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Science News for January 26, 2010


Babies' brains tuned to sharing attention with others

Researchers found that infants as young as five months old engage in joint attention with adults, activating the left prefrontal cortex, a region involved in complex cognitive and social behaviors. This suggests that the human brain develops this important social skill surprisingly early in infancy.

SourceWellcome Trust·JournalBiology Letters·DateJan 26, 2010

Is the Hobbit's brain unfeasibly small?

Researchers reconstruct primate brain evolution to clarify the Hobbit's brain size, suggesting a strong selective advantage for increased brainpower. The study supports the hypothesis that the Hobbit's small brain was adapted to local ecological conditions on Flores.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Biology·DateJan 26, 2010

Transplant tourism poses ethical dilemma for US doctors

A recent study examines the ethics of transplant tourism, where patients travel to countries like China and India for transplantation. US medical societies have crafted guidelines to advise clinicians on caring for transplant tourists, who may face sub-standard care and post-transplant infections.

SourceWiley·JournalLiver Transplantation·DateJan 26, 2010

A Venus flytrap for nuclear waste

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new material that permanently traps only the desired radioactive ion, cesium, from a sodium-heavy solution. The synthetic material, made from layers of a gallium, sulfur and antimony compound, sequesters 100% of the cesium ions while ignoring all the sodium ions.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Chemistry·DateJan 26, 2010

Landmark heart treatment study

A landmark study published in JAMA found that catheter ablation significantly improves quality of life and reduces symptoms of atrial fibrillation compared to drug therapy. The treatment, which destroys abnormal heart tissue, resulted in a 66% success rate for patients with no recurrent irregular heartbeats or symptoms.

SourceLoyola Medicine·JournalJournal of the American Medical Association·DateJan 26, 2010

Top-rated hospitals don't always have superior outcomes

Researchers found that hospital volume accounts for as much as 79% of observed differences in hospital quality, making high-volume hospitals a better choice for patients. Despite being marketed as superior, top-rated hospitals do not consistently deliver better outcomes than lower-rated but higher-volume facilities.

SourceWeber Shandwick Worldwide·JournalJournal of the American College of Surgeons·DateJan 26, 2010

Marine lab hunts subtle clues to environmental threats to blue crabs

A research team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a new method to detect subtle clues to environmental threats affecting blue crabs. By analyzing metabolite levels in blue crab hemolymph using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, they found biomarkers that can identify specific sourc...

E-only Springer journal will meet the needs of today's transportation specialists

The International Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research aims to foster wide-ranging discussion across disciplines to find solutions to future transportation systems and their impact on society. The journal will publish original research and survey papers, aiming to meet the needs of today's world.

SourceSpringer·JournalInternational Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research·DateJan 26, 2010

Overcoming taxane resistance in cancer

A proteomics study reveals prohibitin1 as a protein involved in taxane resistance, which could be targeted with drugs to make cancers more susceptible to chemotherapy. Suppressing prohibitin1 may also serve as a biomarker for predicting patient response to chemotherapy.

SourceBoston Children's Hospital·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 26, 2010

How to shoot the messenger

Researchers from EMBL have discovered the molecular structure of a key protein involved in cellular communication systems that are affected in neurodegeneration, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The study provides insights into how this protein functions and how it can be targeted with drugs to develop new treatments.

SourceEuropean Molecular Biology Laboratory·JournalScience Signaling·DateJan 26, 2010

Engineered metamaterials enable remarkably small antennas

Researchers have designed and tested experimental antennas that are highly efficient and remarkably small, potentially useful for emergency communications devices, micro-sensors, and portable ground-penetrating radars. The novel antennas radiate up to 95% of an input radio signal while defying normal design parameters.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalIEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation·DateJan 26, 2010

Rejuvenating the old immune system

Aged mice treated with a macrophage-specific growth factor exhibit enhanced resistance to bacterial infection, indicating potential therapeutic strategies for healthy aging. The study's findings provide insight into the underlying immune dysfunction contributing to age-related increased susceptibility to infections.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalThe Journal of Pathology·DateJan 26, 2010