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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 11, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New method improves modeling of electrons' motions in complex molecules- Motion-capture helping reveal how kangaroos hop
- Google puts tsunami alert on home page
- The rich chemistry around an evolved star
- Lunar farside serves as stunning prelude of images to come
- Nanotubes: Cellular membranes on supply
- What does Twitter have to do with the human brain?
- Trendsetters revel in technology in Texas
- Quake could alter Tokyo risk: experts
- Researchers question whether genius might be a result of hormonal influences
- Solar power installs almost doubled in 2010
- I-SAVE could reduce your energy usage, save you cash (w/ video)
- Keys to long life: Longevity study unearths surprising answers
- Nanoscale whiskers from sea creatures could grow human muscle tissue
- Finding shows potential way to protect neurons in Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS
Space & Earth news
NRL position unique elliptic-orbit TacSat-4 satellite for launch
Naval Research Laboratory spacecraft personnel make final preparations to ready the TacSat-4 spacecraft for a May 2011 launch. Transported March 1, to the Kodiak Alaska airport via an Air Force C-17 and trucked to the Alaska Aerospace Kodiak Launch Complex, the TacSat-4 satellite will be launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Minotaur-IV launch vehicle into a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) with an apogee of 12,050 kilometers.
Chinese perspective offers optimism for the future of oil and gas
The state of the world's oil and gas reserves is one of the great strategic issues facing the modern world. Aside from the debate and controversy surrounding the issue stands one of China's foremost petroleum geologists, Professor Li Guoyu, whose new publication, World Atlas of Oil and Gas Basins, brings together decades of research into the industry to provide an optimistic theory for the future of oil and gas.
Image: Endeavour on the Pad
(PhysOrg.com) -- Bathed in xenon lights, space shuttle Endeavour, attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, took one last journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Deep thinker: Harvard biologist driven by mysteries of the sea
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists are advancing in their understanding of the biology of the deep sea, which still remains largely unexplored and mysterious, according to Associate Professor Peter Girguis.
Astronomers continue to monitor asteroid Apophis
Asteroid Apophis continues to be an object of interest for astronomers. Even though the possibility of an Earth impact by the now-famous asteroid has been ruled out during its upcoming close encounter on April 13, 2029, this close flyby will significantly change Apophis’s orbit, and astronomers are uncertain how that could affect future encounters with our planet. For that reason, astronomers have been eager to obtain new data to further refine the details of the 2029 encounter. However, for three years, the asteroid’s orbit had it “hiding” behind the Sun, but it has now emerged. This newest image of Apophis was taken on January 31, 2011, using the University of Hawaii’s 2.2-meter telescope on Mauna Kea, and astronomers from UH at Manoa say they will make repeated observations of this potentially dangerous near-Earth asteroid.
Dawn gets Vesta target practice (w/ Video)
There is an old chestnut about a pedestrian who once asked a virtuoso violinist near Carnegie Hall how to get to the famed concert venue. The virtuoso's answer: practice!
Keeping carbon in check
Researchers developed a comprehensive technique to monitor changes in organic carbon found in soil over large areas of land. The team of scientists, including Cesar Izaurralde and Tristram West at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL's) Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), are confident that spatial and temporal estimates of changes in organic carbon found in soil spanning vast areas can be drastically improved using a combination of satellite remote sensing, ground observations, and computer models.
Japan quake ranks as 5th largest since 1900
Scientists say the massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan ranks as the fifth largest jolt in the world since 1900.
Testing Mars missions in Morocco
“This site is called Moon 2,” says Gian Gabriele Ori of the International Research School of Planetary Sciences (IRSPS). He pauses, looks around, and then says with a laugh, “I don’t remember the reason why.”
The 'Eye of Sauron'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Spiral galaxy NGC 4151 is dubbed the "Eye of Sauron" for its similarity to the malevolent eye in "The Lord of the Rings."
Mercury visible Sunday as NASA craft approaches
Earth is about to get better acquainted with its oddball planetary cousin, Mercury, a rocky wonderland of extremes.
New method could improve economics of sweetening natural gas
Natural gas extracted from the nation's coal beds and methane-rich geologic features must first be purged of hydrogen sulfide before it can be used as fuel. Until now, processing methods have often proved to be inefficient, requiring large amounts of heat.
Speed demon creates a shock
(PhysOrg.com) -- Just as some drivers obey the speed limit while others treat every road as if it were the Autobahn, some stars move through space faster than others. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, captured this image of the star Alpha Camelopardalis, or Alpha Cam, in astronomer-speak, speeding through the sky like a motorcyclist zipping through rush-hour traffic. The supergiant star Alpha Cam is the bright star in the middle of this image, surrounded on one side by an arc-shaped cloud of dust and gas -- a bow shock -- which is colored red in this infrared view.
Bioenergy crops could lower surface temperatures: research
(PhysOrg.com) -- Converting large swaths of farmland to perennial grasses for biofuels could lower regional surface temperatures, according to a recent Stanford study.
The rich chemistry around an evolved star
(PhysOrg.com) -- Over 170 molecules have been detected in space, from simple diatomic molecules like CO to complex organic molecules with over 70 atoms, like fullerene.
Lunar farside serves as stunning prelude of images to come
(PhysOrg.com) -- Today, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), run by the Arizona State University-based team under Professor Mark Robinson, kicks off a special series of featured images scheduled to be released daily over the next week.
Quake could alter Tokyo risk: experts
Seismologists were crunching data Friday to figure out if the magnitude 8.9 quake that rocked Japan increased the chances of a mega-quake hitting the Tokyo basin, home to 30 million people.
Technology news
NEC develops network technology supporting server virtualization using OpenFlow
NEC announced today the development of technology that improves the OpenFlow communication efficiency of virtualized servers that accommodate virtual machines (VM) by more than 10 times when compared to existing technology.
Smart materials for high-tech products
Flexible and independently operating "smart materials" can adapt to changing conditions with high speed. The Fraunhofer Adaptronics Alliance is presenting promising solutions at Hannover Messe (April 4-8), in Hall 2, Stand D18.
Renewables could bring job boon to Poland: Greenpeace
An ambitious switch from fossil fuels to green energy could generate up to 350,000 new jobs by 2020 in the Poland, the European Union's most coal-dependent member, Greenpeace said Friday in Warsaw.
Australia's spy agency ASIO gets cyber wing
Australia's spy agency ASIO has established a 'cyber' intelligence unit to counter possible terror attacks on computer systems from abroad, Attorney-General Robert McClelland said.
China to launch 4G service in 2014: state media
China plans to roll out commercial "fourth generation" mobile phone technology nationwide in 2014, state media said Friday, citing the country's top telecom regulator.
New technology to predict future appearance
A Concordia graduate student has designed a promising computer program that could serve as a new tool in missing-child investigations and matters of national security. Khoa Luu has developed a more effective computer-based technique to age photographic images of people's faces – an advance that could help to indentify missing kids and criminals on the lam.
Cameras out of the salt shaker
There have been gloves and shavers for one-off use for a long time. In future, there will also be disposable endoscopes for minimally invasive operations on the human body. A new microcamera is what makes it possible. It is as large as a grain of salt, supplies razor-sharp pictures and can be manufactured very inexpensively.
NY Times, Huffington Post exchange barbs
The gloves are off between a pair of Old and New Media heavyweights. Bill Keller, executive editor of the venerable New York Times, and Arianna Huffington, founder of brash newcomer The Huffington Post, exchanged blows on Thursday in a highly public spat.
Trendsetters revel in technology in Texas
Innovators and trendsetters are heading to Texas for a technology festival renowned as a springboard for Web sensations such as Twitter and Foursquare.
Google puts tsunami alert on home page
Google put a tsunami alert on its famously spartan home page on Friday following the massive earthquake in Japan.
Solar power installs almost doubled in 2010
(PhysOrg.com) -- The report for 2010 was released by the Solar Energy Industries Association on the solar markets and installations of the United States, and it revealed that solar power is a growing market.
I-SAVE could reduce your energy usage, save you cash (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- We all want to decrease our energy consumption. That does not mean that we want to spend all of our time and energy thinking about it. This is where a good feedback system can come in handy. They can give you an idea of how you are doing with your energy use. The use of real-time monitors, that give consumers feedback on the real effects of their energy usage, in the market has been shown to create an energy savings of between 2-11 %. That percentage does vary based on the design of the interface, data access issues that range from too limited of data to too much and a lack of understanding of the behavior of consumers.
Medicine & Health news
ActHIB vaccine recalled in Japan
Sanofi Pasteur and Daiichi Sankyo on Friday announced a recall of the ActHIB vaccine in Japan after an "unidentified substance" was found in two syringes.
NIH urges -- Be kind to your kidneys
Kidney disease can lead to heart disease, and vice versa. And on World Kidney Day, Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases asks people to consider the link, and what they can do to protect kidney health. March 10 marks World Kidney Day this year; it's part of National Kidney Month.
70 percent of prostate cancer patients on ADT gain significant weight in first year
Seventy per cent of men who received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) after surgery to remove their prostate gland gained significant weight in the first year, putting on an average of 4.2kg, according to a paper in the March issue of the urology journal BJUI.
Contrary to popular belief, not all cases of chronic pancreatitis are alcohol-induced
The relative rate of alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis (CP) is lower when compared to other causes, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Patients with no identifiable cause for their disease as well as those with non-alcohol-related causes represent an unexpectedly large subgroup, particularly among women.
Motorcycle crashes could influence helmet laws, study finds
After a brutal winter, many motorcycle enthusiasts will soon be dusting off their rides to take advantage of balmier weather, but they don't have to brush off their helmets because Connecticut does not have a mandatory helmet law. According to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, University of Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Health, this has led to high fatalities and injuries from motorcycle crashes that likely cost billions of dollars in hospital and rehabilitation bills.
Device could help liver failure patients, extend options for transplant
For patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH), inflammation of the liver can result in a multitude of symptoms, including jaundice, fluid accumulation in the abdomen and hepatic encephalopathy -- impaired brain function leading to irritability, tremors and confusion.
Hungary considers 'hamburger tax': ministry
Hungary's government said Friday it is considering a novel way of tightening the public belt -- the introduction of a "hamburger tax".
HP speeds drug discovery research with inkjet technology
HP today announced an innovative drug research application for its inkjet technology that enables pharmaceutical companies to more efficiently develop better drugs through vastly more precise dispensing of dosages.
Creativity is an upside to ADHD
Parents who believe that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder makes their kids more creative got a little more scientific support recently.
Scientists create new cell lines from ocular melanoma patients
Researchers at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute have created new tumor cell lines from fine-needle biopsies of ocular melanoma patients who had undergone treatment but died when their cancer spread aggressively.
Ultra-long acting insulin effective with three injections weekly
A U of T study assessing a new longer-acting form of insulin—degludec— has shown that when given once daily it is as effective at controlling blood sugar as existing insulin glargine injections but with lower rates of hypoglycemia.
Anti-AIDS drugs slow deaths in S.Africa: study
South Africa's AIDS deaths have fallen by nearly 25 percent due to scaled up access to life-saving drugs, which the government for years had refused to provide, new research has shown.
Study links testosterone with men's ability to 'woo' potential mates
Theories have long proposed that testosterone influences competition among males trying to attract females. Findings from a recent study at Wayne State University give a clearer understanding of the links between testosterone and human mating behavior, and how testosterone is associated with dominance and competitive success when men battle for the attention of an attractive woman.
Method reveals new view of human nerve cells, opening door to potential drug targets
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and University of Pennsylvania have found a way to uncover potential drug targets that have so far remained hidden from researchers' view.
Extra iron doesn't help many pregnant women
Although universal prenatal supplementation with iron is recommended, an extra intake of iron does not noticeably benefit pregnant women, except when they are anemic. This was observed by researchers of the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp and colleagues who followed more than a thousand pregnant women in Burkina Faso.
Partners in inflammation
Individuals with increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood are at increased risk for various diseases linked to inflammation, such as colorectal cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Now, a research team in Japan including Yukinori Okada and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Genomic Medicine in Yokohama, reports that single-nucleotide changes in three genes can affect the blood levels of CRP in Japanese individuals. Two of these genes, CRP and HNF1A, had already been found to affect Caucasians, but it was unclear if those same genes would also play a role in Japanese people.
Improving post-stroke rehabilitation with neurotransmitter
In many patients, fine motor skills remain impaired after a stroke. A recent study has shown that the neurotransmitter noradrenaline may be able to reduce such deficits. This finding could result in the development of a new therapeutic approach to the post-stroke rehabilitation of patients.
Procedure replaces heart valve, avoids open-heart surgery
Veronica Smith, 26, is the first person in Arizona to receive a new pulmonary valve without having open-heart surgery. The procedure was performed in the University Medical Center Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.
New transcription factor reveals molecular mechanism for wound-induced organ regeneration
Japanese researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center (PSC) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have identified a novel transcription factor controlling how plants dedifferentiate cells in response to wounding.
Less than one-third of children ages 5-15 will wake up to home smoke alarms
An Australian study to determine the likelihood of school-aged children waking up to their home smoke alarm found that 78% of children slept through a smoke alarm sounding for 30 seconds. The outcomes of the study are published today in the journal Fire and Materials.
Researchers link novel biomarkers to asthma and COPD
Four novel biomarkers have been identified which may aid in the diagnosis and management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study conducted by researchers in Australia, who determined the biomarkers may be used in different combinations to successfully identify patients with either of the airway diseases. In conducting the study, the researchers relied on proteomics, an emerging field of science that focuses on the structure and functions of an organism's proteins.
More molecules for tuberculosis
Scientists are collaborating on a new international research project to identify antibiotics that can kill tuberculosis and fight resistant strains.
Homeopathy prospers even as controversy rages
A popular homeopathic flu remedy boasts that it comes with no side effects, no drug interactions and won't make you drowsy. But the product also lacks something most people expect to find in their medicine: active ingredients.
New study looks at how young adolescents respond when their friends are bullied
(PhysOrg.com) -- When supporting a friend who has been victimized by a bully, young adolescents respond with a range of advice and actions. Girls most often suggest telling an adult or confronting the bully to try to understand the conflict, while boys are more apt to minimize the seriousness of the incident or, to the other extreme, encourage aggression toward the assailant, according to a new psychological study at the University of Maine.
Gene linked to peanut allergy
An international collaboration led by researchers at the University of Dundee has discovered a genetic link to peanut allergy. It has been known for some time that peanut allergy can be inherited, but this study marks the first robust evidence pinpointing a specific gene.
Apple shaped obesity as bad for heart as other obesity
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international study of 220,000 people has challenged the idea that obese people who have an “apple shape” (fat deposits on the middle section of the body) are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than obese people with other types of fat distribution.
Researchers question whether genius might be a result of hormonal influences
A longstanding debate as to whether genius is a byproduct of good genes or good environment has an upstart challenger that may take the discussion in an entirely new direction. University of Alberta researcher Marty Mrazik says being bright may be due to an excess level of a natural hormone.
Keys to long life: Longevity study unearths surprising answers
Cheer up. Stop worrying. Don't work so hard. Good advice for a long life? As it turns out, no. In a groundbreaking study of personality as a predictor of longevity, University of California, Riverside researchers found just the opposite.
Biology news
Creatures from the deep exposed
An academic from the University of Plymouth has helped unravel the largely unexplored weird and wonderful world of deep-sea marine life.
Around 40 percent of hake is mislabeled
The DNA studies carried out by a team of Spanish and Greek researchers, and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, show that more than 30% of the hake products sold in Spain and Greece are wrongly labelled.
Pushing HIV out the door: How host factors aid in the release of HIV particles
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – which causes AIDS – invades human immune cells and causes them to produce new copies of the virus, which can then infect new cells. A research team led by Professor Don C. Lamb (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich) and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Barbara Müller of Heidelberg University Hospital have now analyzed the involvement of particular components of the infected cell in virion release, and discovered that the enzyme VPS4A plays a more active role in the process than was previously thought. VPS4A was already known to act after virus budding was complete. Using an advanced microscopy technique, the group was able to show that complexes containing about a dozen VPS4A molecules form at points in the membrane at which newly assembled virions later emerge.
Recording the soundscapes of spring
This April, when you step outside and hear the first sounds of spring, you won't be hearing just songbirds and buzzing insects, but aural evidence of an awakening ecosystem.
Ingestion of plastic found among small ocean fish
Southern California researchers have found evidence of ingestion of plastic among small fish in the northern Pacific Ocean in a study that they say shows the troubling effect floating litter is having on marine life in the far reaches of the world's oceans.
Fox tactics could inspire territorial design
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study into the exclusion tactics adopted by urban foxes suggests that the transient nature of animal territory is a result of a complex system of individual-level interactions.
Cell 'glue' opens new pathways to understanding cancer
Australian researchers have found a novel way in which the proteins that 'glue' cells together to form healthy tissues can come unstuck, opening new avenues to understanding how these proteins are disturbed in diseases such as cancer.
Host change alters toxic cocktail
(PhysOrg.com) -- Leaf beetles fascinate us because of their amazing variety of shapes and rich colouring. Their larvae, however, are dangerous plant pests. Larvae of the leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica attack two different tree species: willow and birch. To fend off predator attacks, the beetle larvae produce toxic butyric acid esters or salicylaldehyde, whose precursors they ingest with their leafy food.
Getting organized: Study shows how breast cell communities organize into breast tissue
In biology, the key to a healthy life is organization. Cells that properly organize themselves into communities live long and prosper, whereas disorganized cells can become cancerous. A study by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of the different types of cells that make up the human breast shows that not only do cells possess an innate ability to self-organize into communities, but these communities of different types of cells can also organize themselves with respect to one another to form and maintain healthy tissue. Understanding this ability of different types of cell communities to self-organize into tissue may help explain how the processes of stem cell differentiation and tissue architecture maintenance are coordinated. It might also lead to a better understanding of what goes wrong in cancer.
Motion-capture helping reveal how kangaroos hop
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in Australia, the UK and US have for the first time used infrared motion capture technology outdoors to work out how kangaroos distribute their weight and the forces as they hop along.
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