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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 6, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Scientists watch evolution in action- Evidence of second fast north-south pole flip found
- These cancer cells will self-destruct in 5...4...
- Carbon mapping breakthrough
- Cracking flight's mysteries: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a microrobot
- NASA's Magnetospheric Mission Passes Major Milestone
- Tracking viruses back in time
- LCLS comes online
- Cockroach brains could be rich stores of new antibiotics
- Egyptian papyrus found in ancient Irish bog
- Electronic nose sniffs out bacteria
- Next Mars rover stretches robotic arm
- The art of dividing: Researchers decode function and protein content of the centrosome
- Whaling and fishing for the largest species has altered carbon sequestering in oceans
- Researchers offer alternate theory for found skull's asymmetry
Space & Earth news
In a changing climate, erratic rainfall poses growing threat to rural poor, new report says
Against a backdrop of extreme weather wreaking havoc around the world, a new report warns that increasingly erratic rainfall related to climate change will pose a major threat to food security and economic growth, especially in Africa and Asia, requiring increased investment in diverse forms of water storage as an effective remedy.
Key oil spill evidence raised to Gulf's surface
(AP) -- Investigators looking into what went wrong in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill are a step closer to answers now that a key piece of evidence is secure aboard a ship.
ATHLETE rover steps up to long desert trek
(PhysOrg.com) -- The ATHLETE rover, currently under development at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is in the Arizona desert this month to participate in NASA's Research and Technology Studies, also known as Desert RATS. The desert tests offer a chance for a NASA-led team of engineers, astronauts and scientists from across the country to test concepts for future missions.
EU not supporting space sector: Astrium head
The EU executive commission is not providing sufficient support to the European space industry, currently locked in close competition with its US counterpart, the head of French space group Astrium said in an interview published on Monday.
A dimmer view of Earth
When Stanford climate scientist Christopher Field looks at visual feeds from a satellite monitoring deforestation in the Amazon basin, he sees images streaked with white lines devoid of data.
The forest paradox during heatwaves
Comparatively speaking, forests initially have a weaker cooling effect during heatwaves than open grassland. This is revealed in a study that could help refine models for weather and climate forecasts. Moreover, it also provides fresh arguments for the debate on reforestation in the context of climate change.
New report warns of expanding threat of hypoxia in U. S. coastal waters
A report issued today by key environmental and scientific federal agencies assesses the increasing prevalence of low-oxygen "dead zones" in U.S. coastal waters and outlines a series of research and policy steps that could help reverse the decades-long trend.
Upside to global warming: 'New North' will thrive
Move over, Sunbelt. The New North is coming through, a UCLA geographer predicts in a new book.
Whaling and fishing for the largest species has altered carbon sequestering in oceans
(PhysOrg.com) -- Decades of whaling and fishing for the largest species have altered the ability of oceans to store and sequester carbon, according to a team of marine researchers from the University of Maine, the University of British Columbia and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI).
Next Mars rover stretches robotic arm
(PhysOrg.com) -- Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory rover that will be on Mars two years from now, has been flexing the robotic arm that spacecraft workers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory attached to the rover body in August 2010.
Tracking viruses back in time
How long have viruses been around? No one knows. Scientists at Portland State University have begun taking the first steps toward answering this question.
NASA's Magnetospheric Mission Passes Major Milestone
(PhysOrg.com) -- The universe is still an arcane place that scientists know very little about, but a new NASA Solar Terrestrial Probe mission is going to shed light on one especially mysterious event called magnetic reconnection. It occurs when magnetic lines of force cross, cancel, and reconnect releasing magnetic energy in the form of heat and charged-particle kinetic energy.
Carbon mapping breakthrough
By integrating satellite mapping, airborne-laser technology, and ground-based plot surveys, scientists from the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, with colleagues from the World Wildlife Fund and in coordination with the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment (MINAM), have revealed the first high-resolution maps of carbon locked up in tropical forest vegetation and emitted by land-use practices. These new maps pave the way for accurate monitoring of carbon storage and emissions for the proposed United Nations initiative on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).
Evidence of second fast north-south pole flip found
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Earth's magnetic poles flip around every 200,000 years or so, with north becoming south and vice versa. Normally, the process takes 4-5,000 years and it ought to be impossible for the flip to be much faster, if models of the Earth's core are correct, but now for the second time evidence has been found of a flip that appears to have taken only a few years.
Technology news
1 'censored' bar won't stop online prostitution
(AP) -- Craiglist's "adult services" section has been shut down in the U.S., but prostitution on the Internet is alive and well - even, quite possibly, on Craigslist.
Oracle, ex-HP CEO Hurd in talks for job
(AP) -- Former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd is in talks to take a top executive job at Oracle Corp., the database software maker run by his friend Larry Ellison, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions said Sunday.
Germany to extend life of nuclear reactors
Germany said it would extend the life of its nuclear reactors by 12 years on average Monday after marathon talks on the controversial issue that will shape the energy policy of Europe's top economy.
Imec reports large-area silicon solar cells with high efficiency
At the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (Valencia, Spain), Imec presents several large-area silicon solar cells with a conversion efficiency above 19%.
Global Qi standard powers up wireless charging
The Wireless Power Consortium today launched the Qi 1.0 standard which enables consumer electronic brands and device manufacturers to bring interoperable wireless inductive charging devices to market. The Consortium also announced today the first products certified with Qi.
China to have 200 million vehicles by 2020
The number of vehicles on China's roads will more than double to at least 200 million by 2020, a top official was quoted Monday as saying, further straining the nation's environment and energy supply.
Cracking flight's mysteries: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a microrobot
(PhysOrg.com) -- Engineers at Harvard University have created a millionth-scale automobile differential to govern the flight of minuscule aerial robots that could someday be used to probe environmental hazards, forest fires, and other challenges too perilous for people.
Medicine & Health news
FDA relents from midodrine withdrawal plan
(AP) -- Federal regulators have backed off a plan to remove a Shire PLC low blood-pressure treatment from the market after warning in August that the drug has not been proven effective.
Combining medication and psychosocial treatments may benefit patients with early-stage schizophrenia
Patients with early-stage schizophrenia who receive a combination of medication and a psychosocial intervention appear less likely to discontinue treatment or relapse -- and may have improved insight, quality of life and social functioning -- than those taking medication alone, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
'Jailbreak' bacteria can trigger heart disease
Plaque-causing bacteria can jailbreak from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart attack says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham.
'Record births' after New Zealand quake
A record number of babies were born in the aftermath of the powerful 7.0 earthquake that rocked New Zealand this weekend, hospital officials said on Monday.
Japan detects its first case of NDM-1 superbug
Japan on Monday said it has detected its first case of an antibiotic-resistant "superbug" that surfaced in South Asia and has triggered a global health alert.
Largest ever epigenetics project launched
One of the most ambitious large-scale projects in Human Genetics has been launched today: Epitwin will capture the subtle epigenetic signatures that mark the differences between 5,000 twins on a scale and depth never before attempted, providing key therapeutic targets for the development of drug treatments.
Cholera outbreak in Cameroon 'worst in 20 years'
(AP) -- UNICEF says more than 300 people have died in the West African nation of Cameroon from the country's worst cholera outbreak in 20 years.
WHO wants faster, more flu vaccine production
(AP) -- The vaccine used to contain the recent swine flu pandemic was effective, but health authorities will need to ramp up the speed and volume of production during the next global outbreak, a World Health Organization official said Monday.
Children with sickle cell suffer more severe malaria
The sickle cell trait is known for its protective effect against developing malaria. But new research warns that children with sickle cell anaemia are more likely to die from severe malaria.
Cancer survivors more likely to suffer depression from disability than diagnosis
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has found that health-related disability has a much larger impact on psychological distress than a diagnosis of cancer by itself.
Psychological as well as physical violence leads to postnatal depression
Psychological violence during pregnancy by an intimate partner is strongly associated with postnatal depression, independently of physical or sexual violence, according to a paper by researchers in Bristol and Brazil, published today in The Lancet. This finding has important policy implications since most social policies focus on prevention and treatment of physical violence.
Picking right blood pressure medicine challenging
(AP) -- It's hard to predict which pills will best lower which patient's high blood pressure, but researchers are hunting ways to better personalize therapy - perhaps even using a blood test.
Molecular imaging opens up a vast new world for neuroscience
Molecular imaging allows molecules in a living organism to be visualized, and provides a means of observing the distribution and behavior of molecules. One of the most exciting applications of this technology is the ability to examine a patient internally without affecting the subject.
Complications rise along with off-label use of BMP-2
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2002 approved a product many thought would revolutionize back surgery, the agency did so despite concerns the product might cause serious side effects.
Study finds mild cognitive impairment is more common in men
A new Mayo Clinic study found that the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment was 1.5 times higher in men than in women. The research, part of the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, also showed a prevalence rate of 16 percent in the population-based study of individuals aged 70-89 without dementia who live in Olmsted County, Minn. The study will be published in the September issue of Neurology.
Hallucinogen can safely ease anxiety in advanced-stage cancer patients: study
In the first human study of its kind to be published in more than 35 years, researchers found psilocybin, an hallucinogen which occurs naturally in "magic mushrooms," can safely improve the moods of patients with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety, according to an article published online today in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Researchers identify protein that fights West Nile virus
(PhysOrg.com) -- Yale and McGill University scientists have identified a protein that is critical in fighting mosquito-borne West Nile Virus in mice. This finding could have therapeutic implications for controlling the potentially deadly virus in humans. The study appears in the Advance Online Publication of Nature Immunology.
Visual pattern preference may be indicator of autism in toddlers
Using eye-tracking methods, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that toddlers with autism spend significantly more time visually examining dynamic geometric patterns than they do looking at social images - a viewing pattern not found in either typical or developmentally delayed toddlers. The results of the study suggest that a preference for geometric patterns early in life may be a signature behavior in infants who are at-risk for autism. This preference was found in infants at-risk for autism as young as 14 months of age.
Biology news
Levy not law will save the whales
(PhysOrg.com) -- Conservationists would save more whales from the harpoon if the whale-watching public and industry were willing to pay a levy that could be used to persuade those countries currently engaged in whaling to stop, says Queensland University of Technology green economist Associate Professor Clevo Wilson.
Researchers define role of CEP290 in maintaining ciliary function
A new study in the September 6 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology helps define the role of an important ciliary protein, CEP290. The results could be applied toward targeted gene therapy in cilia-related diseases.
Backstabbing bacteria: A new treatment for infection?
Selfish bacterial cells that act in their own interests and do not cooperate with their infection-causing colleagues can actually reduce the severity of infection.
Fears of a decline in bee pollination confirmed
Widespread reports of a decline in the population of bees and other flower-visiting animals have aroused fear and speculation that pollination is also likely on the decline. A recent University of Toronto study provides the first long-term evidence of a downward trend in pollination, while also pointing to climate change as a possible contributor.
Talented bacteria make food poisoning unpredictable
While we are often exposed to bacteria in our food which could cause food poisoning, we don't always become ill - why should this be so?
US mulls approval of genetically engineered salmon
US authorities have begun to consider approval for the first time the sale of genetically engineered salmon, a move that some say could open the door to more transgenic animals on American dinner tables.
Japanese stem cell researcher wins Balzan prize
(AP) -- The Balzan Foundation says its prize for the biology of stem cells has gone to a Japanese researcher for discovering a way to transform adult cells into cells with the characteristics of stem cells.
EU summons BASF over 'illegal' potatoes in Swedish field
Europe slapped a summons on German chemical giant BASF on Monday after a "blunder" allowed seed from a new genetically modified potato to remain in a field in Sweden.
KEPCO, power company in Japan, taps nature to revitalize trees
Kansai Electric Power Co. in Japan has developed a new method for rejuvenating trees using mycorrhizal fungi, which form mutually beneficial relationships with plants.
With HMGB1's help, cells dine in
Like some people, cells eat when they are under pressure -- but they consume parts of themselves. A multi-function protein helps control this form of cannibalism, according to a study in the September 6 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.
Six times more insects in tropical mountains
How many species of insects exist? Umea University researcher, Genoveva Rodriguez-Castaneda, found that in tropical mountains there are six times more insects than shown in global calculations. The insects in these areas are also highly specialized in their choice of food.
The art of dividing: Researchers decode function and protein content of the centrosome
A basic requirement for growth and life of a multicellular organism is the ability of its cells to divide. A protein complex, the so-called centrosome, plays a major role during cell division. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, together with colleagues at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and at the Leibniz Institute for Age Research - Fritz Lipmann Institute in Jena have investigated the functions of the different centrosomal components. The researchers now present the centrosome's components and their functions. Their work extends our knowledge of regulation of cell division and opens the door to new investigations into cancer development. (EMBO Journal, September 3rd 2010)
Cockroach brains could be rich stores of new antibiotics
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cockroaches could be more of a health benefit than a health hazard according to scientists from The University of Nottingham.
Scientists watch evolution in action
(PhysOrg.com) -- The yellow-bellied three-toed skink (Saiphos equalis) is one of only three reptiles known to have different methods of reproduction in different places. In the coastal areas of New South Wales (NSW), near Sydney, Australia, the skink lays eggs, while in the northern highlands of NSW, it tends to favor giving birth to live young. Scientists say we are witnessing evolution in action, with the skink half-way in its transformation from an egg-layer to a bearer of live young.
These cancer cells will self-destruct in 5...4...
Cancer is a difficult disease to treat because it's a personal disease. Each case is unique and based on a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Conventional chemotherapy employs treatment with one or more drugs, assuming that these medicines are able to both "diagnose" and "treat" the affected cells. Many of the side effects experienced by chemotherapy patients are due to the fact that the drugs they are taking aren't selective enough. For instance, taking a drug that targets fast-growing tumor cells frequently results in hair loss, because cells in the hair follicle are among some of the fastest growing in the body. When it comes down to it, these drugs get the diagnosis wrong.
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