Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 29, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Cows may hold the key to greener fuels- Metamaterials used to mimic the Big Crunch
- Volkswagen demonstrates "Temporary Auto Pilot" (w/ Video)
- Twitter to serve up ads with 'Promoted Tweets'
- Tuning in to noisy interference
- Breakthrough lights way for RNA discoveries
- Climate models make too hot forecasts of global warming
- Visualizing the flow of molten rock through seabed mantle
- Seals mating at sea give beachmaster the slip
- Webb telescope technologies already helping human eyes
- Russia may lose 30% of permafrost by 2050
- Scientists build battery in a nanowire
- Physicists report progress in understanding high-temperature superconductors
- Insect virus holds the key to safer stem cell therapy
- Tequila plant could fuel vehicles and help reduce emissions
Space & Earth news
SOHO watches a comet fading away
On Nov. 4, 2010, NASA's EPOXI spacecraft came within 450 miles of Comet Hartley 2, a small comet not even a mile in diameter, which takes about six and a half years to orbit the sun. Designated officially as 103P/Hartley 2, the comet thus became the fifth for which scientists have collected close-up images.
Neiker-Tecnalia to adapt software to undertake life-cycle analysis of wine and grape-growing
Researchers at the Basque Institute For Agricultural Research and Development (Neiker-Tecnalia) are to develop a computer tool - already tried out in other sectors – applied to the requisites of the wine and grape-growing industry (including legal and market conditions, ecolabelling, Carbon Footprint, etc). The software, amongst other functions, will manage the main environmental impact of and will incorporate the Best Available Techniques for grape-growing and wine production. The computer tool will contribute to improving the competitiveness of viticulture companies and will favour sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental aspects.
New study outlines economic and environmental benefits to reducing nitrogen pollution
A new study co-authored by Columbia Engineering professor Kartik Chandran and recently published in the journal, Environmental Science & Technology, shows that reducing nitrogen pollution generated by wastewater treatment plants can come with "sizable" economic benefits, as well as the expected benefits for the environment.
EPA targets air pollution from gas drilling boom
(AP) -- Faced with a natural gas drilling boom that has sullied the air in some parts of the country, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed for the first time to control air pollution at oil and gas wells, particularly those drilled using a method called hydraulic fracturing.
Visualizing the flow of molten rock through seabed mantle
New information about how most of the Earth’s crust formed has been uncovered by investigators who utilized the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory to obtain unprecedented, three-dimensional x-ray images of melted rock. Their results, published in the journal Science, offer a more sophisticated picture of rock porosity and a resolution of the discrepancy between permeability and melt velocity.
Climate models make too hot forecasts of global warming
Data from NASA's Terra satellite shows that when the climate warms, Earth's atmosphere is apparently more efficient at releasing energy to space than models used to forecast climate change have been programmed to "believe."
Webb telescope technologies already helping human eyes
Even while construction of the James Webb Space Telescope is underway on the most advanced infrared vision of any space observatory, its technologies are already proving useful to human eye health here on Earth.
Russia may lose 30% of permafrost by 2050
Russia's vast permafrost areas may shrink by a third by the middle of the century due to global warming, endangering infrastructure in the Arctic zone, an emergencies ministry official said Friday.
Technology news
Averting bridge disasters: New technology could save hundreds of lives
Millions of U.S. drivers cross faulty or obsolete bridges every day, highway statistics show, but it's too costly to fix all these spans or adequately monitor their safety, says a University of Maryland researcher who's developed a new, affordable early warning system
Oracle to HP: Core of lawsuit 'complete fiction'
(AP) -- Oracle says a former Hewlett-Packard executive has been falsely accused of stealing trade secrets in one of several ongoing legal skirmishes between the two technology heavyweights.
Chinese firm Alibaba announces new smartphone OS - Aliyun
Alibaba Group, a Chinese e-commerce company has announced the development of a new OS for smartphones; called Aliyun, it will initially run on the K-Touch Cloud-Smart Phone W700, built by Beijing Tianyu Communications, a Chinese handset maker.
Chevrolet harnesses sun to power volts, dealerships
Chevrolet is harnessing the power of the sun to install solar-powered electric charging stations for its Volts at dealerships in North America. The Green Zone initiative will generate electricity equivalent to 12 full vehicle charges per day and excess electricity created will help supplement the dealership’s power needs.
Twitter to serve up ads with 'Promoted Tweets'
Twitter said Thursday that it will begin placing advertisements known as "Promoted Tweets" in the timelines of users who follow a particular brand or company.
Put the brakes on using your brain power
German researchers have used drivers' brain signals, for the first time, to assist in braking, providing much quicker reaction times and a potential solution to the thousands of car accidents that are caused by human error.
Debt fight could bring more airwaves for broadband
(AP) -- The debt ceiling battle could produce an unlikely winner: smartphone users.
Sun-free photovoltaics
A new photovoltaic energy-conversion system developed at MIT can be powered solely by heat, generating electricity with no sunlight at all. While the principle involved is not new, a novel way of engineering the surface of a material to convert heat into precisely tuned wavelengths of light — selected to match the wavelengths that photovoltaic cells can best convert to electricity — makes the new system much more efficient than previous versions.
Tequila plant could fuel vehicles and help reduce emissions
In an article published today in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, plant physiologist Dr Daniel Tan and his University of Oxford collaborators have analysed the potential to produce bioethanol (biofuel) from the agave plant, a high sugar succulent widely grown in Mexico to make the alcoholic drink tequila.
The siren song of Google+
Google+, which launched a month ago to great fanfare, is so far feeling more like Google nonplussed. Reported to have crossed the 20-million-user mark last weekend, the new social networking site is designed to correct one of Facebook's major drawbacks: the problem of too much information being shared with too many people.
Cows may hold the key to greener fuels
Scientists in Scotland are turning to cows and the tiny organisms and enzymes found in their stomachs for a potential way to create industrial products such as biofuels from plant waste and plan to unveil their ideas at a presentation next month in Edinburgh.
Volkswagen demonstrates "Temporary Auto Pilot" (w/ Video)
Volkswagen, the German car manufacturer who has stated its goal of becoming the largest car maker in the world, has demoed a new addition to the growing list of driver assisted automobile test features from a variety of car makers. The new system, called Temporary Auto Pilot (TAP) uses production ready technology to assist drivers during times of inattention, thereby hopefully reducing accidents.
Medicine & Health news
Packing on pounds riskier for South Asians
It's not fair, but it's true. A new study by researchers at McMaster University has found that some ethnic groups are more likely to be adding dangerous fat onto their internal organs like their liver when they gain weight, while others just add it to their waistline.
Best post-transplant drug regimen identified for patients with new kidneys
For the thousands of patients who receive kidney transplants in the United States each year, preventing organ rejection without compromising other aspects of health requires a delicate balance of medications. Immunosuppresive drugs that protect transplanted organs can also cause serious side effects, including compromising patients' immunity to infection, cancer, and other threats. Finding the best combination and dosage of drugs has often proved difficult for physicians.
Hospice improves care for dementia patients and their families
Hospice services substantially improved the provision of care and support for nursing home patients dying of dementia and their families, according to an analysis of survey responses from hundreds of bereaved family members. The research comes as hospice funding has received particular scrutiny in the debate over Medicare spending.
Breast screening has had little to do with falling breast cancer deaths
Breast cancer screening has not played a direct part in the reductions of breast cancer mortality in recent years, says a new study published on bmj.com today.
Progressive telomere shortening characterizes familial breast cancer patients
Telomeres, the complex structures that protect the end of chromosomes, of peripheral blood cells are significantly shorter in patients with familial breast cancer than in the general population. Results of the study carried out by the Human Genetics Group of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Javier Benitez, to be published in open-access journal PLoS Genetics on July 28th, reflect that familial, but not sporadic, breast cancer cases are characterized by shorter telomeres. Importantly, they also provide evidence for telomere shortening as a mechanism of genetic anticipation, the successively earlier onset of cancer down generations.
Rate of stroke increasing among women during, soon after pregnancy
The stroke rate for pregnant women and those who recently gave birth increased alarmingly over the past dozen years, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Low blood pressure during dialysis increases risk of clots
A sudden drop in blood pressure while undergoing dialysis has long vexed many kidney patients. Side effects associated with this situation over the long term range from stroke to seizure to heart damage to death. Patients also suffer in the short term with gastrointestinal, muscular and neurologic symptoms.
Judge orders circumcision ban off SF ballot
(AP) -- A judge on Thursday struck a measure from the city's November ballot that called for a ban on most circumcisions of male children, saying the proposed law violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom and a California law that makes regulating medical procedures a function of the state, not cities.
New blog sorts health fact from fiction
McMaster scientists are helping keep tabs on the factuality of public dialogue about health research through a new online publication hosted by Maclean's magazine.
Effects of chewing wild tobacco during pregnancy: study
A University of Queensland PhD scholar is examining the health effects of chewing wild tobacco plants by Central Australian Aboriginal women during pregnancy.
Stoned drivers: UVIC part of study on marijuana impairment
A University of Victoria researcher is a co-investigator for a study on whether drivers who are high on marijuana cause more crashes than sober drivers.
Drug's lasting benefits sees breast cancer deaths down by third
The benefits of using tamoxifen to prevent recurrence of breast cancer after surgery continue to accrue long after women stop taking the drug, a study led by Oxford University has found.
More illness, doctor visits reported in years after Sept. 11
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, changed the way Americans travel and view the world. They may also have made us sicker and more likely to access healthcare services, according to a new UC Irvine study
For healthy break-ups, talking, not tweeting
Boston teens got a solid piece of advice for dealing with break-ups last week: “Face it, don’t Facebook it.”
Linking reading to voice recognition
When people recognize voices, part of what helps make voice recognition accurate is noticing how people pronounce words differently. But individuals with dyslexia don't experience this familiar language advantage, say researchers.
With diabetes, untreated depression can lead to serious eye disease
Patients with diabetes who also suffer from depression are more likely to develop a serious complication known as diabetic retinopathy, a disease that damages the eye’s retina, a five-year study finds.
New testing methods for contaminated sports drinks from Taiwan
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre has developed three new methods to detect an illegal clouding agent which can be found in sports drinks imported from Taiwan.
FDA should invest in developing a new medical device clearance process
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should gather the information needed to develop a new regulatory framework to replace the 35-year-old 510(k) clearance process for medical devices, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The 510(k) process lacks the legal basis to be a reliable premarket screen of the safety and effectiveness of moderate-risk Class II devices and cannot be transformed into one, concluded the committee that wrote the report.
Study shows missed opportunities for HIV diagnosis in emergency departments
New University of Cincinnati (UC) research on HIV testing at local emergency departments shows that hospitals miss opportunities to diagnose patients who do not know they are infected with HIV, even when a regular testing program is in place.
New findings on therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest in children
New Rochelle, NY, July 29, 2011–Intravenous delivery of cold fluids to reduce body temperature quickly after a heart attack and improve neurologic outcomes may not be as effective in children as it is in adults, according to a study reported in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Motorcycle helmets hard on hearing
Motorcycle helmets, while protecting bikers' brains, may also be contributing to hearing loss. Scientists mapped the airflow and noise patterns to find out why.
A gene discovery in truffle dogs sheds new light on the mechanisms of childhood epilepsy
A new epilepsy gene, LGI2, has been found in the Lagotto Romagnolo dogs, known from their gift for truffle hunting. The gene discovery made by Professor Hannes Lohi and his research group at the University of Helsinki and the Folkhälsan Research Center offers a new candidate gene for human benign childhood epilepsies characterized by seizure remission. The research will be published in the prestigious scientific journal PLoS Genetics.
Traumatic brain injury linked with tenfold increase in stroke risk
If you suffer traumatic brain injury, your risk of having a stroke within three months may increase tenfold, according to a new study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Fast ripples confirmed to be valuable biomarker of area responsible for seizure activity in children
New research focusing on high-frequency oscillations, termed ripples and fast ripples, recorded by intracranial electroencephalography (EEG), may provide an important marker for the localization of the brain region responsible for seizure activity. According to the study now available in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the resection of brain regions containing fast ripples, along with the visually-identified seizure-onset zone, may achieve a good seizure outcome in pediatric epilepsy.
Laws that encourage healthier lifestyles protect lives and save the NHS money
The introduction of legislation that restricts unhealthy food, for example by reducing salt content and eliminating industrial trans fats, would prevent thousands of cases of heart disease in England and Wales and save the NHS millions of pounds, finds research published on bmj.com .
Childhood virus kills 70 in Vietnam
(AP) -- A health official says a surging outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Vietnam has killed 70 people so far this year and infected more than 23,000, mostly children under 5.
Restoring happiness in people with depression
Practicing positive activities may serve as an effective, low-cost treatment for people suffering from depression, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Duke University Medical Center.
New protein structure model to inhibit cancer
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have developed a new structural model of a protein, which makes it possible to develop more effective drugs to target diseases such as cancer, heart disease and influenza.
A break for bone disease research
Osteoporosis is the reduction in bone strength that occurs during aging, which increases the chance of elderly people experiencing breaks. A genome-wide association study in the Japanese population has revealed that a genomic variant within a newly identified gene, which the discoverers have named FONG, enhances susceptibility to osteoporosis.
Grapes protect against ultraviolet radiation
Some compounds found in grapes help to protect skin cells from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, according to a study by researchers from the University of Barcelona and the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council). The study supports the use of grapes or grape derivatives in sun protection products.
A major step forward in fighting superbugs
New research has identified a novel mechanism by which humans can defend themselves against the well known hospital superbug, Clostridium difficile. The study provides us with critical information for the development of therapies for the treatment of the infection caused by this bacterium.
Research seeks to improve Schizophrenia treatment
Everyday tasks such as going to work or connecting with friends require us to have a certain level of motivation to carry out those actions, but people suffering from schizophrenia often lack this drive. Associate Professor of Psychology David Gard is leading an innovative study that could yield new treatment options for people with this mental health condition.
British chronic fatigue scientists get 'death threats'
British researchers looking at the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome have received death threats from protesters angry at their focus on possible mental triggers, a report said Friday.
REM sleep behavior disorder is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease
Patients suffering REM sleep behaviour disorders dream nightmares in which they are attacked and pursued, with the particularity that they express them by screaming, crying, punching and kicking while sleeping. Lancet Neurology has published the third consecutive work in five years about the relationship between this disorder and Parkinson's disease.
Nigeria parents risk jail for skipping polio shots
(AP) -- Officials in northern Nigeria say parents who do not allow their children to be vaccinated against polio now risk jail time for defying a government order.
Increasing the potency of HIV-battling proteins
If one is good, two can sometimes be better. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have certainly found this to be the case when it comes to a small HIV-fighting protein.
Biology news
Soybean genetic treasure trove found in Swedish village
The first screening by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists of the American ancestors of soybeans for tolerance to ozone and other stresses had an eye-opening result: The world superstars of stress resistance hailed from a little village in far northern Sweden, called Fiskeby.
Public divided over how to manage invasive animal and plant species on Cumberland Island
Visitors to Cumberland Island flock to the barrier island to see its famed feral horses, likely unaware of the damage the wild animals can inflict on the seashore’s ecosystem. Park managers are often in a quandary over what to do about the horses and other invasive species that threaten a local environment. A new study by the University of Georgia could help shed some light on what management methods the public would support—and that could help shape future park policies on how to control damaging invasive species like the island’s charismatic horses.
Saving the world's wheat from rusting
Australia’s wheat crop looks to have been saved from a devastating infestation of rust—for now.
Rare antelope reveals secrets of threatened African forest
A new population of Africa’s most critically endangered forest antelope is living in a highly threatened forest in Northern Kenya, scientists can reveal.
Depletion of the body snatchers: Bad news for marine environment
A recent study conducted for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has determined that 20 percent of hagfish species are at an elevated risk of extinction*. Scientists warn that this figure could be much higher.
Fadang photo makes the cover of major botanical journal
The research efforts of University of Guam scientist Thomas Marler have put Guam's endangered native cycad, Cycas micronesica (fadang is the Chamorro name) on the cover of the June 2011 International Journal of Plant Sciences (IJPS). Published by the University of Chicago Press, IJPS is an important source for researchers looking for new and dynamic articles in the field of botany.
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics: The more they resist, the more they divide
The number of multiresistant strains of bacteria in hospitals is increasing. Bacteria acquire resistance to antibiotics through mutations in their chromosomes and by incorporating new genes, either from the surrounding environment or from other bacteria. Now, a research team at the Portuguese CBA research (University of Lisbon) and the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência has shown that, surprisingly, when both mechanisms of resistance are playing out in the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli), its ability to survive and reproduce is increased. These results are now ublished in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
War on willows
Willows are major environmental weeds of riverbank habitats across much of south-eastern Australia. They obstruct water flow, increase water temperature, change water chemistry and can displace native riverine plant species.
Invasive bugs cause tremendous damage in Maryland
Two invasive insects from Asia are poised to cause millions of dollars in destruction in Maryland and throughout the United States. Although no definitive methods exist to stop them just yet, University of Maryland researchers are studying the threat and trying to develop safe and effective solutions.
Mannan oligosaccharides offer health benefits to pigs
Feeding mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) can fine-tune the immune system of pigs, suggests a new University of Illinois study.
Can you really eat just one?
A Kansas State University genomicist is hoping an old potato chip slogan -- "betcha can't eat just one" -- will become the mindset of researchers when it comes to sequencing insect genomes.
Researchers work to identify how crops may be vulnerable to attack
On farmland around the globe, a silent war rages, between crops and the diseases that attack them. Crop diseases cost the world an estimated $220 billion every year and put millions at risk of starvation.
Dolphins have ability to sense electrical signals
In a new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers reveal the discovery of how the Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis, is able to sense electric fields of prey in the water using structures found on the animals head.
Genetic evidence clears Ben Franklin (w/ Video)
The DNA evidence is in, and Ben Franklin didn't do it. Genetic tests on more than 1,000 Chinese tallow trees from the United States and China show the famed U.S. statesman did not import the tallow trees that are overrunning thousands of acres of U.S. coastal prairie from Florida to East Texas.
Study of golf swings pinpoints biomechanical differences between pros and amateurs
When it comes to hitting a golf ball hard, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified several biomechanical factors that appear to separate the duffers from the pros.
Why plant 'clones' aren't identical
A new study of plants that are reproduced by ‘cloning’ has shown why cloned plants are not identical.
Warming climate could give exotic grasses edge over natives
California’s native grasses, already under pressure from invasive exotic grasses, are likely to be pushed aside even more as the climate warms, according to a new analysis from the University of California, Berkeley.
Insect virus holds the key to safer stem cell therapy
The future of regenerative medicine lies in harnessing the potential of the human body to renew and repair itself. Now, scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world’s first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have developed a new genetic engineering technique that promises safer stem cell therapy for cancer patients. Using an insect virus, the team of researchers successfully inserted a therapeutic gene into a safe site in the DNA of human embryonic stem cells without compromising the functionality of the engineered cells.
Breakthrough lights way for RNA discoveries
The ability to tag proteins with a green fluorescent light to watch how they behave inside cells so revolutionized the understanding of protein biology that it earned the scientific teams who developed the technique Nobel Prizes in 2008. Now, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have developed a similar fluorescent tool that can track the mysterious workings of the various forms of cellular RNA.
Seals mating at sea give beachmaster the slip
Life for elephant seals is nasty and brutish -- but their sex lives are legendary.
This email is a free service of PhysOrg.com
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://www.physorg.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment