From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 2:02 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Wednesday, Jun 19
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 19, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Multiview 3-D photography made simple- Cheap, color, holographic video: Better holographic video displays
- Wireless subretinal prostheses allows blind mice to see light
- Sound waves precisely position nanowires
- First entanglement between light and optical atomic coherence
- Efficient signal transmission at sensory system synapses
- Research says Mars had oxygen-rich atmosphere 4000 million years ago
- Scientists find new source of versatility so 'floppy' proteins can get things done
- Study finds chemical behind cancer resistance in naked mole rats
- An environmentally friendly battery made from wood (Update)
- Prehistoric rock art maps cosmological belief
- A shot in the arm for old antibiotics: Silver boosts antibiotics
- Sequentially expressed genes in neural progenitors create neural diversity
- Billion-pixel view of Mars comes from Curiosity rover
- Less is more: Novel cellulose structure requires fewer enzymes to process biomass to fuel
Space & Earth news
Worsening smog angers Singaporeans, tourists
Singapore's smog problem from forest fires in Indonesia worsened Wednesday as air pollutant levels reached a 16-year high.
World Bank warns global warming woes closing in
The World Bank on Wednesday warned that severe hardships from global warming could be felt within a generation, with a new study detailing devastating impacts in Africa and Asia.
First Gagarin film turns Soviet idol into new Russian hero
Strapped in an orange suit in his spaceship, Yuri Gagarin smiles as the rockets roar and chirpily tells mission control: "Let's go!"
Siberian caves warn of permafrost meltdown
Climate records captured in Siberian caves suggest 1.5 degrees of warming is enough to trigger thawing of permafrost, according to a paper to be given at the Geological Society of London on 27 June.
NCAR joins massive field campaign to examine summertime air in Southeast
Taking part in the largest U.S. air quality field project in decades, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is working with partners to study pollution in the Southeast. The study looks at the impact of chemical reactions occurring between human-related pollution and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from vegetation.
Obama vows US 'will do more' to battle climate change
President Barack Obama on Wednesday pledged that the United States "will do more" to tackle the threat of climate change and said the world must do likewise before it is too late.
The contribution of particulate matter to forest decline
Air pollution is related to forest decline and also appears to attack the protecting wax on tree leaves and needles. Bonn University scientists have now discovered a responsible mechanism: particulate matter salt compounds that become deliquescent because of humidity and form a wick-like structure that removes water from leaves and promotes dehydration. These results are published in Environmental Pollution.
Ground monitoring equipment deployed on two Ethiopian volcanoes showing signs of unrest
Images taken from space have indicated that some of the world's unmonitored volcanoes may not be as peaceful as we might like to think. Satellite radar has shown that the surfaces of a number of volcanoes within the East African Rift are deforming – inflating and deflating.
Indonesia to use rain-making technology to stop fires
Indonesia plans to use weather changing technology to try to unleash torrents of rain and extinguish raging fires on Sumatra island that have cloaked neighbouring Singapore in thick haze, an official said Wednesday.
Looking at sachet water consumption in Ghana
Many of West Africa's largest cities continue to lag in their provision of piped water to residents. Filling the service gap are plastic water sachets, which have become an important source of drinking water for the region. This industry provides many jobs and improves access to clean drinking water, yet unintended social and environmental consequences associated with the widespread use of sachet water continues to stir controversy.
Forest Service study finds urban trees removing fine particulate air pollution, saving lives
In the first effort to estimate the overall impact of a city's urban forest on concentrations of fine particulate pollution (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns, or PM2.5), a U.S. Forest Service and Davey Institute study found that urban trees and forests are saving an average of one life every year per city. In New York City, trees save an average of eight lives every year.
Unusual supernova is doubly unusual for being perfectly normal
August, 2011, saw the dazzling appearance of the closest and brightest Type Ia supernova since Type Ia's were established as "standard candles" for measuring the expansion of the universe. The brilliant visitor, labeled SN 2011fe, was caught by the Palomar Transient Factory less than 12 hours after it exploded in the Pinwheel Galaxy in the Big Dipper.
Metamorphosis of moon's water ice explained
Using data gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, scientists believe they have solved a mystery from one of the solar system's coldest regions—a permanently shadowed crater on the moon. They have explained how energetic particles penetrating lunar soil can create molecular hydrogen from water ice. The finding provides insight into how radiation can change the chemistry of water ice throughout the solar system.
Billion-pixel view of Mars comes from Curiosity rover
(Phys.org) —A billion-pixel view from the surface of Mars, from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, offers armchair explorers a way to examine one part of the Red Planet in great detail.
Research says Mars had oxygen-rich atmosphere 4000 million years ago
Differences between Martian meteorites and rocks examined by a NASA rover can be explained if Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere 4000 million years ago—well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth 2500 million years ago.
Medicine & Health news
Bullying and suicide among youth is a public health problem
Recent studies linking bullying and depression, coupled with extensive media coverage of bullying-related suicide among young people, led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assemble an expert panel to focus on these issues. This panel synthesized the latest research about the complex relationship between youth involvement in bullying and suicide-related behaviors. Three themes emerged: 1) Bullying among youth is a significant public health problem, with widespread and often harmful results; 2) There is a strong association between bullying and suicide-related behaviors; and 3) Public health strategies can be applied to prevent bullying and suicide.
Tobacco enriches, corrupts northern Philippines
Tobacco enriches and corrupts in the dry, sun-drenched northern Philippines, where family fortunes as well as political empires are built on the golden leaf.
New nurses verbally abused by colleagues have lower commitment to employer, less likely to stay in current job
(Medical Xpress)—Verbal abuse against nurses in the workplace, including abuse by other nurses, is both common and well-documented. The negative effects of that abuse and the adverse impact on patient care are also well-documented. Now, a study of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) finds that nurses who are verbally abused by nursing colleagues report lower job satisfaction, unfavorable perceptions of their work environment, and greater intent to leave their current job. The study, conducted by the RN Work Project, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was published online in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship.
Resistance to combination drugs threatens efforts to eradicate malaria
With 300-500 million people falling ill to malaria each year, this debilitating tropical disease remains a global problem. Current combination drug therapy is still generally effective, but recent signs of resistance present scientists with a new challenge.
Altered brain structure in pathological narcissism
A far-reaching disorder of the self-esteem is denoted as a narcissistic personality disorder. Persons with pathological narcissism on the one hand suffer from feelings of inferiority, while on the other hand projecting themselves to the world as arrogant, disparaging and self-absorbed. One of the key features of a narcissistic personality disorder is the lack of empathy. Although patients suffering from such a disorder are well able to recognize what other persons feel, think and intent, they display little compassion.
Women in childbirth still being denied their human rights
New research shows despite more than 50 years of campaigning, too many mothers are still being denied their human rights in childbirth.
Protalix signs supply deal with Brazilian govt
Shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc. jumped in premarket trading Wednesday after the drug developer announced a deal that requires the Brazilian government to buy at least $280 million of the company's Gaucher disease treatment.
EU fines pharma firms over generics delay (Update)
(AP)—The European Union has fined Danish pharmaceuticals multinational Lundbeck and several other producers a combined 146 million euros ($195 million) for delaying the market entry of cheaper generic alternatives to a major antidepressant.
New technologies for retinal therapies
The future of the investigation and treatment of retinal disorders is already here at the MedUni Vienna: in the new Christian Doppler "OPTIMA" (Ophthalmic Image Analysis) laboratory headed by Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, Director of the University Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, new technologies in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and computer programmes are being developed, which should help to produce the optimal diagnosis and thus, for the first time, completely individual treatment plans.
Renewed hope in a once-abandoned cancer drug class
Could drugs that block the body's system for repairing damage to the genetic material DNA become a boon to health? As unlikely as it may seem, those compounds are sparking optimism as potential treatments for ovarian and breast cancers driven by a mutation in BRCA, a gene that made headlines when actress Angelina Jolie revealed she carries the mutation. The compounds, termed PARP inhibitors, are the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News. C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
EORTC study opens for elderly patients with HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer
Despite the fact that the incidence of cancer is many fold higher in persons over 65 years of age, we still have an inadequate understanding on how best to treat these older cancer patients. Furthermore, even though elderly patients are occasionally included in clinical trials, those elderly patients who are eventually included are mostly 'healthy' (fit) elderly patients. Thus, the broader elderly patient population is not well represented in clinical trials. The EORTC Cancer in the Elderly Task Force is now starting a new phase 2 trial in precisely this group of patients: EORTC 75111 – 10114 for non-fit elderly patients with HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer.
Paralysed with fear: The story of polio
Thanks to vaccination, polio has been pushed to the brink of extinction – but can we finish the job? This is one of the big questions which a Bristol academic addresses in his new book, published next week.
British women 50 percent less likley to recieve treatment for common menopausal symptoms
New data, published today in Menopause International, suggests that post-menopausal women in Britain are experiencing less sex, and less satisfying sex compared to their European and North American counterparts1, because they are considerably less likely to access appropriate treatment for a common, taboo condition called vaginal atrophy1.
Breakthrough research of essential molecule reveals important targets in diabetes and obesity
Insulin is the most potent physiological anabolic agent for tissue-building and energy storage, promoting the storage and synthesis of lipids, protein and carbohydrates, and inhibiting their breakdown and release into the circulatory system. It also plays a major role in stimulating glucose entry into muscle tissue, where the glucose is metabolized and removed from the blood following meals. But gaps exist in understanding the precise molecular mechanisms by which insulin regulates glucose uptake in fat and muscle cells.
New data on islet autoantibodies in young children defines early type 1 diabetes development
A decade-long JDRF-funded study led by the Institute of Diabetes Research in Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany, is providing a deeper understanding of the link between autoantibodies and the risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D), highlighting the importance of pre-diabetes research into possible preventions for the disease. The study, "Seroconversion to Multiple Islet Autoantibodies and Risk of Progression to Diabetes in Children," was published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Genetic 'off switch' linked to increased risk factors for heart disease
Risk of heart and blood vessel disease may increase when a particular gene is switched off, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series Webinar.
Higher strength statins do not increase risk of kidney injury
A higher strength of cholesterol-lowering drugs, or statins, did not increase the risk of kidney injury among heart attack survivors, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series Webinar.
Neurosurgery publishes findings of three important studies in June issue
The results of three important studies have been published in the June issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Hartford consensus aims to improve survival after mass shootings
In early April, senior leaders from medical, law enforcement, military, and fire/rescue agencies met in Hartford, Connecticut, to discuss one question: how can first responders improve survival after a mass casualty event?
States vary widely on success rates for minorities in drug treatment programs
A University of Iowa study reveals significant disparities between minority and white clients in success rates for completing substance abuse treatment programs. Moreover, these disparities vary widely from state to state.
Study shows probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 significantly increased vitamin D levels
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is the first report of an oral probiotic supplement significantly increasing circulating vitamin D levels in the blood.
EHR implementation first step toward quality improvement
(HealthDay)—Implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) is a first step toward quality improvement and should be accompanied by use of new payment models to allow physicians to see a return on their investments, according to Farzad Mostashari, M.D., of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, who was recently interviewed by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Ibrutinib continues strong showing against mantle cell lymphoma
In a major international study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the targeted therapy ibrutinib continues to show remarkable promise for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
Jawbone teams with nonprofit to keep children fit
Fitness wristband maker Jawbone on Tuesday teamed with Alliance for a Healthier Generation to promote healthier lifestyles in children.
Internet grocery service seems feasible in urban food deserts
(HealthDay)—An Internet grocery service (IGS) seems to be a feasible approach for increasing food access in an urban food desert, according to a pilot study published online May 8 in Preventing Chronic Disease.
Study says wiser medication use could cut health costs
If doctors and patients used prescription drugs more wisely, they could save the U.S. health care system at least $213 billion a year, a study concludes.
Diabetes key to transplant success, research finds
(Medical Xpress)—Better management of diabetes could dramatically improve outcomes for lung transplant patients, with new research showing that those without diabetes lived twice as long as transplant recipients with the disease.
New paper offers insights into how cancer cells avoid cell death
(Medical Xpress)—A new study by a team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame provides an important new insight into how cancer cells are able to avoid the cell death process. The findings may reveal a novel chemotherapeutic approach to prevent the spread of cancers.
Poor maternal and child health linked with premature high blood pressure, kidney disease
(Medical Xpress)—How babies grow and develop in the womb, as newborns and into childhood can put them at increased risk for premature high blood pressure, kidney disease and heart disease, according to a research review led by a University of Alberta medical researcher.
For some, it matters who's donating an organ, blood
(Medical Xpress)—Some people feel so "creeped out" that they would decline an organ or blood that came from a murderer or thief, according to a new University of Michigan study.
Thrill of victory: Success among many feels better
(Medical Xpress)—Success feels good, but it is better when people win in big groups—even if the chance of success is the same, a new University of Michigan report indicates.
Finding the way to lung tumours by 'GPS'
The innumerable divisions of the bronchi often turn the hunt for tumours in the lungs into a game of chance. But soon, lung specialists will be able to navigate accurately inside the airways by "GPS".
Student investigates risks of asbestos exposure in former factory town
(Medical Xpress)—Understanding the full consequences of environmental exposure to asbestos has proved a demanding venture, and for the past two summers University of Pennsylvania senior Shabnam Elahi has worked on just that: Mapping this risk in Ambler, Pa.
Review of research calls into question sex differences in face-to-face mate preferences
Women say they place a priority on a potential partner's earning prospects, and men claim to value a potential partner's physical attractiveness; these sex differences have been widely studied by psychologists for decades.
Study reveals new details about H7N9 influenza infections that suddenly appeared in China
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers with the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute have revealed new information about the latest strain of type A influenza, known as H7N9, in a report in the journal PLOS Currents: Outbreaks.
Model recreates wear and tear of osteoarthritis
(Medical Xpress)—There's a reason osteoarthritis is often called wear-and-tear arthritis: Repeated stress on joints over time results in degeneration of the soft cartilage that normally distributes loads to the joints.
The verdict on tiger-parenting? Studies point to poor mental health
Long before Amy Chua's provocative 2011 memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, raised the bar for tough-love parenting, psychologists at UC Berkeley were studying the effects of three kinds of child-rearing: authoritarian (too hard), permissive (too soft) and authoritative (combo).
Court's decision likely good for patients, but gene-patent ruling leaves many questions unanswered
Women with a family history of breast cancer, or with breast cancer themselves, are likely cheering the June 12 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which found that patents granted to Myriad Genetics Inc. for the "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 and BRCA2 are invalid.
Laughing gas does not increase heart attacks
(Medical Xpress)—Nitrous oxide—best known as laughing gas—is one of the world's oldest and most widely used anesthetics. Despite its popularity, however, experts have questioned its impact on the risk of a heart attack during surgery or soon afterward. But those fears are unfounded, a new study indicates.
Taxing unhealthy food spurs people to buy less
Labeling foods and beverages as less-healthy and taxing them motivates people to make healthier choices, finds a recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. When faced with a 30 percent tax on less healthy items, consumers were 11 percent more likely to purchase healthy alternatives. Labeling choices as "less healthy" influenced purchases by 7 percentage points.
First sips of alcohol start in second grade
The age at which many children in the U.S. take their first sip of alcohol is surprisingly young, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Timely treatment after stroke is crucial, researchers report
For years, the mantra of neurologists treating stroke victims has been "time equals brain." That's because getting a patient to the emergency room quickly to receive a drug that dissolves the stroke-causing blood clot can make a significant difference in how much brain tissue is saved or lost.
New Alzheimer's research suggests possible cause: The interaction of proteins in the brain
For years, Alzheimer's researchers have focused on two proteins that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's and may contribute to the disease: plaques made up of the protein amyloid-beta, and tangles of another protein, called tau.
Distracted walking: Injuries soar for pedestrians on phones
More than 1,500 pedestrians were estimated to be treated in emergency rooms in 2010 for injuries related to using a cell phone while walking, according to a new nationwide study.
Antioxidant shows promise in Parkinson's disease
Diapocynin, a synthetic molecule derived from a naturally occurring compound (apocynin), has been found to protect neurobehavioral function in mice with Parkinson's Disease symptoms by preventing deficits in motor coordination.
Stroke symptoms associated with developing memory and thinking problems
People who experience any stroke symptoms—but do not have a stroke—may also be more likely to develop problems with memory and thinking, according to new research published in the June 19, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
New technology reduces, controls CT radiation exposure in children
Patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center are being exposed to significantly less radiation during CT scans because of new technology that allows doctors to more tightly control radiation doses. The first-of-its-kind imaging software reduced overall radiation exposure from CT scans by 37 percent, according to two new studies published online today in the journal Radiology.
Staging system in ALS shows potential tracks of disease progression, study finds
The motor neuron disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, progresses in a stepwise, sequential pattern which can be classified into four distinct stages, report pathologists with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the Annals of Neurology.
Better guidance urgently needed for 'epidemic' of sleep apnea in surgical patients
Although as many as 25 percent of patients undergoing surgery suffer from sleep apnea, few hospitals have policies to help manage the risks of this condition during surgery, and there is little evidence to help guide anesthesiologists and surgeons caring for these patients. In a new editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, Stavros Memtsoudis, M.D., Ph.D., director of Critical Care Services at Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, calls for a new research initiative to identify the safest and most effective ways to manage patients with sleep apnea.
No danger of cancer through gene therapy virus
In fall 2012, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the modified adeno-associated virus AAV-LPL S447X as the first ever gene therapy for clinical use in the Western world. uniQure, a Dutch biotech company, had developed AAV-LPL S447X for the treatment of a rare inherited metabolic disease called lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD) which affects approximately one or two out of one million people. The disease causes severe, life-threatening inflammations of the pancreas. Afflicted individuals carry a defect in the gene coding for the lipoprotein lipase enzyme which is necessary for breakdown of fatty acids. AAV-LPLS447X shall be used as a viral vector to deliver an intact gene copy to affected cells.
Researchers identify genetic variants predicting aggressive prostate cancers
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at Louisiana State University have developed a method for identifying aggressive prostate cancers that require immediate therapy. It relies on understanding the genetic interaction between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The goal is to better predict a prostate cancer's aggressiveness to avoid unnecessary radical treatment.
Extended primary care office hours might help keep kids out of the emergency department
Children had half as many emergency department visits if their primary care office had evening office hours on five or more days a week, according to new research from child health experts at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Johns Hopkins University.
Why are some college students more likely to 'hook up'?
Casual, no-strings sexual encounters are increasingly common on college campuses, but are some students more likely than others to "hook up"? A new study by researchers with The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, published online by the Archives of Sexual Behavior, suggests there are certain factors and behaviors associated with sexual hookups, particularly among first-year college women.
Researchers develop powerful new technique to study protein function
In the cover story for the journal Genetics this month, neurobiologist Dan Chase and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst describe a new experimental technique they developed that will allow scientists to study the function of individual proteins in individual cell types in a living organism.
Brain re-training may improve memory, focus in schizophrenia
Much like physical exercise can re-chisel the body, researchers hope targeted mental workouts can sharpen the memory, focus and function of adults with schizophrenia.
Nearly 7 in 10 Americans are on prescription drugs, study finds
Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids are most commonly prescribed, their study found. Twenty percent of patients are on five or more prescription medications, according to the findings, published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Genetics of cervical cancer raise concern about antiviral therapy in some cases
A new understanding of the genetic process that can lead to cervical cancer may help improve diagnosis of potentially dangerous lesions for some women, and also raises a warning flag about the use of anti-viral therapies in certain cases – suggesting they could actually trigger the cancer they are trying to cure.
HIV-derived antibacterial shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria
A team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh has developed antibacterial compounds, derived from the outer coating of HIV, that could be potential treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections and appear to avoid generating resistance. These new agents are quite small, making them inexpensive and easy to manufacture. The research was published in the June 2013 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Researchers identify risk and protective factors for youth involved in bullying
New research out of the University of Minnesota identifies significant risk factors for suicidal behavior in youth being bullied, but also identifies protective factors for the same group of children.
Sexually transmitted HPV declines in US teens
The number of US girls with the sexually transmitted disease HPV has dropped by about half even though relatively few youths are getting the vaccine, research showed on Wednesday.
Drug shows surprising efficacy as treatment for chronic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma
Two clinical studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine with an accompanying editorial suggest that the novel agent ibrutinib shows real potential as a safe, effective, targeted treatment for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
FDA investigates deaths of patients on antipsychotic drug
(HealthDay)—Following the deaths of two patients three to four days after receiving a dose of Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine pamoate) via intramuscular injection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is conducting an investigation into the possible cause.
Gene-based blood test for colon cancer shows promise
(HealthDay)—Could screening for colon cancer someday be as easy as having a blood test? Researchers say just such a test is showing early promise in trials.
US doctors' group labels obesity a disease
(HealthDay)—In an effort to focus greater attention on the weight-gain epidemic plaguing the United States, the American Medical Association has now classified obesity as a disease.
Dietary fructose causes liver damage in animal model, study finds
The role of dietary fructose in the development of obesity and fatty liver diseases remains controversial, with previous studies indicating that the problems resulted from fructose and a diet too high in calories.
A deadly form of diabetes that doctors sometimes miss
(HealthDay)—Addie Parker was a happy 4-year-old who appeared to have the flu. But within hours she was in a coma.
One in four stroke patients suffer PTSD
One in four people who survive a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the first year post-event, and one in nine experience chronic PTSD more than a year later. The data suggest that each year nearly 300,000 stroke/TIA survivors will develop PTSD symptoms as a result of their health scare. The study, led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers, was published today in the online edition of PLOS ONE.
Evolution of an outbreak: Complications from contaminated steroid injections
A study of the patients who received injections of steroids contaminated with the fungus Exserohilum rostratum from the New England Compounding Center has found that some patients had fungal infections even though they did not experience a worsening of their symptoms and that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help detect infection, especially among those individuals who received injections from highly contaminated lots.
Flu shot likely prevented 13 million illnesses, 110,000 hospitalizations from 2005-2011
Approximately 13 million illnesses and over 110,00 hospitalizations may have been averted by the flu vaccine over the last 6 years in the U.S, according to calculations published June 19 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Deliana Kostova and colleagues from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group-based child care is linked to reduced emotional problems in children of depressed mothers
Child care is linked to fewer emotional problems and symptoms of social withdrawal among children exposed to maternal depression, according to a new study of nearly 2000 children conducted by researchers in Montreal, Canada, at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), and University of Montreal.
Researchers pinpoint how smoking causes osteoporosis
(Medical Xpress)—Human bone breaks down and regenerates naturally all the time, in a perfectly balanced dance that maintains skeletal integrity.
Study of vocal impersonations reveals how we manipulate our voices
A study of vocal impersonations has shown for the first time how speech production and voice perception systems in the brain interact to influence the way our voices sound. The research, supported by the Wellcome Trust, marks a significant step towards understanding how our brains affect our speech and vocal identity, and could one day help with the rehabilitation of stroke sufferers whose speech has been impaired.
Scientists create way to see structures that store memories in living brain
Oscar Wilde called memory "the diary that we all carry about with us." Now a team of scientists has developed a way to see where and how that diary is written.
Validating maps of the brain's resting state
Kick back and shut your eyes. Now stop thinking. You have just put your brain into what neuroscientists call its resting state. What the brain is doing when an individual is not focused on the outside world has become the focus of considerable research in recent years. One of the potential benefits of these studies could be definitive diagnoses of mental health disorders ranging from bipolar to post-traumatic stress disorders.
Researchers identify emotions based on brain activity
For the first time, scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have identified which emotion a person is experiencing based on brain activity.
Some parents want their child to redeem their broken dreams: New study first to test popular psychological theory
Some parents desire for their children to fulfill their own unrealized ambitions, just as psychologists have long theorized, according to a new first-of-its-kind study.
A shot in the arm for old antibiotics: Silver boosts antibiotics
Slipping bacteria some silver could give old antibiotics new life, scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University reported June 19 in Science Translational Medicine.
Fate of the heart: Researchers track cellular events leading to cardiac regeneration
In a study published in the June 19 online edition of the journal Nature, a scientific team led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine visually monitored the dynamic cellular events that take place when cardiac regeneration occurs in zebrafish after cardiac ventricular injury. Their findings provide evidence that various cell lines in the heart are more plastic, or capable of transformation into new cell types, than previously thought.
A new model—and possible treatment—for staph bone infections
Osteomyelitis – a debilitating bone infection most frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus ("staph") bacteria – is particularly challenging to treat.
Brain can plan actions toward things the eye doesn't see
People can plan strategic movements to several different targets at the same time, even when they see far fewer targets than are actually present, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Wireless subretinal prostheses allows blind mice to see light
(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers from the U.S. and Scotland has developed a new type of retinal prostheses designed to restore sight to blind patients. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the team describes how they developed a device that can be placed below the surface of the retina to send signals directly to neurons behind damaged photoreceptor cells.
Efficient signal transmission at sensory system synapses
(Medical Xpress)—Neurophysiologist like to think of neurons as communicating with spikes. If that were the whole story, it might be possible to imagine spike codes which could then be used to estimate the flow of information, and perhaps energy, in the brain. The reality as most in the field know, is that neurons do their bidding with transmitter-charged vesicles. The principles of vesicle operation, and by implication any codes that might be involved, are entirely different from those of spikes. While much of neuroscience has concerned itself with the interaction of these two phenomena, they have yet to be satisfactorily reconciled. A recent review appearing in Trends in Neuroscience suggests that sensory systems might offer the best clues towards divining the form of what we might call, an electric potential to vesicle fusion "transfer function." In particular, the researchers examine the ribbon synapses that are tend to be found wherever fast, sustained and reliable transmission may be required. By making the case that spikes and graded potentials have complementary roles in transducing sensory information into vesicle fusion, they seek to better define the costs of synaptic transmission.
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