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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for April 6, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- First, fast, and faster- Micromechanical mirror performs under pressure... of light
- Scientists redraw the blueprint of the body's biological clock
- Nanoparticle-delivered RNA interference drug stops head and neck cancer growth
- Research team finds compound that can spur cartilage growth
- Quantum dots provide quantitative profile of pancreatic cancer biomarkers on single cells
- Team finds asteroids were bombarded by iron loving elements too
- Physics group uses graphene to allow electron microscopy of liquid objects
- Scientists identify major source of cells' defense against oxidative stress
- Using radio waves to bake tumors
- Review: Nokia Lumia 900 hindered by software
- New detector design improves gamma-ray measurements
- Scientists forecast forest carbon loss
- Going ape for apps: young orangutan plays with iPad
- Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?
Space & Earth news
Drilling fees pay for new national forest lands
(AP) -- Offshore drilling fees are financing the purchase of $41.6 million worth of new national forest lands in 15 states.
NASA extends Kepler, Spitzer, Planck missions
(Phys.Org) -- NASA is extending three missions affiliated with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. -- Kepler, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the U.S. portion of the European Space Agency's Planck mission -- as a result of the 2012 Senior Review of Astrophysics Missions.
Space astronomy archive, distant supernova, named in honor of U.S. Senator
(Phys.org) -- One of the world's largest astronomy archives, containing a treasure trove of information about myriad stars, planets, and galaxies, has been named in honor of the United States Senator from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski.
NASA jets buzz the capitol
Earlier today, Thursday, April 5, two NASA T-38 jets passed over the Washington, DC metropolitan area, during planned training and photographic flights. The photo above by Paul E. Alers shows the jets flying over the U.S. Capitol building.
EU says airline CO2 tax 'less than a coffee'
The EU's climate commissioner played down the impact of the controversial carbon tax being imposed by the bloc on airlines, saying Friday it would cost less than a cup of coffee per passenger.
Scottish experts assess platform gas leak impact
The Scottish government was sending a marine research vessel Friday to carry out sampling around a North Sea oil platform that is spewing a cloud of potentially explosive gas.
Long-term studies detect effects of disappearing snow and ice
Ecosystems are changing worldwide as a result of shrinking sea ice, snow, and glaciers, especially in high-latitude regions where water is frozen for at least a month each year—the cryosphere. Scientists have already recorded how some larger animals, such as penguins and polar bears, are responding to loss of their habitat, but research is only now starting to uncover less-obvious effects of the shrinking cryosphere on organisms. An article in the April issue of BioScience describes some impacts that are being identified through studies that track the ecology of affected sites over decades.
Long-term research reveals causes and consequences of environmental change
As global temperatures rise, the most threatened ecosystems are those that depend on a season of snow and ice, scientists from the nation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network say."The vulnerability of cool, wet areas to climate change is striking," says Julia Jones, a lead author in a special issue of the journal BioScience released today featuring results from more than 30 years of LTER, a program of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Paint and bombs try to save ships from Titanic fate
We've painted them, tagged them, bombed them, monitored them with radar and watched them from space -- but icebergs like the one that sank the Titanic are still a threat to ships today.
Gravity changes along the Moon
Using detailed topographic information from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, Curtin’s Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) spatial scientists, Dr. Christian Hirt and Professor Will Featherstone, were able to reveal the fine structure of the Moon’s gravity field in brand new detail.
The pit-chains of Mars - a possible place for life?
(Phys.org) -- The latest images released from ESA’s Mars Express reveal a series of ‘pit-chains’ on the flanks of one of the largest volcanoes in the Solar System. Depending on their origin, they might be tempting targets in the search for microbial life on the Red Planet.
How would humans respond to first contact from an alien world?
According to Star Trek lore, it is only 51 years until humans encounter their first contact with an alien species. In the movie “Star Trek: First Contact,” on April 5, 2063, Vulcans pay a visit to an Earth recovering from a war-torn period (see the movie clip below.) But will such a planet-wide, history-changing event ever really take place? If you are logical, like Spock and his Vulcan species, science points towards the inevitability of first contact. This is according to journalist Marc Kaufman, who is a science writer for the Washington Post and author of the book “First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for life Beyond Earth.” He writes that from humanity’s point of view, first contact would be a “harbinger of a new frontier in a dramatically changed cosmos.”
Impact of warming climate doesn't always translate to streamflow
An analysis of 35 headwater basins in the United States and Canada found that the impact of warmer air temperatures on streamflow rates was less than expected in many locations, suggesting that some ecosystems may be resilient to certain aspects of climate change.
Venus found to have aurora type magnetotails
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers studying the planet Venus have found that despite a lack of a magnetic field, the planet has magnetotails, which on Earth are part of the process known as the Northern and Southern Lights. This, as the team describes in their paper published in Science, is due to the solar wind interacting with the planet's ionosphere.
Team finds asteroids were bombarded by iron loving elements too
(Phys.org) -- A team made up of a diverse group of researchers has found after studying the composition of several asteroids that most such planetesimals had an abundance of highly siderophile elements in their mantles suggesting, as the team writes in their paper published in the journal Science, that they were subject to the same inner solar system bombardment by siderophile laden chondrites as were planets, including Earth.
Technology news
Amazon.com shop offers Kindle books in Spanish
Online retail titan Amazon.com on Thursday opened a virtual shop specializing in Spanish-language digital books for its popular Kindle electronic reading tablets.
Airborne prayers problem solved for tech-savvy Muslims
As a frequent flier and devout Muslim, businessman Abdalhamid Evans always comes up against the same challenge in the air: when to say his prayers.
Ubisoft wacky 'Rabbids' hop onto Apple gadgets
French videogame star Ubisoft on Thursday unleashed enchantingly wacky "Rabbids" characters on Apple's coveted iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices.
TDK intros ultra high-Q multilayer inductors
TDK Corporation presented the new MHQ1005P series of multilayer ceramic inductors with a Q factor that, depending on the type, is as good or much better than comparable, but more expensive, wirewound inductors. The new multilayer ceramic components are thus suitable for use in low-loss RF matching circuits in devices such as smartphones and conventional mobile phones. The MHQ1005P, a series is already in mass production.
China shuts political websites in crackdown
Two Chinese political websites said Friday they had been ordered by authorities to shut for a month for criticising state leaders, the latest move in a broad government crackdown on the Internet.
'Mass Effect 3' fans promised expanded ending
Fans of hit videogame "Mass Effect 3" will get "more closure" to the end of the saga in add-on software to be available free for download in the months ahead.
Utah: Medical records breach more extensive
(AP) -- Health officials in Utah say hackers who downloaded thousands of medical files from state computers stole far more personal information than originally thought.
Bravo plans 'Silicon Valley' reality show
(AP) -- Randi Zuckerberg, the sister of Facebook's founder, is working with Bravo on a TV show about Silicon Valley.
Google hopes to revolutionize video chat with 'Hangout' apps
Christine Egy Rose realized she was on to something powerful. Instead of the awkward monosyllabic two-minute exchange her two-year-old son Jackson typically had over a video chat link with relatives, he spent a full 50 minutes happily working on a shared drawing with his grandmother in Florida, using the video chat's embedded drawing feature that Egy Rose was developing.
Yahoo CEO tries to reassure workers after layoffs
(AP) -- Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson plans to tell the struggling Internet company's employees more about his turnaround strategy next week.
Google creates a spectacle with project
(AP) -- If you think texting while walking is dangerous, just wait until everyone starts wearing Google's futuristic, Internet-connected glasses.
Google chief betting big on social and mobile
Google co-founder Larry Page said his first year back at the company's helm has been marked by big bets on social networking and mobile gadgets.
Twitter fights spammers with lawsuit
Twitter on Thursday turned to a US federal court in its latest effort to stop spammers targeting the worldwide one-to-many text messaging service.
Taiwan's HTC says first quarter profit down 70%
Taiwan's top smartphone maker HTC said Friday net profit in the first three months of the year plummeted 70 percent, to the lowest since 2006, owing to falling demand.
Pay by phone: More merchants embrace direct mobile billing
Charge it to my phone. It's the shopper's new mantra as wireless carriers increasingly let users tack on charges - racked up at other online stores - to their phone bills.
Amazon aims to wring deep discounts from publishers
The bad news came to McFarland & Co. in an email from Amazon.com Inc. The world's largest Internet retailer wanted better wholesale terms for the small publisher's books. Starting Jan. 1, 2012 - then only 19 days away - Amazon would buy the publisher's books at 45 percent off the cover price, roughly double its current price break.
Nokia town faces dim future as jobs shift to Asia
(AP) -- Tomi Marjuaho repaired mobile phones for 10 years in the town of Salo in southern Finland, where Nokia, the world's top cell phone-maker, set up its wireless operations in the 1980s.
Researchers develop first silicon wafer-scale 110 GHz phased array transmitter
(PhysOrg.com) -- TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry leader, and The University of California, San Diego, provider of a leading program in microwave, millimeter-wave and mixed-signal RFICs, today announced they have demonstrated the first wafer-scale phased array with 16 different antenna elements operating at 110 GHz frequency range. First time success was achieved for the RFIC using TowerJazz’s own proprietary models, kit and the mmWave capabilities of its 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process, SBC18H3. The device targets applications for automotive radar, aerospace and defense, passive imaging, security, and mmWave imaging. The collaboration of the phased array chip was partly funded by DARPA.
Global manhunt pushes limits of social mobilization
(Phys.org) -- An international team of researchers, including computer scientist Manuel Cebrian from the University of California, San Diego, has won a seemingly impossible challenge: tracking down a group of “suspects” in a jewel heist on two continents in five different cities, within just 12 hours. The goal was to find five suspects. Cebrian’s group, named CrowdScanner, found three. That was far better than their nearest competitor, which located just one “suspect”—at a much later time.
Medicine & Health news
NHS statistics reveal data errors in care records
In a letter published today in the British Medical Journal, authors from Imperial College London NHS Healthcare Trust stress the importance of accurately capturing and coding patient episodes.
Tobacco display ban comes into force in England
A ban on tobacco displays in large shops and supermarkets came into force in England on Friday, meaning such stores must hide cigarettes from public view.
Antibiotics a safe and viable alternative to surgery for uncomplicated appendicitis, say experts
Giving antibiotics to patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis is a safe and viable alternative to surgery, say experts in a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Cognitive therapy helps reduce severity of distress among psychotic patients
Cognitive therapy reduces the severity of psychotic experiences in adults who are at risk of developing conditions such as schizophrenia, a randomised controlled trial published in the British Medical Journal claims.
Long-term neuropsychological impairment is common in acute lung injury survivors
Cognitive and psychiatric impairments are common among long-term survivors of acute lung injury (ALI), and these impairments can be assessed using a telephone-based test battery, according to a new study.
Full weight-Based chemo doses recommended for obese
(HealthDay) -- The American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline on Appropriate Chemotherapy Dosing for Obese Adult Patients With Cancer recommends using full weight-based cytotoxic chemotherapy doses to treat obese patients with cancer, according to an overview published online April 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Taking multivitamins won't prevent canker sores, study says
(HealthDay) -- Although vitamin deficiencies have been linked to canker sores, taking a daily multivitamin won't prevent this common mouth ailment, a new study finds.
A sprinkle of 'pixie dust' reduces post-surgical infection in spine
(Medical Xpress) -- Scattering a gram of powdered antibiotic (vancomycin) directly into a spinal surgery wound appears to be a safe, cost-effective way to achieve low post-operative infection rates, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.
Avoid chemicals in your daily life by going back to the basics
(Medical Xpress) -- Research increasingly points to the products common in our daily lives—including cosmetics and household cleaners—as sources of potentially dangerous chemical exposures. Susan Pinney, PhD, an epidemiologist and associate professor with the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine’s environmental health department, says no one should assume they are safe: "People need to be their own health advocates; consumer products are, in fact, products marketed because they are designed to fill a perceived need of the general population. Regulations are not always as strict as you may assume.”
2009 flu could have echoed 1918
The 2009 H1N1 pandemic had the potential to be as deadly as the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, which killed more than 50 million people, Canada’s chief public health officer said Monday, crediting modern medical science and public health practices for the far-lower mortality.
Scientists unlock cause of congenital birth defects
Australian scientists have discovered for the first time how nature and nurture combine to increase the risk for women of giving birth to a baby with congenital defects, according to a study published today.
Resolutions revisited
(HealthDay) -- Three months into 2012, chances are good that those grand plans for self-improvement hatched at the start of the new year have become more of a dead weight.
Planning pregnancy may cut birth defects
(HealthDay) -- Women who'd like to become pregnant -- especially those who are taking medications for chronic conditions -- may need to add something to their to-do list: Plan, plan, plan.
Methotrexate and azathioprine equally efficacious for eczema
(HealthDay) -- Methotrexate and azathioprine may be equally effective in treating severe atopic eczema in adults, according to a critical appraisal of a study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
Study finds posterior C1 fixation to be safe, accurate
(HealthDay) -- Posterior C1 screw fixation can be performed safely and accurately, without significant hemorrhaging, according to a study published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
Reduction noted in heart rate variability during hot flashes
(HealthDay) -- Women experiencing hot flashes have a significant reduction in heart rate variability during the hot flash, suggesting a role for the autonomic nervous system, according to a study published in the April issue of Menopause.
Predictors identified for rehospitalization among post-acute stroke patients
Stroke patients receiving in-patient rehabilitation are more likely to land back in the hospital within three months if they are functioning poorly, show signs of depression and lack social support according to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston. Hospital readmission for older adults within 30 days of discharge costs Medicare roughly $18 billion annually.
Scientists redraw the blueprint of the body's biological clock
The discovery of a major gear in the biological clock that tells the body when to sleep and metabolize food may lead to new drugs to treat sleep problems and metabolic disorders, including diabetes.
Research team finds compound that can spur cartilage growth
(Medical Xpress) -- A research team from drug maker Novartis has discovered a compound that spurs cartilage growth in mice. As they describe in their paper published in the journal Science, the team has found that when a compound with molecules of kartogenin in it comes in contact with certain kinds of stem cells, chondrocytes develop, resulting in new cartilage growth, possibly paving the way perhaps, to a long sought treatment for osteoarthritis.
Invasive heart test being dramatically overused, study shows
An invasive heart test used routinely to measure heart function is being dramatically overused, especially among patients who recently underwent similar, more effective tests, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Biology news
Two salmon-eating sea lions killed at Bonneville Dam
(AP) -- A Washington state wildlife spokesman says two salmon-eating California sea lions have been captured this week at Bonneville Dam and killed by lethal injection.
Egg Cetera #1: The immortal egg
In the first report of our Egg Cetera series on egg-related research, biologists Dr. Harry Leitch and Professor Azim Surani describe how advances in understanding egg development could transform reproductive and regenerative medicine.
Miami blue butterfly to be declared endangered
The tiny Miami blue butterfly, reduced to a few hundred survivors on isolated islands off Key West, will be formally declared a federally endangered species on Friday.
Whales' signals reveal retreat from ill-fated oil rig
A technique that monitors whales through the sounds they emit has answered a key issue raised by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago this month.
Scientists forecast forest carbon loss
For more than 30 years, scientists at the Harvard Forest have scaled towers into the forest canopy and measured the trunks of trees to track how much carbon is stored or lost from the woods each year. This treasure trove of data is part of the national Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, which is celebrating more than three decades of research this month. This important milestone is marked by six new papers released today in a special issue of the journal BioScience.
Going ape for apps: young orangutan plays with iPad
The young orangutan reaches his hand through the cage and rubs his knuckles over an iPad, drawing wide colors across the screen with his favorite app.
Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research by UCLA life scientists could lead to predictions of which plant species will escape extinction from climate change.
Vomiting caterpillars weigh up costs and benefits of group living
(PhysOrg.com) -- A type of caterpillar which defends itself by regurgitating on its predators is less likely to do so when in groups than when alone, a new study by researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Liverpool has found. Such reluctance is sufficient to cancel out the benefits of being in a group.
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