientists pinpoint gene variations linked to higher risk of bipolar disorder
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified small variations in a number of genes that are closely linked to an increased risk of bipolar disorder, a mental illness that affects nearly six million Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Workshop calls for more detailed reporting in animal studies
A workshop sponsored by NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has produced a set of consensus recommendations to improve the design and reporting of animal studies. By making animal studies easier to replicate and interpret, the workshop recommendations are expected to help funnel promising therapies to patients.

Investigational drugs chosen for major Alzheimer's prevention trial
Leading scientists have selected the first drugs to be evaluated in a worldwide clinical study to determine whether they can prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Hospital readmission rates misleading, study finds
When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad.

Mass. gov: Drug firm may have misled regulators
(AP)—Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says the specialty pharmacy linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak may have misled regulators and done work beyond the scope of its state license.

Stroke becoming more common in young people, study says
New research reveals that stroke may be affecting people at a younger age. The study is published in the October 10, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Analysis finds likely voters rank health care second most important issue in presidential choice
A new analysis of 37 national opinion polls conducted by 17 survey organizations finds that health care is the second most important issue for likely voters in deciding their 2012 presidential vote. This is the highest that health care has been ranked as a presidential election issue since 1992. When likely voters were asked to choose from a list of issues, similar to the approach used in election-day exit polls, one in five (20%) named "health care and Medicare" as the most important issue in their 2012 voting choice, far behind "the economy and jobs" (cited by 51%).

High levels of blood-based protein specific to mesothelioma
Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have discovered the protein product of a little-known gene may one day prove useful in identifying and monitoring the development of mesothelioma in early stages, when aggressive treatment can have an impact on the progression of disease and patient prognosis.

First WGS of multiple pancreatic cancer patients outlined in new study
Whole genome sequencing—spelling out all 3 billion letters in the human genome—"is an obvious and powerful method for advancing our understanding of pancreatic cancer," according to a new study from TGen, Mayo Clinic and Scottsdale Healthcare published today.

Testosterone increases honesty: Study examines the biological background of lying
Testosterone is considered the male hormone, standing for aggression and posturing. Researchers around Prof. Dr. Armin Falk, an economist from the University of Bonn, have now been able to demonstrate that this sex hormone surprisingly also fosters social behavior. In play situations, subjects who had received testosterone clearly lied less frequently than individuals who had only received a placebo. The results have just been published in the Public Library of Science's journal PLoS ONE.

Parent-clinician communication about children's drug reactions needs improvement
Many parents are dissatisfied with communication regarding adverse drug reactions experienced by their child, and the implications of such reactions for the child's future use of medicines, according to a new study published Oct. 10 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Bridget Young from the University of Liverpool, UK and colleagues.

Many hospitalized children experience severe pain: report
(HealthDay)—A significant number of hospitalized children have moderate to severe pain, a new study finds.

Study supports costoplasty for rib hump deformity correction
(HealthDay)—In the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the addition of costoplasty to pedicle screws and vertebral derotation may significantly improve correction of the rib hump deformity compared with pedicle screws and vertebral derotation alone, according to research published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.

Medicare/Medicaid policy shift didn't budge hospital infection rates: study
(HealthDay)—A 2008 shift in Medicare/Medicaid policy that cut off reimbursements for costs related to preventable infections in hospitals did not improve infection rates, new research indicates.

Researchers develop neuroimaging technique capturing cocaine's devastating effect on brain blood flow
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University have developed a high-resolution, 3D optical Doppler imaging tomography technique that captures the effects of cocaine restricting the blood supply in vessels – including small capillaries – of the brain. The study, reported in Molecular Psychiatry, and with images on the journal's October 2012 cover, illustrates the first use of the novel neuroimaging technique and provides evidence of cocaine-induced cerebral microischemia, which can cause stroke.

MRSA researchers identify new class of drugs effective against superbug
(Medical Xpress)—In two separate studies, researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have discovered a new class of treatment against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as well as evidence of a growing need to quickly genotype individual strains of the organism most commonly referred to as the "superbug."

With a little exercise, your fat cells may coax liver to produce 'good' cholesterol
(Medical Xpress)—With a little exercise and dieting, overweight people with type 2 diabetes can still train their fat cells to produce a hormone believed to spur HDL cholesterol production, report medical researchers from The Methodist Hospital and eight other institutions in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Lipid Research.

Applying information theory to linguistics suggests 'functional design' in cross-language variations
The majority of languages—roughly 85 percent of them—can be sorted into two categories: those, like English, in which the basic sentence form is subject-verb-object ("the girl kicks the ball"), and those, like Japanese, in which the basic sentence form is subject-object-verb ("the girl the ball kicks").

Angry? Sad? Ashamed? Depressed people can't tell difference, study finds
(Medical Xpress)—Clinically depressed people have a hard time telling the difference between negative emotions such as anger and guilt, a new University of Michigan study found.

How the body uses vitamin B to recognize bacterial infection
An Australian research team has discovered how specialised immune cells recognise products of vitamin B synthesis that are unique to bacteria and yeast, triggering the body to fight infection.

Researchers discover how melanoma cells circumvent the immune system
Melanoma is so dangerous because it tends to metastasize early on. New treatment approaches utilize, among other things, the ability of the immune defense to search out and destroy malignant cells. Yet this strategy is often only temporarily effective. A research team under the direction of Bonn University has discovered why this is the case: In the inflammatory reaction caused by the treatment, the tumor cells temporarily alter their external characteristics and thus become invisible to defense cells. This knowledge forms an important foundation for the improvement of combination therapies.

RNA-based therapy brings new hope for an incurable blood cancer
Three thousand new cases of Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), a form of blood cancer, appear in the United States each year. With a median survival span of only five to seven years, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, this disease is devastating, and new therapies are sorely needed.

Human neural stem cells study offers new hope for children with fatal brain diseases
Physician-scientists at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital have demonstrated for the first time that banked human neural stem cells—HuCNS-SCs, a proprietary product of StemCells Inc.—can survive and make functional myelin in mice with severe symptoms of myelin loss. Myelin is the critical fatty insulation, or sheath, surrounding new nerve fibers and is essential for normal brain function.

Study shows evidence that transplanted neural stem cells produced myelin
A Phase I clinical trial led by investigators from the University of California, San Francisco and sponsored by Stem Cells Inc., showed that neural stem cells successfully engrafted into the brains of patients and appear to have produced myelin.

The good, the bad, and the guilty: Anticipating feelings of guilt predicts ethical behavior
From politics to finance, government to education, ethics-related scandals seem to crop up with considerable regularity. As whistleblowers and investigative journalists bring these scandals to light, one can't help but wonder: Are there specific character traits that predispose people to unethical behavior?

Squeezing ovarian cancer cells to predict metastatic potential
(Medical Xpress)—New Georgia Tech research shows that cell stiffness could be a valuable clue for doctors as they search for and treat cancerous cells before they're able to spread. The findings, which are published in the journal PLoS One, found that highly metastatic ovarian cancer cells are several times softer than less metastatic ovarian cancer cells.

Negative news stories affect women's stress levels but not men's
Bad news articles in the media increase women's sensitivity to stressful situations, but do not have a similar effect on men, according to a study undertaken by University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital.

Eat more chocolate, win more Nobels?
Take this with a grain of salt, or perhaps some almonds or hazelnuts: A study ties chocolate consumption to the number of Nobel Prize winners a country has and suggests it's a sign that the sweet treat can boost brain power.

Scientists provide detailed view of brain protein structure: Results may help improve drugs for neurological disorders
Researchers have published the first highly detailed description of how neurotensin, a neuropeptide hormone which modulates nerve cell activity in the brain, interacts with its receptor. Their results suggest that neuropeptide hormones use a novel binding mechanism to activate a class of receptors called G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Biology news

Delaying harvest of fodder maize results in a higher starch concentration and lower methane emission
Harvesting fodder maize at an increased stage of maturity improves the starch content of maize silage and the proportion of rumen by-pass starch without negative effects on silage preservation, feed intake or milk production. These are the most important conclusions of the study called 'Effect of increased maturity of silage maize at harvest on conservation, dairy cow performance and methane emission', conducted by Wageningen UR Livestock Research, funded by the Dutch Dairy Board and NL Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

Rumen-fluid-based analysis gives ranchers more definitive source of best-digested forages
A laboratory test using beef cattle rumen fluid can pinpoint which forages will be best utilized by Texas livestock, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

Twitchers hit Scilly Isles after rare warbler sighting
Hundreds of birdwatchers have flocked to the Scilly Isles to catch a glimpse of the Sykes's warbler, one of Britain's rarest visitor, the Times reported on Wednesday.

Japan stem cell Nobel laureate to get research boost
Japan's Nobel prize-winning Shinya Yamanaka will likely get up to 30 billion yen ($383 million) for his stem cell research over the next decade, an official said Wednesday.

Chilean biologist saving forests with frogs
(Phys.org)—Chilean biologist Virginia Moreno is besotted with frogs. So much so that she is taking on the might of the forestry industry to study one frog in particular – Chile's critically endangered mountain frog, Telmatobufo bullock.

Monitoring interactions between proteins in their natural environment with intracellular labeling technique
One can often begin to understand a protein's function by identifying its accomplices in the cell. Accordingly, scientists have developed diverse biochemical assays that essentially allow them to go 'fishing' for interaction data—using a purified protein of interest as 'bait' to pluck its binding partners from out of a cellular extract.

Why are bees and wasps so busy in autumn?
(Phys.org)—You buy a cider doughnut at the apple orchard and they quickly find you. Your kid opens a sports drink at the soccer field and they show up. You dine on the deck on a warm afternoon and sure enough, there they are. 

The sad tale of the urban frog
In the battle for survival, the impact of climate change may tip the balance against Australia's dwindling urban frog populations.

New algae species is named after UA researcher
University of Arizona research associate Patrick Ferris, who has spent nearly 30 years studying algae, recently was honored when a Japanese team named a newly discovered species after him.

Study shows salamander survival rates depend on drought, climate change
On the heels of one the worst U.S. droughts in more than half a century, a new study raises questions about the future of one of the most integral members of stream ecosystems throughout the Southeast – the salamander.

Looks like turtle weed, but it's not: Molecular tools aid in identification of new algae species
Newly described species points to richer marine biodiversity in Guam waters than previously understood.

Sitting on top of the world: Mountain marvels of French Polynesia
Do you have it in mind to go to a mountain top and study beetles that nobody else has ever seen? Well, there are two fewer such mountains available now that beetle species discovered on Mont Tohiea and Mont Mauru in the Society Islands have been named. James Liebherr, Curator of the Cornell University Insect Collection, has just described 14 species of predatory carabid beetle, also called ground beetles, as part of a U.S. National Science Foundation team that surveyed the insects and spiders of French Polynesia.

Plants in space
How plants handle stress in space and what astronauts can learn from them is the subject of a new study at Michigan State University.

Single spider dads caring for eggs suffer no disadvantages despite parenting costs
Single fatherhood is a challenge many arachnids undertake, guarding eggs laid by females despite the costs to their own health and mating benefits, but the news may not be all bad for these dads.

Fossilised Moa bones help scientists unravel the mystery of DNA decay
(Phys.org)—A new study is finally laying to rest the debate over whether DNA from the age of the dinosaurs could survive to the present day.

Brain study: Singing mice show signs of learning
Guys who imitate Luciano Pavarotti or Justin Bieber to get the girls aren't alone. Male mice may do a similar trick, matching the pitch of other males' ultrasonic serenades. The mice also have certain brain features, somewhat similar to humans and song-learning birds, which they may use to change their sounds, according to a new study.

Skin hair skims heat off elephants
Body hair in mammals is typically thought to have evolved to keep us warm in colder prehistoric times, but a new study suggests that it may do the opposite, at least in elephants. Epidermal hair may have evolved to help the animals keep cool in the hot regions they live in, according to new research published Oct 10 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Conor Myhrvold and colleagues at Princeton University.


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