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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 9, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Calgary rolls out Bluetooth travel time system- Missing data on Earth's magnetic field is in the oven
- New light on the Nazca Lines
- Hawk-Eye firm hopes for 'phantom goal'
- Chicago skyscrapers go green, slash energy costs
- Steroid hormone receptor prefers working alone to shut off immune system genes
- Secrets of gentle touch revealed
- Brain study shows why some people are more in tune with what they want
- Bugs without borders
Space & Earth news
Cheering microbes into space
A University of California, Davis, microbiologist and a professional cheerleader are teaming up with "citizen scientists" to send microbes to the International Space Station and study their growth.
UN conference adopts extension of Kyoto accord
(AP)—A U.N. climate conference agreed Saturday to extend the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that limits the greenhouse gas output of some rich countries but which will only cover about 15 percent of global emissions.
Mining, logging 'contributed' to Philippine disaster
Unchecked illegal gold mining and decades of indiscriminate logging contributed to the high death toll in the Philippines' worst natural disaster this year, officials and experts say.
Fractious Doha talks bode ill for 2020 deal
The fractious debate at UN climate talks in Doha points to a rocky road ahead to a new, global 2020 deal on saving the Earth from calamitous global warming, observers say.
Wildfires light up western Australia
Careful observers of the new "Black Marble" images of Earth at night released this week by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have noticed bright areas in the western part of Australia that are largely uninhabited. Why is this area so lit up, many have asked?
North Korea considers delaying rocket launch
(AP)—North Korea may postpone the controversial launch of a long-range rocket that had been slated for liftoff as early as this week, state media said Sunday, as international pressure on Pyongyang to cancel the provocative move intensified.
Peru's capital highly vulnerable to major quake
(AP)—The earthquake all but flattened colonial Lima, the shaking so violent that people tossed to the ground couldn't get back up. Minutes later, a 50-foot (15-meter) wall of Pacific Ocean crashed into the adjacent port of Callao, killing all but 200 of its 5,000 inhabitants. Bodies washed ashore for weeks.
British astronomer Patrick Moore dies at 89
(AP)—British astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore died Sunday, according to friends and colleagues. He was 89.
Russia works to fix satellite's off-target orbit (Update)
Russian scientists were working to correct the orbit of a communications satellite Sunday after it failed to reach its designated location in space—the latest setback for the country's once-pioneering space industry.
Missing data on Earth's magnetic field is in the oven
(Phys.org)—A New Zealand research team hopes to retrieve missing parts of a puzzle about the Earth's magnetic field and changes to it over time. Grabbing their attention are the stones that line Maori steam ovens. They want to learn more about how those ovens may give them missing data about the magnetic field. The idea is that the cooking process generates so much heat that the magnetic minerals in these stones will realign themselves with the current field direction. Examining the stones may explain more about the Earth's magnetic behavior. The archaeological search in New Zealand is out to find sites containing the old "hangi" ovens.
Technology news
World's second most polluted city turns to buses
On the streets of Ulan Bator a people renowned for their horse riding skills have to contend every day with ever more Hummers, Land Cruisers and Range Rovers.
US agency chief seeks to ease airplane electronics ban
The head of the US agency that regulates telecommunications is calling for an easing of the ban on using mobile phones and other electronic devices on airplanes during takeoff and landing.
Groupon surges on takeover chatter
Groupon shares surged Friday as market players reacted to chatter about a possible takeover for the troubled online deals company.
Hundreds queue up for Wii U debut in Japan
Hundreds of people queued up at electronics shops across Japan as Nintendo released its new Wii U game console, hoping to reposition itself in a gaming market invaded by online social games.
Iran's version of YouTube hits the Web
(AP)—Iran says it has launched a video-sharing website in the latest move to create government-sanctioned alternatives to Internet powerhouses such as YouTube.
News 'paywalls' grow, but analysts split on merit
The free lunch for digital access to most US newspapers is disappearing but paywalls seem at best a partial answer to the industry's woes and analysts are split on the decision to block out readers.
Economist magazine faces contempt in Bangladesh
(AP)—A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal has accused the British magazine The Economist of hacking the computer of its presiding judge to record conversations and read emails he exchanged with a lawyer.
Antigua to seek sanctions against US
(AP)—The tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda intends to pursue retaliatory sanctions against U.S. commercial services and intellectual property as part of its David vs. Goliath trade battle with the United States, the islands' finance minister announced Sunday.
Hawk-Eye firm hopes for 'phantom goal'
Hawk-Eye chiefs are hoping for a Frank Lampard-like "ghost goal" at the Club World Cup, its managing director said Saturday, as the goal-line technology prepares to make its competitive debut.
Chicago skyscrapers go green, slash energy costs
Chicago's skyline is going green, as property managers install energy efficient tools like motion-detectors on office lights, in a project officials hope will inspire changes across the United States.
Calgary rolls out Bluetooth travel time system
(Phys.org)—The City of Calgary, Alberta, now uses Bluetooth-based tracking to give people real-time information about travel time during their commute. The system collects information from Bluetooth devices and estimates travel times and congestion. The times are then displayed on electronic signs at key locations along the highway. The Bluetooth signals come from mobile phones, headsets, or built-in entertainment systems. The City activated what is called the Travel Time Information System along the Deerfoot Trail.
Medicine & Health news
New small molecule inhibitor could be a safe and first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer
Previous research has shown that a family of genes, proteins and enzymes called the uPA system (for urokinase plasminogen activator) plays an active role in different facets of cancer's biology, including tumor cell invasion, the spread of metastases, and the growth of a primary tumor. Mesupron® is a new small molecule inhibitor, taken as a pill, that inhibits the uPA system. The results from a recent phase II clinical study suggest that the drug could be a safe and first-line treatment that extends progression-free survival for metastatic breast cancer patients, when combined with the chemotherapeutic drug Capecitabine. Results will be presented by Lori J. Goldstein, MD, Director of the Breast Evaluation Center at Fox Chase Cancer Center, at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Friday, December 7, 2012.
Researches discovered genes that predict whether trastuzumab will work for breast cancer patients
Adding the drug trastuzumab to chemotherapy prevents cancer recurrence and improves survival in a large number of women with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer. But trastuzumab does not stop tumors from returning in about 25 percent of patients—and oncologists haven't been able to identify these women before treatment. This situation may soon change, according to a Mayo Clinic study being presented at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Genetic susceptibility to anthracycline-related congestive heart failure (CHF) in survivors of hematopoietic cell transp
Researchers have identified specific genetic factors that are associated with heart failure in patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) for blood cancer.
ATRA and arsenic trioxide versus ATRA and idarubicin for newly diagnosed, non high-risk acute promyelocytic
New research demonstrates the efficacy of the first curative treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) that does not include chemotherapy, marking an important step toward front-line use of targeted therapies for acute leukemia.
Studies assess genetics, modified treatment to improve outcomes, reduce toxicity
Research identifying genetic factors that affect survival of patients with blood cancers and evaluating the effectiveness of modified treatment strategies to improve outcomes while reducing toxicity will be presented today at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
Updated clinical results show experimental agent ibrutinib as highly active in CLL patients
Updated results from a Phase Ib/II clinical trial indicates that a novel therapeutic agent for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is highly active and well tolerated in patients who have relapsed and are resistant to other therapy.
A large-scale trial testing the intensity of cytoreductive therapy to prevent cardiovascular events
In the first randomized clinical trial assessing the proper target hematocrit level, or percentage of red blood cells that should be maintained in patients with polycythemia vera (PV), researchers have concluded that the current recommendation to maintain a hematocrit level of less than 45 percent is associated with a lower risk of thrombosis compared with a less aggressive treatment strategy of maintaining a hematocrit level between 45 and 50 percent.
Rocky road ahead for implementation of Obamacare
President Barack Obama may have defeated opponents of his landmark health care law in the courts and at the ballot box, but the sweeping reforms still face a rocky road ahead.
Combination therapy using JAK2 and HSP90 inhibitors increased efficacy in myelofibrosis in vivo
Researchers have demonstrated that combination therapy with PU-H71 and ruxolitinib increases the durability and effectiveness of a treatment that had previously shown limited utility for patients with myelofibrosis.
New stem cell research, transplant strategies show promise to improve outcomes, reduce complications
Studies of stem cell biology and transplant approaches presented today at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) illustrate how the use of advanced modeling techniques is optimizing stem cells to treat patients with blood disorders, as well as the potential of enhanced treatment strategies to improve the success rate of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation for these patients.
Targeting histone deacetylases as a new strategy for graft versus host disease prevention
New research shows that the addition of the oral anti-cancer agent vorinostat to standard therapy given before, during, and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may safely reduce the incidence and severity of a challenging complication called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
Thousands protest Spain's health care austerity
(AP)—Thousands of Spanish medical workers and residents angered by budget cuts and plans to partly privatize the cherished national health service marched through some of Madrid's most famous squares on Sunday.
Researchers develop novel 3-D culture system for inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a very rare and aggressive disease that progresses rapidly and is associated with a very low survival rate. To understand how this type of cancer spreads, it's crucial to characterize the interactions between cancer cells and their 3D environment. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have developed a novel, 3D culture system that mimics the environment surrounding these cancer cells. This model could be used to test new anticancer drugs capable of inhibiting the spread of IBC tumors.
Pre-clinical data shows Angiocidin effective against leukemia
Angiocidin, a novel tumor-inhibiting protein, has been shown to reduce acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells in vivo by almost two-thirds in pre-clinical experiments.
Genotype predicts treatment related mortality (TRM) in African-American and Asian pediatric AML patients
New research suggests that the presence of a specific genetic marker, known as WT1 SNP rs16754, may be associated with reduced toxicity from chemotherapy in African-American and Asian children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
US panel opposes pure hydrocodone painkiller
(AP)—U.S. government health experts overwhelmingly voted against a stronger version of hydrocodone on Friday, questioning the need for a new form of one of most widely abused prescription painkillers.
New drug cuts risk of deadly transplant side effect in half
A new class of drugs reduced the risk of patients contracting a serious and often deadly side effect of lifesaving bone marrow transplant treatments, according to a study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
More than a third of high-risk leukemia patients respond to an experimental new drug
A new drug for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) marked by a specific type of genetic mutation has shown surprising promise in a Phase II clinical trial. In more than a third of participants, the leukemia was completely cleared from the bone marrow, and as a result, many of these patients were able to undergo potentially curative bone marrow transplants, according to investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and nine other academic medical centers around the world. Many of the participants who did well with the new drug, quizartinib or AC220, had failed to respond to prior therapies.
Novel therapeutic agents provide hope for patients with hard-to-treat blood disorders
Encouraging safety and efficacy data on novel and emerging therapies presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) signal an important step forward in the development of treatment strategies for patients with hard-to-treat leukemia, myeloma, and myelofibrosis.
Temple scientists target DNA repair to eradicate leukemia stem cells
Despite treatment with imatinib, a successful drug that targets chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a deadly type of cancer, some patients may continue to be at risk for relapse because a tiny pool of stem cells is resistant to treatment and may even accumulate additional genetic aberrations, eventually leading to disease progression and relapse. These leukemia stem cells are full of genetic errors, loaded with potentially lethal breaks in DNA, and are in a state of constant self-repair.
Steroid hormone receptor prefers working alone to shut off immune system genes
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have obtained a detailed molecular picture that shows how glucocorticoid hormones shut off key immune system genes.
Brain study shows why some people are more in tune with what they want
Wellcome Trust researchers have discovered how the brain assesses confidence in its decisions. The findings explain why some people have better insight into their choices than others.
Secrets of gentle touch revealed
Stroke the soft body of a newborn fruit fly larva ever-so-gently with a freshly plucked eyelash, and it will respond to the tickle by altering its movement—an observation that has helped scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) uncover the molecular basis of gentle touch, one of the most fundamental but least well understood of our senses.
Bugs without borders
Researchers show that the global epidemic of Clostridium difficile 027/NAP1/BI in the early to mid-2000s was caused by the spread of two different but highly related strains of the bacterium rather than one as was previously thought. The spread and persistence of both epidemics were driven by the acquisition of resistance to a frontline antibiotic.
Biology news
Fears over Indonesia's thirst for palm oil
The roar of chainsaws has replaced birdsong, the once-lush, green jungle scorched to a barren grey. The equivalent of six football pitches of forest is lost every minute in Indonesia.
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