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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for August 31, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- White LEDs with super-high luminous efficacy could satisfy all general lighting needs- Leading design software AutoCAD returns to Macintosh computers
- Silicon oxide circuits break barrier: Nanocrystal conductors could lead to massive, robust 3-D storage
- High-speed filter uses electrified nanostructures to purify water at low cost
- IceCube neutrino observatory nears completion
- Radioactive decay rates vary with the sun's rotation: research
- Study suggests dinosaurs killed off by more than one asteroid
- Oxford English Dictionary may never be printed again
- Researchers link protein to tumor growth
- Link between cellular glue and cancer growth
- Listen up! New experiment records ultrafast chemical reaction with vibrational echoes
- Oily whale bones puzzle solved
- Species cooperate out of self-interest rather than to be mutually beneficial, study says
- Thinnest eggs belonged to largest Moas
- Off-the-shelf dyes improve solar cells
Space & Earth news
Cleaning the Chesapeake Bay from space
(PhysOrg.com) -- A pilot test of an innovative use of new remote sensing technologies to aid the Chesapeake Bay cleanup begins this year in Talbot County, Md., on the Bay's Eastern Shore.
Goodbye to cold nights
Given the impact of climatic extremes on agriculture and health in Spain, researchers at the University of Salamanca (USAL) have analysed the two factors most representative of these thermal extremes between 1950 and 2006 - warm days and cold nights. The results for mainland Spain show an increase in the number of warm days greater than that for the rest of the planet and a reduction in the number of cold nights.
NRL ready to deploy virtual mission operations center
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is ready to deploy a remarkable capability that has been the focus of a six-year project developed in concert with numerous government and industry partners. Developed by NRL's Spacecraft Engineering Department, the Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC) is a web-enabled multi-application service that ushers in a new era for globally-dispersed military users of DoD, commercial, and civilian satellite payloads.
University of Colorado students, staff help NASA decommission satellite
University of Colorado at Boulder undergraduates, who have been helping to control five NASA satellites from campus, participated in the unusual decommissioning of a functioning satellite with a failed science payload in recent days, bringing the craft into Earth re-entry to burn up yesterday.
Be frank with trapped miners, NASA tells Chile
A team of NASA experts in Chile to share the US space agency's experience in having men endure extensive periods of isolation told officials Tuesday to be totally frank with the 33 miners trapped underground for months to come.
Villagers return to slopes of Indonesian volcano
(AP) -- Villagers briefly returned home Tuesday to check their farms along the fertile slopes of an Indonesian volcano that erupted after laying dormant for more than four centuries - catching many scientists off-guard.
NASA and ATK successfully test five-segment solid rocket motor (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- With a loud roar and mighty column of flame, NASA and ATK Aerospace Systems successfully completed a two-minute, full-scale test of the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight. The motor is potentially transferable to future heavy-lift launch vehicle designs.
Phenomenon of plate tectonics explained
Transform faults subdivide the mid-ocean ridge into segments. Up until now, it was thought that these faults were ruptures that formed in less stable crust areas. Taras Gerya has recorded a model of the dynamics that lead to the transform faults, which shows that what were assumed to be ruptures are in fact structures that have grown naturally.
NASA's Terra Satellite captures 3 tropical cyclones in the northwestern Pacific Ocean
NASA's Terra satellite flew over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean at 10:30 p.m. EDT Aug. 30 and captured Tropical Storm Lionrock, Tropical Storm Namtheun, and Typhoon Kompasu in one incredible image. Two of these tropical cyclones are expected to merge, while the other is headed for a landfall in China.
GOES-13 catches 3 tropical cyclones thrashing through the Atlantic
Powerful Hurricane Earl, growing Tropical Storm Fiona and fading Danielle were all captured in today's visible image from the GOES-13 satellite. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13 captured an image of the busy Atlantic Ocean at 1145 UTC (7:45 a.m. EDT) on August 31. In the visible image, was the large and powerful Hurricane Earl passing Puerto Rico, Tropical Storm Fiona located to Earl's east, and Danielle far in the Northern Atlantic. Hurricane Earl's eye appear to be covered with high-clouds in the GOES-13 image, while Fiona appeared somewhat disorganized with no apparent center. Farther north in the North Atlantic Ocean, Danielle appeared more "U" shaped on the satellite imagery, although her maximum sustained winds were still near 70 mph at that time.
Marine animals suggest evidence for a trans-Antarctic seaway
A tiny marine filter-feeder, that anchors itself to the sea bed, offers new clues to scientists studying the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet - a region that is thought to be vulnerable to collapse.
With new technique, astronomers find potassium in giant planet's atmosphere
(PhysOrg.com) -- Any driver who's seen deer silhouetted by the headlights of an oncoming car knows that vital information can be conveyed by the outlines of objects.
China raises alarm over Yangtze environmental damage
China will spend billions of dollars treating sewage and planting forests to arrest massive environmental degradation along the Yangtze river and its Three Gorges reservoir, officials said Tuesday.
Study suggests dinosaurs killed off by more than one asteroid
(PhysOrg.com) -- Dinosaurs, along with over half of other species, became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period about 65.5 million years ago, and many scientists believe this was due to a single impact with an asteroid that hit at Chicxulub in the Gulf of Mexico. Now a study published in the Geology journal proposes the impact that produced the Boltysh crater in the Ukraine may also have been involved in the extinctions, and there may have been a shower of asteroids or comets.
Technology news
Judge: Pa. district must pay $260K in spying case
(AP) -- A federal judge says a suburban Philadelphia school district embroiled in a laptop spying scandal must pay a family's lawyer about $260,000.
WikiLeaks founder questioned by Swedish police
(AP) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been questioned by Swedish police about an allegation that he mistreated a woman, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Microsoft raises price of admission to Xbox Live
Microsoft on Monday announced it is raising the price of admission to its Xbox Live online community where people can play videogames or watch movies using Xbox 360 consoles.
Google tool tries to cut through e-mail clutter
(AP) -- Google Inc. can sift through more than a trillion Web links in a matter of seconds, but can the Internet search leader help people wade through their overflowing e-mailboxes?
YouTube lets advertisers sidestep some videos
YouTube on Monday began letting advertisers pinpoint videos to which they do not want to be associated.
Google, Skype under scanner in India security crackdown
BlackBerry may have won a reprieve but Google and Skype were squarely in the firing line Tuesday as India's security agencies widened their crackdown on telecom firms.
Toshiba launches 24nm process NAND flash memory
Toshiba Corp. has announced that it today started mass production of NAND flash memories fabricated with 24nm process technology.
3M buying maker of products used to track people
(AP) -- Manufacturing conglomerate 3M Co. said Tuesday it has agreed to pay $230 million in cash for an Israeli company that makes ankle bracelets and other products used to keep track of people.
Gartner cuts second-half PC growth forecast
Gartner slashed its growth forecast for personal computer sales for the second half of the year on Tuesday, citing the uncertain economic outlook for the United States and Western Europe.
Epson launches volume production of world's first reflective HTPS panels
Seiko Epson today announced that it has developed and begun volume production of the world's first reflective high-temperature polysilicon (reflective HTPS) TFT liquid crystal panels for 3LCD projectors. The new panels, which measure 0.74 inches on the diagonal, support full high-definition (1920 x 1080 pixels) content.
Online learning startup rises on wings of angel investors
A startup intent on making it simple for anyone to teach online announced Tuesday that it has received a million dollars in funding from "angel investors."
Electronic Arts brings 'Madden' to Facebook
(AP) -- Electronic Arts is bringing its popular "Madden" football game to Facebook. "Madden NFL Superstars" launches as a free application Tuesday.
Oxford English Dictionary may never be printed again
The next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, the word reference bible of the English language, may never appear in print and instead be accessible only online, its publisher said Tuesday.
Off-the-shelf dyes improve solar cells
Like most technologies, work on solar devices has proceeded in generational waves. First came bulk silicon-based solar cells built with techniques that borrowed heavily from those used to make computer chips. Next came work on thin films of materials specifically tailored to harvest the sun's energy, but still more or less borrowed from the realm of microelectronics manufacturing. Then came the third generation, described by one researcher and blogger as "the wild west," which among other objectives aims to build inexpensive next-generation solar cells by relying on decidedly low-tech wet chemistry.
Students create web site to track historic twitter trends
(PhysOrg.com) -- RT @UCRiverside: #Computerscience and #art student create tool to track Twitter's top trending topics over time.
Fuel-efficiency formula needs cars wired with better brainpower, less vroom
A University of Michigan researcher says it's possible to triple fuel economy in gasoline-powered cars by 2035, but it'll mean getting our automotive kicks from smart electronic technology and other forms of virtual performance rather than horsepower.
Leading design software AutoCAD returns to Macintosh computers
Autodesk announced Monday that its AutoCAD software used by professionals to design everything from skyscrapers to pocket knives is reuniting with the Macintosh computer platform.
White LEDs with super-high luminous efficacy could satisfy all general lighting needs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the Nichia Corporation in Tokushima, Japan, have set an ambitious goal: to develop a white LED that can replace every interior and exterior light bulb currently used in homes and offices. The properties of their latest white LED - a luminous flux of 1913 lumens and a luminous efficacy of 135 lumens per watt at 1 amp - enable it to emit more light than a typical 20-watt fluorescent bulb, as well as more light for a given amount of power. With these improvements, the researchers say that the new LED can replace traditional fluorescent bulbs for all general lighting applications, and also be used for automobile headlights and LCD backlighting.
Medicine & Health news
Prophylactic surgeries associated with lower risk of cancer for women with BRCA1/2 gene mutations
Women at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer because of inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes who had prophylactic mastectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries) had an associated decreased risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, according to a study in the September 1 issue of JAMA.
Health advice from pharmacists saves hundreds of millions of euros
Hundreds of millions of euros are being saved each year for national healthcare systems by patients consulting community pharmacists rather than going straight to their doctors, says a survey to be presented today at the annual conference of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). In Finland alone, well over €500 million was freed up in one year for other healthcare priorities through members of the public visiting pharmacists for general health advice, as well as the correction of prescription errors and information about the importance of adherence to prescriptions says the survey, which was carried out by the international auditing company PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Association of Finnish Pharmacies (AFP).
Hospitals face legal dilemma if they test incapacitated patients after needle accidents
Anaesthetists are calling for greater clarity on the legal implications of testing incapacitated patients for blood-borne viruses, after a survey found that this is often done following staff needlestick injuries, in possible breach of UK legislation.
FDA looks to curb abuse of cough medicine
(AP) -- Federal health regulators are weighing restrictions on Robitussin, NyQuil and other cough suppressants to curb cases of abuse that send thousands of people to the hospital each year.
Stem cell ruling puts researcher's project in limbo
(PhysOrg.com) -- Promising work by Joanna Wysocka, PhD, has been thrown into an uncertain limbo by a recent injunction suspending federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research.
Study discovers why females fare better than males after traumatic injury
A study published in the September 2010 issue of SHOCK by Dr. Ed W. Childs and colleagues at Scott & White Healthcare looks at how female versus male rats fared after suffering a trauma and subsequent hemorrhagic shock who were given Estradiol (estrogen). In the study, the Estradiol prevented vascular permeability following hemorrhagic shock.
Extension food-safety specialist offers information on safely handling eggs
No matter where you get your eggs, a few basic food safety steps can keep you, your family, or the customers at your business safe. That's according to South Dakota Cooperative Extension Food Safety Specialist Joan Hegerfeld-Baker, who said the recent salmonellosis outbreak linked to "shell eggs" has many people concerned about the safety of the eggs in their refrigerator.
Increasing selenium intake may decrease bladder cancer risk
A common mineral may provide protection against bladder cancer.
DASH eating plan lowers long-term heart attack risk, especially among African-Americans
The DASH eating plan, known to reduce blood pressure and bad cholesterol, also reduces the 10-year risk of heart attack, especially among African-Americans, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.
Preventive cancer surgeries save women's lives
A new study underscores the importance for women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer to get genetic counseling and testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that make them more likely to develop lethal breast or ovarian cancer, says a Northwestern Medicine oncologist.
Babies born past term associated with increased risk of cerebral palsy
While preterm birth is a known risk factor for cerebral palsy, an examination of data for infants born at term or later finds that compared with delivery at 40 weeks, birth at 37 or 38 weeks or at 42 weeks or later was associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy, according to a study in the September 1 issue of JAMA.
Home-based intervention may provide some benefit to patients with dementia and their caregivers
An intervention that targeted modifiable stressors in the home of patients with dementia resulted in better outcomes for the patients and their caregivers at 4 months, but not at 9 months, although the caregivers perceived greater benefits, according to a study in the September 1 issue of JAMA.
Analysis sees higher death rate for very low-birth-weight infants born at less-specialized hospitals
An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that very low-birth-weight and very preterm infants not born in highly specialized, level III hospitals have an associated higher likelihood of neonatal and predischarge death compared to similar infants born at level III hospitals, according to an article in the September 1 issue of JAMA.
Buying common medicines can push poor people further into poverty
A substantial proportion (up to 86%) of the population living in low and middle income countries would be pushed into poverty as a result of purchasing common life-saving medicines. These are the findings of a study by Laurens Niëns from Erasmus University Rotterdam and colleagues and published in this week's PLoS Medicine. In addition, generic versions of such medicine were shown to be generally substantially more affordable than originator brand products.
Study shows skin tone is not the major determinant of perceived racial identity
(PhysOrg.com) -- How do we determine the racial background of a person that we have just met? The facial characteristics of various racial groups differ in many respects, ranging from the colour of their skin to the physical shape and size of their features.
Back seat less safe: Australian study
Adults who ride in the back of new cars are at higher risk of serious injury during an accident than those in the front seat, new research has found.
Time to get your flu shot, but just one this year
(AP) -- It's flu-shot season already, and for the first time health authorities are urging nearly everyone to get vaccinated. There is even a new high-dose version for people 65 or older.
New discovery suggests our lungs are 'innately prone' to silicosis and related diseases
For the nearly 2 million U.S. workers exposed to silica dust each year, a new discovery may help prevent or treat the development of chronic lung diseases related to this exposure. In the September 2010 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology scientists from Montana and Texas use mice to show for the first time that the part of our immune system responsible for keeping airways clean and free of contaminants (innate immunity) can cause inflammation and symptoms of disease. This study is significant because it is generally believed that reducing chronic inflammation will improve the quality of life for patients.
Scientists discover new protein that gets to the roots of obesity and osteoporosis
Here's good news for anyone trying to lose weight or has osteoporosis: Scientists from Maine are on the trail of a weight loss drug that may revolutionize how we treat these two conditions. In a new research report published in the September 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the researchers describe a newly discovered protein, called "Sprouty," responsible for regulating body fat and bone mass.
American women are happier going to church than shopping on Sundays: study
A new study conducted by a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researcher, together with a researcher from De-Paul University, reveals that women in the United States generally derive more happiness from religious participation than from shopping on Sundays.
System for eliminating salt may point to new antihypertensives
A study of the body system that deals with Americans' love affair with salt may yield more insight into why so many end up hypertensive and how to better treat them.
Girls' early puberty linked to unstable environment via insecure attachment in infancy
Girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier. One recent study found that more than 10 percent of American girls have some breast development by age 7. This news has upset many people, but it may make evolutionary sense in some cases for girls to develop faster, according to the authors of a new paper published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Treatment for S. aureus skin infection works in mouse model
Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and University of Chicago have found a promising treatment method that in laboratory mice reduces the severity of skin and soft-tissue damage caused by USA300, the leading cause of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States.
Obesity, diabetes epidemics continue to grow in California, study finds
A majority of adults in California are obese or overweight, and more than 2 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Hooked on headphones? personal listening devices can harm hearing
Personal listening devices like iPods have become increasingly popular among young — and not-so-young — people in recent years. But music played through headphones too loud or too long might pose a significant risk to hearing, according to a 24-year study of adolescent girls.
High-fat diet during puberty linked to breast cancer risk later in life
Girls eating a high-fat diet during puberty, even those who do not become overweight or obese, may be at a greater risk of developing breast cancer later in life, according to Michigan State University researchers.
Post-surgery radiation improves breast cancer survival
Radiation therapy following surgery for a rare type of breast cancer improves patient survival, according to a study by a team of surgical oncologists at UC Davis Cancer Center.
Major study finds no evidence that statins cause cancer
In the largest and most reliable study of its type, the University of Oxford (UK) and the University of Sydney (Australia) have demonstrated that statin therapy is not a cause of increased cancer rates and deaths. The conclusions of this study will reassure the millions of people worldwide who are taking statins to lower cholesterol levels, and clarifies earlier research that had raised concerns of a causal link.
Starvation keeps sleep-deprived fly brain sharp
As anyone who has ever struggled to keep his or her eyes open after a big meal knows, eating can induce sleepiness. New research in fruit flies suggests that, conversely, being hungry may provide a way to stay awake without feeling groggy or mentally challenged.
Physical activity can reduce the genetic predisposition to obesity by 40 percent
Although the whole population can benefit from a physically active lifestyle, in part through reduced obesity risk, a new study shows that individuals with a genetic predisposition to obesity can benefit even more. The research, carried out by Dr. Ruth Loos from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues, published in this week's PLoS Medicine suggests that the genetic predisposition to obesity can be reduced by an average of 40% through increased physical activity.
Virus related to smallpox rising sharply in Africa, researchers find
In the winter of 1979, the world celebrated the end of smallpox, a highly contagious and often fatal viral infection estimated to have caused between 300 and 500 million deaths during the 20th century.
Reading Arabic isn't easy
A series of studies published in Neuropsychology has shown that because of the visual complexity of Arabic orthography, the brain's right hemisphere is not involved in decoding the text in the first stages of learning to read.
Researchers link protein to tumor growth
(PhysOrg.com) -- Johns Hopkins researchers working on mice have discovered a protein that is a major target of a gene that, when mutated in humans, causes tumors to develop on nerves associated with hearing, as well as cataracts in the eyes.
Link between cellular glue and cancer growth
Scientists have discovered that a protein that helps make cells sticks together also keeps them from dividing excessively, a hallmark of cancer progression. The discovery could lead to new ways to control cancer.
Biology news
Tracking marine animal travel
Scientists are gaining a deeper understanding of marine mammal travel patterns using a large-scale tracking network. A new PLoS collection, created in conjunction with the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) Program and the Census of Marine Life (CoML), will highlight the variety of ways scientists are using this large POST network to trace marine animal movement in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. The PLoS POST Collection launches on August 31st.
BASF seeking EU green light for new potato: chairman
German chemical giant BASF said Tuesday it was seeking European Union approval for a new genetically modified potato six months after getting an EU green light for its Amflora spud.
Study: The bright red of cardinals means less in urban areas
Normally, the brilliant red of a male cardinal signals to females that he is a high-quality mate. But that may not be true of cardinals living in urban areas, a new study suggests.
Photo album tells story of wildlife decline
With a simple click of the camera, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoological Society of London have developed a new way to accurately monitor long-term trends in rare and vanishing species over large landscapes.
Free as a bird? Researchers find that man-made development affects bird flight patterns and populations
It may seem like birds have the freedom to fly wherever they like, but researchers at the University of Missouri have shown that what's on the ground has a great effect on where a bird flies. This information could be used by foresters and urban planners to improve bird habitats that would help maintain strong bird populations.
Mosquitoes use several different kinds of odor sensors to track human prey
It now appears that the malaria mosquito relies on a battery of different types of odor sensors to mediate its most critical behaviors, including how to choose and locate their blood-meal hosts. In an article to be published next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology, researchers at Vanderbilt University have characterized two families of molecular odorant sensors in Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito responsible for the majority of human malaria transmission.
Evolution rewritten, again and again
A team of researchers at the University of Bristol decided to find out, with investigations of dinosaur and human evolution. Their study, which is published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests most fossil discoveries do not make a huge difference, confirming, not contradicting our understanding of evolutionary history.
Engineers design tools to study sound effects on whales
(PhysOrg.com) -- A combination of the biology of marine mammals, mechanical vibrations and acoustics has led to a breakthrough discovery allowing scientists to better understand the potential harmful effects of sound on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins.
Researcher finds new bee in downtown Toronto
A York University doctoral student who discovered a new species of bee on his way to the lab one morning has completed a study that examines 84 species of sweat bees in Canada. Nineteen of these species - including the one Jason Gibbs found in downtown Toronto − are new to science because they have never been identified or described before.
Oily whale bones puzzle solved
The puzzle of why some oily whale bones make great habitats for weird and wonderful deep sea creatures has been solved by Natural History Museum scientists this month.
Species cooperate out of self-interest rather than to be mutually beneficial, study says
(PhysOrg.com) -- Applying employment contract theory to symbiosis, a new paper suggests that the mutually beneficial relationships that species create are maintained because of simple self-interest, with partners benefiting from healthy hosts, much as employees benefit from robust employers.
Thinnest eggs belonged to largest Moas
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a detailed online study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on August 30th, scientists investigate questions surrounding New Zealand's moa eggs and the results are mystifying.
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