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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 27, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- More light shed on how pigeons navigate- Researchers direct the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles into device-ready thin films
- Samsung patent wants to get in user's face
- Folding light: Wrinkles and twists boost power from solar panels
- Cassini finds Saturn moon Phoebe has planet-like qualities
- Study first to show transgenerational effect of antibiotics
- Bejeweled: Nanotech gets boost from nanowire decorations
- Two-legged molecule: A small molecule moves independently along a track
- Space shuttle Enterprise arrives at NYC airport
- Google in talks with insurers about self-driving car
- Slow-growing babies more likely in normal-weight women; Less common in obese pregnancies
- Maintain your brain: The secrets to aging success
- Website address 'revolution' on hold
- 'Ridiculously' dim bevy of stars found beyond Milky Way
- GraphExeter: New graphene-based material could revolutionise electronics industry
Space & Earth news
Australia drought-free for first time in a decade
Australia said it would be officially drought-free next week for the first time in more than a decade, providing relief for struggling farmers.
Brazil to boost military presence to protect Amazon
Brazil will boost its military presence in the Amazon region to protect its huge natural resources from any external threat, Defense Minister Celso Amorim told the Senate.
Image: Orion ground test vehicle arrives at Kennedy
The Orion Ground Test Vehicle arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Operations & Checkout (O&C) Facility on April 21.
Shuttle Enterprise to fly over New York
The US space shuttle Enterprise on Friday leaves the US capital atop a Boeing 747 jet for a final flyover of New York City as it heads toward a museum where it will go on display.
Three astronauts to land from ISS Friday
Three astronauts are due to land on Earth Friday after almost six months on board the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian flight control centre said on its website.
Landsat satellites see Texas crop circles
(Phys.org) -- A water-rich polka dot pattern takes over the traditional rectangular patchwork of fields in this time series animation of 40 years of Landsat images. In the dry Texas panhandle near the town of Dalhart, this transformation is due to center-pivot irrigation, a farming method that improves water distribution to fields. It was invented by farmer Frank Zybach in 1949.
Solution to ancient rock puzzle posited
A superplume, or massive episode of volcanic eruptions that related to extensive melting of the Earth's mantle, could explain the puzzling reappearance of major iron formations long after the rise in atmospheric oxygen about 2.4 billion years ago, which should have prevented iron forming, according to a study published in Nature this week.
UK company to build Sun orbiter
The European Space Agency said on Friday it had awarded a 300-million-euro ($400 million) contract to a British technology firm to build a satellite to examine the Sun from closer up than any before it.
Finding a new Earth: Holy grail of astronomy
(Phys.org) -- Determining the habitability of rocky, Earth-like planets in the universe will be crucial for us as a species, according to scientists from The Australian National University.
Where international climate policy has failed, grassroots efforts can succeed: researchers
The world can significantly slow the pace of climate change with practical efforts to control so-called “short-lived climate pollutants” and by bringing successful Western technologies to the developing world, according to three UC San Diego scientists in the journal Foreign Affairs.
Three astronauts land on Earth from ISS in Russian capsule
Two Russian spacemen and a NASA astronaut touched down safely Friday in the Kazakh steppe aboard a Soyuz capsule after a stay of almost six months aboard the International Space Station.
Atmospheric warming altering ocean salinity
The warming climate is altering the saltiness of the world's oceans, and the computer models scientists have been using to measure the effects are underestimating changes to the global water cycle, a group of Australian scientists have found.
'Ridiculously' dim bevy of stars found beyond Milky Way
(Phys.org) -- A team of American, Canadian and Chilean astronomers have stumbled onto a remarkably faint cluster of stars orbiting the Milky Way that puts out as much light as only 120 modest Sun-like stars. The tiny cluster, called Muñoz 1, was discovered near a dwarf galaxy in a survey of satellites around the Milky Way using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and confirmed using the Keck II telescope, both of which are on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
Cassini finds Saturn moon Phoebe has planet-like qualities
(Phys.org) -- Data from NASA's Cassini mission reveal Saturn's moon Phoebe has more planet-like qualities than previously thought.
Space shuttle Enterprise arrives at NYC airport
(AP) -- Look! Up in the sky! It's a ... space shuttle?
Technology news
Clearwire 1Q revenue drops from 4Q on Sprint deal
(AP) -- Clearwire Corp., which runs a wireless data network, on Thursday reported its first drop in quarter-over-quarter revenue, as a new deal with major customer Sprint Nextel Corp. kicked in.
Olympians sue Samsung over Facebook app
Eighteen US Olympians including swimming greats Mark Spitz and Janet Evans are suing Samsung Corporation, saying its US Olympic Genome Project Facebook app misuses their names and images.
Virtual power plants for renewable energies
Siemens recently put two virtual power plants into operation. Virtual power plants are networks of several small power stations that are run like a single system. One of the new virtual power plants enables the Munich municipal utility company to run six of its cogeneration modules, five hydroelectric facilities, and one wind-power plant more efficiently and economically than if they were operated separately. The facilities have a combined output of 20 megawatts. The second virtual power plant was set up for the utility company RWE and consists of a number of similar components to those in Munich. Although it will initially also have an output of 20 megawatts, the second virtual power plant will be expanded to 200 megawatts by 2015. The key component of each virtual power plant network is the distributed energy management system from Siemens.
Twitter chief meets with US secretary of state
Twitter chief Dick Costolo met on Friday with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as Internet age technologies play growing roles in world affairs.
Discovery of Indian artifacts complicates Genesis solar project
The Feb. 27 letter from the chairman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes was pleading and tough. It asked President Barack Obama to slow the federal government's "frantic pursuit" of massive solar energy projects in the Mojave Desert because of possible damage to Native American cultural resources.
US seizes websites in stolen credit card crackdown
US authorities have ordered the seizure of 36 websites engaged in selling and distributing stolen credit card numbers, officials said Thursday.
FTC hires outside lawyer to steer Google probe
(AP) -- The Federal Trade Commission has hired a prominent trial lawyer to oversee its broad investigation into Google's business practices, signaling the agency is troubled by what it has discovered so far in its year-old probe.
Smartphones fuel Samsung profit to record
(AP) -- A surge in Galaxy smartphone sales fueled earnings at Samsung Electronics to a record high in the first quarter, usually a tough season for the global consumer electronics industry, outshining handset rivals such as Nokia Corp.
Kindle Fire helps Amazon beat 1Q estimates
(AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. posted first-quarter profits Thursday that blew by analysts' estimates and boosted the company's stock in extended trading. The online commerce giant said its Kindle Fire tablet computer was its best-selling item and helped lift revenue from digital movies and books.
Foreign carmakers 'pressed' to launch China brands
Foreign carmakers in China say Beijing is pressuring them to produce dedicated new brands so their local partners can gain technical know-how, but experts warn the strategy could backfire.
Assembly errors quickly identified
If errors creep in during the assembly of components, costly post-processing is often the consequence. Automatic testing is difficult, especially where individual products are concerned. Now there is a new testing system that is flexible and economical, even for smaller production runs. Researchers will be presenting the new technology at the Control trade fair, May 8-11 in Stuttgart.
Eastman Kodak 1Q loss widens
(AP) -- Eastman Kodak Co. said Friday that its first-quarter loss widened on hefty charges related to its reorganization under bankruptcy protection and a drop in sales.
US, Russia plan hotline to prevent cyber war: report
A hotline between the United States and Russia designed to defuse misunderstandings that could trigger a nuclear conflict will likely expand to cover the potential risk of a cyber war, The Washington Post reported Friday.
Yahoo escalates patent battle with Facebook
(AP) -- Yahoo's patent battle with Facebook is getting nastier.
Japan's NEC sees $1.36 billion net loss
Japanese IT firm NEC said Friday it lost $1.36 billion in the year to March as asset write-downs and tax payments hit its bottom line, even as operating profit rose.
Zynga investors worry about growth, shares slump
(AP) -- Shares of Zynga Inc. declined further on Friday, even after the online game maker reported first-quarter results that surpassed Wall Street's expectations. Nervous investors are looking for any signs of a slowdown for the young company, which completed its initial public offering in December.
Lawmakers optimistic about cyber bill prospects
(AP) -- House Republicans and Democrats expressed optimism Friday about sending a cybersecurity bill to President Barack Obama this year despite significant disagreements with the Senate and the White House.
Handheld probe shows promise for oral cancer detection
A team of American researchers have created a portable, miniature microscope in the hope of reducing the time taken to diagnose oral cancer.
Google in talks with insurers about self-driving car
A leader of Google Inc.'s driverless car project said Wednesday that the company is in discussions with major auto insurance companies about the implications of integrating its technology into real-world vehicles.
House OKs cybersecurity bill despite veto threat
The House ignored Obama administration objections Thursday and approved legislation aimed at helping stop electronic attacks on critical U.S. infrastructure and private companies.
Website address 'revolution' on hold
The Internet domain name "revolution" was on hold Friday due to a flaw that let some aspiring applicants peek at unauthorized information at the registration website.
Samsung patent wants to get in user's face
(Phys.org) -- Samsung phones of the future may tell if you are happy, sad, or altogether disgusted. Samsung has filed for a patent on a method and device that can tell a user’s emotions based on facial expressions. The patent, “Method and Apparatus for Recognizing an Emotion of an Individual Based on Facial Action Units” was filed at the USPTO back in October last year but came to light this month. Samsung’s approach will be to use “Action Units” (AUs) to recognize how a person feels.
Medicine & Health news
Doubts over long term impact of group education for diabetes patients
The benefits of a one-off group education programme for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes are not sustained over the long term, concludes a study published on BMJ today.
Holstein with mad cow disease was lame, lying down
(AP) -- The cow that was recently discovered with mad cow disease through routine testing in California had been euthanized after it became lame and started lying down at a dairy, federal officials revealed Thursday.
Work starts on new therapy to prevent Type 1 diabetes
Scientists at King’s College London have launched a project to develop a new therapy for Type 1 diabetes. It is hoped the therapy will control the autoimmune responses that underlie the inflammation that leads to diabetes and prevent it from developing.
Switching on the mommy gene
Although a doting mom cuddling and caressing her infant may not seem to have much in common with a rat mother, she does. Not only are there striking similarities between the brain and hormonal systems of rats and humans that drive maternal behaviour, a U of T Mississauga professor suggests that early negative life experiences such as isolation, stress, trauma or inattentive parenting can affect whether a woman--or a rat--will become a good mother.
Parents cautioned over 'common' brain injury
A newly developed paediatric concussion kit will help parents identify crucial signs of traumatic brain injury (TBI), one of the leading causes of acquired disability and death in children.
'Eat your greens; it's good for your eyes': Investigating truth behind familiar parental battle cry
Parents have long tried to persuade children to eat their greens by promising it will give them better eyesight, but is there any truth to this age-old adage? This is the question an Irish researcher who has just received a funding boost from the European Research Council (ERC) is setting out to answer.
Allergy-detecting device pinpoints disorder in just 20 minutes
Abionic, an EPFL spin-off, has just brought its first round of financing to a close and was selected yesterday by Red Herring as one of Europe’s 100 most innovative companies. Using only a single drop of blood, the system developed by the company can pinpoint allergies in just 20 minutes. The device could be available by 2013.
Dutch ban takes aim at foreigners buying pot
(AP) -- This country of canals and tulips is also famous for "coffee shops" where joints and cappuccinos share the menu. Now, the Netherlands' famed tolerance for drugs could be going up in smoke.
Study finds accreditation improves safety culture at nursing homes
Accredited nursing homes report a stronger resident safety culture than nonaccredited facilities, according to a new study published in the May 2012 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
Mexican woman due to give birth to nine in May
A Mexican woman is due to give birth to six girls and three boys in May, the local media is reporting.
Novel genetic loci identified for high-frequency hearing loss
The genetics responsible for frequency-specific hearing loss have remained elusive until recently, when genetic loci were found that affected high-frequency hearing. Now, a study published today in the open access journal BMC Genetics reports, for the first time, genetic loci with effects that are limited to specific portions of the hearing frequency map, particularly those that are most affected in ageing-related hearing loss.
New health legislation will have 'severe implications' for population data, warn experts
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will have "severe implications" for collecting and monitoring data about the health needs of the population in England, warn experts today.
Bullied children 3 times more likely to self harm
Children who are bullied in childhood are up to three times more likely to self harm up to the age of 12, a study published today on BMJ suggests.
Starting puberty very early carries risks of psychological problems, suggests new review
Girls who start puberty very early are more likely to have psychological problems and be at risk of sexual abuse and early pregnancy, suggests a new review published today (27 April) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).
Not enough is known about prescription drug use in pregnancy, say experts
Prescription drug use during pregnancy is prevalent, however, not enough is known about the adverse effects they may have on the developing fetus, concludes a new review published in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG) today.
Study finds early signs of malaria drug resistance in Africa
Africa's deadliest malaria parasite has shown resistance in lab tests to one of the most powerful drugs on the market -- a warning of possible resistance to follow in patients, scientists said Friday.
Heart surgery safe for compensated cirrhosis patients
(HealthDay) -- Patients with compensated cirrhosis, defined by a Child-Pugh (CP) score of
Adjuvant therapy shows promise in biliary tract cancer
(HealthDay) -- For patients with biliary tract cancers, postresection adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy appears to be beneficial in treating patients with biliary tract cancers, with significant improvement seen for patients with node or margin positivity, according to research published online April 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Thiazolidinediones tied to lower cancer risk in diabetes patients
(HealthDay) -- Thiazolidinediones are associated with a lower risk of liver and colorectal cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the May issue of Hepatology.
Researchers discover genes for fracture susceptibility and osteoporosis risk
(Medical Xpress) -- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute's researchers have played a leading role in a recent study into osteoporosis, more than doubling the number of currently known genes in the disease.
Study finds an on-off switch for angiogenesis
Scientists from the MIRA and MESA+ research institutes at the University of Twente (The Netherlands) have discovered an ‘on/off switch’ for angiogenesis in human tissue. Their research has shown that the growth of new blood vessels can be controlled by using mechanical forces in cells. This discovery is an important step towards making the cultivation of new tissue, or even organs, possible. The researchers recently published their results in the leading scientific journal PNAS.
Deadly decision: Obese drivers are far less likely to buckle up
(Phys.org) -- Obese drivers are far less likely to wear seatbelts than are drivers of normal weight, a new University at Buffalo study has found, a behavior that puts them at greater risk of severe injury or death during motor vehicle crashes.
Exercise gives genes a workout, but can coffee do the same?
Have you ever wondered how you could get more out of your workouts? And have you ever wondered what actually happens to your muscles when you exercise?
Blood cell breakthrough could help treat heart disease
(Phys.org) -- Scientists at the University of Reading have made a groundbreaking discovery into the way blood clots are formed, potentially leading to the development of new drugs to treat one of the world's biggest killer illnesses.
New form of intellectual disability discovered
Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) led a study discovering a gene for a new form of intellectual disability, as well as how it likely affects cognitive development by disrupting neuron functioning.
College students work to sterilize air, kill pathogens on buses
The best place to enjoy a breath of fresh air may be a city bus, if Rice University students have their way. A team of graduating seniors has created a system for public transit that would continually clear the air of pathogens that can lead to tuberculosis (TB), flu and pneumonia.
Fruit flies provide new knowledge about uninhibited cell growth
In a new study, scientists at the University of Copenhagen show that a specific type of carbohydrate plays an important role in the intercellular signalling that controls the growth and development of the nervous system. In particular, defects in that carbohydrate may result in the uninhibited cell growth that characterizes the genetic disease neurofibromatosis and certain types of cancer. The results have just been published in the well-reputed journal PNAS.
New drug to tackle fat problems
Medical researchers at the University of Sheffield have defined the structure of a key part of the human obesity receptor- an essential factor in the regulation of body fat- which could help provide new treatments for the complications of obesity and anorexia.
Childhood socioeconomic status affects brain volume
(HealthDay) -- Childhood socioeconomic status affects hippocampal volume in older adults, after adjusting for adult socioeconomic status, gender, education, and other factors, according to a study published in the May issue of the Annals of Neurology.
Sunscreen use may lead to vitamin D deficiency
(HealthDay) -- Using the amount and sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreen recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is associated with little or no vitamin D production, suggesting that regular sunscreen use may lead to vitamin D deficiency, according to research published online April 18 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Dutch okays mutant bird flu study's publication
The Dutch government on Friday gave a top scientist the green light to publish a research paper in the United States on a mutant killer flu virus, following approval by a US panel of experts.
Genes that promote cartilage healing protect against arthritis
(Medical Xpress) -- The same genes that promote healing after cartilage damage also appear to protect against osteoarthritis, a condition caused by years of wear-and-tear on the cartilage between joints, new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows.
Scientists identify potential biomarker to help diagnose autism
(Medical Xpress) -- Autism is difficult to diagnose because of a lack of specific biological markers and a variability of symptoms, ranging from mild in some individuals to severely disabling in others.
Study first to show transgenerational effect of antibiotics
In a paper published today in Nature's open access journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno report that male pseudoscorpions treated with the antibiotic tetracycline suffer significantly reduced sperm viability and pass this toxic effect on to their untreated sons. They suggest that a similar effect could occur in humans and other species.
Slow-growing babies more likely in normal-weight women; Less common in obese pregnancies
Obesity during pregnancy puts women at higher risk of a multitude of challenges. But, according to a new study presented earlier this month at the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine annual convention, fetal growth restriction, or the poor growth of a baby while in the mother's womb, is not one of them. In fact, study authors from the University of Rochester Medical Center found that the incidence of fetal growth restriction was lower in obese women when compared to non-obese women.
Maintain your brain: The secrets to aging success
Aging may seem unavoidable, but that's not necessarily so when it comes to the brain. So say researchers in the April 27th issue of the Cell Press journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences explaining that it is what you do in old age that matters more when it comes to maintaining a youthful brain not what you did earlier in life.
Biology news
New method shows the best locations in Africa for improving maize yields
By using a combination of geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical analysis, researchers can determine the areas in Africa where the chances of improving the maize harvest are better or worse. LEI, part of Wageningen UR, has developed a method for finding the hot spots and cold spots for maize cultivation.
Rare turtles returned to the Philippines
Thirty-one live turtles, including some rare species, that were smuggled to Hong Kong were flown back to the Philippines on Friday but five others did not live to make the trip, an official said.
New Yorkers bring fish farms to urban jungle
So you recycle, drive a small car, and try to eat organic. But what about running an eco-sustainable fish farm combined with a naturally fertilized vegetable patch in your kitchen?
Purple sea urchin metamorphosis controlled by histamine
Now that hay fever season has started, sufferers are well aware of the effect of histamines. However it is easy to forget that histamine is also a neurotransmitter involved in controlling memories, regulating sleep, and controlling secretion of gastric acid. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Developmental Biology shows that for the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) histamine is also responsible for controlling metamorphosis from a free swimming larval form to the spiny adult living on the sea floor.
US tiger shrimp sightings worry scientists
(AP) -- A big increase in reports of Asian tiger shrimp along the U.S. Southeast coast and in the Gulf of Mexico has federal biologists worried the species is encroaching on native species' territory.
Translocation risks revealed: Scientists develop techniques to avoid repeat of red squirrel catastrophe
Disastrous disease outbreaks like the one which led to the decimation of the red squirrel in Britain can now be avoided through the implementation of new preventive measures developed by UK scientists.
Drought-resistant Argentine soy raises hopes, concerns
Researchers in Argentina have isolated a drought-resistant sunflower gene and spliced it into soy, bolstering hopes for improved yields as the South American agricultural powerhouse grapples with global warming.
Discovery may allow plant breeders to 'switch off' flower production
(Phys.org) -- A research project has discovered a new gene with an important role in generating flower-bearing structures (inflorescences) in plants.
Reef shark populations in steep decline: study
Many shark populations have plummeted in the past three decades as a result of excessive harvesting – for their fins, as an incidental catch of fisheries targeting other species, and in recreational fisheries. This is particularly true for oceanic species. However, until now, a lack of data prevented scientists from properly quantifying the status of Pacific reef sharks at a large geographic scale.
When to have kids: A complex question for hazel dormice
Claudia Bieber from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (FIWI) of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, and fellow scientists analysed a capture-recapture data set on common dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) to investigate the life-history strategy of this species. These small rodents are about the size and weight of a wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), but, unlike their rodent cousins, they hibernate – usually from late September/October to April/May. This is reflected in rather different life history strategies: While wood mice may reproduce any time between February and October and have multiple litters in one season, common dormice give birth to young either as early as possible after waking up from hibernation, or as late as possible, just in time to get the young fit for hibernation. The research findings are published in the current issue of the international journal Oecologia.
Global prices of pollination-dependent products such as coffee could rise in the long term: study
In recent years the economic value of pollination-dependent crops has substantially increased around the world. As a team of researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the Technical University of Dresden and the University of Freiburg headed by the UFZ wrote in an article entitled "Spatial and temporal trends of global pollination benefit" in the open-access journal PLoS ONE the value of ecological pollination services was around 200 billion US dollars in 1993 and rose to around 350 billion US dollars in 2009. For the first time, the researchers were also able to show in which regions of the world pollination plays a particularly important role and agriculture is furthermore particularly dependent upon the pollination carried out by animals.
Mobs rule for great tit neighbours
(Phys.org) -- Great tits are more likely to join defensive mobs with birds in nearby nests that are ‘familiar neighbours’ rather than new arrivals, Oxford University research has found.
New 'bench top' machines open up DNA sequencing
(Phys.org) -- Research carried out by scientists at the University of Birmingham have found that new ‘bench-top’ machines for sequencing DNA are capable of accurately identifying over 95% of a genome, signalling a major breakthrough for the diagnosis of infections caused by bacteria such as E. coli.
lobSTR algorithm rolls DNA fingerprinting into 21st century
As any crime show buff can tell you, DNA evidence identifies a victim's remains, fingers the guilty, and sets the innocent free. But in reality, the processing of forensic DNA evidence takes much longer than a 60-minute primetime slot.
More light shed on how pigeons navigate
(Phys.org) -- Pigeons are renowned for their ability to find their way home from a release point hundreds of miles away, but scientists have never fully understood how they are able to achieve the feat. Now a new study has shed more light on this perennial puzzle.
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