Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 20, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Songbirds' learning hub in brain offers insight into motor control- Nanomedicine: Quantum dots appear safe in pioneering study on primates
- Google patent sends ring signals to Project Glass
- Scotland passes turbine test to harness tidal power
- Distinct molecular subtype of prostate cancer identified
- Scientists find new mechanism by which cell signaling pathway contributes to rheumatoid arthritis development
- Drug found for Entamoeba histolytica parasite that is major cause of death worldwide
- Experimental bariatric surgery controls blood sugar with diabetic rats
- Motorola Mobility smartphones face US import ban
- Is it ripe? Carbon nanotube-based ethylene sensor establishes fruit ripeness
- Wrinkle-traveling Clothbot makes its IEEE debut (w/ Video)
- SpaceX rocket launch aborted in last half-second (Update)
- Climate scientists say they have solved riddle of rising sea
Space & Earth news
SpaceX rocket set to blast off, open new space era
A private company is on the verge of making history by launching a spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Troubled freighter drifts toward Great Barrier Reef
A broken-down cargo ship was drifting towards the fringes of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Saturday, with fears of major damage if it were to run aground at the World Heritage-listed site.
Australian authorities race to drifting ship
Australian authorities were racing to secure a cargo ship drifting off the Great Barrier Reef, with one expert saying it was "sheer luck" it had not hit a reef near the World Heritage-listed site.
SpaceX rocket launch aborted in last half-second (Update)
Engineers aborted the launch of a privately built spacecraft on a landmark mission to the International Space Station at the last second Saturday due to a rocket engine problem.
Climate scientists say they have solved riddle of rising sea
Massive extraction of groundwater can resolve a puzzle over a rise in sea levels in past decades, scientists in Japan said on Sunday.
Technology news
Sudden wealth part of Silicon Valley's everyday
(AP) -- In Silicon Valley, where sudden wealth is hardly something new and CEOs favor hoodies over bespoke blazers, Facebook's IPO on Friday didn't bring everyday life to a halt.
New lawsuit takes aim at Facebook privacy
A new lawsuit consolidating several complaints about Facebook's privacy policies was filed Friday in California, seeking damages for US users of the social network for improper tracking.
Pakistan blocks Twitter over contentious tweets
(AP) -- Pakistan blocked the social networking website Twitter for much of Sunday because it refused to remove tweets considered offensive to Islam, said one of the country's top telecommunications officials.
Facebook stock limps into Monday
Facebook resumes trading on Wall Street on Monday with shares being closely watched to see how well they stand on their own after stumbling out of the gate in a historic but lackluster debut.
Nasdaq glitch confuses investors of Facebook IPO
(AP) -- Some investors who thought they had bought Facebook shares at the opening of trading were left without knowing for hours whether they had received the shares.
After flat debut Facebook awaits market verdict
Facebook stumbled on its first trading day as shares ended barely above the starting price, raising questions about what will happen to the share price when the Nasdaq reopens on Monday.
Google gets China OK for Motorola deal
(AP) -- Authorities in China have approved Google Inc.'s bid to buy phone maker Motorola Mobility, clearing the way for the $12.5 billion deal to close early next week.
App scans faces of bar-goers to guess age, gender
(AP) -- A watchful eye has arrived on San Francisco's bar scene, but not to keep you in check. It just wants to check you out.
America expands once again -- digitally, this time
(AP) -- The metaphor is an easy one, overused and perhaps even a bit overwrought. We are forging forward into a digital frontier, leaving convention behind, traveling without guides into an uncharted virtual land where progress and profits are forever around the next bend.
Day after historic IPO, Facebook's Zuckerberg weds
(AP) -- For Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it was quite a week - from birthday, to IPO, to I DO.
Reports: Yahoo nears deal to sell stake in Alibaba
(AP) -- Yahoo Inc. may finally be nearing a deal to sell a part of its prized stake in the major Chinese e-commerce provider Alibaba.
Motorola Mobility smartphones face US import ban
A US commission sided with Microsoft by moving to ban the import of Android-powered Motorola smartphones based on patent infringement complaints by the software colossus.
Google patent sends ring signals to Project Glass
(Phys.org) -- Google's September 2011 patent that was filed for a wearable display device was granted this week, which suggests that its envisioned heads-up display device can be controlled by infrared markers in the form of devices worn on the hands, such as fake fingernails or rings. The patent says, “A wearable marker may take the form of a ring, a bracelet, an artificial fingernail configured to be affixed to a fingernail, a decal configured to be affixed to a fingernail, or a glove, among other possible wearable items."
Scotland passes turbine test to harness tidal power
(Phys.org) -- An underwater turbine being used for harnessing tidal power to generate electricity for homes and businesses has successfully completed its testing period in the island of Eday, one of Orkney’s northern isles. The machine marks the first to be used in Scotland’s ambitious tidal power project, with more turbines at more sites planned. Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) says that the completion of the test period is an encouraging step up in Scotland’s tidal power initiative. The turbine was lowered into position during winter storms as a test device to prove that the technology can operate efficiently in Scotland’s fast-flowing tides.
Medicine & Health news
Researcher apologizes for study of gay therapy
(AP) -- A prominent retired psychiatrist is apologizing to the gay community for a decade-old study that concluded some gay people can go straight through what's called reparative therapy.
ESC Heart Failure Guidelines feature new recommendations on devices, drugs and diagnosis
New recommendations on devices, drugs and diagnosis in heart failure were launched at the Heart Failure Congress 2012, 19-22 May, in Belgrade, Serbia, and published in the European Heart Journal.
Web-based video enhances patient compliance with cancer screening
Patients who watch an online instructional video are more likely to keep their appointments and arrive prepared for a scheduled colonoscopy than those who do not, according to a study by gastroenterologists at the University of Chicago Medicine.
Study evaluates use of inhaled saline for young children with cystic fibrosis
Margaret Rosenfeld, M.D., M.P.H., of Seattle Children's Hospital, and colleagues conducted a study to examine if hypertonic saline would reduce the rate of pulmonary exacerbations in children younger than 6 years of age with cystic fibrosis (CF). Inhaled hypertonic saline is recommended as therapy for patients 6 years or older with CF, but its efficacy has not been evaluated in patients younger than 6 years.
Study examines treatments for relieving breathing difficulties among patients with lung effusions
Helen E. Davies, M.D., of the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, and colleagues compared the effectiveness of treatments to relieve breathing difficulties among patients with malignant pleural effusion (presence of fluid in the pleural cavity [space between the outside of the lungs and the inside wall of the chest cavity], as a complication of malignant disease). The treatments compared were chest tube drainage and talc slurry for pleurodesis (a procedure in which the pleural space is obliterated) vs. indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs).
Four acute mushroom poisonings in two weeks
On September 12, 2011, a Springfield, Virginia man arrived at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) in the early stages of liver failure. The man had mistakenly eaten poisonous mushrooms, handpicked from his yard. He would be the first of four patients in the course of two weeks to seek treatment at MGUH for mushroom (amanitin) poisoning. Their clinical course, management, and outcomes were presented today at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in San Diego, the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
High prevalence of bone disease in patients referred for pulmonary rehabilitation
There is a very high prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis among male patients with pulmonary disease, according to a new study from researchers in California.
Melanoma a big threat to older men
(HealthDay) -- Older men have an increased risk of developing melanoma, but most are careless about sun protection and do not know how to properly check themselves for signs of skin cancer, a new survey reveals.
Statins prevent cancer in heart transplant recipients
Statins prevent cancer and reduce death from all causes in heart transplant recipients. The findings were independent of cholesterol levels.
Discovery of mechanisms predicting response to new treatments in colon cancer
The Stem Cells and Cancer Research Group headed by Dr Héctor G. Palmer at the Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Oncology (VHIO) has identified the molecular mechanisms that determine patients' response to certain drugs used in clinical trials for colon cancer treatment. The study led by VHIO also benefited from the collaboration with Professor Alberto Muñoz´s laboratory at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IIB-CSIC-Madrid). Published today in Nature Medicine, this work identifies biomarkers that predict response to treatment and proposes therapeutic solutions for patients who do not respond well. These advances will guide better selection of treatments and avoid the risk of administering ineffective drugs.
Low-dose CT screening may benefit individuals at increased risk for lung cancer
Peter B. Bach, M.D., of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the evidence regarding the benefits and harms of low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death. "Most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease, resulting in a very low 5-year survival rate," the authors write. "Renewed enthusiasm for lung screening arose with the advent of LDCT imaging, which is able to identify smaller nodules than can chest radiographs."
First, do no harm: Study finds danger in standard treatment for a serious lung disease
A combination of three drugs used worldwide as the standard of care for a serious lung disease puts patients in danger of death or hospitalization, and should not be used together to treat the disease, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to the surprising results of a rigorous independent study.
Sleep apnea associated with higher mortality from cancer: study
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), commonly known as sleep apnea, is associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality, according to a new study.
Prenatal exposure to pollution especially dangerous for children with asthma
The link between prenatal exposure to air pollution and childhood lung growth and respiratory ailments has been established by several studies in recent years, and now a new study suggests that these prenatal exposures can be especially serious for children with asthma.
Treatment of childhood obstructive sleep apnea reverses brain abnormalities
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function, according to a new study.
Study says children exposed to tobacco smoke face long-term respiratory problems
For more than three decades, researchers have warned of the potential health risks associated with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), especially among children whose parents smoke. Now a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona reports that those health risks persist well beyond childhood, independent of whether or not those individuals end up becoming smokers later in life.
Risk factors for an exacerbation-prone asthma phenotype
A number of specific risk factors are associated with an exacerbation-prone phenotype of severe asthma, according to a new study from researchers in Sweden.
Impact of MRSA nasal colonization on surgical site infections after gastrointestinal surgery
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) nasal colonization is associated with longer hospital stays and an increase in surgical site infections (SSI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery, according to a new study from Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple, TX.
Lung cancer CT scans: Just for older heavy smokers
New lung cancer screening guidelines from three medical groups recommend annual scans but only for an older group of current or former heavy smokers.
Relief of urinary symptoms is an underappreciated benefit of early stage prostate cancer treatment
Treatment of early stage prostate cancer can also result in improved quality of life for a subgroup of men who suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), according to an abstract of a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-led study presented to the American Urological Association.
Distinct molecular subtype of prostate cancer identified
A collaborative expedition into the deep genetics of prostate cancer has uncovered a distinct subtype of the disease, one that appears to account for up to 15 percent of all cases, say researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Experimental bariatric surgery controls blood sugar with diabetic rats
For the first time, scientists at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute have shown that an experimental bariatric surgery can lower blood sugar levels in rats with type 1 diabetes.
Scientists find new mechanism by which cell signaling pathway contributes to rheumatoid arthritis development
A new study led by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery identifies the mechanism by which a cell signaling pathway contributes to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, the study provides evidence that drugs under development for diseases such as cancer could potentially be used to treat RA. Rheumatoid arthritis, a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease that can be crippling, impacts over a million adults in the United States.
Drug found for Entamoeba histolytica parasite that is major cause of death worldwide
Research by a collaborative group of scientists from UC San Diego School of Medicine, UC San Francisco and Wake Forest School of Medicine has led to identification of an existing drug that is effective against Entamoeba histolytica. This parasite causes amebic dysentery and liver abscesses and results in the death of more than 70,000 people worldwide each year.
Songbirds' learning hub in brain offers insight into motor control
To learn its signature melody, the male songbird uses a trial-and-error process to mimic the song of its father, singing the tune over and over again, hundreds of times a day, making subtle changes in the pitch of the notes. For the male Bengalese finch, this rigorous training process begins around the age of 40 days and is completed about day 90, just as he becomes sexually mature and ready to use his song to woo females.
Biology news
Malaysia scientist says found new Borneo frog
A Malaysian researcher known for finding new amphibian species said Friday his team had discovered at least one new species of frog in studies he said highlight Borneo's rich biodiversity.
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