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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for August 17, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Human-electric hybrid car expected next year (w/ Video)- Doubts continue on claim to have solved P vs NP mathematical question
- Giant nets could remove orbiting space junk
- Resolving the paradox of the Antarctic sea ice
- New system developed to test and evaluate high-energy laser weapons
- Marriage and committed romance reduce stress-related hormone production
- Sundews just want to be loved
- Preschoolers use statistics to understand others
- Mother of all humans lived 200,000 years ago
- China tests space station module to launch in 2011
- International research team develops ultrahigh-power energy storage devices
- Discovery of possible earliest animal life pushes back fossil record
- S.Korea archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old oar
- Eclipsing pulsar promises clues to crushed matter
- Cosmic accelerators discovered in our galaxy by UCLA physicists, Japanese colleague
Space & Earth news
Pitt data on oil and gas leases gauges local Marcellus Shale activity since 2003
As Marcellus Shale activity sweeps Western Pennsylvania, a new University of Pittsburgh database reveals that approximately 7 percent of Allegheny County's land has been leased for drilling and extraction since 2003. In addition, the number of properties in the county leased for oil and gas exploration increased by 322 percent between 2008 and 2009.
Grant to study effects of oil and dispersants on Louisiana salt marsh ecosystem
As oil and dispersants wash ashore in coastal Louisiana salt marshes, what will their effects be on these sensitive ecosystems?
Oil and gas exploration benefit from space technology
(PhysOrg.com) -- A special kind of titanium and a manufacturing technique used to build the Ariane 5 rocket could become the next successful spin-offs from Europe's space programme, benefiting the oil and gas industry.
Gulf seafood gets intense safety testing
(AP) -- Fish, shrimp and other catches from the Gulf of Mexico are being ground up to hunt for minute traces of oil in what's considered unprecedented safety testing - sort of a "CSI" for seafood that's far more reassuring than the sniff test that made all the headlines.
Invention could aid Mars probes' search for life
The next generation of Mars rovers could have smaller, cheaper, more robust and more sensitive life-detecting instruments, thanks to a new invention by scientists at DOE's Idaho National Laboratory.
Georgia scientists: Gulf oil not gone, 80 pct remains
(AP) -- Georgia scientists say their analysis shows that most of that BP oil the government said was gone from the Gulf of Mexico is still there.
Clouds + Mineral Dust = Rain
A team of atmospheric scientists, including Dr. Xiaohong Liu of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), found a critical link between the size of dust particles in clouds and their likelihood to produce rain.
Resolving the paradox of the Antarctic sea ice
While Arctic sea ice has been diminishing in recent decades, the Antarctic sea ice extent has been increasing slightly. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology provide an explanation for the seeming paradox of increasing Antarctic sea ice in a warming climate. The paper appears in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science the week of August 16, 2010.
Massive coral mortality following bleaching in Indonesia
The Wildlife Conservation Society today released initial field observations that indicate that a dramatic rise in the surface temperature in Indonesian waters has resulted in a large-scale bleaching event that has devastated coral populations.
China tests space station module to launch in 2011
(AP) -- China has finished the first module of a planned space station and is testing its electronics and other systems before launching it into orbit next year.
Eclipsing pulsar promises clues to crushed matter
Astronomers using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) have found the first fast X-ray pulsar to be eclipsed by its companion star. Further studies of this unique stellar system will shed light on some of the most compressed matter in the universe and test a key prediction of Einstein's relativity theory.
Cosmic accelerators discovered in our galaxy by UCLA physicists, Japanese colleague
Physicists from UCLA and Japan have discovered evidence of "natural nuclear accelerators" at work in our Milky Way galaxy, based on an analysis of data from the world's largest cosmic ray detector.
Giant nets could remove orbiting space junk
A dozen space vehicles, equipped with 200 nets each, could scoop up the space debris floating in low Earth orbit, clearing the way for a future space elevator. That's the idea described last Friday at the annual Space Elevator conference by Star Inc., a company that is receiving funding for the project from DARPA.
Technology news
Red light-emitting diode sets new efficiency record
Osram Opto Semiconductors has raised the efficiency of its high-performance red light-emitting diode (LED) by 30% under laboratory conditions. This record-setting efficiency was achieved through optimization of the chips.
New method for estimating cost of small hydropower projects
In developing countries such as India, small hydroelectric power (SHP) projects represent a potentially large but largely untapped source of energy, primarily because the cost of constructing the sites is thought to be higher per kilowatt of generated power than the cost of large plants.
Feds: No charges in Pa. school laptop-spying case
(AP) -- Federal prosecutors will not file charges against a school district or its employees over the use of software to remotely monitor students.
Google buys virtual currencies startup Jambool
Virtual currency manager Jambool announced Monday that it has been purchased by Google for an undisclosed sum.
AOL's Patch plans 500 local sites by end of year
(AP) -- AOL intends to grow its Patch network of community news sites to include more than 500 neighborhoods by the end of December - a move the struggling Internet company hopes will strengthen its online advertising business.
Rumor mill inflames border debate
The ominous reports have zinged around the Internet for weeks, raising fresh fears about border security: Armed members of the notorious Mexican criminal group, the Zetas, seized two ranches near Laredo, Texas.
Survey of viewers shows extent of TV time shifting
(AP) -- If you've never time-shifted a prime-time television series - watched it later on a DVR, over the Internet or ordered it on demand - you're now in the minority.
Spain becomes latest country to take on Google
(AP) -- Spain is investigating Google over its "Street View" mapping feature, becoming the latest country to tangle with the Internet search giant over concerns it violated people's privacy while taking shots of city streets.
Engineers find new way of utilizing solar farms at night
(PhysOrg.com) -- New technology from The University of Western Ontario utilizing photovoltaic (PV) solar farms at night will help in connecting more renewable energy sources like wind turbines to Ontario's grid, increasing power transmission limits, and providing a low-cost way of improving grid voltages and system performance.
Deaf, hard-of-hearing students perform first test of sign language by cell phone
University of Washington engineers are developing the first device able to transmit American Sign Language over U.S. cellular networks. The tool is just completing its initial field test by participants in a UW summer program for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Microsoft links new smart phones to Xbox Live
(AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is bringing its video-game expertise to the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 line, an attempt to capitalize on the success of the Xbox 360 as the software maker tries to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
Facebook scammers spreading fake 'Dislike' button
Computer security firm Sophos on Monday warned that scammers are duping Facebook users with a bogus "Dislike" button that slips malicious software onto machines.
New victim in India-Pakistan 'cyberwar'
The "cyberwar" between India and Pakistan has claimed another victim, with the hacking of a high-profile lawmaker's website that experts say highlights the woeful lack of Internet security in South Asia.
Powering Australia with waves
Wave energy is surging ahead as a viable source of renewable energy to generate electricity -- with Australia's southern margin identified by the World Energy Council as one of the world's most promising sites for wave-energy generation.
A test center for wind turbines in northwestern Jutland
The national test centre for wind turbines at Řsterild is vitally important for consolidating and expanding Denmark's leading position within the wind energy sector.
A surfboard gets an onboard computer (w/ Video)
Computers are everywhere these days - even on surfboards. University of California, San Diego mechanical engineering undergraduates outfitted a surfboard with a computer and accompanying sensors -- one step toward a structural engineering Ph.D. student's quest to develop the science of surfboards.
Human-electric hybrid car expected next year (w/ Video)
A human-electric hybrid vehicle, the "Imagine PS," capable of 100 kph (60 mph) on the flat and 50 kph uphill, is expected to be commercially available next year.
Medicine & Health news
Antidepressant can help treat major depression during perimenopause, menopause, VCU study shows
An antidepressant can alleviate symptoms of major depression in women experiencing or about to experience menopause, according to a study released today led by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher.
Birth control pill equally effective for women regardless of their weight
The first study to compare the effectiveness of the birth control pill in women with marked weight differences has found that the pill works equally well in women with obesity and thinner women. This new finding by physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center refutes a long-held conviction among many doctors that the pill may not reliably prevent pregnancy in women who are overweight or obese.
Survey reveals hidden dipolarity in many depressed respondents
Interviews with members of more than 5,000 representative U.S. households as part of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication found that nearly 40 percent of those with major depressive disorder may actually have subthreshold hypomania, defined as a discrete period of increased energy, activity, and euphoria or irritability that is not related to impairment in daily activities.
SSRIs may pack more punch at the cellular level than believed
A new discovery about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) suggests that these drugs, which are used to treat mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, have multiple effects on our cells. In a research report published in the August 2010 issue of GENETICS, researchers used yeast cells to identify secondary drug targets or pathways affected by SSRIs. Such secondary pathways could help explain why different people taking the same drug may experience different effects, and could also lead to new types of drugs altogether.
Hair color, socioeconomic status among risk factors for recurring basal cell carcinoma
Patients who receive a diagnosis of the skin cancer basal cell carcinoma at a younger age—along with those who have red hair, a higher socioeconomic status and a cancerous lesion on their upper extremities—appear to be at higher risk of developing multiple cancers and require closer follow-up, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
UV-B treatment may improve psoriasis and vitamin D levels
Treatment with narrow-band UV-B rays may increase serum levels of vitamin D in the wintertime while clearing psoriasis, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Skin condition associated with depression, anxiety and suicidal feelings
Individuals with psoriasis appear to have an increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicidality, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Surgery can be safely performed in settings with limited resources
The humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontičres performed close to 20,000 procedures in resource-limited settings between 2001 and 2008 with an operative death rate of only 0.2 percent, suggesting surgical care can be provided safely in these circumstances with appropriate minimum standards and protocols, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Antagonistic people may increase heart attack, stroke risk
Antagonistic people, particularly those who are competitive and aggressive, may be increasing their risk of heart attack or stroke, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Choosing healthier protein-rich foods instead of red and processed meats may reduce heart disease
American women who ate more protein-rich foods instead of red meat had a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Patients with diabetes may need fewer medications after bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery appears to be associated with reduced use of medications and lower health care costs among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Difficulty swallowing a sign of poor prognosis among hospitalized patients
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is associated with longer hospital stays among patients with any diagnosis, is increasingly prevalent with older age and is an indicator of a poor prognosis, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
U-M's efforts to encourage disclosure of medical errors decreased claims
Ann Arbor, Mich.- The University of Michigan's program of full disclosure and compensation for medical errors resulted in a decrease in new claims for compensation (including lawsuits), time to claim resolution and lower liability costs, according to a study published Aug. 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Report: Cancer is the world's costliest disease
(AP) -- Cancer is the world's top "economic killer" as well as its likely leading cause of death, the American Cancer Society contends in a new report it will present at a global cancer conference in China this week.
Pharmaceuticals: A market for producing 'lemons' and serious harm
The pharmaceutical industry is a "market for lemons," a market in which the seller knows much more than the buyer about the product and can profit from selling products less effective and less safe than consumers are led to believe, according to an analysis that will be presented at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
The importance of workplace relationships post-retirement
The influence of traditional social structures such as neighbourhoods and local organisations has declined. The workplace has become the "new neighbourhood" and has become increasingly important for maintaining social interaction and forming relationships. A new article in Personal Relationships finds that those who retired just ten years ago, at the beginning of the 21st century, were more likely to maintain (or even gain) work-related personal ties after retirement, than were those who retired in the 1990's.
Special yoga classes aimed at breast cancer survivors improves recovery
University of Alberta research fellow Amy Speed-Andrews has examined how a specialized Iyengar yoga program for women currently in treatment for breast cancer, and who have completed treatment, makes a difference in their recovery.
Trauma center care cost-effective
Trauma center care not only saves lives, it is a cost-effective way of treating major trauma, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy. Although treatment at a trauma center is more expensive, the benefits of this approach in terms of lives saved and quality of life-years gained outweigh the costs.
Scientists uncover Achilles heel of chronic inflammatory pain
Researchers have made a discovery that could lead to a brand new class of drugs to treat chronic pain caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and back pain without numbing the whole body.
Black patients, women miss out on strongest medications for chronic pain
Black patients are prescribed fewer pain medications than whites and few women receive medications strong enough to manage their chronic pain, according to a study in the August issue of Journal of Pain.
Scientist discovers stem cell 'partnership' that could advance regenerative medicine
A study led by a researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has revealed a unique "partnership" between two types of bone marrow stem cells, which could lead to advances in regenerative medicine. The aim of regenerative medicine is to enable the body to repair, replace, restore or regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.
Building a bridge with cross-cultural cancer education
Most cancers are easier to treat if detected early, so cancer educators emphasize the benefits of screening and prompt treatment. But for immigrants and other "medically underserved communities," simply handing out a brochure on early detection — even if it's been translated into the appropriate language — may not work.
Eli Lilly halts development of Alzheimer's drug
(AP) -- Eli Lilly and Co. has stopped developing a potential Alzheimer's disease treatment at a time when the drugmaker is searching wide and far for new drugs to fill a large revenue hole that will form starting next year.
Report: Scientists link ALS, athlete head injuries
(AP) -- Scientists have found evidence connecting head injuries in athletes to Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a report to air on HBO's "Real Sports" on Tuesday night.
New mechanisms of tumor resistance to targeted therapy in lung cancer are discovered
One of the most tantalizing developments in anti-cancer therapy over recent years has been the advent of targeted treatments, which have proven highly effective in holding aggressive cancers at bay in certain patients, although typically only for a limited period of time.
Mapping the world of worm infections
'This Wormy World', a series of maps showing the distribution and prevalence of worm infections across each country in Africa, launches today. The maps form the first part of the Global Atlas of Helminth Infections, providing a unique, open-access resource essential for planning and implementing de-worming programmes.
Listening too loud in urban environments
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study from Children's Hospital Boston and City University of New York (CUNY) finds that the majority of college students using MP3 players and iPods exceed the recommended sound exposure limits while listening. Findings from this study - the largest of its kind - suggest a majority of these students are at increased risk for noise-induced hearing loss.
Communication crucial to protecting food-allergic children at school
(PhysOrg.com) -- Each back-to-school season comes with nervousness for both parents and students. However, parents whose children suffer from food allergies are often more anxious than others; they cannot be at school tio protect their children from potentially life-threatening foods.
Unique breast oncology and plastic surgery offer superior outcomes
(PhysOrg.com) -- While physicians and researchers strive for the day when drugs, radiation and even ultrasound will be used to obliterate tumors, surgical removal of breast cancer remains the standard treatment.
FDA questions wider approval of Lilly's Cymbalta
(AP) -- Federal health scientists are questioning whether the antidepressant Cymbalta is safe and effective enough to be approved for use against chronic pain.
Prediction model may help determine risk of critical illness after out-of-hospital emergency care
A prediction score that included such factors as age, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate for patients who received out-of-hospital emergency care was associated with the development of critical illness during hospitalization such as severe sepsis, the need for mechanical ventilation or death, according to a study in the Aug. 18 issue of JAMA.
Use of surgically implanted antibiotic sponge does not reduce rate of sternal wound infections
Contradicting previous study results, insertion of a sponge that contains the antibiotic gentamicin at the time of surgical closure following cardiac surgery did not reduce the rate of sternal wound infections after 3 months, compared to patients who did not receive the intervention, according to a study in the August 18 issue of JAMA.
Women who drink beer more likely to develop psoriasis
Regular beer - but not light beer or other types of alcohol—appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing psoriasis, according to a report posted online today that will be published in the December print issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
New screen offers hope for copper deficiency sufferers
Copper deficiency diseases can be devastating. Symptoms can range from crippling neurological degeneration in Menkes disease - a classic copper deficiency disease - to brittle bones, anaemia and defective skin pigmentation in gastric bypass patients. Unfortunately, very little is known about how the body uses this essential nutrient.
Mayo's 'smart' adult stem cells repair hearts
Mayo Clinic investigators, with Belgian collaborators, have demonstrated that rationally "guided" human adult stem cells can effectively heal, repair and regenerate damaged heart tissue. The findings -- called "landmark work" in an accompanying editorial -- appear in today's Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Youngest kids labeled as ADHD
Nearly 1 million children with fall birthdays may have been misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, not because they have real behavior problems, but because they're the youngest kids in their kindergarten class, researchers say.
Developmental problems: Some exist in the genes
Everyone is special in their own unique way. From a genetic point of view, no two humans are genetically identical. This means that DNA for each individual contains variants that are more or less comm. on in the overall population.
Heavy drug-use among bad boys curbed by parental monitoring and peers
Aggressive and hyperactive boys with low parental monitoring are more likely to befriend deviant peers and become heavy drug users as teens, according to a new study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Yet the investigation by scientists from the Université de Montréal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center found that bad boys can be protected from heavy substance use as teenagers if they are highly monitored and befriend good boys as children.
Passing in the night: Examining work schedules, gender and marital quality
Taking care of business is becoming an ever-growing, 24/7 challenge for the American worker. A new study out of the University of Cincinnati is examining the effect this is having on marriages. The research by David Maume, a University of Cincinnati professor of sociology and director of the Kunz Center for Research in Work, Family and Gender, was presented Aug. 16 at the 105th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Atlanta.
Lung stem cells vital to lung repair associated with poor cancer prognosis when found in tumor
Adult stem cells that are vital for airway repair in the lung but that persist in areas where pre-cancerous lesions are found are associated with a poor prognosis in patients who develop cancer, even those with early stage disease, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.
Study examines risks, rewards of energy drinks
Popular energy drinks promise better athletic performance and weight loss, but do the claims hold up? Not always, say researchers at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
Saving the brain's white matter with mutated mice
Vanishing White Matter (VWM) disease is a devastating condition that involves the destruction of brain myelin due to a mutation in a central factor. To understand the disease and test potential treatments that could apply to other disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Prof. Orna Elroy-Stein of Tel Aviv University's Department of Cell Research and Immunology is leading a scientific breakthrough by developing laboratory mice which carry the VWM mutation -- an important new tool.
France eyes tests for NDM-1 superbug
France will start screening patients for the NDM-1 bacterium, an antibiotic-resistant superbug that has unleashed a health scare, a medical watchdog said on Tuesday.
Researchers: It is possible to get sick of chocolate
They say that laughter is the best medicine, but some people might endorse chocolate instead. The dark variety has been shown to reduce blood pressure better than a placebo. Scientists credit the flavanols in dark chocolate - they are thought to stimulate the production of nitric oxide, which helps relax the arteries so that blood can flow smoothly.
B vitamins and the aging brain examined
B vitamins-B-6, B-12 and folate-all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.
Researchers probe arsenic effects on cells, immune system
(PhysOrg.com) -- In continuing research on the effects of arsenic on mast cells, which help regulate the body's immune system and organ function, University of Maine biochemist Julie Gosse and a team of student researchers have found a new correlation.
MRSA policies differ among hospitals, study shows
Hospitals vary in how they detect and treat drug-resistant staph infections, but most follow national guideline recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Researchers identify breast cancer culprits
Scientists have discovered an accomplice in breast cancer - a master control switch with the power to set off a cascade of reactions orchestrated by a cancer-causing gene (or oncogene) named Wnt1. This executive molecule and its modus operandi are reported in back-to-back papers featured on the cover of the August 15 issue of Cancer Research.
IBMT meditation found to boost brain connectivity
Just 11 hours of learning a meditation technique induces positive structural changes in brain connectivity by boosting efficiency in a part of the brain that helps a person regulate behavior in accordance with their goals, researchers report.
Research finds new link between inflammation and cancer
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers have uncovered a new link between chronic inflammation and cancer. Although cancers do not always cause inflammation, chronic inflammation is known to help tumor cells grow.
Marriage and committed romance reduce stress-related hormone production
Being married has often been associated with improving people's health, but a new study suggests that having that long-term bond also alters hormones in a way that reduces stress.
Preschoolers use statistics to understand others
Children are natural psychologists. By the time they're in preschool, they understand that other people have desires, preferences, beliefs, and emotions. But how they learn this isn't clear. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that children figure out another person's preferences by using a topic you'd think they don't encounter until college: statistics.
Biology news
Cow vaccines go vroom
In much of Africa, a herd of cattle is more than just cows. It's a savings account, protein store, dowry, funeral fund, symbol of wealth, and hedge against drought. For many smallholder farmers, the loss of even a single cow to disease can spell ruin.
Studying yeast to better understand male infertility
Men and yeast have something in common: they use the same molecular process to ensure the integrity of their gene pool during reproduction. This is a recent finding by researchers from CNRS, Inserm and the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble. The scientists are therefore set on studying yeast in order to shed light on the numerous cases of male infertility related to the malfunction of this process during spermatogenesis.
China launches global search for six panda keepers
A Chinese panda centre said Tuesday it had launched a global search for six people who would spend a month looking after the endangered animals, as part of an awareness and conservation campaign.
Kihansi spray toads make historic return to Tanzania
In a bold effort to save one of the world's rarest amphibians from extinction, one hundred Kihansi spray toads have been flown home to Tanzania after being painstakingly reared at the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo working in close partnership with the Tanzanian government and the World Bank.
Spinal gap of barbeled dragonfishes mystery solved
(PhysOrg.com) -- The mystery of why a group of deep sea fishes has a gap between their skull and spine has been solved by an international team of scientists, including those at the Natural History Museum.
Sundews just want to be loved
Sex can be complicated at the best of times, but plants have an extra difficulty. If you're a plant who relies on insects to pollinate your flowers and reproduce, you will want your flowerstalks to be long. That way your flowers are on display to insects above the crowd. But if your stalk is too long, you'll stand out to herbivores, and you flower will end up as someone's lunch. It used to be thought that carnivorous plants like Sundews had the opposite problem.
Mother of all humans lived 200,000 years ago
The most robust statistical examination to date of our species' genetic links to "mitochondrial Eve" -- the maternal ancestor of all living humans -- confirms that she lived about 200,000 years ago. The Rice University study was based on a side-by-side comparison of 10 human genetic models that each aim to determine when Eve lived using a very different set of assumptions about the way humans migrated, expanded and spread across Earth.
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