Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 28, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Fly Eye Paves the Way for Manufacturing Biomimetic Surfaces- Molecular mechanism triggering Parkinson's disease identified
- IceCube spies unexplained pattern of cosmic rays
- Spacequakes Rumble Near Earth (w/ Video)
- Nanoblasts from laser-activated nanoparticles move molecules, proteins and DNA into cells
- 'Diet' drinks linked to risk of premature birth
- Pinning atoms into order
- Study demonstrates sexual attraction to those who resemble our parents, ourselves
- X Prize to offer millions for Gulf oil cleanup solution
- States agree new funding, schedule for nuclear fusion plan
- What your phone app doesn't say: It's watching
- Google 'building social network rival to Facebook'
- Earth's climate future may be etched in Greenland bedrock
- Aging and longevity tied to specific brain region in mice
- Scientists uncover mysterious workings of cholera bacteria
Space & Earth news
BYU team installs new antenna on world's largest radio telescope
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of BYU engineers built a super-sensitive antenna for processing signals from deep space. Then they flew to Puerto Rico and installed it at about the same spot where Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean battled it out during the climax of the James Bond film GoldenEye.
Study estimates future greenhouse gas emissions from Brazilian Amazon state
In some cases, it can be difficult for scientists to see the deforestation for the trees.
Birth of a hurricane: Researchers will fly into tropical weather disturbances
(PhysOrg.com) -- Summer storms are a regular feature in the North Atlantic, and while most pose little threat to our shores, a choice few become devastating hurricanes.
Moscow wheezes as smog cloud blankets city
Muscovites Wednesday coughed their way through the hottest days of weather on record in the Russian capital as a smog cloud created by peat fires blanketed the city for a third day in a row.
X Prize to offer millions for Gulf oil cleanup solution
The X Prize Foundation launches a competition this week promising millions of dollars for winning ways to clean up crude oil from the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Earth's climate future may be etched in Greenland bedrock
Scientists hit Greenland bedrock this week after five years of drilling through 2.5 kilometres (1.6-mile) of solid ice, a 14-nation consortium announced Wednesday.
Best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting soot emissions: researcher (w/ Video)
The quickest, best way to slow the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice is to reduce soot emissions from the burning of fossil fuel, wood and dung, according to a new study by Stanford researcher Mark Z. Jacobson.
Brilliant Star in a Colourful Neighbourhood
A spectacular new image from ESO's Wide Field Imager at the La Silla Observatory in Chile shows the brilliant and unusual star WR 22 and its colorful surroundings. WR 22 is a very hot and bright star that is shedding its atmosphere into space at a rate many millions of times faster than the Sun. It lies in the outer part of the dramatic Carina Nebula from which it formed.
IceCube spies unexplained pattern of cosmic rays
(PhysOrg.com) -- Though still under construction, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole is already delivering scientific results - including an early finding about a phenomenon the telescope was not even designed to study.
Spacequakes Rumble Near Earth (w/ Video)
Researchers using NASA's fleet of five THEMIS spacecraft have discovered a form of space weather that packs the punch of an earthquake and plays a key role in sparking bright Northern Lights. They call it "the spacequake."
Technology news
Disney to buy social-gaming site Playdom
(AP) -- The Walt Disney Co. is buying online social-gaming company Playdom for $563.2 million, the latest sign the company is becoming a formidable player in the video-game industry.
Developing More Efficient Solar Energy Cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- Alexander Agrios and his engineering research team are probing ways to make inexpensive solar cells more energy efficient.
Taiwan executive pleads guilty in LCD price-fixing case
A former executive with Taiwan's Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. has agreed to plead guilty and serve time in a US jail for his role in a price-fixing case, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Ask.com wants users to ask each other, not Jeeves
(AP) -- You won't be able to ask Jeeves, the butler that made the search engine now known as Ask.com famous in the late '90s. But in a bid to engage more users, Ask is returning to its question-and-answer roots by tapping its users and the Web.
Chatroulette.com cracking down on perverts
Chatroulette.com is cracking down on unsavory behavior by capturing pictures and Internet addresses of people being naughty at the service that randomly links strangers using live webcams.
Rebooted Starcraft aims to draw new gamers
Twelve years after Starcraft, one of the highest grossing videogames in history, its makers released a sequel Tuesday in hopes of drawing new fans to its intergalactic adventure.
S.Korea kids to carry GPS beepers against sex crime
South Korea, shaken by several brutal sex crimes against minors, will supply children with GPS-embedded beepers to warn police of dangers and activate surveillance cameras, officials said Wednesday.
Microsoft condemns Yahoo! Japan-Google alliance
Microsoft on Tuesday denounced Yahoo! Japan's Internet search alliance with Google, saying it would give Google near-total control over the third-largest market for search queries in the world.
Rivals benefit as iPhone 4 delayed in S.Korea
With Apple's new iPhone beset by complaints about dodgy reception, the South Korean distributor is struggling to stop customers defecting to rival smartphones after a delay in its local release.
Federal OK sought for loans for California energy projects
Plans for a massive expansion of clean energy in California are being jeopardized by federal foot-dragging, according to state officials who say that more than 20 nearly shovel-ready solar and wind projects are being held up by the U.S. Department of Energy.
German chip maker Infineon raises yearly sales target
The German chip maker Infineon raised on Wednesday its annual sales target after swinging into profit in the third quarter of its 2010 fiscal year.
Taiwan's AU Optronics sees profit up 54.6 percent
Taiwan's AU Optronics Corp said Wednesday its net profit in the three months to June jumped 54.6 percent over the previous quarter, partly due to strong demand for high-priced items.
PayPal making belated foray in Japan, without eBay
(AP) -- PayPal, the online payment unit of Internet commerce firm eBay Inc., is planning to break into the Japanese market - the first time it has entered a region without eBay's powerful auction business.
WikiLeaks: We don't know source of leaked data
(AP) -- WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief claims his organization doesn't know who sent it some 91,000 secret U.S. military documents on the Afghan war, telling journalists the website was set up to hide the source of its data from those who receive it.
Arcelor makes Q2 net income of $1.7 billion
(AP) -- ArcelorMittal SA, the world's biggest steelmaker, said Wednesday a jump in sales and prices helped it generate net income of $1.7 billion in the second quarter, up from a loss of $792 million a year earlier.
FBI backs record-keeping on prepaid cell phones
(AP) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller has endorsed anti-terrorism legislation that would require prepaid cell-phone sellers to keep records of buyers' identities.
Sprint Nextel posts first subscriber gain in 3 yrs
(AP) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. said Wednesday that it gained subscribers in its latest quarter, the first such gain in three years, as it continued to improve customer service and retention.
Comcast 2Q profit dips on NBC Universal deal costs
(AP) -- Comcast Corp. reported lower second-quarter earnings Wednesday partly because of costs related to its pending takeover of NBC Universal, yet it saw improvements in advertising and demand for pricier television services.
Britain approves grants for eco-friendly cars
Britain said on Wednesday that it intended to pay up to 5,000 pounds (7,800 dollars, 6,000 euros) towards the cost of buying a new low-carbon car, despite an austerity drive that had threatened the programme.
Intel Milestone Confirms Light Beams Can Replace Electronic Signals for Future Computers
(PhysOrg.com) -- Intel today announced an important advance in the quest to use light beams to replace the use of electrons to carry data in and around computers.
Nissan to offer breathable Vitamin C in new cars
In a riposte to those who think a reliance on cars is unhealthy, new Nissan models will feature air conditioners that pump breathable vitamin C and stress-reducing seats, the firm said Wednesday.
Cyber mastermind arrested, questioned in Slovenia
(AP) -- A cyber mastermind from Slovenia who is suspected of creating a malicious software code that infected 12 million computers worldwide and orchestrating other huge cyberscams has been arrested and questioned, police said Wednesday.
What your phone app doesn't say: It's watching
(AP) -- Your smart phone applications are watching you - much more closely than you might like.
Google 'building social network rival to Facebook'
Google is holding talks with online game developers as part of its bid to build a social-networking service that could compete with Facebook, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Medicine & Health news
Study finds positive change in menopausal experience
(PhysOrg.com) -- White women are becoming more optimistic about menopause, with many seeing it as an opportunity to rethink their lives and redefine themselves, a new University of Texas at Austin national study shows.
A novel genetic typing approach reveals focal transmission of the bacteria that cause the flesh-eating disease
Buruli ulcer is an infectious disease afflicting thousands of children every year. The difficult-to-cure disease, which is caused by bacteria, occurs in tropical or subtropical climate zones and results in open sores and deformities. For the last two years, the international research consortium Stop Buruli has been collaborating in projects to research this forgotten and insidious disease.
Philippines claims success on organ trafficking
The Philippines said Wednesday that efforts to stop poor people from selling their kidneys to rich and mostly foreign patients had worked.
Disabled Austrian eaten to death by maggots: police
A paralysed Austrian man was eaten to death by maggots in his bed while his partner slept beside him, police said Wednesday.
Millions of Americans in early stages of kidney disease need stroke monitoring
Millions of Americans in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at an increased risk of having atrial fibrillation (AF) - a major risk factor for stroke - according to new research by investigators at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Study suggests swimmers at sub-tropical beaches show increased risk of illness
A yearlong beach study led by a team of University of Miami researchers suggests that swimmers at sub-tropical beaches face an increased risk of illness. The multi-disciplinary team examined the risk of illness that beachgoers face when exposed to recreational marine water at sub-tropical beaches with no known source of pollution or contamination.
New transplantation criteria for liver cancer patients
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco propose that treatments used on liver cancers beyond the established Milan criteria for liver transplantation may be appropriate for all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are listed for transplantation. Full details appear in the August issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Multiple sclerosis -- antihypertensive drug ameliorate inflammation in the brain
Researchers in Heidelberg and Stanford have discovered a new signalling pathway of brain cells that explains how widely used antihypertensive drugs could keep inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) in check. The peptide angiotensin not only raises blood pressure but also activates the immunological messenger substance TGF beta on a previously unknown communication pathway in the brain.
MicroRNAs play a role in cocaine addiction
MicroRNAs, already linked to cancer, heart disease and mental disorders such as schizophrenia, may also be involved in addiction. A team of Rockefeller University neuroscientists has shown that a protein that plays a crucial role in the regulation of microRNAs, short stretches of RNA that silence genes, is also involved in regulating the motivation to consume cocaine. The findings, published online July 19 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, have already led to the identification of several microRNAs in mice that likely play a role in drug addiction and the scientists say the work could ultimately lead to new ways of combating addictive diseases in humans.
Sleep disorder may signal dementia, Parkinson's disease up to 50 years early
A new study shows that a sleep disorder may be a sign of dementia or Parkinson's disease up to 50 years before the disorders are diagnosed. The research is published in the July 28, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
DC pushes female condoms to fight HIV epidemic
(AP) -- Charlene Cotton will talk to anyone about sex. Several days a week she stands behind a table decorated with a bowl of flavored condoms and safer sex pamphlets, calling to women passing on the street, "Come check out my table. Don't be scared."
Nearly 1 in 5 Californians report need for mental health services, study finds
In a comprehensive new study of mental health status and the use of mental health services by Californians, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that nearly one in five adults in the state — about 4.9 million people — said they needed help for a mental or emotional health problem.
Study: Weight issues move up need for walkers, canes, other devices
Obese older adults are more likely to use walkers, canes and other mobility devices at a younger age, and may run the risk of using them incorrectly, according to new research from Purdue University.
Psychologists develop two potent new predictors of suicide risk
Two powerful new tests developed by psychologists at Harvard University show great promise in predicting patients' risk of attempting suicide.
Can't place that face? The trouble may be in your neurons
A specific area in our brains is responsible for processing information about human and animal faces, both how we recognize them and how we interpret facial expressions. Now, Tel Aviv University research is exploring what makes this highly specialized part of the brain unique, a first step to finding practical applications for that information.
Why fad diets work well for some, but not others
Ever notice some people seem to eat anything they want and never gain a pound, while others seem to gain weight just by looking at fattening foods? You may be seeing things correctly after all. According to research published in the July 2010 issue of Genetics, this may have a biological cause. Using fruit flies, researchers have found that genes interacting with diet, rather than diet alone, are the main cause of variation in metabolic traits, such as body weight. This helps explain why some diets work better for some people than others, and suggests that future diets should be tailored to an individual's genes rather than to physical appearance.
A man with attitude
Heterosexual women bear the brunt of narcissistic heterosexual men's hostility, while heterosexual men, gay men and lesbian women provoke a softer reaction, according to psychologist Dr. Scott Keiller from Kent State University at Tuscarawas in the US. This is likely to be due to women's unparalleled potential for gratifying, or frustrating, men's narcissism. They are crucial players and even gatekeepers in men's quests for sexual pleasure, patriarchal power and status. Dr. Keiller's findings are published online in Springer's journal Sex Roles.
Electronic cigarettes require more suction than conventional brands
Stronger suction is required to smoke "electronic cigarettes" - marketed as tobacco-free nicotine delivery systems - than conventional brands, with possible adverse effects on human health, researchers at the University of California, Riverside report.
Protein found to control the early migration of neurons
Long before a baby can flash her first smile, sprout a first tooth or speak a first word, the neurons that will form her central nervous system must take their first, crucial steps. And these steps must be careful to take the right neurons to the right places and avert developmental disasters that could thwart those other baby firsts from ever coming to pass. Now new research promises a deeper understanding of how this essential form of cell migration occurs, finding a gene that works behind the scenes to control a closely related adhesion gene that helps keep young neurons on the right track.
Electrical activity in developing brain influences choice of neurotransmitter
Cascades of genetic signals determine which neurotransmitter a brain cell will ultimately use to communicate with other cells. Now a pair of reports from biologists at the University of California, San Diego, have shown for the first time that electrical activity in these developing neurons can alter their chemical fate—and change an animal's behavior—by tweaking this genetic program.
Implanted glucose sensor works for more than one year, could aid diabetes patients
Bioengineers developed an implantable glucose sensor and wireless telemetry system that continuously monitors tissue glucose and transmits the information to an external receiver. The paper, to be published in the July 28, 2010 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, describes the use of this glucose-sensing device as an implant in animals for over one year. After human clinical trials and FDA approval, the device may be useful to people with diabetes as an alternative to finger sticking and short-term, needle-like glucose sensors that have to be replaced every 3 to 7 days.
Aging and longevity tied to specific brain region in mice
Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity.
Molecular mechanism triggering Parkinson's disease identified
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson's disease. This discovery not only may explain how a genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's causes the cells' death, but could also open the door to new therapeutic approaches for the malady.
'Diet' drinks linked to risk of premature birth
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study of pregnant women in Denmark has found an association between daily consumption of soft drinks containing artificial sweeteners and the risk of premature delivery.
Study demonstrates sexual attraction to those who resemble our parents, ourselves
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers reporting in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin last week say people are drawn to others who resemble their parents or themselves. This may explain why incest taboos are found in many cultures - to counter a natural tendency.
Biology news
Battle to save Gulf sea turtles from oily death
While BP struggles to finally seal the leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well, an equally desperate battle has been enjoined on the surface to save endangered sea turtles from meeting an oily grave.
Microbes on the menu
The functioning of marine ecosystems depends on the size and flavor of microbes at the base of the food chain. Changes to the Earth's atmosphere might rearrange that microscopic menu. Microbes that currently are the main course for other organisms might get harder to find in the future, and microbes that are now inconspicuous as members of a "rare biosphere" might become more common.
Most panda habitat is outside nature reserves: research
Though much effort and many resources have been expended to protect the endangered giant panda, research by an international team of scientists shows that much suitable panda habitat is outside the nature reserves and areas where the panda is reported to live.
GM crop produces massive gains for women's employment in India
Research at the UK's University of Warwick, and the University of Goettingen in Germany, has found that the use of a particular GM crop in India produced massive benefits in the earnings and employment opportunities for rural Indian women.
When flowers turn up the heat
Could a "hot" flower attract pollinators by serving as a reward in a plant-pollinator mutualism? Many flowering plants produce nectar and pollen as rewards in exchange for pollination services by insects and other animals. Interestingly, however, a few plants have flowers that also produce heat metabolically -- so what is the adaptive function of this flower heating?
Scientists uncover global distribution of marine biodiversity
A team of scientists have mapped and analyzed global biodiversity patterns for over 11,000 marine species ranging from tiny zooplankton to sharks and whales.
New study reveals decline of marine phytoplankton over the past century
A new article published in the July 29 issue of the international journal Nature reveals for the first time that microscopic marine algae known as "phytoplankton" have been declining globally over the 20th century.
Dog brains in a spin
For the first time, scientists have shown that selective breeding of domestic dogs is not only dramatically changing the way animals look but is also driving major changes in the canine brain.
Scientists uncover mysterious workings of cholera bacteria
Researchers have found that an enzyme in the bacteria that causes cholera uses a previously unknown mechanism in providing the bacteria with energy. Because the enzyme is not found in most other organisms, including humans, the finding offers insights into how drugs might be created to kill the bacteria without harming humans.
Ancient DNA identifies donkey ancestors, people who domesticated them
Genetic investigators say the partnership between people and the ancestors of today's donkeys was sealed not by monarchs trying to establish kingdoms, but by mobile, pastoral people who had to recruit animals to help them survive the harsh Saharan landscape in northern Africa more than 5,000 years ago.
This email is a free service of PhysOrg.com
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://www.physorg.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as mail@joashmabs.com
No comments:
Post a Comment