From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 2:02 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Thursday, Jun 27
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 27, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- EV racing car named Lola breaks world speed record- Research trio claim landslides key to mountain longevity
- Resistance gene found against Ug99 wheat stem rust pathogen
- Researchers discover species-recognition system in fruit flies
- Study appears to overturn prevailing view of how the brain is wired
- Research promises breakthrough in internet bandwidth (w/ Video)
- Making hydrogenation greener
- A new bizarrely shaped spoon worm, Arhynchite hayaoi, from Japan
- Beautiful but hiding unpleasant surprise: 3 new species of fetid fungi from New Zealand
- 'Shields to Maximum, Mr. Scott': Researchers use supercomputers to simulate orbital debris impacts on spacecrafts
- A look inside children's minds: New study shows how 3- and 4-year-olds retain what they see around them
- Watching solar cells grow
- Researchers discover global warming may affect microbe survival
- Organic electronics: Imaging defects in solar cells
- Gas-giant exoplanets cling close to their parent stars
Space & Earth news
Astronaut view of Colorado fires
Thick smoke billows across the landscape in these digital photographs of the western United States. Both photographs were taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on June 19, 2013.
Flood: Rerouted levee stands the test
(Phys.org) —A restored floodplain with a high diversity of species and effective flood protection – these are the results of the large-scale nature protection project "Lenzener Elbtalaue". Under the direction of biologist Dr. Christian Damm from KIT, the levee along the Elbe river near Lenzen (Brandenburg) was relocated into the hinterland. This largest levee rerouting project in Germany recently stood the first test: During the Elbe flood this year, the floodplain between the old and the new levee protected the hinterland from being damaged.
Earth's northern biomass mapped and measured
The biomass of the northern hemisphere's forests has been mapped with greater precision than ever before thanks to satellites, improving our understanding of the carbon cycle and our prediction of Earth's future climate.
International attention focuses on a climate change 'trigger'
(Phys.org) —The science of climate change has led international EU-funded researchers to an area thought to be responsible for redistributing and controlling heat around the globe.
NASA satellites see Eastern Pacific's hurricane Cosme weaken
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite captured the third named Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone as it grew to hurricane strength. Hurricane Cosme was bringing those winds to Clarion Island, Mexico on June 26 and its northernmost clouds extended over southern Baja California.
NASA set to launch sun-observation satellite
(AP)—NASA on Thursday was poised to launch a satellite to observe a little-understood region just above the surface of the sun.
Space shuttle Atlantis 'go' for public viewing
(AP)—The last U.S. space shuttle to soar makes its museum debut this weekend.
Researchers call for rethinking efforts to prevent interplanetary contamination
Two Washington State University researchers say environmental restrictions have become unnecessarily restrictive and expensive—on Mars.
The violent birth of neutron stars
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics conducted the most expensive and most elaborate computer simulations so far to study the formation of neutron stars at the center of collapsing stars with unprecedented accuracy. These worldwide first three-dimensional models with a detailed treatment of all important physical effects confirm that extremely violent, hugely asymmetric sloshing and spiral motions occur when the stellar matter falls towards the center. The results of the simulations thus lend support to basic perceptions of the dynamical processes that are involved when a star explodes as supernova.
Planning in the near term for climate change
When scientists talk about climate change, they usually mean significant changes in the measures of climate over several decades or longer. Climate variability generally refers to seasonal changes over a year or so.
Spiral galaxies like Milky Way bigger than thought, study finds
Let's all fist bump: Spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way appear to be much larger and more massive than previously believed, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study by researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope.
'Shields to Maximum, Mr. Scott': Researchers use supercomputers to simulate orbital debris impacts on spacecrafts
We know it's out there, debris from 50 years of space exploration—aluminum, steel, nylon, even liquid sodium from Russian satellites—orbiting around the Earth and posing a danger to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Researchers discover global warming may affect microbe survival
Arizona State University researchers have discovered for the first time that temperature determines where key soil microbes can thrive—microbes that are critical to forming topsoil crusts in arid lands. And of concern, the scientists predict that in as little as 50 years, global warming may push some of these microbes out of their present stronghold in colder U.S. deserts, with unknown consequences to soil fertility and erosion.
At the solar system's edge, more surprises from Voyager
(Phys.org) —Data from NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft continues to provide new insight on the outskirts of our solar system, a frontier thought to be the last that Voyager will cross before becoming the first man-made object to reach interstellar space.
Scientists discover thriving colonies of microbes in ocean 'plastisphere'
(Phys.org) —Scientists have discovered a diverse multitude of microbes colonizing and thriving on flecks of plastic that have polluted the oceans—a vast new human-made flotilla of microbial communities that they have dubbed the "plastisphere."
Gas-giant exoplanets cling close to their parent stars
Gemini Observatory's Planet-Finding Campaign finds that, around many types of stars, distant gas-giant planets are rare and prefer to cling close to their parent stars. The impact on theories of planetary formation could be significant.
Research trio claim landslides key to mountain longevity
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers, two from Aarhus University in Denmark and a third from the University of Melbourne in Australia, claim in a paper published in the journal Nature that mountain longevity is likely due to the type of landslides that occur at their base. They've created computer simulations that recreate the conditions that lead to mountain erosion and say landslide types can mean the difference between short- and long-lived mountain ranges.
Medicine & Health news
How to boost Hispanics' participation in clinical trials? Relate to them, study shows
Hispanic cancer patients rarely participate in clinical trials, but researchers want to tailor a Spanish DVD to help change this. To create a relevant educational tool, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers investigated why awareness of and participation in trials are so low in this population.
Paid sick time law passes in NYC, veto overridden
(AP)—New York City is becoming the most populous place in the United States to make businesses provide workers with paid sick time.
New rules aim to rid US schools of junk foods
(AP)—High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from vending machines and cafeteria lines at all U.S. schools as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items.
HIV-positive men show high rates of papillomavirus infection at oral, anal and penile sites
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists in Barcelona have found a high presence of papillomavirus infection in oral, anal and penile cavities in HIV-positive men, particularly in the anal cavities of men who have homosexual sex. The researchers recommend routine examination of the three areas in all men, independently of their sexual behaviour.
Immediate effect of DOMA decision profound
The Supreme Court today struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), ruling that the law violated fundamental constitutional rights by denying same-sex couples equal liberty under the law. Justice Anthony Kennedy's opinion held that DOMA rested on an irrational, constitutionally impermissible animus against same-sex couples.
Analysis of Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage
With this morning's landmark Supreme Court rulings –– and Gov. Jerry Brown's announcement that county clerks will soon begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples –– California becomes the 13th state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Pa. transplant recipient still on breathing tube
(AP)—The mother of a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl recovering after a double lung transplant says doctors tried to remove her breathing tube but were forced to reinsert it.
China reports another H7N9 bird flu death
Shanghai has reported another death from H7N9 bird flu, the local government said, bringing the total number of fatalities nationwide to at least 40.
Seniors are not just wrinkly adults
Emergency patients over the age of 74 have significantly different and more complex health and social needs than their younger counterparts, even after controlling for illness severity, which has important implications about aging populations and emergency departments of the future. The results of the most extensive international study of the characteristics and outcomes of older emergency patients to be reported to date were published online Tuesday in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Factory insurance would fight blight
(Medical Xpress)—Automakers and other private firms should be required by law to carry insurance policies to pay for tearing down their factories and buildings, recommends a hard-hitting study from Michigan State University's Center for Community and Economic Development.
Radiation from airport scanners—how much dose we get
A new report by an independent task force commissioned by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), has found that people absorb less radiation from airport X-ray backscatter scanner than they do while standing in line waiting for the scan itself.
Hundreds of docs have dubious prescribing patterns in part D
(HealthDay)—Many hundreds of general-care physicians who order drugs paid for by Medicare Part D have questionable prescribing patterns, according to a report published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Study examines opiate use in orthopedic trauma patients
(HealthDay)—Orthopedic trauma patients with isolated musculoskeletal injuries are significantly more likely than the general population to have used prescription opiates prior to injury, and pre-injury use predicts prolonged postoperative use, according to a study published in the June 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Online pharmacy crackdown shutters 1,677 websites
U.S. and international regulators have seized more than $41 million in illegal medicines worldwide and shut down 1,677 websites as part of their ongoing fight against counterfeit drugs sold over the Internet.
Court sends abortion drug case back to Okla. court
(AP)—The Supreme Court is sending back to state court a case about an Oklahoma anti-abortion law that bans off-label use of certain abortion-inducing drugs.
Italy bans sale of electronic cigarettes to minors
Italy banned the sale of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine to minors on Thursday and forbid their use in schools, amid criticism from a consumer watchdog that the move did not go far enough.
Indian surgeons reconstruct baby's swollen head
Indian doctors said Thursday they have successfully completed a second round of reconstructive surgery on the skull of a baby suffering from a rare disorder that caused her head to nearly double in size.
Gold standard dialysis procedure may not be so golden for elderly patients
Elderly patients with kidney failure may not gain the same benefits from what's considered the gold standard for accessing the blood for dialysis compared with younger patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that vascular access procedures should be tailored to individual dialysis patients in the elderly population.
People's perception of the effect of stress on their health is linked to risk of heart attacks
People who believe that stress is having an adverse impact on their health are probably right, because they have an increased risk of suffering a heart attack, according to new research published online in the European Heart Journal.
Whole genome or exome sequencing: An individual insight
Focusing on parts rather than the whole, when it comes to genome sequencing, might be extremely useful, finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Medicine. The research compares several sequencing technologies in the same individual with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and shows that sequencing the coding regions alone at high depth of coverage can identify the genetic variation behind this disease, and was also able to resolve previous ambiguities.
People with a disability more likely to be obese, have chronic illnesses
Adults with a disability are more likely to be obese or extremely obese than those without a disability according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health, which is part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
More US C-sections are now done closer to due date
(AP)—Not only has America's high level of C-sections finally stopped rising, but more of the operations are taking place closer to the mother's due date, a new government report found.
New study into impact on women who lose a baby
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Adelaide hope that women who experience pregnancy loss - such as miscarriage and stillbirth - will receive better care thanks to new research aimed at finding out exactly what they go through at this difficult time in their lives.
Study evaluates factors that affect patients' ability to recall their sexual function and activity
Many chronic diseases and their treatments can affect people's sexual health and function, significantly hindering their quality of life. A study led by researchers at Duke Medicine found that people can remember their sexual function and activity over the previous month reasonably well, but their gender and the mood they feel at the time of reporting can influence what they report.
Researchers discover novel DNA variants that influence risk of blood cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) recently led in two studies that revealed important genetic insights into the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). NHLs are some of the most common blood cancers and include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas.
Research raises concerns over smoke detectors' effectiveness in waking children
(Medical Xpress)—Standard domestic smoke detectors may not always wake children in the event of a fire, according to research by the University of Strathclyde's Centre for Forensic Science and Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Preventative measures in mom's third trimester may avert anemia in newborns
Swedish researchers determined that administering anti-D antibodies (immunoglobulins) to pregnant women who were Rhesus D (RhD) negative could prevent hemolytic disease in the infant. Findings published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, indicate that providing anti-D prophylaxis to mothers without the anti-D antigen (protein) during the 28-30 week of pregnancy may prevent the Rh blood disorder in newborns.
Transforming cervical screening
(Medical Xpress)—There is nothing like a big celebrity name to create global attention to a big health concern. As a result we now have the 'Jolie effect' to describe the influence actress Angelina Jolie has had on people now going for breast cancer checks, which have reportedly doubled.
How cancer spreads: Metastatic tumor a hybrid of cancer cell and white blood cell
Yale Cancer Center scientists, together with colleagues at the Denver Police Crime Lab and the University of Colorado, have found evidence that a human metastatic tumor can arise when a leukocyte (white blood cell) and a cancer cell fuse to form a genetic hybrid. Their study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, may answer the question of how cancer cells travel from the primary tumor's site of origin to distant organs and tissues of the body—the deadly process of metastasis.
Sleep apnea and pre-eclampsia share a common warning sign
Many, but not all, people with sleep apnea develop high blood pressure. In a new study, Yale researchers show those who develop hypertension have many similarities with pregnant woman with pre-eclampsia.
Study reveals genetic cause of high-arched palate
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at King's have revealed the genetic basis of high-arched palate in the mouth for the first time, a discovery that could pave the way for new treatments to reverse the condition.
Specialist care helps develop relationship between mothers with severe mental illness and their newborn children
For mothers who are suffering from severe mental illness, interactions with babies significantly improve following specialist video-feedback and treatment on an inpatient Mother and Baby Unit (MBU), according to a new study led by King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry (IoP).
Dampness key cause of asthma in children
(Medical Xpress)—The largest-ever worldwide study of the link between damp homes and respiratory and allergic conditions has significant implications for New Zealand children's health.
Fathers can help sons avoid trouble, even if they aren't under the same roof
Dads who don't live with their sons still can influence them away from risky behaviors, even if they reside in communities of high crime and poverty.
Vaccinations alarmingly low for preventable childhood diseases
University of Sydney researchers have found alarmingly low rates of vaccination against chicken pox and influenza in children hospitalised for these diseases.
Babies can read each other's moods, study finds (w/ Video)
(Medical Xpress)—Although it may seem difficult for adults to understand what an infant is feeling, a new study from Brigham Young University finds that it's so easy a baby could do it.
Methylphenidate modulates brain-circuit connectivity in cocaine-addicted individuals
(Medical Xpress)—Several brain-imaging studies have revealed disruptions in communication between brain regions in people addicted to cocaine. A new study conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory shows that a single oral dose of methylphenidate, a drug commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), modifies connectivity in particular disrupted brain circuits in ways that could potentially help improve self-control and reduce craving among cocaine-addicted individuals. The research is published in JAMA Psychiatry as an Online First Publication, June 26, 2013.
Study reveals mothers' migrant status linked to newborns' weight
A new study involving Oxford University researchers suggests that the migrant status of couples in Hong Kong is a key factor in their babies' birth weights.
Hyperconnectivity found in brains of children with autism, study says
The brains of children with autism show higher-than-normal connectivity along many neural networks, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found.
'WAVE1' identified as key protein in sepsis
Sepsis is a feared complication in bacterial infections. Despite treatment with antibiotics this uncontrolled systemic inflammation is linked to a very high mortality rate because there is no treatment that could bring the inflammatory reaction under control. In a publication, which has just been published, researchers from the MedUni Vienna belonging to the working group under Sylvia Knapp identify the "WAVE1" protein as a significant factor in these inflammatory processes.
Outdoor activities, day length tied to myopia onset, progress
(HealthDay)—Exposure to outdoor activities correlates with less new onset of myopia and myopic shift, and the number of hours of daylight is associated with eye elongation, myopia progression, and corneal power change, according to two studies published in the May issue of Ophthalmology.
Acute hypoglycemia impairs executive cognitive function
(HealthDay)—In adults with and without type 1 diabetes, executive cognitive function is impaired during hypoglycemia, according to research published online June 18 in Diabetes Care.
Link shown between Crohn's disease and virus
A new study reveals that all children with Crohn's disease that were examined had a commonly occurring virus – an enterovirus – in their intestines. This link has previously not been shown for this chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder. The findings are being published today in the latest issue of the international journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.
New red blood cell simulator invented
Engineers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed the world's most precise computer simulation of how red blood cells might travel around the body to help doctors treat people with serious circulatory problems.
High-resolution mapping technique uncovers underlying circuit architecture of the brain
(Medical Xpress)—The power of the brain lies in its trillions of intercellular connections, called synapses, which together form complex neural "networks." While neuroscientists have long sought to map these complex connections to see how they influence specific brain functions, traditional techniques have yet to provide the desired resolution. Now, by using an innovative brain-tracing technique, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the Salk Institute have found a way to untangle these networks. Their findings offer new insight into how specific brain regions connect to each other, while also revealing clues as to what may happen, neuron by neuron, when these connections are disrupted.
Type 1 diabetes: Can insulin-producing cells be regenerated?
(Medical Xpress)—Patrick Collombat, Inserm Research Director and head of the Avenir team at the Institut de Biologie Valrose in Nice, has published new results concerning Type I diabetes. Researchers show that, in mice, the pancreas contains cells capable of being converted into insulin-producing β cells, something that can be done at any age. They also demonstrate that all pancreatic β cells can be regenerated several times and that chemically-induced diabetes in mice can thus be "treated" repeatedly. The challenge for the researchers is now to show that these procedures can be applied to humans.
Pneumonia revealed in a cough
(Medical Xpress)—A new method, which analyzes the sounds in a child's cough, could soon be used in poor, remote regions to diagnose childhood pneumonia reliably. According to Udantha Abeyratne from the University of Queensland in Australia and colleagues, this simple technique of recording coughs with a microphone on the patient's bedside table, has the potential to revolutionize the management of childhood pneumonia in remote regions around the world. Their work is published online in Springer's journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering.
Research in fruit flies provides new insight into Barrett's esophagus
Research focused on the regulation of the adult stem cells that line the gastrointestinal tract of Drosophila suggests new models for the study of Barrett's esophagus. Barrett's esophagus, a risk factor for esophageal cancer, is a condition in which the cells of the lower esophagus transform into stomach-like cells. In most cases this transformation has been thought to occur directly from chronic acid indigestion when stomach contents flow back up into the esophagus. A new study, published June 27, 2013 online in Cell Reports, suggests a different cause, namely a change in stem cell function, for this transformation.
Insulin differs between ethnicities, study finds
People have differing abilities to release and react to insulin depending on ethnicity, according to a new study from researchers at Lund University in Sweden, Stanford University and Kitasato University.
Study sheds new light on a classic question in psychology and neuroscience
A study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows, that our imagination may affect how we experience the world more than we perhaps think. What we imagine hearing or seeing "in our head" can change our actual perception. The study, which is published in the scientific journal Current Biology, sheds new light on a classic question in psychology and neuroscience – about how our brains combine information from the different senses.
Scientists discern signatures of old versus young stem cells
A chemical code scrawled on histones—the protein husks that coat DNA in every animal or plant cell—determines which genes in that cell are turned on and which are turned off. Now, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have taken a new step in the deciphering of that histone code.
Food contaminants worsen metabolic problems in obese mice
(Medical Xpress)—In order to get a better understanding of these effects, researchers from the Inserm cardiovascular, metabolism, diabetology and nutrition unit (U1060 " Laboratoire de recherche en cardiovasculaire, métabolisme, diabétologie et nutrition " Inserm/Inra/Université Lyon 1) introduced a "cocktail" of contaminants mixed with low doses of dioxin, PCB, bisphenol A and phtalates into the feeding of mice that had already been rendered obese by a high-fat diet.
After Great Dane success, cancer doc eyes brain tumors
(Medical Xpress)—Two University of Colorado Cancer Center publications set stage for K9 cancer vaccine test with human glioblastoma. Michael Graner, PhD, is a CU Cancer Center investigator and associate professor of neurosurgery at the CU School of Medicine. So when his 12-year-old Great Dane got sick, he knew what to do.
Scientist working to break vicious cycle causing vision loss in diabetes
it's a vicious cycle that robs people with diabetes of their vision.
Researchers reformulate the model of mitochondrial function
The discovery confirms the model proposed by the team in 2008 to account for observations that could not be explained by the established model of mitochondrial function. Mitochondria are the organelles in the interior of cells that, among other functions, extract energy from nutrients and convert it into a form that can be used by the cell for its vital processes.
Brain's 'garbage truck' may hold key to treating Alzheimer's and other disorders
In a perspective piece appearing today in the journal Science, researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) point to a newly discovered system by which the brain removes waste as a potentially powerful new tool to treat neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease. In fact, scientists believe that some of these conditions may arise when the system is not doing its job properly.
Inside the minds of murderers
(Medical Xpress)—The minds of murderers who kill impulsively, often out of rage, and those who carefully carry out premeditated crimes differ markedly both psychologically and intellectually, according to a new study by Northwestern Medicine researcher Robert Hanlon.
Gene deletion affects early language and brain white matter
(June 27, 2013) – A chromosomal deletion is associated with changes in the brain's white matter and delayed language acquisition in youngsters from Southeast Asia or with ancestral connections to the region, said an international consortium led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine. However, many such children who can be described as late-talkers may overcome early speech and language difficulties as they grow.
Surgeons report melanoma recurs after 10 years in more than 6 percent of patients
Recurrence of melanoma skin cancer 10 or more years after initial treatment is more common than previously thought, occurring in more than one in 20 patients. However, according to a new study, these patients tend to live longer after their cancer returns than patients whose melanoma recurs in the first three years. The study results appear in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Insights into how brain compensates for recurring hearing loss point to new glue ear therapies
Important new insights into how the brain compensates for temporary hearing loss during infancy, such as that commonly experienced by children with glue ear, are revealed in a research study in ferrets. The Wellcome Trust-funded study at the University of Oxford could point to new therapies for glue ear and has implications for the design of hearing aid devices.
Helping SAD sufferers sleep soundly
Lying awake in bed plagues everyone occasionally, but for those with seasonal affective disorder, sleeplessness is routine. University of Pittsburgh researchers report in the Journal of Affective Disorders that individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD)—a winter depression that leads to loss of motivation and interest in daily activities—have misconceptions about their sleep habits similar to those of insomniacs. These findings open the door for treating seasonal affective disorder similar to the way doctors treat insomnia.
A second amyloid may play a role in Alzheimer's disease, researchers find
A protein secreted with insulin travels through the bloodstream and accumulates in the brains of individuals with type 2 diabetes and dementia, in the same manner as the amyloid beta Αβ plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, a study by researchers with the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center has found.
Why is pulmonary hypertension at high altitude so common and dangerous?
Everyone who climbs to high altitude will develop pulmonary hypertension, a temporary constriction of blood vessels that results in increasing strain on the right heart. It is a normal adaptive mechanism but if exaggerated can have serious consequences, resulting in life-threatening disorders and remodeling of the pulmonary circulation. Five mini-Review articles that comprise a Special Topic section in High Altitude Medicine & Biology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers provide an up-to-date overview of the clinical management and biological processes that underlie this fascinating disorder. The articles are available free on the High Altitude Medicine & Biology website.
Protein is involved with colon cancer cell's ability to invade other cells
Understanding how the protein km23-1 enables in the spread of colon cancer may lead to new treatments for the disease, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine.
Aerial mosquito spraying study finds no immediate public health risks
(Medical Xpress)—In what researchers say is the first public health study of the aerial mosquito spraying method to prevent West Nile virus, a UC Davis study analyzed emergency department records from Sacramento area hospitals during and immediately after aerial sprayings in the summer of 2005. Physicians and scientists from the university and from the California Department of Public Health found no increase in specific diagnoses that are considered most likely to be associated with pesticide exposure, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin, eye and neurological conditions.
Could a diet high in fish and flax help prevent broken hips?
Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood may reduce the risk for hip fractures in postmenopausal women, recent research suggests.
Chemical in antibacterial soaps may harm nursing babies
A mother's prolonged use of antibacterial soaps containing the chemical triclocarban may harm nursing babies, according to a recent study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Early brain stimulation may help stroke survivors recover language function
Non-invasive brain stimulation may help stroke survivors recover speech and language function, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
Telomere length influences cancer cell differentiation
Researchers from the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research in Tokyo have discovered that forced elongation of telomeres (extensions on the end of chromosomes) promotes the differentiation of cancer cells, probably reducing malignancy, which is strongly associated with a loss of cell differentiation. They report their findings in a manuscript published online ahead of print, in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Low self-control promotes selfless behavior in close relationships
When faced with the choice of sacrificing time and energy for a loved one or taking the self-centered route, people's first impulse is to think of others, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
IHC: united states has shortage of headache specialists
(HealthDay)—There is a widespread shortage of certified headache specialists in the United States compared with the expected migraine population, according to a study presented at the 2013 International Headache Congress, held from June 27 to 30 in Boston.
IHC: stigma towards migraine sufferers high
(HealthDay)—Individuals with migraine experience as much stigma as individuals with epilepsy and panic disorder, which are also episodic, according to a study presented at the 2013 International Headache Congress, held from June 27 to 30 in Boston.
Long-term satisfaction for open carpal tunnel release
(HealthDay)—Most patients who undergo open carpal tunnel release are pleased with the results and free of symptoms more than a decade later, according to a study published in the June 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Migraine sufferers face significant stigma, study finds
(HealthDay)—Those who get migraines have to deal not only with the pain, which can be disabling, but the stigma caused by others who tend to discount the impact of the debilitating headaches, a new study shows.
Speed a factor in one-third of deadly crashes involving teen drivers
(HealthDay)—Speeding is a factor in a third of fatal crashes involving teen drivers in the United States, according to a new report.
South Asians need more exercise than white Europeans to reduce diabetes risk, say scientists
South Asians (from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) may have to exercise more than white Europeans to achieve the same levels of fitness and reduce their risk of diabetes.
Re-thinking ethnic favoritism in politics
Conventional wisdom holds that African politics operates on the basis of ethnic favoritism: Politicians in power are assumed to dole out benefits to people in their own group of origin. And many academic studies have identified individual public goods that have been distributed to particular ethnic groups in Africa, casting doubt on the fairness and inclusivity of the governments in question.
Study finds link between liver cancer and gut bacteria in obese mice
(Medical Xpress)—A team of cancer specialists from several Japanese research facilities has found that an acid produced by a type of gut bacteria appears to be involved in causing an increase in the rates of liver cancer in obese mice. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team reports that increased levels of deoxycholic acid (DCA) found in obese mice leads to higher rates of liver cancer.
A telescope for the eye: New contact lenses may improve sight for macular degeneration patients
Contact lenses correct many people's eyesight but do nothing to improve the blurry vision of those suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness among older adults in the western world. That's because simply correcting the eye's focus cannot restore the central vision lost from a retina damaged by AMD.
A look inside children's minds: New study shows how 3- and 4-year-olds retain what they see around them
(Medical Xpress)—When young children gaze intently at something or furrow their brows in concentration, you know their minds are busily at work. But you're never entirely sure what they're thinking.
Study appears to overturn prevailing view of how the brain is wired
A series of studies conducted by Randy Bruno, PhD, and Christine Constantinople, PhD, of Columbia University's Department of Neuroscience, topples convention by showing that sensory information travels to two places at once: not only to the brain's mid-layer (where most axons lead), but also directly to its deeper layers. The study appears in the June 28, 2013, edition of the journal Science.
Breaking habits before they start
Our daily routines can become so ingrained that we perform them automatically, such as taking the same route to work every day. Some behaviors, such as smoking or biting your fingernails, become so habitual that we can't stop even if we want to.
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