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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 1, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Breaking Kasha's rule: Scientists find unique luminescence in tetrapod nanocrystals- Papuan weevil has screw-in legs
- Magnetic memory and logic could achieve ultimate energy efficiency
- Security experts warn of new 'almost indestructible' TDL-4 botnet threat
- Why 'event cloaks' could be the key to the ultimate bank heist
- 'Dirty hack' restores Cluster mission from near loss
- American snacking habits to blame for obesity: study
- Environs prompt advantageous gene mutations as plants grow; changes passed to progeny
- Study sheds light on tunicate evolution
- New class of antiangiogenesis drugs identified
- Key immune substance linked to asthma, study finds
- Predicting random violence by mathematics
- A Lego robot that can make you Micky Mouse shaped pancakes (w/ video)
- Google in talks to buy Hulu: report
- Toyota comissions a Prius bike
Space & Earth news
STAR TRAK: Mercury first planet to be seen through most of July
For the first three weeks of July, the first planet to appear in the evening sky will be Mercury, visible near the west-northwestern horizon around 45 minutes after sunset. After that, the planet will rapidly fade as it disappears into the glow of twilight. On the evening of July 6, Mercury will pass through the Beehive star cluster, but only viewers to the south will have a good chance to see this, even with binoculars.
Setting his sights on Mars
(PhysOrg.com) -- Alfred McEwen, professor of planetary science at the UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and principal investigator of the largest imaging campaign ever launched to another planet, has been awarded NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal.
High speed at the edge of space
Students from the Cambridge University Spaceflight team (CUSF) have successfully tested model parachutes for the ExoMars lander. The ExoMars lander project is a European-led robotic mission to Mars. Working in conjunction with the European Space Agency, the student team tested a model of a parachute capable of landing on Mars, by re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere at 450mph.
Fire near NM nuclear lab largest in state history
(AP) -- The threat of wildfire reaching the Los Alamos nuclear lab and the town that surrounds it eased as crews made progress under cloud cover and rain, but concerns turned Friday to lands held sacred by a Native American tribe as firefighters braced for a hot, dry weekend.
'Dirty hack' restores Cluster mission from near loss
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using ingenuity and an unorthodox 'dirty hack', ESA has recovered the four-satellite Cluster mission from near loss. The drama began in March, when a crucial science package stopped responding to commands – one of a mission controller's worst fears.
Technology news
A citizen's dosimeter, and it fits in your wallet
No matter how many plastic cards currently crowd your wallet, one day you may wish to make room for one more. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has developed a miniaturized version of a dosimeter, a portable device used for measuring exposure to ionizing radiation, which can provide life-saving early detection in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident or dirty bomb.
New spinout will develop next generation of semiconductors
A new company set up to revolutionise semiconductors is being launched today 1st July 2011 at the University of Warwick.
Areva, Toshiba invited to bid for new Finnish nuclear plant
Finnish nuclear power company Fennovoima on Friday invited French nuclear giant Areva and Japan's Toshiba to bid for the construction of a new power plant.
Nuclear waste requires cradle-to-grave strategy
After Fukushima, it is now imperative to redefine what makes a successful nuclear power program - from cradle to grave. If nuclear waste management is not thought out from the beginning, the public in many countries will reject nuclear power as an energy choice, according to research that appears today in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Reports say FTC investigating Twitter
(AP) -- Federal regulators are looking into the interactions between Twitter and a company called Ubermedia, which develops applications that help users follow and communicate with each other on Twitter's popular online messaging service, according to two published reports.
Japan's Ricoh to buy Pentax digital camera brand
Japanese office equipment and camera maker Ricoh on Friday said it would buy Hoya Corporation's Pentax digital camera business as it looks to expand its consumer products business.
Blackboard to be taken private in $1.64B deal
(AP) -- Educational software maker Blackboard is being taken private for $1.64 billion in cash by an investor group led by affiliates of Providence Equity Partners.
Group recommends stricter noise levels for Michigan wind farms
As the call for alternative energy grows louder in Michigan and more communities consider wind farms, a group led by a pair of Michigan State University professors has issued a report calling for stricter regulations on noise levels and providing zoning guidelines for local municipalities.
F1 gearing up for new 'green' and 'cool' future
Formula One is preparing itself for a period of progressive change towards greater fuel efficiency, clearer 'green' credentials and much bigger popularity with car makers and racing fans.
'FarmVille' creator Zynga to go public
(AP) -- Zynga, the online game maker behind "FarmVille" and other popular Facebook pastimes, is going public, the latest in a crop of high-valued Internet IPOs expected after LinkedIn Corp. showed that the online networking craze is a hot commodity on Wall Street.
US rules partially against Kodak in Apple dispute
The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a mixed verdict Thursday in Eastman Kodak Co.'s high-stakes patent-infringement dispute with the makers of the iPhone and BlackBerry phones. The ruling disappointed investors.
Apple, Microsoft-led consortium wins Nortel patents
A consortium led by Apple and Microsoft won an auction for some 6,000 patents held by bankrupt Canadian firm Nortel, their $4.5 billion bid beating Google and Intel, Nortel announced on Friday.
'Radar for the human eye': Inexpensive hand-held device detects cataracts at the earliest stages
Cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. But the standard test to detect the cloudy patches in the eye’s lens requires a $5,000 piece of equipment called a slit lamp, and a trained physician to interpret its results -- two things that are often not available in rural and less-affluent parts of the world. But a team of MIT researchers has now developed a simple device that can clip onto an ordinary smartphone (or smart device such as an iPod) and provide a diagnosis of cataracts within a few minutes.
Engineers work to ease Internet data flow as demand for video grows
(PhysOrg.com) -- Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Skype have become household names as demand soars for movies, television shows, amateur videos, and video calls delivered via the Internet and mobile networks. As a result, this enormous thirst for moving pixels is fast outpacing the capacity to supply video to viewers' screens.
Disabled Japanese man begins robo-suit adventure
A disabled Japanese man on Friday embarked on an ambitious trip that will take him to a mediaeval French World Heritage site with the help of a cutting-edge robotic suit.
Toyota comissions a Prius bike
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Toyota Prius is coming up on its 10-year anniversary and in order to celebrate the company has chosen an unusual route; they have commissioned the creation of a bicycle. The bike, which is being created by the Parlee Cycles company, is designed to work with the Prius design principles of environmentally sustainability. This is a solid match, since both of the companies are known for working on sustainable design and transportation technology.
Google in talks to buy Hulu: report
Google is in preliminary talks to acquire the online video site Hulu, the Los Angeles Times reported on its website Friday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the discussions.
Security experts warn of new 'almost indestructible' TDL-4 botnet threat
(PhysOrg.com) -- Security experts Sergey Golovanov and Igor Soumenkov of Kaspersky Lab have detailed the threats of a new strain of the TDSS botnet, dubbed TDL-4, on SECURELIST, calling it likely the most sophisticated botnet to date, and describing it as almost indestructible.
Medicine & Health news
Study shows fast track total hip replacement surgery is effective and safe
Generally healthy patients who undergo total hip replacement (THR) can be fast tracked to be discharged in two days compared with the standard three to six days, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City. The study could help cut down on hospital-acquired infections, reduce hospital costs and improve patient satisfaction.
PACS improves radiologists' use of clinical decision support systems
Integration with a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) improves radiologists' use of clinical decision support tools, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Research examines dentists' role in painkiller abuse
The Obama administration turned a bright spotlight on prescription painkiller abuse in April when the Office of National Drug Control Policy released a national action plan and a statement from Vice President Joe Biden. With a cover article in the July edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), dentists focus that spotlight on themselves both as major sources of opioid drugs and as professionals with largely untapped power to recognize and reduce abuse.
Self-referral: A significant factor in imaging growth
A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology suggests that self-referral in medical imaging may be a significant contributing factor in diagnostic imaging growth.
Treating depression one step at a time
(Medical Xpress) -- One in six people worldwide will experience depression over the course of a lifetime. This alarming fact has led to recent research by Dr. Paul Biegler from the Center for Human Bioethics at Monash University. Dr. Biegler argues that the under use of psychotherapy, and the over-prescription of antidepressants, is cause for serious ethical concern.
Obese Mexican-Americans lack diet, exercise advice from doctors
Only half of obese Mexican-American adults receive diet and exercise advice from their physicians, although obesity is on the rise for this group.
Study shows varying support needs of cancer patients
Organizations offering peer support services to people with cancer should be aware of the varying needs of patients, according to a new study.
Pediatric urologist develops procedure to eliminate scarring in kidney surgeries
Surgery and all its implications can be scary, especially so for pediatric patients and their parents who dread sometimes disfiguring scars.
Health providers should emphasize breast cancer screening, research finds
Wayne State University researchers believe medical practitioners can help reduce the number of breast cancer deaths among low-income African-American women by more effectively educating their patients about the importance of mammography screening.
A VIP for normal brain development
led by Pierre Gressens, at Inserm U676, Paris, France, and Vincent Lelièvre, at CNRS UPR-3212, Strasbourg, France -- has identified a signaling pathway key for normal brain development in the mouse. Of paramount importance, the data generated suggest that environmental factors, including maternal ones, can influence the final size of the brain.
Potential of simple injection on patients with head injury
New research has suggested that tranexamic acid has the potential to prevent people dying from head injuries.
Extended sleep improves the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players
Young basketball players spend hours dribbling up and down the court aspiring to NBA stardom. Now, new Stanford University School of Medicine research suggests another tactic to achieving their hoop dreams: sleep.
Targeting the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors
The Max Cure Foundation and the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation have partnered to establish a fund in pediatric cancer research. With that goal in mind, the two Foundations are proud to announce the award of $100,000 to Erwin G. Van Meir, Ph.D., of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Van Meir's research aims to reprogram Ewing sarcoma using a small molecule that will target the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) oncoprotein.
All TV and no talking makes Jack a dull boy
By encouraging reading, talking and playing, providing a range of books and toys, visiting a library, keeping TV time to a minimum and taking their child to preschool, parents can dramatically improve their child’s language skills and readiness for school.
Bacterial imbalances linked to deadly disease that strikes infants
New findings by the University of Florida may help lead to a cure for a deadly disease that primarily afflicts premature newborns.
Treatment approach to human Usher syndrome: Small molecules ignore stop signals
Usher syndrome is the most common form of combined congenital deaf-blindness in humans and affects 1 in 6,000 of the population. It is a recessive inherited disease that is both clinically and genetically heterogeneous. In the most severe cases, patients are born deaf and begin to suffer from a degeneration of the retina in puberty, ultimately resulting in complete blindness. These patients experience major problems in their day-to-day life. While hearing loss can be compensated for with hearing aids and cochlea implants, it has not proven possible to develop a treatment for the associated sight loss to date. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany have now developed a new treatment approach to this disease.
Research reveals new secret weapon for Le Tour
Winning margins in the Tour de France can be tight – last year just 39 seconds separated the top two riders after more than 90 hours in the saddle. When every second counts, riders do everything possible to gain a competitive advantage – from using aerodynamic carbon fibre bikes to the very latest in sports nutrition.
Russia to resume buying Spanish, Danish vegetables
(AP) -- Russia has lifted a ban on vegetable imports from Spain and Denmark that was put in place amid an E. coli outbreak in Europe, the country's consumer rights watchdog said Friday.
Evolution of sport performances follows a physiological law
Geoffroy Berthelot and Stephane Len, both researchers at the IRMES (Institut de Recherche bioMédicale et d'Epidemiologie du Sport at INSEP, Paris, France), have published their findings in Age, the official journal of the American Aging Association, describing the evolution of performances in elite athletes and chess grandmasters. This article is congruous with the epidemiological approaches developed by the laboratory, and suggests that changes in individual performance are linked to physiological laws structuring the living world.
Copper reduces infection risk by more than 40 percent
Professor Bill Keevil, Head of the Microbiology Group and Director of the Environmental Healthcare Unit at the University of Southampton, has presented research into the mechanism by which copper exerts its antimicrobial effect on antibiotic-resistant organisms at the World Health Organization's first International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC).
Learning collaborative approach can enhance integration of behavioral, general medical services
(Medical Xpress) -- The successful use of a learning collaborative approach in a national initiative to promote integration of care between community health centers (CHCs) and community mental health centers (CMHCs), is reported in the July issue of the American Psychiatric Association’s journal Psychiatric Service. Current regulatory and reimbursement separation of CHCs and CMHC, which create a safety net for Americans with low incomes, can be particularly problematic for people with serious mental illness, who have increased rates of premature mortality.
Health insurance doesn't always protect people from medical debt
In 2010, about 40 percent of Americans -- or 73 million people -- had trouble paying medical bills, up from 34 percent in 2005. Now, a new study confirms that having health insurance coverage is no guarantee against accumulating medical debt for working-age adults. Not surprisingly, the study likewise finds that both medical debt and lack of insurance coverage lead to reduced access to health care.
The Medical Minute: Fireworks -- beautiful but only for professionals
The Fourth of July is a time for celebration across the country and fireworks are a crowd favorite each year. While fireworks can be fun to watch, they also can be very dangerous.
Probing Question: Why the USDA changed its nutritional guidelines
First Lady Michelle Obama may be remembered for toppling a pyramid. A food pyramid, that is -- the longstanding icon of the USDA’s official nutritional recommendations for the American public.
Toy teaches autistic children positive play
A responsive, mechanised toy designed especially for autistic children six months and up has been created to teach positive play behaviours.
Gene mutation contributes to leukemia by enhancing function of blood stem cells
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York University have discovered how a mutation in the gene known as TET2 contributes to the development of some leukemias. When a mutation in TET2 occurs, it enhances the function of blood stem cells in the bone marrow, causing them to renew themselves more efficiently than normal blood stem cells. This results in a greater number of mutant cells than normal blood stem cells, a condition that leads to leukemia.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome challenges patients, medical professionals
(Medical Xpress) -- We all get a little tuckered out now and then, but when that tired feeling doesn’t go away with what’s considered normal rest and relaxation there are a myriad of medical conditions that can be the root cause, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
Gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori protects against asthma
Infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma, immunologists from the University of Zurich have demonstrated in an animal model together with allergy specialists from the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Their results published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation confirm the hypothesis recently put forward that the dramatic increase in allergic diseases in industrial societies is linked to the rapid disappearance of specific micro-organisms that populate the human body.
Researchers test benefit of fish oil in bowel cancer spread
Researchers from the University of Leeds will carry out a series of experiments to see whether fish oil can prevent or treat the spread of bowel cancer to the liver.
Delayed access to tertiary care associated with higher death rate from type of pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)―scarring and thickening of the lungs from unknown causes―is the predominant condition leading to lung transplantation nationwide. Columbia University Medical Center researchers confirmed that delayed access to a tertiary care center for IPF is associated with a higher risk of death. The findings were published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine on June 30, 2011.
Foods with baked milk may help build tolerance in children with dairy allergies
Introducing increasing amounts of foods that contain baked milk into the diets of children who have milk allergies helped a majority of them outgrow their allergies, according to a study conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Jaffe Food Allergy Institute. The data are reported in the May 23 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Mutations can spur dangerous identity crisis in cells
As our bodies first form, developing cells are a lot like children put on the school bus with their names and addresses pinned to their shirts.
American snacking habits to blame for obesity: study
(Medical Xpress) -- In a new study published in PLoS Medicine, researchers have shown that it is not only the American habit of “super-sizing” meals that is leading to obesity, but the number of snacks and meals that are being eaten throughout the day.
New class of antiangiogenesis drugs identified
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have discovered the first of an entirely new class of antiangiogenesis drugs – agents that interfere with the development of blood vessels. In a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition, the investigators describe how a compound derived from a South American tree was able, through a novel mechanism, to interfere with blood vessel formation in animal models of normal development, wound healing and tumor growth.
Key immune substance linked to asthma, study finds
Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have linked a master molecule of the immune system, gamma-interferon, to the pathology of asthma, in a study of mice. This somewhat surprising finding — the key immune molecule has often been assumed to steer the immune system in a different direction from the cluster of allergic disorders to which asthma belongs — could lead to new treatments for the disease.
Biology news
Seabird campaign highlights value of species identification
(PhysOrg.com) -- The identification and classification of species (taxonomy) and its value as a scientific discipline has been brought into focus with the continuing fight to save an endangered seabird from extinction, says a University of Derby biologist.
Sweetpotato foundation seed tested in commercial operations
Sweetpotato is gaining popularity in the United States, where health-conscious consumers have created increased demand for the tasty, versatile food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, per capita consumption of the crop increased over 24% from 1998-2008 and the value of the U.S. sweetpotato crop in 2009 exceeded $400 million.
Extending the vase life of cut flowers: Pre-treatments and preservatives studied
Each year, a wide variety of new cut flower cultivars and species are evaluated in trials administered by North Carolina State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. The research, conducted at about 50 locations in the United States and Canada, provides valuable production and marketing information.
New strawberry a delight for gardeners
A new, versatile strawberry has been introduced for home gardeners. 'Roseberry' is predicted to be very popular as an ornamental addition to gardens. The strawberry features attractive pink blooms and produces sweet, aromatic fruit all summer long. Because it produces flowers and fruits on stolons before they root, 'Roseberry' works equally well in hanging baskets and when planted as groundcover. 'Roseberry' premiered in HortScience.
Climate change could turn oxygen-free seas from a blessing to a curse for zooplankton
Zooplankton can use specialised adaptations that allow them to hide from predators in areas of the ocean where oxygen levels are so low almost nothing can survive - but they may run into trouble as these areas expand under climate change.
'Goat plague' threat to global food security and economy must be tackled, experts warn
"Goat plague," or peste des petits ruminants (PPR), is threatening global food security and poverty alleviation in the developing world, say leading veterinarians and animal health experts in this week's Veterinary Record.
Spider's double beating heart revealed by MRI
Researchers have used a specialised Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner on tarantulas for the first time, giving unprecedented videos of a tarantula's heart beating.
New study documents first cookiecutter shark attack on a live human
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study co-authored by University of Florida researchers provides details on the first cookiecutter shark attack on a live human, a concern as warm summer waters attract more people to the ocean.
New study suggests severe deficits in UK honeybee numbers
A study published by the University of Reading's Centre for Agri Environmental Research suggests that honeybees may not be as important to pollination services in the UK than previously supposed. The research was published in the Journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.
Global plant database set to promote biodiversity research and Earth-system sciences
The world's largest database on plants' functional properties, or traits, has been pub-lished. Scientists compiled three million traits for 69,000 out of the world's ~300,000 plant species. The achievement rests on a worldwide collaboration of scientists from 106 re-search institutions. The initiative, known as TRY, is hosted at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena (Germany). Jointly coordinated with the University of Leipzig (Germany), IMBIV-CONICET (Argentina), Macquarie University (Australia), CNRS and University of Paris-Sud (France), TRY promises to become an essential tool for biodiversity research and Earth-system sciences.
New technique advances bioprinting of cells
Ever since an ordinary office inkjet printer had its ink cartridges swapped out for a cargo of cells about 10 years ago and sprayed out cell-packed droplets to create living tissue, scientists and engineers have never looked at office equipment in quite the same way. They dream of using a specialized bio-inkjet printer to grow new body parts for organ transplants or tissues for making regenerative medicine repairs to ailing bodies. Both these new therapies begin with a carefully printed mass of embryonic stem cells. And now there's progress on getting that initial mass of stem cells printed.
E. coli can survive in streambed sediments for months
Studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have confirmed that the presence of Escherichia coli pathogens in surface waters could result from the pathogen's ability to survive for months in underwater sediments. Most E. coli strains don't cause illness, but they are indicator organisms used by water quality managers to estimate fecal contamination.
Adoptions and offspring swapping stun kangaroo researchers
Kangaroos adopt. It doesn't happen often, but to the astonishment of biologists at Wilsons Promontory National Park in Australia, sometimes a mother bends forward, opens her arms and invites someone else's youngster to hop into her pouch.
Environs prompt advantageous gene mutations as plants grow; changes passed to progeny
If a person were to climb a towering redwood and take a sample from the top and bottom of the tree, a comparison would show that the DNA are different.
Study sheds light on tunicate evolution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) researchers have filled an important gap in the study of tunicate evolution by genetically sequencing 40 new specimens of thaliaceans, gelatinous, free-swimming types of tunicates. Their study was featured on the cover of the June issue of the Journal of Plankton Research.
Auto-pilots need a birds-eye view
New research on how birds can fly so quickly and accurately through dense forests may lead to new developments in robotics and auto-pilots.
Papuan weevil has screw-in legs
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research has found that humans were not the first species to invent the nut and bolt mechanism for screwing one thing to another: weevils do the same to attach their legs to their bodies instead of using the more familiar ball-and-socket joint.
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