SELECTIONS FROM MY E MAILS COMING ON.......
Here is my customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 3, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New kind of cosmic flash may reveal something never seen before: Birth of a black hole
- NASA study projects warming-driven changes in global rainfall (w/ Video)
The saying to be 'forewarned is to be forearmed' sums up the principle objective behind the DEWS (Distant Early Warning System) project, which can detect tsunami events before they occur.
Preserving the health of the Arctic
Lars-Otto Reiersen is a marine biologist by training, now working as an environmental scientist in Norway. He has led the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) for over two decades. AMAP advises the governments of eight Arctic countries on issues relating to threats to the region from pollution. As a native of Tromsø in Norway, his "heart is in the north." Here, Reiersen speaks to youris.com about his role in monitoring polluting chemicals as a means to understand their effect on the Arctic environment and its inhabitants.
Researchers develop system to clean seaweed from beaches
A research group at the University of Alicante (Spain) has invented an algae removal and treatment system that turns this underused residue into a renewable source of energy: biomass. The process involves several stages of washing, drying and compacting without leaving the beach. Therefore, according to the team led by Professor Irene Sentana Gadea, the system is cheaper, efficient and more environmentally friendly than the procedure used now by local authorities.
Local input key in multi-risk planning decisions
Land use planning and management now has all the scientific tools required for decisions making. But scientists have yet to have an opportunity to collaborate with local authorities to implement them.
NASA high school STEM challenge announces winning team
The NASA RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge, an integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics program focused on NASA's forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope, has named the 2012-2013 first place team. The team, which consisted of high school juniors and seniors participating in the NASA INSPIRES program, included: Abigail Radford of Ashville, N.C.; Joshua Dijamco of Jackson, N.J.; Jonathan Hernandez of Elizabeth, N.J.; Katherine Denner of Horsham, Penn.; and Jim Gerard of Merritt Island, Fla.
NASA image: Agricultural fires dot Mexico
In Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco regions (as well as others in the Yucatan Peninsula) of Mexico hundreds of fires were detected by the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite. The location, widespread nature, and number of fires suggest that these fires were deliberately set to manage land.
NASA image: Fires in Eastern Russia
Fires in eastern Russia are commonplace at this time of year. Both wildfires and those deliberately set for agricultural purposes are often seen in the Amur region of Russia. This image from the Aqua satellite shows a plethora of fires burning in eastern Russia on May 03, 2013.
Hong Kong struggles to combat waste crisis
An army of road sweepers and refuse collectors keep the streets clean in the heart of Hong Kong—but on the outskirts, growing mountains of waste are testament to what campaigners say is an environmental crisis.
Atmospheric carbon to hit five-million-year record, marine expert warns
(Phys.org) —The Earth's atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is about to rise to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in five million years, a scientist at The University of Queensland warned today.
Robot gliders roam seas
(Phys.org) —Once the robotic gliders scour the ocean searching for potential harm to sea life, the data is sent to David Caron, professor of biological sciences in USC Dornsife, and other marine biologists. They use the information to spot dangers such as toxic algal blooms.
NASA opens new era in measuring western US snowpack
(Phys.org) —A new NASA airborne mission has created the first maps of the entire snowpack of two major mountain watersheds in California and Colorado, producing the most accurate measurements to date of how much water they hold.
Eyeball earths
Alien worlds resembling giant eyeballs might exist around red dwarf stars, and researchers are now proposing experiments to simulate these distant planets and see how capable they are of supporting life.
The Rio Scale: Quantifying the consequences of an ET discovery
Among the mysteries of the Universe that are able to be investigated by science, the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence remains one of the most fascinating.
Landslides and lava flows at Olympus Mons on Mars
(Phys.org) —Giant landslides, lava flows and tectonic forces are behind this dynamic scene captured recently by ESA's Mars Express of a region scarred by the Solar System's largest volcano, Olympus Mons.
A new view of comet ISON
Here's a new image of Comet C/2012 S1 ISON, as seen on May 1, 2013 by Ernesto Guido and Nick Howes of the Remanzacco Observatory. They used the 2 meter La Palma Telescope. Their initial approximation of the tail length is around 28 arcseconds, which Howes told Universe Today is bigger than some recent reports from smaller scopes.
NASA sees Springs Fire rage Near Malibu, Calif.
Southern California firefighters were battling a growing, brush-fueled wildfire early Friday that had reached the beach in Ventura County and was pushing toward the upscale city of Malibu, according to NBCnews.com.
NASA sees sun emit mid-level flare
(Phys.org) —The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however—when intense enough—they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided.
Researchers estimate a cost for universal access to energy
(Phys.org) —Universal access to modern energy could be achieved with an investment of between 65 and 86 billion US dollars a year up until 2030, new research has shown.
Herschel bows out with study that shows early galaxies 'cooler' than predicted
(Phys.org) —Physicists analysing observations from the Herschel Space Observatory have shown that galaxies in the early Universe were cooler than those we see around us today.
Under pressure: How the density of exoplanets' atmospheres weighs on the odds for alien life
At this early stage in the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system and beyond, the emphasis is on liquid water. Where it can exist on a planet's or moon's surface, so the thinking goes, life as we know it has a chance. Much of the observational and theoretical work in astrobiology therefore concerns the "habitable zone," the orbital band around stars where a rocky world's water neither freezes away nor boils off.
'Tis the season—for plasma changes at Saturn
(Phys.org) —A University of Iowa undergraduate student has discovered that a process occurring in Saturn's magnetosphere is linked to the planet's seasons and changes with them, a finding that helps clarify the length of a Saturn day and could alter our understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere.
Russian researcher claims to have found rocks from object that caused Tunguska explosion
(Phys.org) —Andrei Zlobin of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Vernadsky State Geological Museum, claims in a paper he's uploaded to the preprint server arXiv, that he's found rocks he believe to be from the object that caused the Tunguska explosion over Siberia in 1908. If further analysis of the rocks confirms them to be from space, it will mark the discovery of the first physical evidence of the source of the famous blast.
Fermi and Swift see 'shockingly bright' burst
A record-setting blast of gamma rays from a dying star in a distant galaxy has wowed astronomers around the world. The eruption, which is classified as a gamma-ray burst, or GRB, and designated GRB 130427A, produced the highest-energy light ever detected from such an event.
NASA study projects warming-driven changes in global rainfall (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —A NASA-led modeling study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought.
Hubble sees the remains of a star gone supernova
(Phys.org) —These delicate wisps of gas make up an object known as SNR B0519-69.0, or SNR 0519 for short. The thin, blood-red shells are actually the remnants from when an unstable progenitor star exploded violently as a supernova around 600 years ago. There are several types of supernovae, but for SNR 0519 the star that exploded is known to have been a white dwarf star—a Sun-like star in the final stages of its life.
Hearing the Russian meteor, in America: Sound arrived in 10 hours, lasted 10 more
(Phys.org) —How powerful was February's meteor that crashed into Russia? Strong enough that its explosive entry into our atmosphere was detected almost 6,000 miles away in Lilburn, Ga., by infrasound sensors – a full 10 hours after the meteor's explosion. A Georgia Tech researcher has modified the signals and made them audible, allowing audiences to "hear" what the meteor's waves sounded like as they moved around the globe on February 15.
New kind of cosmic flash may reveal something never seen before: Birth of a black hole
(Phys.org) —When a massive star exhausts its fuel, it collapses under its own gravity and produces a black hole, an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational grip. According to a new analysis by an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), just before the black hole forms, the dying star may generate a distinct burst of light that will allow astronomers to witness the birth of a new black hole for the first time.
(Phys.org) —Over the next five years, Mansi Kasliwal writes in an astrophysics perspective in the journal Science, researchers will begin setting up experiments designed to detect gravitational waves. Kasliwal, an astronomer with the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science located in Pasadena, California, says momentum is building in the physics community to find proof of the existence of gravitational waves. Thus, far, they are still considered theoretical.
Creating time crystals with a rotating ion ring
(Phys.org) —There has been a lot of talk recently about the possibility of building what has come to be known as a time crystal. In February 2012, Frank Wilczek originally proposed the idea that under certain conditions, physical structures can move in a repeating pattern without expending any energy. Last June, a group of researchers at Berkeley proposed a time crystal could be realized as a persistently rotating ring of charged atoms. Unfortunately a problem with that approach was pointed out by Patrick Bruno, who noted that to be a time crystal, an object must exhibit perpetual motion in its lowest energy state—the ground state. Commenting in Physical Review Letters in March, Bruno showed that the particular example described by Wilczek was actually one of a system in an excited state, and therefore not a time crystal. Taking advantage of recent breakthroughs in the construction of low noise ion traps, Berkeley researchers now plan to build an ion trap that will sat! isfy the critics.
16 atomic ions simulate a quantum antiferromagnet
(Phys.org) —Frustration crops up throughout nature when conflicting constraints on a physical system compete with one another. The way nature resolves these conflicts often leads to exotic phases of matter that are poorly understood. This week's issue of Science Magazine features new results from the research group of Christopher Monroe at the JQI, where they explored how to frustrate a quantum magnet comprised of sixteen atomic ions – to date the largest ensemble of qubits to perform a simulation of quantum matter.
In science, many of the most interesting events occur at a scale far smaller than the unaided human eye can see. Medical researchers might realize a range of breakthroughs if they could look deep inside living biological cells, but existing methods for imaging either lack the desired sensitivity and resolution or require conditions that lead to cell death, such as cryogenic temperatures. Recently, however, a team of Harvard University-led researchers working on DARPA's Quantum-Assisted Sensing and Readout (QuASAR) program demonstrated imaging of magnetic structures inside of living cells. Using equipment operated at room temperature and pressure, the team was able to display detail down to 400 nanometers, which is roughly the size of two measles viruses. For a sense of scale, see:http://learn.genetics.utah.
Injectable nano-network controls blood sugar in diabetics for days at a time
(Phys.org) —In a promising development for diabetes treatment, researchers have developed a network of nanoscale particles that can be injected into the body and release insulin when blood-sugar levels rise, maintaining normal blood sugar levels for more than a week in animal-based laboratory tests. The work was done by researchers at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Children's Hospital Boston.
'Going negative' pays for nanotubes: Team finds possible keys to better nanofibers, films
(Phys.org) —A Rice University laboratory's cagey strategy turns negatively charged carbon nanotubes into liquid crystals that could enhance the creation of fibers and films.
Young girls are just as likely as young boys to be sexually abused by a member of the clergy, a new QUT study has shown.
Rising levels of 'underemployed', according to new research paper
More and more people want to work longer hours – but can't because there isn't a demand for their services. Meet the "underemployed".
Research pushes back origins of agriculture in China by 12,000 years
(Phys.org) —The discovery pushes back the roots of agriculture in China by 12,000 years. The global emergence of similar practices around 23,000 years ago hints that agriculture evolved independently around the world, perhaps as a response to climate change.
Biologist discovers new meat-eating dinosaur from the late Jurassic period in China
(Phys.org) —Fossil remains found by a George Washington University biologist in northwestern China have been identified as a new species of small theropod, or meat-eating, dinosaur.
The two robots Flobi and Nao worked full time for three weeks in an isolation study in Cologne. Scientists from Bielefeld University's Research Institute for Cognition and Robotics (CoR-Lab) were studying how these intelligent assistance systems can help astronauts to keep fit – both physically and mentally. However, it was not just the persons who were on trial, but the robots as well. The scientists were testing both their suitability and their durability. The experiment ended on Saturday. Professor Dr. Franz Kummert, who is running the study together with Professor Dr. Britta Wrede, delivered an initial assessment: 'I am proud of the members of this project – the way they handled the enormous challenges that such a long-term study imposes on the endurance of our robots was just excellent.'
Google Glass can take photo with a wink
If you see someone wearing Google Glass wink at you, you might want to get out of the way because they're probably not flirting with you.
Physical by smartphone becoming real possibility
It's not a "Star Trek" tricorder, but by hooking a variety of gadgets onto a smartphone you could almost get a complete physical - without the paper gown or even a visit to the doctor's office.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma, the billionaire who has run Chinese e-commerce giant since 1999, says he's getting "a bit old" for the Internet.
Students' site finds the right mobile phone repair shop
What's the problem with your mobile phone? What kind of model do you have? Where do you live? If you can answer these questions, CompareRepair.se will find you a suitable repair shop when your mobile phone isn't working. The Chalmers students Michel Wester, Alexander Mafi and Erik Thorsen have seen to this since last fall when they started up the website, which now gets 200-300 visitors a day.
Researchers develop advanced traffic management system to reduce costs and pollution
A team at the InLab of the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB), at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (UPC), has developed an information system to improve the mobility management of people and vehicles that is based on intelligent data processing. It solves problems related to traffic congestion and transport systems, energy consumption, air pollution emissions and quality of life in cities.
Algerian faces US charges linked to computer virus
(AP)—An Algerian man has pleaded not guilty to helping develop and market a computer program that drained millions of dollars from bank accounts around the world.
Google Fiber earns good grades from early customers
Installers show up on time. Headquarters often tells customers when something needs to be fixed without prompting. Unsolicited credits sometimes show up on bills to account for small service glitches.
In battle against cyberattacks, these hackers wear the 'white hats'
He's 26, likes industrial and electronic music, has a bleached-blond Mohawk haircut and sometimes, Mikhail Davidov said, he starts his day "at the crack of noon." The late hours are in front of a computer, working on reverse engineering, tearing apart computer programs to find their vulnerabilities.
China emerging as new force in drone warfare
(AP)—Determined to kill or capture a murderous Mekong River drug lord, China's security forces considered a tactic they'd never tried before: calling a drone strike on his remote hideaway deep in the hills of Myanmar.
Taiwan probes insider trading in chip takeover
Prosecutors are probing alleged insider trading connected to a $3.8 billion takeover of a Taiwan chip design company.
Pentagon clears use of Samsung's devices
Samsung Electronics Co. says the U.S. Department of Defense has approved using Samsung smartphones for its networks.
Fuel economy in the US drops from recent high
Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. slipped last month for the first time this year, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Peak hour congestion a matter of choice for many drivers, finds national survey
At least one in three drivers who commute to work during peak periods in most major cities do not need to do so and could significantly reduce traffic congestion by simply choosing a different time to travel, according to a University of Sydney Business School survey.
Dailymotion looks ahead despite scuppered Yahoo! deal
The head of Dailymotion, the video-sharing site at the centre of an uproar after the French state blocked its sale to Yahoo!, said in an interview published Friday there was still a lot of interest abroad for his firm.
Analysis: Intel not expected to stray far from current path with new CEO
Despite being battered by the slumping personal computer market, Intel signaled its commitment to its current course with the selection Thursday of chief operating officer Brian Krzanich as CEO and software head Renee James as president.
US Cellular embraces iPhone after rejecting it
U.S. Cellular, the fifth largest cellphone company and the only major one to resist the iPhone, says it's going to start selling it this year.
Apple gains in US smartphone market
Industry tracker comScore on Friday reported that Apple gained ground in the US smartphone market, nibbling into the lead held by handsets powered by Google's Android software.
B&N to add Google Play app store to its Nook HD (Update)
Barnes & Noble is teaming up with Google to vastly increase the number of apps available on its Nook HD tablets.
Researchers find brain activity response different for virtual reality versus the real world
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from the University of California has found that one part of the brain in rats responds differently to virtual reality than to the real world. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes the results of brain experiments they ran with rats. They found that "place" cells in the rats' hippocampus didn't light up as much when immersed in a virtual reality experiment as they did when the rats were engaging with the real world.
Solar plane takes off on cross-country US trip (Update)
The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on the sun's power alone took off Friday on the first leg of a trip across the United States.
DIY thermoelectric device charges hiker's smartphone
(Phys.org) —Whether you're in a city café hunting down a spare outlet or camping and worrying about losing outside contact, the problem is the same, a smartphone about to lose power just when you need it the most. What to do? A problem-solver who is into hiking and backpacking has an answer. He shows, step to step, how to construct a portable thermoelectric emergency generator. David Johansson, who used the project-sharing site Instructables for his step by step instructions, explained how he arrived at the idea, construction, and results.
Experimental Air Force aircraft goes hypersonic
An experimental unmanned aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force has flown at more than five times the speed of sound in a test off California.
Hotmail is dead as Outlook.com takes over
Microsoft's Hotmail, the free webmail service used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, was phased out Friday, as the US tech giant completed a rebranding to Outlook.com.
Dual-color lasers could lead to cheap and efficient LED lighting
(Phys.org) —A new semiconductor device capable of emitting two distinct colours has been created by a group of researchers in the US, potentially opening up the possibility of using light emitting diodes (LEDs) universally for cheap and efficient lighting.
New research could let vehicles, robots collaborate with humans
You get into your car and ask it to get you home in time for the start of the big game, stopping off at your favorite Chinese restaurant on the way to grab some takeout.
(AP)—China's top court has issued guidelines calling for harsher punishment for making and selling unsafe food products in the latest response to tainted food scandals that have angered the public.
Branded for life? Researchers examine impact of consumer culture on UK's children
Consumers of fashionable brands, the latest gadgets, and the coolest looks are getting ever younger. Yet, children who immerse themselves in consumer culture feel worse about themselves, not better, say researchers at the University of Sussex.
Protecting hospitals from 'new' terrorist threats
Health care facilities play a vital role in the UK's terrorism contingency plans, but a new study by researchers at the Adam Smith Business School, Glasgow University, provides a timely warning to managers, regulatory bodies and government that crucial services such as hospitals are also potential targets for malevolent actions.
Insurance redesign beneficial in ensuring that children receive obesity services
The rise in childhood obesity and associated health conditions have become a significant concern in the United States. An initiative by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which fights childhood obesity, found benefits in expanding health care coverage to obesity services, preventive care and ensuring that families comply with preventive care guidelines.
Seat belt research aims to increase child safety on the road
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among children. Kansas State University civil engineers are striving to increase child safety by studying a simple action: buckling up.
Managing menstrual problems of girls with disabilities presents medical dilemma
New research shows girls with learning and physical disabilities are more likely to suffer period problems compared to the general population.
Rat meat sold as lamb in latest China food scandal
(AP)—Chinese police have broken up a criminal ring accused of taking meat from rats and foxes and selling it as lamb in the country's latest food safety scandal.
Bacterial contamination rife in retail store ground turkey
(HealthDay)—Ground turkey from retail stores is often contaminated with fecal bacteria, and in many cases the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, according to a report published in the June issue of Consumer Reports.
Teens with high blood pressure have less distress, better quality of life
Teenagers with high blood pressure appear to have better psychological adjustment and enjoy higher quality of life than those with normal blood pressure, suggests a study in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
Older US-born Mexican-Americans more physically limited than Mexican-American immigrants
New research indicates that Mexican-Americans born in the United States who are aged 55 and over are significantly more likely than Mexican-American immigrants to report that they have substantial limitations in one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying. (30% versus 25%).
Saudi Arabia reports three cases of SARS-like virus
Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry has confirmed three more cases of a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing to 10 the number of cases it reported this week, including five deadly ones.
Predicting the path to death and helping patients cope with end-stage heart failure
Congestive heart failure affects more than 5.3 million Americans, is increasing in prevalence, and is ultimately fatal, but the duration and quality of life leading up to death can be unpredictable and vary greatly. Patients and caregivers could better plan for this difficult time if they knew what to expect. Five of the most common scenarios for the last 12 months of life in end-stage heart failure are clearly described in the article "Trajectory of Illness for Patients with Congestive Heart Failure," published in Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Study shows that individual brain cells track where we are and how we move
(Medical Xpress)—Leaving the house in the morning may seem simple, but with every move we make, our brains are working feverishly to create maps of the outside world that allow us to navigate and to remember where we are.
Study reveals parents not immune to junk food adverstising
(Medical Xpress)—The idea that adults are better equipped than children to resist junk food advertising has been debunked by a new study that has found both are influenced by television and Internet advertising.
Old but not wise? Our growing anti-ageing industry
Growing old is generally viewed in negative terms in our society. And our individualistic and consumerist approach to health care leads us to believe that it's within our power to alter the "biological clock"—if we are willing and able to pay.
Losing sleep? Scientists evaluate why
The issue of sleep deprivation has gone beyond the counting of sheep and into the scientific domain, as European researchers set up 'sleep labs' to study the biomedical and sociological factors keeping us awake at night.
Families 'benefit' from living with schizophrenia
(Medical Xpress)—Living with someone with schizophrenia can have a positive impact on their family, according to a preliminary study by QUT.
Dark chocolate improves calmness
(Medical Xpress)—Good news for chocolate lovers. New research from Swinburne University of Technology has found that the polyphenols in dark chocolate increase calmness and contentedness.
The risks of H7N9 infection mapped
A map of avian influenza (H7N9) risk is presented in Biomed Central's open access journal Infectious Diseases of Poverty today. The map is comprised of bird migration patterns, and adding in estimations of poultry production and consumption, which are used to infer future risk and to advise on ways to prevent infection.
New mouse model confirms how type 2 diabetes develops
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a new mouse model that answers the question of what actually happens in the body when type 2 diabetes develops and how the body responds to drug treatment. Long-term studies of the middle-aged mouse model will be better than previous studies at confirming how drugs for type 2 diabetes function in humans.
Common habits that harm your teeth
Are you wrecking your teeth without even knowing it? For instance, chewing on ice or opening stuff with your teeth may be convenient but using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip.
Mystery disease solved by gene experts
(Medical Xpress)—A global team of researchers has identified the gene behind an Australian toddler's paediatric brain disorder in a discovery that is paving the way for the diagnosis and treatment of other children with genetic diseases.
Driving with the dog not a good idea for seniors
Senior drivers who always take a pet in the car are at increased risk for being involved in a motor vehicle collision, said University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers. In a study published in Accident Analysis and Prevention on May 2, 2013, the research team said both overall and at-fault crash rates for drivers 70 years of age or older were higher for those whose pet habitually rode with them.
Explainer: What is intuition?
The word intuition is derived from the Latin intueor – to see; intuition is thus often invoked to explain how the mind can "see" answers to problems or decisions in the absence of explicit reasoning – a "gut reaction".
Study finds health insurance helps lower-income Americans avoid depression, diabetes, major financial shocks
Enrollment in Medicaid helps lower-income Americans overcome depression, get proper treatment for diabetes, and avoid catastrophic medical bills, but does not appear to reduce the prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to a new study with a unique approach to analyzing one of America's major health-insurance programs.
Violent video games have lower effects on highly-exposed teens
Teenagers who are highly exposed to violent video games—three or more hours per day—show blunted physical and psychological responses to playing a violent game, reports a study in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
FDA warning against high dose antidepressant prescription may be unwarranted, study finds
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's warning that high doses of the antidepressant citalopram can cause potentially serious abnormal heart rhythms might be doing more harm than good.
Caffeine in kids' foods 'dangerous', US regulator says
The US food and drug regulator on Friday called the addition of caffeine to children's foods like chewing gum and jelly beans "dangerous" and warned of a possible crackdown.
Study says exercise cuts kidney stone risk in women
Exercise has another benefit: A new study finds that being active may help prevent kidney stones in women.
Patients most annoyed by long waits, unclear test results
(HealthDay)—Long waiting times and unclear test results are the top patient grievances when it comes to visiting the doctor, according to a report published in the June issue of Consumer Reports.
Centenarians a happy lot, survey says
(HealthDay)—Centenarians are more likely to be content with their lives than aging baby boomers are, and these oldest Americans tend to put more stock in healthy eating habits and exercise as keys to happiness, a new survey finds.
Low-dose 'pill' linked to pain during orgasm, study finds
(HealthDay)—Women taking birth control pills with lower amounts of estrogen—a commonly prescribed contraceptive—may be at higher risk for chronic pelvic pain and pain during orgasm, according to new research.
Testicular cancer on rise in US, especially among Hispanic men
(HealthDay)—The number of testicular cancer cases continues to climb slowly but steadily in the United States, according to new research.
Ethical, legal aspects of docs' discrimination discussed
(HealthDay)—Recent examples of doctors refusing to treat certain patients on questionable grounds, including their weight, have triggered discussion of discrimination among doctors, according to a perspective piece published in the May 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
ECE: Abnormal metabolites found in cured cushing's patients
(HealthDay)—Patients with Cushing's syndrome have abnormal brain metabolites suggestive of neuronal dysfunction even after they appeared to have been cured, according to a study presented at the annual European Congress of Endocrinology, held from April 27 to May 1 in Copenhagen.
ECE: Gene variants linked to reduced male fertility
(HealthDay)—Particular gene variants of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and its receptor are associated with significantly reduced fertility in men, according to a study presented at the annual European Congress of Endocrinology, held from April 27 to May 1 in Copenhagen.
1997 to 2011 saw increase in allergies among US children
(HealthDay)—For U.S. children aged younger than 18 years, the prevalence of allergies increased from 1997 to 2011, with age, race/ethnicity, and income all affecting the prevalence, according to a May data brief issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
GPS-like technology helps diagnose prostate tumors
The lead investigator of a way to obtain images of prostate tumors and accurately diagnose them said Thursday that the new technology is the medical equivalent of a global positioning system for the prostate gland.
Three new cases of SARS-like virus in Saudi Arabia
Three new cases of a new SARS-like virus have been detected in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organisation reported Friday.
Preordered school lunches may be healthier, study finds
(HealthDay)—Young students are more likely to choose healthier school lunches if they can preorder them, away from the temptations of the sights and aromas of food in the lunchroom, a new study finds.
Unusual comparison nets new sleep loss marker
(Medical Xpress)—For years, Paul Shaw, PhD, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has used what he learns in fruit flies to look for markers of sleep loss in humans.
Scientists develop simple blood test to track tumour evolution in cancer patients
By tracking changes in patients' blood, Cambridge scientists have created a new way of looking at how tumours evolve in real-time and develop drug resistance. The research was published in the print edition of Nature today.
Gray hair and vitiligo reversed at the root
Hair dye manufacturers are on notice: The cure for gray hair is coming. That's right, the need to cover up one of the classic signs of aging with chemical pigments will be a thing of the past thanks to a team of European researchers. In a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal people who are going gray develop massive oxidative stress via accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes our hair to bleach itself from the inside out, and most importantly, the report shows that this massive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide can be remedied with a proprietary treatment developed by the researchers described as a topical, UVB-activated compound called PC-KUS (a modified pseudocatalase). What's more, the study also shows that the same treatment works for the skin condition, vitiligo.
App lets amputees program their own bionic hands
Double-amputee Jason Koger used to fly to visit a clinician when he wanted to adjust the grips on his bionic hands. Now, he's got an app instead. Koger this week demonstrated the i-limb ultra revolution, a prosthetic developed by the British firm Touch Bionics. Using a stylus and an iPhone, Koger can choose any of 24 grip patterns that best suit his needs.
Recent studies warn surveillance of bird flu strains is needed
(Medical Xpress)—Recent scientific papers from China suggest a vigilant watch should be kept on the development of bird flu viruses, as a new strain has been identified and previously known viruses have been shown capable of mutating to forms that could spread from human to human via respiratory droplets.
Space & Earth news
Detecting tsunami events before they occurThe saying to be 'forewarned is to be forearmed' sums up the principle objective behind the DEWS (Distant Early Warning System) project, which can detect tsunami events before they occur.
Preserving the health of the Arctic
Lars-Otto Reiersen is a marine biologist by training, now working as an environmental scientist in Norway. He has led the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) for over two decades. AMAP advises the governments of eight Arctic countries on issues relating to threats to the region from pollution. As a native of Tromsø in Norway, his "heart is in the north." Here, Reiersen speaks to youris.com about his role in monitoring polluting chemicals as a means to understand their effect on the Arctic environment and its inhabitants.
Researchers develop system to clean seaweed from beaches
A research group at the University of Alicante (Spain) has invented an algae removal and treatment system that turns this underused residue into a renewable source of energy: biomass. The process involves several stages of washing, drying and compacting without leaving the beach. Therefore, according to the team led by Professor Irene Sentana Gadea, the system is cheaper, efficient and more environmentally friendly than the procedure used now by local authorities.
Local input key in multi-risk planning decisions
Land use planning and management now has all the scientific tools required for decisions making. But scientists have yet to have an opportunity to collaborate with local authorities to implement them.
NASA high school STEM challenge announces winning team
The NASA RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge, an integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics program focused on NASA's forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope, has named the 2012-2013 first place team. The team, which consisted of high school juniors and seniors participating in the NASA INSPIRES program, included: Abigail Radford of Ashville, N.C.; Joshua Dijamco of Jackson, N.J.; Jonathan Hernandez of Elizabeth, N.J.; Katherine Denner of Horsham, Penn.; and Jim Gerard of Merritt Island, Fla.
NASA image: Agricultural fires dot Mexico
In Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco regions (as well as others in the Yucatan Peninsula) of Mexico hundreds of fires were detected by the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite. The location, widespread nature, and number of fires suggest that these fires were deliberately set to manage land.
NASA image: Fires in Eastern Russia
Fires in eastern Russia are commonplace at this time of year. Both wildfires and those deliberately set for agricultural purposes are often seen in the Amur region of Russia. This image from the Aqua satellite shows a plethora of fires burning in eastern Russia on May 03, 2013.
Hong Kong struggles to combat waste crisis
An army of road sweepers and refuse collectors keep the streets clean in the heart of Hong Kong—but on the outskirts, growing mountains of waste are testament to what campaigners say is an environmental crisis.
Atmospheric carbon to hit five-million-year record, marine expert warns
(Phys.org) —The Earth's atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is about to rise to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in five million years, a scientist at The University of Queensland warned today.
Robot gliders roam seas
(Phys.org) —Once the robotic gliders scour the ocean searching for potential harm to sea life, the data is sent to David Caron, professor of biological sciences in USC Dornsife, and other marine biologists. They use the information to spot dangers such as toxic algal blooms.
NASA opens new era in measuring western US snowpack
(Phys.org) —A new NASA airborne mission has created the first maps of the entire snowpack of two major mountain watersheds in California and Colorado, producing the most accurate measurements to date of how much water they hold.
Eyeball earths
Alien worlds resembling giant eyeballs might exist around red dwarf stars, and researchers are now proposing experiments to simulate these distant planets and see how capable they are of supporting life.
The Rio Scale: Quantifying the consequences of an ET discovery
Among the mysteries of the Universe that are able to be investigated by science, the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence remains one of the most fascinating.
Landslides and lava flows at Olympus Mons on Mars
(Phys.org) —Giant landslides, lava flows and tectonic forces are behind this dynamic scene captured recently by ESA's Mars Express of a region scarred by the Solar System's largest volcano, Olympus Mons.
A new view of comet ISON
Here's a new image of Comet C/2012 S1 ISON, as seen on May 1, 2013 by Ernesto Guido and Nick Howes of the Remanzacco Observatory. They used the 2 meter La Palma Telescope. Their initial approximation of the tail length is around 28 arcseconds, which Howes told Universe Today is bigger than some recent reports from smaller scopes.
NASA sees Springs Fire rage Near Malibu, Calif.
Southern California firefighters were battling a growing, brush-fueled wildfire early Friday that had reached the beach in Ventura County and was pushing toward the upscale city of Malibu, according to NBCnews.com.
NASA sees sun emit mid-level flare
(Phys.org) —The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however—when intense enough—they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided.
Researchers estimate a cost for universal access to energy
(Phys.org) —Universal access to modern energy could be achieved with an investment of between 65 and 86 billion US dollars a year up until 2030, new research has shown.
Herschel bows out with study that shows early galaxies 'cooler' than predicted
(Phys.org) —Physicists analysing observations from the Herschel Space Observatory have shown that galaxies in the early Universe were cooler than those we see around us today.
Under pressure: How the density of exoplanets' atmospheres weighs on the odds for alien life
At this early stage in the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system and beyond, the emphasis is on liquid water. Where it can exist on a planet's or moon's surface, so the thinking goes, life as we know it has a chance. Much of the observational and theoretical work in astrobiology therefore concerns the "habitable zone," the orbital band around stars where a rocky world's water neither freezes away nor boils off.
'Tis the season—for plasma changes at Saturn
(Phys.org) —A University of Iowa undergraduate student has discovered that a process occurring in Saturn's magnetosphere is linked to the planet's seasons and changes with them, a finding that helps clarify the length of a Saturn day and could alter our understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere.
Russian researcher claims to have found rocks from object that caused Tunguska explosion
(Phys.org) —Andrei Zlobin of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Vernadsky State Geological Museum, claims in a paper he's uploaded to the preprint server arXiv, that he's found rocks he believe to be from the object that caused the Tunguska explosion over Siberia in 1908. If further analysis of the rocks confirms them to be from space, it will mark the discovery of the first physical evidence of the source of the famous blast.
Fermi and Swift see 'shockingly bright' burst
A record-setting blast of gamma rays from a dying star in a distant galaxy has wowed astronomers around the world. The eruption, which is classified as a gamma-ray burst, or GRB, and designated GRB 130427A, produced the highest-energy light ever detected from such an event.
NASA study projects warming-driven changes in global rainfall (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —A NASA-led modeling study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought.
Hubble sees the remains of a star gone supernova
(Phys.org) —These delicate wisps of gas make up an object known as SNR B0519-69.0, or SNR 0519 for short. The thin, blood-red shells are actually the remnants from when an unstable progenitor star exploded violently as a supernova around 600 years ago. There are several types of supernovae, but for SNR 0519 the star that exploded is known to have been a white dwarf star—a Sun-like star in the final stages of its life.
Hearing the Russian meteor, in America: Sound arrived in 10 hours, lasted 10 more
(Phys.org) —How powerful was February's meteor that crashed into Russia? Strong enough that its explosive entry into our atmosphere was detected almost 6,000 miles away in Lilburn, Ga., by infrasound sensors – a full 10 hours after the meteor's explosion. A Georgia Tech researcher has modified the signals and made them audible, allowing audiences to "hear" what the meteor's waves sounded like as they moved around the globe on February 15.
New kind of cosmic flash may reveal something never seen before: Birth of a black hole
(Phys.org) —When a massive star exhausts its fuel, it collapses under its own gravity and produces a black hole, an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational grip. According to a new analysis by an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), just before the black hole forms, the dying star may generate a distinct burst of light that will allow astronomers to witness the birth of a new black hole for the first time.
Physics news
New experiments set to detect gravitational waves(Phys.org) —Over the next five years, Mansi Kasliwal writes in an astrophysics perspective in the journal Science, researchers will begin setting up experiments designed to detect gravitational waves. Kasliwal, an astronomer with the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science located in Pasadena, California, says momentum is building in the physics community to find proof of the existence of gravitational waves. Thus, far, they are still considered theoretical.
Creating time crystals with a rotating ion ring
(Phys.org) —There has been a lot of talk recently about the possibility of building what has come to be known as a time crystal. In February 2012, Frank Wilczek originally proposed the idea that under certain conditions, physical structures can move in a repeating pattern without expending any energy. Last June, a group of researchers at Berkeley proposed a time crystal could be realized as a persistently rotating ring of charged atoms. Unfortunately a problem with that approach was pointed out by Patrick Bruno, who noted that to be a time crystal, an object must exhibit perpetual motion in its lowest energy state—the ground state. Commenting in Physical Review Letters in March, Bruno showed that the particular example described by Wilczek was actually one of a system in an excited state, and therefore not a time crystal. Taking advantage of recent breakthroughs in the construction of low noise ion traps, Berkeley researchers now plan to build an ion trap that will sat! isfy the critics.
16 atomic ions simulate a quantum antiferromagnet
(Phys.org) —Frustration crops up throughout nature when conflicting constraints on a physical system compete with one another. The way nature resolves these conflicts often leads to exotic phases of matter that are poorly understood. This week's issue of Science Magazine features new results from the research group of Christopher Monroe at the JQI, where they explored how to frustrate a quantum magnet comprised of sixteen atomic ions – to date the largest ensemble of qubits to perform a simulation of quantum matter.
Nanotechnology news
Quantum-assisted nano-imaging of living organism is a firstIn science, many of the most interesting events occur at a scale far smaller than the unaided human eye can see. Medical researchers might realize a range of breakthroughs if they could look deep inside living biological cells, but existing methods for imaging either lack the desired sensitivity and resolution or require conditions that lead to cell death, such as cryogenic temperatures. Recently, however, a team of Harvard University-led researchers working on DARPA's Quantum-Assisted Sensing and Readout (QuASAR) program demonstrated imaging of magnetic structures inside of living cells. Using equipment operated at room temperature and pressure, the team was able to display detail down to 400 nanometers, which is roughly the size of two measles viruses. For a sense of scale, see:http://learn.genetics.utah.
Injectable nano-network controls blood sugar in diabetics for days at a time
(Phys.org) —In a promising development for diabetes treatment, researchers have developed a network of nanoscale particles that can be injected into the body and release insulin when blood-sugar levels rise, maintaining normal blood sugar levels for more than a week in animal-based laboratory tests. The work was done by researchers at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Children's Hospital Boston.
'Going negative' pays for nanotubes: Team finds possible keys to better nanofibers, films
(Phys.org) —A Rice University laboratory's cagey strategy turns negatively charged carbon nanotubes into liquid crystals that could enhance the creation of fibers and films.
Other Sciences news
Church sexual abuse just as likely for girlsYoung girls are just as likely as young boys to be sexually abused by a member of the clergy, a new QUT study has shown.
Rising levels of 'underemployed', according to new research paper
More and more people want to work longer hours – but can't because there isn't a demand for their services. Meet the "underemployed".
Research pushes back origins of agriculture in China by 12,000 years
(Phys.org) —The discovery pushes back the roots of agriculture in China by 12,000 years. The global emergence of similar practices around 23,000 years ago hints that agriculture evolved independently around the world, perhaps as a response to climate change.
Biologist discovers new meat-eating dinosaur from the late Jurassic period in China
(Phys.org) —Fossil remains found by a George Washington University biologist in northwestern China have been identified as a new species of small theropod, or meat-eating, dinosaur.
Electronics news
Bielefeld robots take part in a space simulationThe two robots Flobi and Nao worked full time for three weeks in an isolation study in Cologne. Scientists from Bielefeld University's Research Institute for Cognition and Robotics (CoR-Lab) were studying how these intelligent assistance systems can help astronauts to keep fit – both physically and mentally. However, it was not just the persons who were on trial, but the robots as well. The scientists were testing both their suitability and their durability. The experiment ended on Saturday. Professor Dr. Franz Kummert, who is running the study together with Professor Dr. Britta Wrede, delivered an initial assessment: 'I am proud of the members of this project – the way they handled the enormous challenges that such a long-term study imposes on the endurance of our robots was just excellent.'
Google Glass can take photo with a wink
If you see someone wearing Google Glass wink at you, you might want to get out of the way because they're probably not flirting with you.
Physical by smartphone becoming real possibility
It's not a "Star Trek" tricorder, but by hooking a variety of gadgets onto a smartphone you could almost get a complete physical - without the paper gown or even a visit to the doctor's office.
Technology news
Outgoing Alibaba CEO Ma says he's 'old' for WebAlibaba founder Jack Ma, the billionaire who has run Chinese e-commerce giant since 1999, says he's getting "a bit old" for the Internet.
Students' site finds the right mobile phone repair shop
What's the problem with your mobile phone? What kind of model do you have? Where do you live? If you can answer these questions, CompareRepair.se will find you a suitable repair shop when your mobile phone isn't working. The Chalmers students Michel Wester, Alexander Mafi and Erik Thorsen have seen to this since last fall when they started up the website, which now gets 200-300 visitors a day.
Researchers develop advanced traffic management system to reduce costs and pollution
A team at the InLab of the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB), at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (UPC), has developed an information system to improve the mobility management of people and vehicles that is based on intelligent data processing. It solves problems related to traffic congestion and transport systems, energy consumption, air pollution emissions and quality of life in cities.
Algerian faces US charges linked to computer virus
(AP)—An Algerian man has pleaded not guilty to helping develop and market a computer program that drained millions of dollars from bank accounts around the world.
Google Fiber earns good grades from early customers
Installers show up on time. Headquarters often tells customers when something needs to be fixed without prompting. Unsolicited credits sometimes show up on bills to account for small service glitches.
In battle against cyberattacks, these hackers wear the 'white hats'
He's 26, likes industrial and electronic music, has a bleached-blond Mohawk haircut and sometimes, Mikhail Davidov said, he starts his day "at the crack of noon." The late hours are in front of a computer, working on reverse engineering, tearing apart computer programs to find their vulnerabilities.
China emerging as new force in drone warfare
(AP)—Determined to kill or capture a murderous Mekong River drug lord, China's security forces considered a tactic they'd never tried before: calling a drone strike on his remote hideaway deep in the hills of Myanmar.
Taiwan probes insider trading in chip takeover
Prosecutors are probing alleged insider trading connected to a $3.8 billion takeover of a Taiwan chip design company.
Pentagon clears use of Samsung's devices
Samsung Electronics Co. says the U.S. Department of Defense has approved using Samsung smartphones for its networks.
Fuel economy in the US drops from recent high
Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. slipped last month for the first time this year, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Peak hour congestion a matter of choice for many drivers, finds national survey
At least one in three drivers who commute to work during peak periods in most major cities do not need to do so and could significantly reduce traffic congestion by simply choosing a different time to travel, according to a University of Sydney Business School survey.
Dailymotion looks ahead despite scuppered Yahoo! deal
The head of Dailymotion, the video-sharing site at the centre of an uproar after the French state blocked its sale to Yahoo!, said in an interview published Friday there was still a lot of interest abroad for his firm.
Analysis: Intel not expected to stray far from current path with new CEO
Despite being battered by the slumping personal computer market, Intel signaled its commitment to its current course with the selection Thursday of chief operating officer Brian Krzanich as CEO and software head Renee James as president.
US Cellular embraces iPhone after rejecting it
U.S. Cellular, the fifth largest cellphone company and the only major one to resist the iPhone, says it's going to start selling it this year.
Apple gains in US smartphone market
Industry tracker comScore on Friday reported that Apple gained ground in the US smartphone market, nibbling into the lead held by handsets powered by Google's Android software.
B&N to add Google Play app store to its Nook HD (Update)
Barnes & Noble is teaming up with Google to vastly increase the number of apps available on its Nook HD tablets.
Researchers find brain activity response different for virtual reality versus the real world
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from the University of California has found that one part of the brain in rats responds differently to virtual reality than to the real world. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes the results of brain experiments they ran with rats. They found that "place" cells in the rats' hippocampus didn't light up as much when immersed in a virtual reality experiment as they did when the rats were engaging with the real world.
Solar plane takes off on cross-country US trip (Update)
The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on the sun's power alone took off Friday on the first leg of a trip across the United States.
DIY thermoelectric device charges hiker's smartphone
(Phys.org) —Whether you're in a city café hunting down a spare outlet or camping and worrying about losing outside contact, the problem is the same, a smartphone about to lose power just when you need it the most. What to do? A problem-solver who is into hiking and backpacking has an answer. He shows, step to step, how to construct a portable thermoelectric emergency generator. David Johansson, who used the project-sharing site Instructables for his step by step instructions, explained how he arrived at the idea, construction, and results.
Experimental Air Force aircraft goes hypersonic
An experimental unmanned aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force has flown at more than five times the speed of sound in a test off California.
Hotmail is dead as Outlook.com takes over
Microsoft's Hotmail, the free webmail service used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, was phased out Friday, as the US tech giant completed a rebranding to Outlook.com.
Dual-color lasers could lead to cheap and efficient LED lighting
(Phys.org) —A new semiconductor device capable of emitting two distinct colours has been created by a group of researchers in the US, potentially opening up the possibility of using light emitting diodes (LEDs) universally for cheap and efficient lighting.
New research could let vehicles, robots collaborate with humans
You get into your car and ask it to get you home in time for the start of the big game, stopping off at your favorite Chinese restaurant on the way to grab some takeout.
Medicine & Health news
China beefs up law to fight food safety scandals(AP)—China's top court has issued guidelines calling for harsher punishment for making and selling unsafe food products in the latest response to tainted food scandals that have angered the public.
Branded for life? Researchers examine impact of consumer culture on UK's children
Consumers of fashionable brands, the latest gadgets, and the coolest looks are getting ever younger. Yet, children who immerse themselves in consumer culture feel worse about themselves, not better, say researchers at the University of Sussex.
Protecting hospitals from 'new' terrorist threats
Health care facilities play a vital role in the UK's terrorism contingency plans, but a new study by researchers at the Adam Smith Business School, Glasgow University, provides a timely warning to managers, regulatory bodies and government that crucial services such as hospitals are also potential targets for malevolent actions.
Insurance redesign beneficial in ensuring that children receive obesity services
The rise in childhood obesity and associated health conditions have become a significant concern in the United States. An initiative by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which fights childhood obesity, found benefits in expanding health care coverage to obesity services, preventive care and ensuring that families comply with preventive care guidelines.
Seat belt research aims to increase child safety on the road
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among children. Kansas State University civil engineers are striving to increase child safety by studying a simple action: buckling up.
Managing menstrual problems of girls with disabilities presents medical dilemma
New research shows girls with learning and physical disabilities are more likely to suffer period problems compared to the general population.
Rat meat sold as lamb in latest China food scandal
(AP)—Chinese police have broken up a criminal ring accused of taking meat from rats and foxes and selling it as lamb in the country's latest food safety scandal.
Bacterial contamination rife in retail store ground turkey
(HealthDay)—Ground turkey from retail stores is often contaminated with fecal bacteria, and in many cases the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, according to a report published in the June issue of Consumer Reports.
Teens with high blood pressure have less distress, better quality of life
Teenagers with high blood pressure appear to have better psychological adjustment and enjoy higher quality of life than those with normal blood pressure, suggests a study in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
Older US-born Mexican-Americans more physically limited than Mexican-American immigrants
New research indicates that Mexican-Americans born in the United States who are aged 55 and over are significantly more likely than Mexican-American immigrants to report that they have substantial limitations in one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying. (30% versus 25%).
Saudi Arabia reports three cases of SARS-like virus
Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry has confirmed three more cases of a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing to 10 the number of cases it reported this week, including five deadly ones.
Predicting the path to death and helping patients cope with end-stage heart failure
Congestive heart failure affects more than 5.3 million Americans, is increasing in prevalence, and is ultimately fatal, but the duration and quality of life leading up to death can be unpredictable and vary greatly. Patients and caregivers could better plan for this difficult time if they knew what to expect. Five of the most common scenarios for the last 12 months of life in end-stage heart failure are clearly described in the article "Trajectory of Illness for Patients with Congestive Heart Failure," published in Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Study shows that individual brain cells track where we are and how we move
(Medical Xpress)—Leaving the house in the morning may seem simple, but with every move we make, our brains are working feverishly to create maps of the outside world that allow us to navigate and to remember where we are.
Study reveals parents not immune to junk food adverstising
(Medical Xpress)—The idea that adults are better equipped than children to resist junk food advertising has been debunked by a new study that has found both are influenced by television and Internet advertising.
Old but not wise? Our growing anti-ageing industry
Growing old is generally viewed in negative terms in our society. And our individualistic and consumerist approach to health care leads us to believe that it's within our power to alter the "biological clock"—if we are willing and able to pay.
Losing sleep? Scientists evaluate why
The issue of sleep deprivation has gone beyond the counting of sheep and into the scientific domain, as European researchers set up 'sleep labs' to study the biomedical and sociological factors keeping us awake at night.
Families 'benefit' from living with schizophrenia
(Medical Xpress)—Living with someone with schizophrenia can have a positive impact on their family, according to a preliminary study by QUT.
Dark chocolate improves calmness
(Medical Xpress)—Good news for chocolate lovers. New research from Swinburne University of Technology has found that the polyphenols in dark chocolate increase calmness and contentedness.
The risks of H7N9 infection mapped
A map of avian influenza (H7N9) risk is presented in Biomed Central's open access journal Infectious Diseases of Poverty today. The map is comprised of bird migration patterns, and adding in estimations of poultry production and consumption, which are used to infer future risk and to advise on ways to prevent infection.
New mouse model confirms how type 2 diabetes develops
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a new mouse model that answers the question of what actually happens in the body when type 2 diabetes develops and how the body responds to drug treatment. Long-term studies of the middle-aged mouse model will be better than previous studies at confirming how drugs for type 2 diabetes function in humans.
Common habits that harm your teeth
Are you wrecking your teeth without even knowing it? For instance, chewing on ice or opening stuff with your teeth may be convenient but using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip.
Mystery disease solved by gene experts
(Medical Xpress)—A global team of researchers has identified the gene behind an Australian toddler's paediatric brain disorder in a discovery that is paving the way for the diagnosis and treatment of other children with genetic diseases.
Driving with the dog not a good idea for seniors
Senior drivers who always take a pet in the car are at increased risk for being involved in a motor vehicle collision, said University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers. In a study published in Accident Analysis and Prevention on May 2, 2013, the research team said both overall and at-fault crash rates for drivers 70 years of age or older were higher for those whose pet habitually rode with them.
Explainer: What is intuition?
The word intuition is derived from the Latin intueor – to see; intuition is thus often invoked to explain how the mind can "see" answers to problems or decisions in the absence of explicit reasoning – a "gut reaction".
Study finds health insurance helps lower-income Americans avoid depression, diabetes, major financial shocks
Enrollment in Medicaid helps lower-income Americans overcome depression, get proper treatment for diabetes, and avoid catastrophic medical bills, but does not appear to reduce the prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to a new study with a unique approach to analyzing one of America's major health-insurance programs.
Violent video games have lower effects on highly-exposed teens
Teenagers who are highly exposed to violent video games—three or more hours per day—show blunted physical and psychological responses to playing a violent game, reports a study in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
FDA warning against high dose antidepressant prescription may be unwarranted, study finds
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's warning that high doses of the antidepressant citalopram can cause potentially serious abnormal heart rhythms might be doing more harm than good.
Caffeine in kids' foods 'dangerous', US regulator says
The US food and drug regulator on Friday called the addition of caffeine to children's foods like chewing gum and jelly beans "dangerous" and warned of a possible crackdown.
Study says exercise cuts kidney stone risk in women
Exercise has another benefit: A new study finds that being active may help prevent kidney stones in women.
Patients most annoyed by long waits, unclear test results
(HealthDay)—Long waiting times and unclear test results are the top patient grievances when it comes to visiting the doctor, according to a report published in the June issue of Consumer Reports.
Centenarians a happy lot, survey says
(HealthDay)—Centenarians are more likely to be content with their lives than aging baby boomers are, and these oldest Americans tend to put more stock in healthy eating habits and exercise as keys to happiness, a new survey finds.
Low-dose 'pill' linked to pain during orgasm, study finds
(HealthDay)—Women taking birth control pills with lower amounts of estrogen—a commonly prescribed contraceptive—may be at higher risk for chronic pelvic pain and pain during orgasm, according to new research.
Testicular cancer on rise in US, especially among Hispanic men
(HealthDay)—The number of testicular cancer cases continues to climb slowly but steadily in the United States, according to new research.
Ethical, legal aspects of docs' discrimination discussed
(HealthDay)—Recent examples of doctors refusing to treat certain patients on questionable grounds, including their weight, have triggered discussion of discrimination among doctors, according to a perspective piece published in the May 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
ECE: Abnormal metabolites found in cured cushing's patients
(HealthDay)—Patients with Cushing's syndrome have abnormal brain metabolites suggestive of neuronal dysfunction even after they appeared to have been cured, according to a study presented at the annual European Congress of Endocrinology, held from April 27 to May 1 in Copenhagen.
ECE: Gene variants linked to reduced male fertility
(HealthDay)—Particular gene variants of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and its receptor are associated with significantly reduced fertility in men, according to a study presented at the annual European Congress of Endocrinology, held from April 27 to May 1 in Copenhagen.
1997 to 2011 saw increase in allergies among US children
(HealthDay)—For U.S. children aged younger than 18 years, the prevalence of allergies increased from 1997 to 2011, with age, race/ethnicity, and income all affecting the prevalence, according to a May data brief issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
GPS-like technology helps diagnose prostate tumors
The lead investigator of a way to obtain images of prostate tumors and accurately diagnose them said Thursday that the new technology is the medical equivalent of a global positioning system for the prostate gland.
Three new cases of SARS-like virus in Saudi Arabia
Three new cases of a new SARS-like virus have been detected in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organisation reported Friday.
Preordered school lunches may be healthier, study finds
(HealthDay)—Young students are more likely to choose healthier school lunches if they can preorder them, away from the temptations of the sights and aromas of food in the lunchroom, a new study finds.
Unusual comparison nets new sleep loss marker
(Medical Xpress)—For years, Paul Shaw, PhD, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has used what he learns in fruit flies to look for markers of sleep loss in humans.
Scientists develop simple blood test to track tumour evolution in cancer patients
By tracking changes in patients' blood, Cambridge scientists have created a new way of looking at how tumours evolve in real-time and develop drug resistance. The research was published in the print edition of Nature today.
Gray hair and vitiligo reversed at the root
Hair dye manufacturers are on notice: The cure for gray hair is coming. That's right, the need to cover up one of the classic signs of aging with chemical pigments will be a thing of the past thanks to a team of European researchers. In a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal people who are going gray develop massive oxidative stress via accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes our hair to bleach itself from the inside out, and most importantly, the report shows that this massive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide can be remedied with a proprietary treatment developed by the researchers described as a topical, UVB-activated compound called PC-KUS (a modified pseudocatalase). What's more, the study also shows that the same treatment works for the skin condition, vitiligo.
App lets amputees program their own bionic hands
Double-amputee Jason Koger used to fly to visit a clinician when he wanted to adjust the grips on his bionic hands. Now, he's got an app instead. Koger this week demonstrated the i-limb ultra revolution, a prosthetic developed by the British firm Touch Bionics. Using a stylus and an iPhone, Koger can choose any of 24 grip patterns that best suit his needs.
Recent studies warn surveillance of bird flu strains is needed
(Medical Xpress)—Recent scientific papers from China suggest a vigilant watch should be kept on the development of bird flu viruses, as a new strain has been identified and previously known viruses have been shown capable of mutating to forms that could spread from human to human via respiratory droplets.
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