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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 22, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Solar-powered process could decrease carbon dioxide to pre-industrial levels in 10 years- Telescope Finds Elusive Buckyballs in Space for First Time
- Hyperfast Star Was Booted from Milky Way
- Scientists study why the blind salamander lives so long
- Boeing unveils its commercial capsule spacecraft
- Graphene oxide gets green
- Study finds structural brain alterations in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
- Highest X-ray energy used to probe materials
- How Do Cells Die? Biophotonic Tools Reveal Real-Time Dynamics in Living Color
- Rediscovery: Scientists confirm role for mysterious cell component, the nucleolinus
- Detector technology could help NASA find Earth-like exoplanets
- SIRT1 gene important for memory
- New wave of banking: Check deposit via smart-phone photo
- Windows 7 sales boosts Microsoft 4Q net income
- Nanowick at heart of new system to cool 'power electronics'
Space & Earth news
Hundreds attend EPA hearing on Pa. gas drilling
(AP) -- Hundreds of people are attending a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hearing in southwestern Pennsylvania on a controversial natural gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking."
Final instruments on NASA climate/weather satellite integrated
The last of five instruments slated to fly on the upcoming NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) climate and weather satellite have been successfully integrated, according to NASA officials. The polar-orbiting satellite is scheduled to launch in late 2011.
Storm threatens BP efforts to plug Gulf well
The threat of a new tropical storm forced crews to make preparations to protect the damaged Gulf of Mexico oil well, which could delay plans to permanently seal the leak that led to the environmental disaster.
Key compound of ozone destruction detected
For the first time, KIT scientists have successfully measured in the ozone layer the chlorine compound ClOOCl which plays an important role in stratospheric ozone depletion. The doubts in the established models of polar ozone chemistry expressed by American researchers based on laboratory measurements are disproved by these new atmospheric observations. The established role played by chlorine compounds in atmospheric ozone chemistry is in fact confirmed by KIT's atmospheric measurements.
NASA infrared imagery shows Chanthu weakening after landfall in southeastern China
Tropical Storm Chanthu came ashore in southeastern China and continues to move inland. NASA captured both visible and infrared satellite data that showed the storm is weakening in both form and cloud temperatures.
GOES-13 sees Tropical Depression 3 form in the Atlantic: Bahamas, Florida under warnings
The GOES-13 satellite has kept an eye on System 97L all week, and it has now developed into a tropical depression. NASA's GOES Project has created a movie showing its development over the last three days, and will continue to monitor it.
Detector technology could help NASA find Earth-like exoplanets
The hunt is on for Earth-like planets outside of our solar system. Since the 1990s, astronomers have detected more than 450 extrasolar planets -- mostly large Jupiter-sized bodies -- around nearby stars. Advances in technology are fueling the quest to find smaller, rocky planets resembling Earth and, possibly, evidence of life.
There's a hole in this possible earthquake pattern
As University of California at Davis physicist and geologist John Rundle ponders the map of recent California earthquakes, he sees visions of a doughnut even Homer J. Simpson wouldn't like.
Boeing unveils its commercial capsule spacecraft
(PhysOrg.com) -- Boeing unveiled its plans for a capsule spacecraft for ferrying astronauts and cargo to space stations at the biennial Farnborough International Air Show in the UK on July 19th. The craft is designed to fill the gap that will be left when the NASA space shuttles are retired from service next year.
Hyperfast Star Was Booted from Milky Way
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected a hypervelocity star - a rare entity moving three times faster than our sun.
Telescope Finds Elusive Buckyballs in Space for First Time
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have discovered carbon molecules, known as "buckyballs," in space for the first time.
Technology news
Foxconn to hike prices to cover China pay increase
(AP) -- Foxconn Technology Group, which makes iPhones and other gadgets for global technology companies, plans to charge them more to partly cover wage increases at its mammoth manufacturing compound in southern China.
Samsung, Toshiba to Support New Standardized NAND Specification for High-performance Applications
Samsung Electronics and Toshiba today announced their commitment to development of the most advanced high-performance NAND flash memory technology available today - a double data rate (DDR) NAND flash memory with a 400 megabit-per-second (Mbps) interface, toggle DDR 2.0 specification.
China's Baidu doubles profits in second quarter
Chinese Internet search giant Baidu said Thursday its profits more than doubled in the second quarter, as its customer base widened at the expense of rival Google.
US state attorneys press Google in Street View probe
US state attorneys pressed Google to name workers who wrote the "snooping" code that captured personal data from wireless networks while Street View cars mapped streets.
Hynix turns 2Q net profit amid record sales
(AP) -- Hynix Semiconductor turned a net profit in the second quarter after a loss the year before as sales rose to a record and prices for its mainstay computer memory chips increased.
Xerox earns soar following ACS buyout, shares pop
(AP) -- Xerox Corp.'s net income jumped 62 percent in the second quarter as the company reaped the benefits of its $6 billion acquisition of outsourcer Affiliated Computer Services and notched strong printer sales.
AT&T 2Q earnings up 26 percent, raises forecast
(AP) -- AT&T Inc. said Thursday that its earnings rose 26 percent in the latest quarter and raised its forecast for the year, helped by its iPhone-fueled wireless arm.
Web ad sales help New York Times Co. halt declines
(AP) -- The New York Times Co. has managed to steady itself after more than two years of watching its main source of revenue - newspaper advertising - drop at an alarming rate.
Cash-hungry states eye online retail for tax revenue
Web-savvy shoppers can often save big buying online instead of at the local mall. But a chunk of the savings comes at the expense of state and local governments, in the form of sales taxes that are never paid on many Web purchases.
Nokia Q2 profit falls 40 pct to $290 million
(AP) -- Nokia Corp. said Thursday that second-quarter net profit fell 40 percent to euro227 million ($290 million) as the world's largest mobile phone maker lost market share and sales remained flat. Analysts, however, noted its sales of smart phones were better than expected.
Stanford 'Frankencamera' platform available on Nokia N900 ahead of unveiling at graphics conference
Stanford's open-source digital photography software platform, "Frankencamera," which allows users to create novel camera capabilities, is available as a free download for Nokia N900 "mobile computers" starting today. Next week at the SIGGRAPH conference in Los Angeles, the Frankencamera engineering team will describe the platform and several sample apps created with it.
Amazon snags exclusive deal for e-editions
(AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday it has struck a deal that will give it exclusive rights to sell some of the great works of 20th century literature in electronic form.
Pilotless drones show new face of war at Farnborough
Pilotless drones, remote-controlled military aircraft destined to play a vital role in combat, took a high-profile place at the Farnborough air show this week.
UBC professor credits diversified revenue for success of world's top airports
The latest global survey of airports reveals that non-aeronautical revenue streams can help airports achieve higher efficiency so they can lower aircraft landing fees and attract more aeronautrical business.
Some Internet porn sites in China now accessible
(AP) -- Word leaked out slowly, spread by Web-savvy folks on Twitter: Internet porn that once was blocked by Chinese government censors was now openly available.
Amazon 2Q profit jumps 45 pct; misses Wall Street
(AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that its second-quarter income jumped, bolstered by shoppers who spent more with the online retailer even as consumer confidence fell overall.
Twitter opening data center in Salt Lake City
(AP) -- Twitter Inc. has announced - in a tweet, of course - that it will build a huge data center in Utah, making it the latest company to set up computer-intensive operations in a state with cheap electricity and a business-friendly reputation.
Baidu hacker lawsuit can proceed in US court
A US judge ruled Thursday that Baidu has a "plausible" legal case against a domain registry firm that let hackers commandeer the Chinese Internet search giant's website.
3 Questions: Nicholas Roy on deploying drones in U.S. skies
In June, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to expand flights of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, along the Texas-Mexico border for surveillance purposes. Although unmanned aircraft have been used extensively by the military in Afghanistan and Iraq, the FAA has been hesitant to issue flying rights for the pilotless vehicles in the U.S. other than on a case-by-case basis, such as for border patrol. Last year, the agency promised defense officials it would unveil a plan for regulating unmanned planes this year, and it recently opened a new lab to explore how air traffic control systems can control unmanned aircraft for civilian and law-enforcement purposes.
New wave of banking: Check deposit via smart-phone photo
Customers at Chase Bank have a new way to deposit checks: Just snap, snap and tap. Chase has introduced an iPhone application allowing consumers to deposit checks with the camera-enabled smart device, which means no more trips to a local bank branch or ATM or hassling with deposit slips.
The future of reading
Emma Teitgen, 12, thought the chemistry book her teacher recommended would make perfect bedside reading. Perfect because it might help her fall asleep.
Data mining made faster: New method eases analysis of 'multidimensional' information
To many big companies, you aren't just a customer, but are described by multiple "dimensions" of information within a computer database. Now, a University of Utah computer scientist has devised a new method for simpler, faster "data mining," or extracting and analyzing massive amounts of such data.
German power plant testing CO2-scrubbing algae
Swedish energy group Vattenfall said it had launched a major pilot project Thursday using algae to absorb greenhouse gas emissions from a coal-fired power plant in eastern Germany.
Windows 7 sales boosts Microsoft 4Q net income
(AP) -- Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that its net income surged in the most recent quarter, the latest sign that businesses are again spending money on technology.
Medicine & Health news
Kaiser Permanente demonstrates success of large-scale total joint replacement registry
A total joint replacement registry based on carefully designed and integrated technology can enhance patient safety, quality of care, cost-effectiveness and research, according to a paper published in the online and print editions of Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, a journal of the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.
Stopping anemia drug may be wiser than reducing dose to normalize hemoglobin levels
Discontinuing the anemia drug epoetin may be more effective than reducing the dose for normalizing potentially dangerous high hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results provide useful information about the balance required between administering epoetin and achieving target hemoglobin levels.
Premature death less likely than end stage renal disease for African Americans with kidney disease
Regardless of demographics, African American patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis have a higher rate of developing end stage renal disease (ESRD) than dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Earlier studies showed patients of all races with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) were at greater risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than reaching ESRD.
Study finds early HAART during TB treatment boosts survival rate in co-infected people
A clinical trial in Cambodia has found it possible to prolong the survival of untreated HIV-infected adults with very weak immune systems and newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) by starting anti-HIV therapy two weeks after beginning TB treatment, rather than waiting eight weeks, as has been standard. This finding by scientists co-funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis, brings physicians closer to optimizing the treatment of severely immunosuppressed individuals with HIV-TB co-infection.
Lack of access to evidence-based HIV prevention and care is a fundamental violation of human rights
The appalling lack of access to scientifically proven interventions for key populations at risk -- including sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs - and the lagging scale up of simple and inexpensive treatment regimens to prevent vertical transmission of HIV reflect persistent, underlying human rights violations that threaten future progress on AIDS, according to organizers of the XVIII International AIDS Conference taking place in Vienna this week under the theme of Rights Here, Right Now.
A breakthrough for child survival in the poorest nations and America's cities
A Johns Hopkins University scientist, whose team of researchers recently identified pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria as the primary causes of death of 6 million of the world's poorest children, today called on leaders in donor and developing nations to take action to address the terrible death toll.
Study describes health effects of occupational exposures in Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant workers
A five-year study into the causes of deaths of workers at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) shows significantly lower death rates from all causes and cancer in general when compared to the overall United States population. This is known by occupational health researchers as the "healthy worker effect". However, death from lymphatic and bone marrow cancers such as leukemia or multiple myeloma were slightly above national rates.
Misuse of anesthesia could cause hepatitis virus transmission
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted during intravenous (IV) administration of anesthesia, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. In this study, doctors found that anesthesia contamination — not endoscopy contamination — was the cause of infection.
Researcher Detects Differences in Early Language of Children with Reading Disability
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research by University of Maine Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders Susan Lambrecht Smith is helping to refine speech and language skills of preschoolers as predictors of reading disability.
Rehab-first promising for amateur athlete ACL tear
(AP) -- Attention, weekend athletes: Don't be too quick to agree to surgery for a common type of knee ligament tear.
New guidelines aim to reduce repeated C-sections
(AP) -- Most women who've had a C-section, and many who've had two, should be allowed to try labor with their next baby, say new guidelines - a step toward reversing the "once a cesarean, always a cesarean" policies taking root in many hospitals.
Study suggests link between metabolic disease, bone mass in mice
A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers has found that insulin, the sugar-regulating hormone, is required for normal bone development and that it may provide a link between bone health and metabolic disease, such as diabetes.
Breakdown of bone keeps blood sugar in check, new study finds
Researchers led by Columbia University Medical Center have discovered that the skeleton plays an important role in regulating blood sugar and have further illuminated how bone controls this process. The finding, published in Cell, is important because it may lead to more targeted drugs for type 2 diabetes.
Women exposed to radiation therapy as children prone to stillbirths
Thanks to advances in medicine, many children and adolescents who were diagnosed with cancer years ago are now surviving to adulthood and wanting to start families themselves. But how does exposure to radiation used to treat cancer early in life affect the chances of that person's own baby being stillborn or dying very soon after birth? These questions are answered in an Article published Online First and in an upcoming Lancet, written by Dr John Boice, and Dr Lisa B Signorello, both of the International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD, USA, and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, and colleagues.
Important clue to understanding the pathogenesis of ciliary disorders
A research team led by Dr. Heiko Lickert of Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen has pinpointed a gene that is essential for the physiologically correct disassembly of cilia. Errors in the regulation of cilia assembly are implicated in a variety of human syndromes. Until now, however, the consequences of faulty cilia disassembly have not yet been elucidated. The findings are reported in the current issue of the prestigious journal Developmental Cell.
A blood test for depression?
Blood tests have been extremely important tools aiding doctors in making medical diagnoses and in guiding the treatment of many diseases. However, psychiatry is one area of medicine where there are few diagnostic blood tests.
Funding woes overshadow AIDS conference
(AP) -- Rich countries must give more for the fight against AIDS or risk jeopardizing progress in battling the disease, participants at an international conference urged Thursday.
Researcher identifies novel treatment for pain in sickle cell disease
A University of Minnesota Medical School research team led by Kalpna Gupta, Ph.D., has discovered that cannibinoids offer a novel approach to ease the chronic and acute pain caused by sickle cell disease (SCD).
Kids could get more whole grains from after-school snacks, study finds
An after-school snack of graham crackers might be one way to get children to eat more whole grains, a new study from the University of Minnesota shows.
Equipment defect leads to reanalysis of gene study
(AP) -- The journal Science is reporting that researchers who said they were closing in on determining the impact of family versus lifestyle in lifespan are reanalyzing their findings.
CDC: 15 US deaths tied to rare tropical fungus
(AP) -- U.S. health officials say a fungus usually found in the tropics has taken root in the Pacific Northwest and has been blamed for at least 60 illnesses and 15 deaths.
Study ties abnormal cells in blood to lung cancer
A novel approach detects genetically abnormal cells in the blood of non-small cell lung cancer patients that match abnormalities found in tumor cells and increase in number with the severity of the disease, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
Researchers find link between childhood physical abuse and heart disease
Childhood physical abuse is associated with significantly elevated rates of heart disease in adulthood, according to new findings by University of Toronto researchers, published in this month's issue of the journal Child Abuse & Neglect.
Vitamins needed to help celiacs stave off bone disease
Children with celiac disease need to include certain must-have vitamins in their diets to stave off weak bones and osteoporosis, say researchers at the University of Alberta.
Study links African ancestry to high-risk breast cancer
A new study finds that African ancestry is linked to triple-negative breast cancer, a more aggressive type of cancer that has fewer treatment options.
Can I buy you a drink? Genetics may determine sensitivity to other people's drinking behavior
Your friend walks into a bar to meet you for happy hour. He sidles up to the bar and orders a drink — does that make you more likely to get a drink yourself? According to new findings reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, genetics may determine the extent to which you are influenced by social drinking cues — signals such as advertisements, drinks placed on a bar, and seeing other people around you drinking.
Specific protein may help neurons fix themselves in Parkinson's patients
A Michigan State University researcher is working to uncover how a protein known as parkin may help nerve cells fight off damage from Parkinson's disease, a strategy that could lead to new therapies for the degenerative ailment.
Researchers find genetic link to children's emotional problems precipitated by bullying
Bullying victimization is common among children of school age, although its consequences are often anything but benign. The recent death of a Massachusetts teen by suicide prompted state lawmakers to pass one of the most far-reaching anti-bullying laws within the U.S. Whether such legislative actions result in measurable decreases in physical or emotional distress among school peers remains to be seen, but a team of researchers from Duke University and Kings College London have discovered a genetic variation that moderates whether victims of bullying will go on to develop emotional problems.
New research: Sugar substitutes help reduce caloric intake without overeating or hunger
A new study published in the August 2010 journal, Appetite, further demonstrates that people who consume low-calorie sweeteners are able to significantly reduce their caloric intake and do not overeat.
Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate falling, but more can be done
Transmission of HIV to children before or at birth has dropped dramatically around the country in the last decade since the advent of powerful new therapies. That certainly is true for Florida, where each year, fewer than 10 babies are born with the disease despite the fact that more than 600 HIV-positive women each year, on average, give birth.
Know the Facts About Drowning for Adequate Prevention
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most of us have seen depictions of drowning on TV -- there's splashing, yelling and a lifeguard running to the rescue. But emergency medicine professionals caution that's not how it happens in real life.
Gene linked to aging also linked to Alzheimer's
MIT biologists report that they have discovered the first link between the amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and a gene previously implicated in the aging process, SIRT1.
Study links more time spent sitting to higher risk of death
A new study from American Cancer Society researchers finds it's not just how much physical activity you get, but how much time you spend sitting that can affect your risk of death. Researchers say time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level. They conclude that public health messages should promote both being physically active and reducing time spent sitting. The study appears early online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Study finds structural brain alterations in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both.
SIRT1 gene important for memory
A protein implicated in many biological processes also may play a role in memory, according to a study led by the University of Southern California and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health.
Biology news
Not enough hours in the day for endangered apes
A study on the effect of global warming on African ape survival suggests that a warming climate may cause apes to run 'out of time'. The research, published today in Journal of Biogeography, reveals that rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns have strong effects on ape behaviour, distribution and survival, pushing them even further to the brink of extinction.
Math model of colon inflammation singles out dangerous immune cells
Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have constructed a mathematical and computational model of inflammatory bowel disease that allows researchers to simulate the cellular and molecular changes underlying chronic inflammation in humans. The model allows scientists to explore different interactions of cells in the immune system, check how these cells are linked to inflammation in the colon, and identify intervention points to perhaps stop the disease in its tracks. The work appears in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.
Scientists discover how deadly fungal microbes enter host cells
A research team led by scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech has discovered a fundamental entry mechanism that allows dangerous fungal microbes to infect plants and cause disease. The discovery paves the way for the development of new intervention strategies to protect plant, and even some animal cells, from deadly fungal infections. The findings are published in the July 23 edition of the journal Cell.
Gut movements in caterpillars inspire soft-body robot design (w/ Video)
"Weird movements" in the abdomens of freely crawling caterpillars are making headlines in the fields of engineering and biology, says Jake Socha, Virginia Tech assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics. Beyond evolutionary implications, the findings are already contributing to the design and development of soft material robots.
Rediscovery: Scientists confirm role for mysterious cell component, the nucleolinus
When searching for long-lost treasure, sometimes all you need is a good flashlight.
How Do Cells Die? Biophotonic Tools Reveal Real-Time Dynamics in Living Color
Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is essential to normal development, healthy immune system function, and cancer prevention. The process dramatically transforms cellular structures but the limitations of conventional microscopy methods have kept much about this structural reorganization a mystery.
Scientists study why the blind salamander lives so long
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have long been intrigued by the longevity of a tiny amphibian known as the blind salamander, but it now seems it may live a long time because it basically has no life.
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