Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 3, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Focusing the phenotype: Controlling genetic expression through external feedback- Targeting inflammation to treat depression
- Research shows reciprocity an important component of prosocial behavior
- Mathematics or memory? Posterior medial cortex study charts collision course in brain
- Obesity and metabolic syndrome associated with impaired brain function in adolescents
- New study reveals contrasting consequences of warmer Earth
- Tracking fish through a coral reef seascape—Ear-bone 'tree rings' provide evidence of connectivity
- Study: Tigers take the night shift to coexist with people
- Mass spectrometry protein assays that match sensitivity of antibody-based clinical tests may speed drug discovery
- High doses of Vitamin D help tuberculosis patients recover more quickly
- Prenatal maternal smoking associated with increased risk of adolescent obesity
- Study examines association between Parkinson disease, cancer
- Intel does math on oil-dunk test for cooler servers
- China's Baidu to invest $1.6 bn in cloud computing
- Review: Mobile payment needs better compatibility
Space & Earth news
Toxic spill from zinc mine in Peru
(AP)—Peruvian authorities say wastewater laced with heavy metals from a major zinc mine has spilled into a tributary of the Amazon, contaminating at least six miles of the waterway.
Russia fires top space official over launch failures
Russian President Vladimir Putin has fired the chief of a key state-run aerospace bureau following several launch failures, the Kremlin said Monday.
Nigerian community urges action on oil devastation
Nigerians from a region devastated by oil spills on Monday called on the president to take action, more than a year after a UN report said the contamination may require the world's biggest cleanup.
Major world interests at stake in Canada's vast Mackenzie River Basin
The governance of Canada's massive Mackenzie River Basin holds enormous national but also global importance due to the watershed's impact on the Arctic Ocean, international migratory birds and climate stability, say experts convening a special forum on the topic.
Spectacular filament eruption on the sun captured by SDO (w/ Video)
Yikes! Not to be outdone by the Blue Moon, the Sun had some impressive action on August 31, 2012 as well. A solar filament collapsed and and exploded, and the Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the action in dramatic detail. The view in extreme ultraviolet light is simply jaw-dropping! The segment in the 304 angstroms wavelength (where the Sun looks red) covers almost 3 hours of elapsed time.
Australian shipping emissions identified
Ship engine exhaust emissions make up more than a quarter of nitrogen oxide emissions generated in the Australian region according to a recently-published study by CSIRO and the Australian Maritime College in Launceston. Nitrogen oxide is a non-greenhouse gas, unlike similarly named nitrous oxide.
Rapid re-colonization of river after extreme flood event
(Phys.org)—After being virtually wiped out during a flood in 2005 in Wolf Point Creek, Alaska, salmon, meiofauna and most macroinvertebrates all re-colonized within two years, according to research published by University of Birmingham environmental scientists in the journal Nature Climate Change today.
Opportunity rover tops 35 kilometers of driving
Meanwhile, back in Meridiani Planum … the Opportunity rover keeps on trucking, and has now exceeded over 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) of driving on its odometer! Quite an accomplishment for the Energizer Bunny of Mars rovers, now operating for 3,057 Martian sols. As the MER team says, "Not bad for a vehicle designed for only about 1 kilometer (.6 miles) of distance and 90 sols (days) of lifetime."
The Kuiper Belt at 20
Planetary science is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt. That came in 1992, when the first Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) was discovered.
Tracking fish through a coral reef seascape—Ear-bone 'tree rings' provide evidence of connectivity
Ocean scientists have long known that juvenile coral reef fishes use coastal seagrass and mangrove habitats as nurseries, later moving as adults onto coral reefs. But the fishes' movements, and the connections between different tropical habitats, are much more complex than previously realized, according to a study published September 3 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The findings have important implications for management and protection of coral reefs and other marine environments.
Technology news
Solar expertise turns competitors into collaborators
An advanced processing technology being pioneered at UNSW to improve the efficiency of first generation silicon solar cells has turned two of the world's leading solar manufacturers into unlikely collaborators.
Planning tools for maritime shipping
As global flows of goods continue to rise, the demand also rises for available port-related capacity and the logistics that goes along with it. This is true for new seaports in planning and existing ones, too. The biggest challenge of all: the large number of influences that have to be factored in – from roadways and dockside or gantry cranes, truck gates or rail transshipping facilities to lay times or container capacities, and from legal regulations to deadlines. Reliable decision-making calls for a capability to compare and assess different variations with preset key figures, such as space requirements, the number of ground slots needed or CO2 emissions. For these requirements, researchers at the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services CML in Hamburg have come up with the "Toolbased Rapid Planning Environment," or ToolbaRPlannEr for short. This modular software system can efficiently work through complex planning tasks for seaports, port terminals, logis! tics areas and transshipment centers in the hinterland – so-called hinterland hubs.
Inside the hidden web
Looking for information? Google it, right? Maybe not. Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Maureen Henninger is helping journalists, writers and information knowledge management professionals use data mining and data visualisation to unearth new ideas.
Hong Kong company completes purchase of Saab
(AP)—A Hong Kong-owned company says it has completed the acquisition of bankrupt car maker Saab and will move ahead with its business plan to make electric cars under the Swedish brand.
Custom-controlled climate on airplanes
The indoor climate on airplanes is a frequent source of complaints. In the future, passengers should be able to set their own individualized climate and temperature controls and also be able to adjust air supply to their own personal preference. At the ILA Berlin Air Show from September 11 - 16, among other things, researchers will be presenting an airplane seat that is able to provide for these settings.
Mobile perspective in regional public transportation
At the IFA Consumer Electronics Unlimited trade show in Berlin from August 31 - September 5, developers from Fraunhofer's FOKUS will exhibit how to link information to mobile devices and to public displays. The goal is to make the use of public regional transit more convenient and more appealing.
Smarter searching in archives using newly developed interface
Large quantities of data are flowing into archives each day: Newspapers and books are being digitised, whereas video material is being supplied directly in digital format. Search engine technology is therefore growing in importance. All of this digitised material provides a wealth of information for researchers in the humanities and social sciences, but can they also find what they are looking for amongst these so-called 'big data'?
"Intelligent" windows in our future
Windows are a high-tech venture. Empa researcher Matthias Koebel's "Winsmart" project has garnered the attention of EU experts, recently being recognized as the best in its class and receiving about €3.8 million to support development. These "intelligent" windows achieve a new level of air tightness: 30 years. The Winsmart project, which beat 21 competing proposals, is intended to develop technologies that improve the insulating ability of windows made of conventional glass and to add functional properties such as optically "switchable" coatings.
Turbulence ahead
Although the wind may blow smoothly onto a wind turbine, it comes out the other end shredded into a complex collage of whorls, large and small. In a wind farm, the turbulent wake generated by the first row of turbines drives the turbines in the next rows, which produce up to 40% less power and suffer more from bumpier winds. Researchers from EPFL's Wind Engineering and Renewable Energy Laboratory (WIRE) led by Fernando Porté-Agel are developing tools to improve the overall efficiency of wind farms. This July they published their results in two articles in Boundary-Layer Meteorology.
Protection against wing icing
When ice builds-up on the wings of aircrafts, it drives up costs and impedes safety – and in the worst case scenario, could even cause an aircraft to crash. At the ILA Berlin Air Show from September 11 - 16, researchers will demonstrate new ways to keep ice off of the aircraft's wings.
Tycoon delays Russia's first hybrid car launch
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov's auto division announced Monday it was delaying until late 2014 this year's planned launch of the petrol-guzzling country's first hybrid vehicle.
Web-TV: a perfect match?
Do you surf the web in front of the TV, or tweet what you are watching? EU-funded researchers are creating technologies that combine web, social media and TV to enhance our experience and interactions across media.
Swedish official websites hit by cyberattacks
Several Swedish official websites were knocked offline Monday, although no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
When tech companies are suing, they're not innovating
Apple Inc. won a billion-dollar victory in its patent-infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co. last week. But the core of the story may be that Apple is running scared.
California to target Web retailers for sales taxes
The California tax man cometh, and he's headed for the Internet.
Open webOS beta is released with two build environments
(Phys.org)—Last year, there was actually a time when things were looking great for HP's webOS. Under HP's ex-chief Leo Apotheker there was talk of making the webOS a device-compatible platform of choice for cars and appliances. There had been a push, too, to make a business-adoption case for webOS as "enterprise-ready." HP was trying to entice manufacturers and developers who would be willing to climb on board, in growing a webOS ecosystem. That would be making it all the more justifiable to have made an investment in the webOS in the first place, with HP's purchase of Palm at $1.2 billion. Apotheker was holding up the webOS as a superior operating system.
Review: Mobile payment needs better compatibility
For many of us, plastic has replaced cash for everyday shopping. If some technological wizards have their way, your phone will replace plastic one day.
China's Baidu to invest $1.6 bn in cloud computing
China's leading search engine Baidu will invest more than 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in cloud computing over the coming years, its chief financial officer said on Monday.
Medicine & Health news
Brazil abortion stirs controversy
A Sao Paulo court allowed a woman to abort a four-month-old malformed fetus despite Brazil law only granting abortions in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in danger, local media said Sunday.
Lebanon smoking ban takes effect, sparking anger
A smoking ban in all closed public spaces, including coffee shops, restaurants and bars, went into force in Lebanon on Monday under new legislation that promises hefty fines for lawbreakers.
Grass pollen allergy research tackles hay fever
Queenslanders can expect to endure a longer hay fever season than the rest of Australia thanks to flowering subtropical grasses.
Disabled athletes face segregation in coaching researchers say
Researchers from our Department of Education say attitudes in coaching towards disabled people need to change in order for more people to engage in sport.
Molecular signature of hantavirus infection in humans decoded
German scientists at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Labor Berlin GmbH have succeeded in clarifying the molecular signature of the viruses that lead to an increasing size and number of hantavirus outbreaks in Germany.
Valeant agrees to pay about $2.6B for Medicis
(AP)—Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. has agreed to buy dermatology products maker Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. for about $2.6 billion in cash in a deal to strengthen its position in skin treatments and care.
Medical marijuana backers seek inroads in South
(AP)—The home state of the president who didn't inhale has become an unlikely front in the battle over medical marijuana.
There's an app for that: Apple iPod Touch helps adults with autism function in the workplace
Only 15% of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States have some form of paid work. Difficulties related to cognition, behavior, communication, and sensory processing can impact their ability to attain and retain employment. Now investigators report the task management and organizational features on personal digital assistants (PDAs) can help people with ASD function more successfully in the workplace. They have published case studies in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation demonstrating the use of Apple iPod touch PDAs as vocational supports.
'Triple-threat' approach reduces life-threatening central line infections in children with cancer
Hospitals can dramatically reduce the number of life-threatening central line infections in pediatric cancer patients by following a set of basic precautions, by encouraging families to speak up when they observe noncompliance with the protocol and by honest analysis of the root cause behind every single infection, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study.
Patients underestimate risk of deep vein thrombosis, say researchers
(Medical Xpress)—Many people going into hospital have concerns about contracting the hospital acquired infection MRSA, yet the risk of acquiring - and dying from – hospital acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) is much greater, warn scientists at the University of Birmingham.
Stem cell-powered implant set to revolutionize orthopedic surgery (w/ Video)
Scientists at the University of Glasgow are working to harness the regenerative power of stem cells to improve orthopaedic implant surgery.
How much is too much? UT expert offers tips on kids' extracurricular activities
Involving children in extracurricular activities builds greater self-esteem and leadership skills. Children learn teamwork, do better in school, and stay healthier.
Timing crucial in achieving pregnancy
A survey of women seeking fertility assistance to become pregnant found most did not know which days of the menstrual cycle they were fertile and most likely to conceive.
Tapping the body to fight disease
Biju Parekkadan saw his future in the plight of a newborn thousands of miles away.
Bringing the psych lab online
The Internet has already fundamentally changed the way that people communicate, shop, and even date, but now it is poised to revolutionize psychological studies by enabling researchers to quickly and easily recruit thousands of study volunteers from around the world, and by changing the way the public interacts with researchers.
Texas Tech researcher cites complacency, apathy for recent West Nile outbreak
(Medical Xpress)—With almost 1,600 cases of West Nile Virus and 66 mortalities reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nationwide, officials are calling the recent West Nile virus outbreak the largest ever seen in the United States.
Study finds new neural brain-to-bone pathway controlling skeletal development
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that a neuronal pathway—part of the autonomic nervous system—reaches the bones and participates in the control of bone development.
High levels of DDT in breast milk in South Africa
The highest levels ever of DDT in breast milk have been measured in mothers living in malaria-stricken villages in South Africa. The values lie well over the limits set by the World Health Organization. DDT has been used for many years in South Africa, sprayed indoors to fight malaria.
Overactive bladder linked to sleep apnoea in women
Sleep apnoea in women has been linked to overactive bladder syndrome in a new study.
Study sheds light on lung cancers that are undetected by radiograph
New research has revealed why some lung cancers are undetected by radiograph and helped to identify the type of people who may be at risk of this form of the disease.
Uganda Ebola outbreak 'coming to an end': WHO
Uganda's latest outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus appears to be over, the World Health Organisation said Monday, pointing out that no new cases had been confirmed for the past month.
Even in normal range, high blood sugar linked to brain shrinkage
People whose blood sugar is on the high end of the normal range may be at greater risk of brain shrinkage that occurs with aging and diseases such as dementia, according to new research published in the September 4, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Study details bullying involvement for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
A study based on information collected from 920 parents suggests an estimated 46.3 percent of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder were the victims of bullying, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Study suggests possible association between cardiovascular disease, chemical exposure
Exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a manmade chemical used in the manufacture of some common household products, appears to be associated with cardiovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease in a study of 1,216 individuals, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine.
HIV treatment use increases in the US
Between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of HIV-infected patients in the U.S. receiving effective treatment known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) increased, and HIV-infected patients appeared to be less infectious and have healthier immune systems at death, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study was nested in the NA-ACCORD (North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design), which is the largest cohort of HIV-infected adults in North America. The findings are published in the September 4 edition of Annals of Internal Medicine.
Russia to put shock images on cigarette packs (Update)
Russia on Monday unveiled a series of graphic images, including of a gangrenous foot and a still-born baby, that will be printed on cigarette packs as the country tries to trim its sky-high rates of smoking.
Science 'unclear' over Pistorius claims
The International Paralympic Committee on Monday defended its policy on artificial running blades for amputee athletes, insisting it was the best possible system.
Sierra Leone cholera death toll rises to 244
A cholera epidemic in Sierra Leone which was declared a national emergency in mid-August has claimed 244 lives and affected 14,521 people, said a statement from a special cholera task force Monday.
In RA, hand surgery improves function, appearance
(HealthDay)—Treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with severe hand deformities with a silicone metacarpophalangeal joint arthroplasty (SMPA) procedure produces significant, long-term improvement in hand function and appearance, according to research published in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Bottle-feeding may raise baby's risk for intestinal trouble
(HealthDay)—Infants who are bottle-fed face a higher risk of developing a serious intestinal condition that can lead to surgery, Danish researchers report.
Baby born with brain cancer surviving with chemotherapy
Peering intently at the tiny white smudge in their baby's brain scan, Sue and Ben Erickson could see that the image did not reveal the miracle they had prayed for.
Obesity and metabolic syndrome associated with impaired brain function in adolescents
A new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine reveals for the first time that metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with cognitive and brain impairments in adolescents and calls for pediatricians to take this into account when considering the early treatment of childhood obesity.
Singapore scientists find genes associated with glaucoma
Singapore scientists have identified three new genes associated with Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma (PACG), a leading cause of blindness in Chinese people. PACG affects 15 million people worldwide, 80% of whom live in Asia.
Children taking steroids for asthma are slightly shorter than peers
Children who use inhaled steroid drugs for asthma end up slightly shorter at their full adult height than children who don't use the drugs, new results from a comprehensive asthma study show.
High doses of Vitamin D help tuberculosis patients recover more quickly
For decades before antibiotics became generally available, sunshine was used to treat tuberculosis, with patients often being sent to Swiss clinics to soak up the sun's healing rays. Now, for the first time scientists have shown how and why heliotherapy might, indeed, have made a difference.
Prenatal maternal smoking associated with increased risk of adolescent obesity
Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking appears associated with an increased risk for adolescent obesity, and is possibly related to subtle structural variations in the brain that create a preference for eating fatty foods, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry.
Study examines association between Parkinson disease, cancer
A study that used a Utah genealogic database and a statewide cancer registry to examine the relationship between Parkinson disease (PD) and cancer suggests an increased risk of prostate cancer and melanoma in patients with PD and their relatives, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology.
Study finds little evidence of health benefits from organic foods
You're in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums. You reach for the conventionally grown stone fruit, then decide to spring the extra $1/pound for its organic cousin. You figure you've just made the healthier decision by choosing the organic product—but new findings from Stanford University cast some doubt on your thinking.
Targeting inflammation to treat depression
Researchers at Emory University have found that a medication that inhibits inflammation may offer new hope for people with difficult-to-treat depression. The study was published Sept. 3 in the online version of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Mathematics or memory? Posterior medial cortex study charts collision course in brain
You already know it's hard to balance your checkbook while simultaneously reflecting on your past. Now, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine—having done the equivalent of wire-tapping a hard-to-reach region of the brain—can tell us how this impasse arises.
Biology news
Coconut oil could combat tooth decay
Digested coconut oil is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a natural antibiotic that could be incorporated into commercial dental care products, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick.
UW scientists probe, attack late blight in potatoes
(Phys.org)—As the annual potato harvest begins, Wisconsin farmers continue to check their fields for late blight, the ferocious plant disease that caused the 1848 Irish potato famine and fueled massive emigration from Ireland.
Waste cooking oil makes bioplastics cheaper
"Bioplastics" that are naturally synthesized by microbes could be made commercially viable by using waste cooking oil as a starting material. This would reduce environmental contamination and also give high-quality plastics suitable for medical implants, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick.
Researchers find scrub jays congregate over dead
(Phys.org)—A small group of researchers from the University of California, Davis has found that a species of bird, the western scrub jay, responds to the presence of a dead specimen of one of their own, by calling out loudly to others of their kind and congregating around the body for up to day or two. The team, made up of T.L. Iglesias, R. McElreath and G.L. Patricelli discovered the birds' unique behavior by leaving dead jays in areas where the birds are known to exist and, as they describe in their paper published in the journal Animal Behavior, watching as they called out to others to join in, forming a loud aggregation.
Transcription runs like clockwork
(Phys.org)—It's not just a few key genes and proteins that cycle on and off in humans in a 24-hour circadian pattern as the sun rises and falls. Thousands of genes in organs throughout the body show predictable daily fluctuations, and their cycles of activity are controlled in a complex variety of ways, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have discovered.
Study: Tigers take the night shift to coexist with people
Tigers don't have a reputation for being accommodating, but a new study indicates that the feared and revered carnivores in and around a world-renowned park in Nepal are taking the night shift to better coexist with their human neighbors.
New study reveals contrasting consequences of warmer Earth
A new study, by scientists from the Universities of York, Glasgow and Leeds, involving analysis of fossil and geological records going back 540 million years, suggests that biodiversity on Earth generally increases as the planet warms.
Research shows reciprocity an important component of prosocial behavior
While exchanging favors with others, humans tend to think in terms of tit-for-tat, an assumption easily extended to other animals. As a result, reciprocity is often viewed as a cognitive feat requiring memory, perhaps even calculation. But what if the process is simpler, not only in other animals but in humans as well?
Focusing the phenotype: Controlling genetic expression through external feedback
(Phys.org)—Gene expression plays a central role in the orchestration of virtually all cellular processes. While inducible promoters have proven invaluable in understanding regulatory networks by modifying gene expression levels, their use has faced some shortcomings. Specifically, their utility is constrained to research studying relatively short-term, population-scale effects. Recently, however, scientists at Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA) and at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, have demonstrated that implementing an external feedback loop allows single-cell gene expression to be accurately and tightly controlled over many generations. The team accomplished this by developing a real-time, closed-loop control gene expression platform integrating microscopy, microfluidics, and original software for automated imaging, quantification, and model predictive control. They state that their study demonstrates lon! g-term control with both time-constant and time-varying target expression profiles, at the population and single-cell levels, shows that real-time control can limit the effects of gene expression stochasticity, and anticipate that their method will be useful for improving the performance of complex, synthetically engineered cellular networks.
This email is a free service of Phys.org
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://phys.org/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment