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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 21, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Time travel theory avoids grandfather paradox- Quick jolt of energy could improve energy harvesting by a factor of 40
- Asus Eee Pad tablet to favor Android over Windows Embedded OS
- Black Hole Gets Jerked Around -- Twice
- Now You See It, Now You Don't -- an Invisibility Cloak Made of Glass
- Radio astronomers develop new technique for studying dark energy
- Researchers discover water on the moon is widespread, similar to Earth's
- Scientists uncover novel anti-diabetes mechanism
- 300 solar masses: Scientists find most massive star ever discovered (w/ Video)
- Laser shoots down drones at sea (w/ Video)
- Scientists isolate the first stages of tissue production in human embryonic stem cells
- Experiment proves that women are better multitaskers than men
- Gadgetry buzz overshadows Apple's bedrock business: the Mac
- Facebook membership hits 500 million mark
- Adults recall negative events less accurately than children
Space & Earth news
Scientists aim to predict toxic algal blooms in California's coastal waters
(PhysOrg.com) -- After years of studying and monitoring harmful algal blooms in California's coastal waters, Raphael Kudela is trying to predict when toxin-producing algae will strike again. A professor of ocean sciences at UC Santa Cruz, Kudela leads a team of researchers that has received a $792,000 grant from the Ocean Protection Council and California Sea Grant to develop forecasts of the periodic blooms of toxic algae that have long plagued the California coast.
Turkey ill-prepared for earthquake
(AP) -- More than a decade after a devastating earthquake revealed dangerously shoddy construction across Turkey, authorities are failing to enforce stricter building codes and protect people from another deadly quake, according to a new parliamentary report obtained by The Associated Press.
NASA satellites tracking rain-packed Tropical Storm Chanthu as it heads toward China
NASA satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Chanthu revealed a large area of moderate to very heavy rainfall as it nears the southeast China coast.
EPA takes new look at gas drilling, water issues
(AP) -- So vast is the wealth of natural gas locked into dense rock deep beneath Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio that some geologists estimate it's enough to supply the entire East Coast for 50 years.
Nations pledge clean energy amid treaty stalemate
Nations pledged Tuesday to work together to improve the efficiency of energy-guzzlers from televisions to cars, showing practical cooperation on climate change despite a deadlock on sealing a treaty.
Subaru Telescope Detects Clues for Understanding the Origin of Mysterious Dark Gamma-Ray Bursts
(PhysOrg.com) -- A research team led by astronomers from Kyoto University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used the Subaru Telescope to observe a dark gamma-ray burst (GRB) that provides clues for understanding the origin of dark gamma-ray bursts.
Supercomputer reproduces a cyclone's birth, may boost forecasting
As a teen in his native Taiwan, Bo-wen Shen observed helplessly as typhoon after typhoon pummeled the small island country. Without advanced forecasting systems, the storms left a trail of human loss and property destruction in their wake. Determined to find ways to stem the devastation, Shen chose a career studying tropical weather and atmospheric science.
Research links recreational pool disinfectants to health problems
Splashing around in a swimming pool on a hot summer day may not be as safe as you think. A recent University of Illinois study links the application of disinfectants in recreational pools to previously published adverse health outcomes such as asthma and bladder cancer.
Researchers: EPA should recognize environmental impact of protecting foreign oil
U.S. military operations to protect oil imports coming from the Middle East are creating larger amounts of greenhouse gas emissions than once thought, new research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows.
Gulf oil dispersants unlikely to be endocrine disruptors and have relatively low cell toxicity
Government scientists are reporting that eight of the most commonly used oil dispersants used to fight oil spills, such as the massive episode in the Gulf of Mexico, appear unlikely to act as endocrine disruptors — hormone-like substances that can interfere with reproduction, development, and other biological processes. The tested dispersants also had a relatively low potential for cytotoxicity (cell death), with JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD showing the least potential.
Soviet, US astronauts mark 35 years since space handshake
Elderly US astronauts reunited with their Soviet-era counterparts in Moscow on Wednesday to mark the 35th anniversary of their epic "handshake in space" in 1975 at the height of the Cold War.
Study ties climate uncertainties to economies of US states
A climate-change study at Sandia National Laboratories that models the near-term effects of declining rainfall in each of the 48 U.S. continental states makes clear the economic toll that could occur unless an appropriate amount of initial investment — a kind of upfront insurance payment — is made to forestall much larger economic problems down the road.
NASA satellites see System 97L serve up a soaking
System 97L may not yet be a tropical depression, but it feels like it to the residents of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hispaniola. NASA satellite data captured both rainfall and cloud temperatures as this system continues to organize.
Bursting a bubble? Accepted theory explaining frequent eruptions at Italy's volcano called into question
Understanding the processes that cause volcanic eruptions can help scientists predict how often and how violently a volcano will erupt. Although scientists have a general idea of how these processes work — the melting of magma below the volcano causes liquid magma and gases to force their way to Earth's surface — eruptions happen so rarely, and often with little warning, that it can be difficult to study them in detail.
Mars Odyssey Orbiter Puts Itself Into Standby Safe Mode
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter put itself into a safe standby mode, and the mission team has begun steps to resume the spacecraft's science and relay operations this week.
Warmer climate entails increased release of carbon dioxide by inland lakes
Much organically bound carbon is deposited on inland lake bottoms. A portion remains in the sediment, sometimes for thousands of years, while the rest is largely broken down to carbon dioxide and methane, which are released into the atmosphere. Swedish researchers have shown that carbon retention by sediment is highly temperature-sensitive and that a warmer climate would result in increased carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. The study is published in the current issue of the journal Nature.
300 solar masses: Scientists find most massive star ever discovered (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using a combination of instruments on ESO's Very Large Telescope, astronomers have discovered the most massive stars to date, one weighing at birth more than 300 times the mass of the sun, or twice as much as the currently accepted limit of 150 solar masses. The existence of these monsters -- millions of times more luminous than the sun, losing weight through very powerful winds -- may provide an answer to the question, "how massive can stars be?"
Researchers discover water on the moon is widespread, similar to Earth's
Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are once again turning what scientists thought they knew about the moon on its head.
Radio astronomers develop new technique for studying dark energy
Pioneering observations with the National Science Foundation's giant Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have given astronomers a new tool for mapping large cosmic structures. The new tool promises to provide valuable clues about the nature of the mysterious "dark energy" believed to constitute nearly three-fourths of the mass and energy of the Universe.
Black Hole Gets Jerked Around -- Twice
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have found evidence that a giant black hole has been jerked around twice, causing its spin axis to point in a different direction from before. This discovery, made with new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, might explain several mysterious-looking objects found throughout the Universe.
Technology news
Alcatel-Lucent announces Internet contract in China
French-US telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent said on Wednesday it had been chosen by mobile operators China Mobile and China Telecom to install a fiber optic network in China enabling high-speed Internet access.
New iPad app mines Web links for 'social magazine'
(AP) -- Apple's iPad has hatched a new breed of magazine. It's filled with a constantly changing mix of articles, photos and videos picked out by your friends, family and other people within your online social circle.
EMC's 2Q net more than doubles as firms stock up
(AP) -- EMC Corp.'s net income more than doubled in the second quarter as corporations opened the spigot on spending for more data storage.
Google loses out in Chinese search engine market
Google's share of the Chinese search engine market fell in the second quarter while the US Internet giant was embroiled in a public battle with Beijing over censorship, a research firm said Wednesday.
Netflix's 2Q earnings up 34 pct, topping estimates
(AP) -- Video-subscription service Netflix Inc. added another million customers during the spring to propel its second-quarter earnings past analyst estimates.
FTC extends antitrust settlement talks with Intel
(AP) -- Federal regulators will take at least two more weeks to work out details of a proposed agreement with Intel Corp. to settle charges that the giant chipmaker violated antitrust laws.
Qualcomm 3Q profit rises 4 percent, revenue down
(AP) -- Qualcomm Inc. said Wednesday that its fiscal third-quarter profit rose 4 percent and revenues fell less than analysts expected, allaying concerns among investors that the developer of wireless chips and technologies was failing to capitalize on consumers' appetites for smart phones.
EBay 2Q profit rise 26 pct on PayPal, marketplace
(AP) -- EBay Inc. said Wednesday that its second-quarter income climbed 26 percent as more people transferred money through its PayPal payment service and shopped on its main website.
Facebook membership hits 500 million mark
The number of people using Facebook hit the 500 million mark on Wednesday, meaning one in every 14 people on the planet has now signed up to the online social-networking service.
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.
Laser shoots down drones at sea (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- An infrared laser developed by Arizona company Raytheon Missile Systems has been demonstrated shooting down incoming drones over the ocean off the coast of California.
Medicine & Health news
Study finds large disparity in access to kidney transplants for UK patients
Large variations exist in access to kidney transplants for patients in the UK, which cannot be explained by case mix (differences in a patient's condition), according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Childhood sexual abuse and social shaming linked to health issues later
Gay and bisexual men enrolled in a long-term study of HIV who reported sexual abuse and social shaming in childhood experience psychosocial health problems later in life that could put them at greater risk for HIV, report University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers at the XVIII International AIDS Conference.
Overcoming childhood obesity means addressing mom's weight issues as well
The information gap and general lack of understanding of obesity's unique and disproportionate impact on women contributes to the challenges of the 65 million American women who are considered overweight or obese, said the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance Task Force on Women at a meeting on Capitol Hill today. Through discussions with health experts and an extensive review of obesity prevalence research, the Task Force found women to be hit hardest by obesity - confounding efforts to turn the tide on the nation's obesity problem, especially in children.
Survey shows many child care centers use pesticides to control pests
(PhysOrg.com) -- A survey of 637 licensed child care centers conducted by a UC Berkeley researcher for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation found that many of the centers have used pesticide spays and foggers that can potentially expose children and staff to residues.
Nitric oxide does not prevent poor lung development or increase survival of preterm infants overall
Administration of nitric oxide to preterm infants happens in some high-income countries to reduce rates of poor lung development (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) and improve survival in these children. But the EUNO study, published Online First and in an upcoming Lancet, shows that giving nitric oxide to these babies does not improve overall survival or their survival without poor lung development or brain injury. The Article is by Professor Jean-Christophe Mercier, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris and University of Paris, France, and colleagues.
How safe and effective are herbal dietary supplements?
Millions of people are taking herbs and other plant-based dietary supplements to improve their health, but they have precious little information on the actual effectiveness or potential ill effects of these products. That's the topic of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
Lack of insurance coverage remains obstacle to wider colorectal cancer screening with CT colonography
A recent questionnaire submitted to a group of patients at one of the nation's largest general hospitals suggests that a significant number of patients, who have previously refused colorectal cancer screening, are willing to undergo computed tomography colonography (CTC) (or virtual colonoscopy), but not willing to pay for the exam themselves when not covered by insurance, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Toronto homeless report barriers to health care
Most studies of healthcare for homeless people have been conducted in the United States, where it's not surprising that lack of money and insurance are the main barriers.
UN taps big names for HIV prevention panel
(AP) -- The U.N. AIDS agency has tapped some big names - including former basketball star Magic Johnson - to boost global efforts to prevent the spread of HIV.
Valproic acid shown to halt vision loss in patients with retinitis pigmentosa
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) believe they may have found a new treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a severe neurodegenerative disease of the retina that ultimately results in blindness. One of the more common retinal degenerative diseases, RP is caused by the death of photoreceptor cells and affects 1 in 4,000 people in the United States. RP typically manifests in young adulthood as night blindness or a loss of peripheral vision and in many cases progresses to legal blindness by age 40.
Preterm births higher among overweight and obese mothers
Overweight and obese women are at greater risk of giving birth to a preterm baby compared with normal weight women, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
HPV vaccine gives prolonged protection against genital warts and low-grade pre-cancerous growths
Vaccination against certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) gives strong and sustained protection against genital warts and pre-cancerous growths of the cervix, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Women, minorities more likely to see doctor of choice in emergency room
What if an emergency room patient wants a different doctor than the one who reports to their examination room?
Researchers find little action on recommendations aimed to curb college drinking
Few colleges and college communities have taken steps to implement recommendations to reduce college student drinking, according to a new study released today by researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Alcohol consumption by U.S. college students remains a major issue despite a report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) that detailed the problems associated with student drinking. That report, released in 2002, also outlined strategic recommendations based on the best available science that were designed to help colleges curtail the problem.
New links between cholesterol and depression in the elderly
Most people know that high cholesterol levels place them at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Prior research has shown that particular types of strokes contribute to one's risk for depression, and that abnormal blood lipid levels can increase the risk of depression in the elderly.
Students design early labor detector to prevent premature births
The birth of a baby is usually a joyous event, but when a child is born too early, worrisome complications can occur, including serious health problems for the baby and steep medical bills for the family. To address this, Johns Hopkins graduate students and their faculty adviser have invented a new system to pick up very early signs that a woman is going into labor too soon.
World-first dialysis study set to reduce health costs
(PhysOrg.com) -- The results of a world-first controlled trial of dialysis start-time in patients with Stage V chronic kidney disease is set to have major impact on the cost and infrastructure of chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment and dialysis services.
Protein important in diabetes may also play a key role in heart disease, other disorders
Studying a protein already known to play an important role in type 2 diabetes and cancer, genomics researchers have discovered that it may have an even broader role in disease, particularly in other metabolic disorders and heart disease. In finding unsuspected links to other disease-related genes, the scientists may have identified future targets for drug treatments.
Is there a cure for AIDS? Forum lifts a taboo
Scientists at the world AIDS conference have discussed an idea that had become almost taboo. Can AIDS be cured?
World-first vaccine candidate for newborns to help combat deadly rotavirus
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian researchers have begun clinical trials of a new vaccine to protect newborn infants against rotavirus, a life-threatening diarrhoeal disease that kills half a million children worldwide each year.
Every action has a beginning and an end (and it's all in you brain)
Rui Costa, Principal Investigator of the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (Portugal), and Xin Jin, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (USA), describe in the latest issue of the journal Nature, that the activity of certain neurons in the brain can signal the initiation and termination of behavioural sequences we learn anew. Furthermore, they found that this brain activity is essential for learning and executing novel action sequences, many times compromised in patients suffering from disorders such as Parkinson's or Huntington's.
Video game processors help lower CT scan radiation
A new approach to processing X-ray data could lower by a factor of ten or more the amount of radiation patients receive during cone beam CT scans, report researchers from the University of California, San Diego.
Subtle thyroid problem triples the risk of placental separation in birth
Pregnant women with antibodies that can indicate early thyroid disease are three times as likely to have placental separation during labor, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a study of more than 17,000 women.
Levels of 'good' cholesterol less relevant to cardiovascular risk once 'bad' cholesterol has been reduced
In the general population, the more 'good' cholesterol that a person has, the less likely they are to suffer a cardiovascular event. But new research shows that if a person has their levels of 'bad' cholesterol substantially lowered with high-dose statin treatment, then levels of 'good' cholesterol in that person may no longer bear any relation to their remaining cardiovascular risk. The findings, based on the JUPITER study, are reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming Lancet. The Article is by Professor Paul Ridker, Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA, and colleagues.
Muscular heart failure patients may have a better chance at survival: study
University of Alberta research has discovered heart failure patients with more muscle have the potential to increase their length of life.
FDA issues hold on much-debated Avandia study
(AP) -- Federal health officials are barring new patients from enrolling in a safety study of GlaxoSmithKline's controversial diabetes pill Avandia, a week after a panel of experts ruled that the drug increases heart risks.
The Medical Minute: A darker side of tanning
This year, like every year, more than one-third of Americans will get at least one sunburn. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the risk of melanoma -- the deadliest type of skin cancer -- more than doubles with just one severe sunburn in childhood or adolescence or from five such overexposures in a lifetime.
A new drug treatment to close the window on colon cancer
Cancer surgery wreaks havoc on a body's immune system and stress hormones exacerbate the problem. As a result, about half of those who undergo surgery for tumor removal experience a recurrence of cancer in the same region or other parts of the body.
Identification of a gene essential to newborn babies' first breath
How do mammals prepare themselves in utero for a radical modification to their respiration at the time of birth, when they move abruptly from an aquatic medium to air?
Anti-Parasite Drugs for Neglected Chagas Disease Are in the Works
Larissa Podust, PhD, is working on a new drug for a neglected scourge, a chronic parasitic infection called Chagas disease. The parasite is carried and spread by the kissing bug.
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.
Adults recall negative events less accurately than children
(PhysOrg.com) -- Emotions -- particularly those provoked by negative events -- can cause distorted, inaccurate memories, but less often in children than in adults, according to a new Cornell study.
Researchers pinpoint key stem cells for eating and sex
New research, published in the journal Development, by Dr. Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, professor of Pharmacology & Physiology and director of the newly formed GW Institute for Neuroscience, and his colleagues have identified the stem cells that generate three critical classes of nerve cells - olfactory receptors (ORNs), vomeronasal (VRNs) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons - that are responsible for enabling animals and humans, to eat, interact socially and reproduce.
Toxic trio identified as the basis of celiac disease
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have identified the three protein fragments that make gluten - the main protein in wheat, rye and barley - toxic to people with coeliac disease.
Experiment proves that women are better multitaskers than men
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, have conducted research providing definitive evidence that women can multitask more effectively than men.
Scientists find unsuspected molecular link between obesity and insulin resistance
A new understanding of insulin resistance and the action of diabetes drugs such as Avandia and Actos could pave the way for improved medications that are more selective and safer, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Scripps Research Institute.
Scientists uncover novel anti-diabetes mechanism
In a joint study, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University have uncovered a novel mechanism that dramatically increases insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Biology news
Better control of reproduction in trout and salmon may be in aquaculture's future
Fast-growing farm-raised salmon and trout that are sterile can now be produced using a method developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. Blocking reproduction can enhance growth, and is important for fish being reared in situations where reproduction is undesirable.
Wildfire prevention pays big dividends in Florida, study finds
A study by USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists and research partners suggests that wildfire prevention education in Florida pays for itself several times over by saving millions of dollars in fire-fighting costs and reducing damages from human-caused fires. Researchers published their findings in a recent issue of the journal Forest Science.
Your chance to live forever in spider form
(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Manchester scientist is offering the public the chance to name a new species of spider, which has been fossilised in amber for millions of years.
Petition seeks to have wolves howl across US
(AP) -- Tens of thousands of gray wolves would be returned to the woods of New England, the mountains of California, the wide open Great Plains and the desert West under a scientific petition filed Tuesday with the federal government.
Mother Nature to provide an environmentally friendly method for reducing mosquitoes
A scientific breakthrough might assist in the fight against mosquitoes. New research carried out at the University of Haifa in collaboration with researchers from other universities has chemically identified, for the first time, compounds released by mosquitoes' natural aquatic predators that function as warning signals for egg laying mosquitoes. Introducing these natural chemicals into mosquito breeding sites will cause the mosquitoes to sense risk of predation to their progeny and avoid laying their eggs there. These findings will soon be published in the prestigious journal Ecology Letters.
Scientists tap into Antarctic octopus venom
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have collected venom from octopuses in Antarctica for the first time, significantly advancing our understanding of the properties of venom as a potential resource for drug-development.
Wacky weather could squeeze Florida's citrus season
Citrus growers, beware. Florida winters are getting more extreme, causing plants to flower later and potentially shrinking the growing seasons for some of the state's most vital crops.
High-resolution imaging expands vision research of live birds of prey
Bird observatories all over the world may benefit from a newly designed high-resolution imaging system used to study the retinal structure of live birds of prey. In a recently published Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science article, researchers reveal unprecedented three-dimensional information about the retina of four species of raptors — two hawks and two owls — using the non-invasive, powerful imaging tool.
Stag beetles take flight, but not for long
(PhysOrg.com) -- About now, and possibly for the next few weeks only, is the time to see the impressive adult stag beetles in flight in the south of England.
Researchers identify new protein
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Brigham Young University team led by Laura Bridgewater, who delivered the university forum address Tuesday, recently identified a new version of a protein involved in several key processes in the body.
Creating a New Generation of Biomaterials
(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Connecticut researcher is using hydrogels to mimic the defining features of animal connective tissue.
Scientists isolate the first stages of tissue production in human embryonic stem cells
Scientists at the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center have described a population of cells that mark the very first stage of differentiation of human embryonic stem cells as they enter a developmental pathway that leads to production of blood, heart muscle, blood vessels and bone.
Primitive frogs do a belly flop: Study shows frogs evolved jumping before they refined landing (w/ Video)
Sometimes divers, to their own painful dismay, do belly flops. But did you ever see a frog belly flop? That's just what primitive living frogs do, according to a new study1 by Dr. Richard Essner, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the US, and colleagues, looking at the evolution of frog jumping and landing. They found that frogs became proficient at jumping before they perfected landing.
A mutation that frustrates DNA repair likely contributes to Fanconi anemia
(PhysOrg.com) -- After more than a century of technological refinements, zippers still get stuck. So do the molecular machines that routinely unzip the double helix of DNA in our cells after billions of years of evolution, and the results can be lethal.
Climate change causes larger, more plentiful marmots, study shows
This week, one of the world's foremost scientific journals will publish results of a decades-long research project founded at the University of Kansas showing that mountain rodents called marmots are growing larger, healthier and more plentiful in response to climate change.
Beware the smell of bitter almonds: Why do many food plants contain cyanide?
(PhysOrg.com) -- In murder mysteries, the detective usually diagnoses cyanide poisoning by the scent of bitter almonds wafting from the corpse. The detective knows what many of us might find surprising — that the deadly poison cyanide is naturally present in bitter almonds and many other plants used as food, including apples, peaches, apricots, lima beans, barley, sorghum, flaxseed and bamboo shoots.
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