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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 18, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Microsoft job postings hint at changes coming for Windows Blue- Nursing professor claims teens are "sleep texting"
- Danger on ice: Android info thaws in cold boot attack
- A cure for the common hangover?
- Global warming affects Artic and Antarctic regions differently
- A new step towards the understanding of hearing
- New research shows fungi living beneath the seafloor are widespread
- New iPad app for people with sight loss needs backing from publishers (w/ Video)
- Reduced sea ice disturbs balance of greenhouse gases
- Cyberbullying extends to workplace, bedroom
- Climate contradiction: Less snow, more blizzards
- The role of goop: Research shows pollution doesn't change the rate of droplet formation
- New study on Hepatitis C drug treatment in vivo and in vitro
- Shedding new light on infant brain development
- NASA scrambles for better asteroid detection
Space & Earth news
Evacuation in the Netherlands is not pointless
An evacuation in the event of flooding is not as pointless for the Netherlands as is generally assumed. This is one of the conclusions reached by Olga Huibregtse, who will receive her doctorate for research on this subject at TU Delft on Monday 18 February.
UAlberta technology set to tackle global water challenges
The University of Alberta will unveil new technologies its researchers and students will use to replace inadequate water purification and monitoring equipment in remote communities in Canada and India.
Wiring the ocean
For most people, the sea is a deep, dark mystery. That is changing, though, as scientists find innovative ways to track the movements of ocean-going creatures.
Tree-ring data show history, pattern to droughts
Dendrochronologists have shown that tree-ring data produce a remarkably accurate history of droughts and other climate changes. Combined with reliable drought indices and historical descriptions of climate conditions, dendrochronology – the technique of dating events and environmental change by relying on characteristic patterns of tree-ring growth – can provide a climate perspective on important events such as large-scale human migration and even the rise and fall of entire civilizations.
Hubble sees cosmic "flying V" of merging galaxies
This large "flying V" is actually two distinct objects—a pair of interacting galaxies known as IC 2184. Both the galaxies are seen almost edge-on in the large, faint northern constellation of Camelopardalis (The Giraffe), and can be seen as bright streaks of light surrounded by the ghostly shapes of their tidal tails.
Scientists identify visible, infrared imagery left by meteor across Russia
Visible and infrared imagery of the meteor that made a fiery entry into the Earth's atmosphere over the Ural Mountains of Russia has been captured by Colorado State University scientists.
International space station plays host to innovative infectious disease research
Performing sensitive biological experiments is always a delicate affair. Few researchers, however, contend with the challenges faced by Cheryl Nickerson, whose working laboratory aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is located hundreds of miles above the Earth, traveling at some 17,000 miles per hour.
New radioactive waste leak found in tank at Hanford nuclear site
An aging tank of high-level radioactive waste is leaking at the Hanford nuclear site in south-central Washington state at the rate of up to 300 gallons a year, federal authorities disclosed Friday after discovering a dip in the volume of toxic sludge in the tank.
Scientists claim discovery of Russian meteorites
Scientists announced the discovery Monday of dozens of tiny fragments of a massive meteor whose ground-shaking shockwave hurt 1,200 people and damaged buildings across five regions of Russia.
Battling oceanic climate change
Changes to the temperature and chemistry of Earth's atmosphere are causing fundamental changes to the ocean, too. The water is getting warmer and more acidic, and those changes may reconfigure the microbial communities that create the foundation of marine ecosystems.
Eating less meat would benefit the nutrient cycle
A new report suggests that halving our consumption of animal products could benefit the environment by improving nutrient cycles.
Water on the moon: It's been there all along
Traces of water have been detected within the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the lunar highland upper crust obtained during the Apollo missions, according to a University of Michigan researcher and his colleagues.
Global warming affects Artic and Antarctic regions differently
(Phys.org)—The robustness of food webs of Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems has been compared for the first time, revealing that global warming can affect the biodiversity of these ecosystems in different ways despite the similarities between them.
Reduced sea ice disturbs balance of greenhouse gases
(Phys.org)—The widespread reduction in Arctic sea ice is causing significant changes to the balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is shown in a new study conducted by researchers from Lund University in Sweden, among others.
Climate contradiction: Less snow, more blizzards
(AP)—With scant snowfall and barren ski slopes in parts of the U.S. Midwest and Northeast the past couple of years, some scientists have pointed to global warming as the culprit.
The role of goop: Research shows pollution doesn't change the rate of droplet formation
When it comes to forming the droplets that make up clouds, a little oily and viscous organic material apparently doesn't matter that much. And that's good news for reducing the uncertainty of climate model predictions.
NASA scrambles for better asteroid detection
NASA, universities and private groups in the US are working on asteroid warning systems that can detect objects from space like the one that struck Russia last week with a blinding flash and mighty boom.
Technology news
New supercomputer to aid genomics research
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has gifted the Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) a highly parallel shared memory supercomputer named Ember. Originally funded by the NSF, Ember will be managed by the High-Performance Biological Computing (HPCBio) group.
Amazon fires German security firm amid probe
(AP)—Online retailer Amazon reacted to mounting criticism Monday by firing a security company named in a German television documentary about alleged mistreatment of foreign temporary workers.
Europe to move against Google over privacy rules
European data protection agencies intend to take action against the US Internet giant Google after it failed to follow their orders to comply with EU privacy laws, a French agency said on Monday.
Reader's Digest parent seeks bankruptcy protection
(AP)—The parent company of Reader's Digest has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than four years, saying it needs to cut its debt so it can keep restructuring.
Burger King's Twitter feed hit by Big Mac hack attack
Burger King sustained a virtual Big Mac attack Monday when its Twitter account was apparently hacked then redesigned with a bogus claim of a corporate takeover by McDonald's.
Beefing up public-key encryption
Most financial transactions on the Internet are safeguarded by a cryptographic technique called public-key encryption. Where traditional encryption relies on a single secret key, shared by both sender and recipient, public-key encryption uses two keys that are mathematically related. One, the public key, is published on the Internet, and any sender can use it to encrypt a message; the second, the private key, is known only to the recipient and is required for decryption.
Complex systems made simple
Just as the name implies, complex systems are difficult to tease apart. An organism's genome, a biochemical reaction, or even a social network all contain many interdependent components—and changing any one of them can have pervasive effects on all the others. In the case of a very large system, like the human genome, which contains 20,000 interconnected genes, it's impossible to monitor the whole system at once.
Cyberbullying extends to workplace, bedroom
Cyberbullying is no longer restricted to children. Adults routinely use content from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social-media services to intimidate and harass subordinates and rivals at work.
New iPad app for people with sight loss needs backing from publishers (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)—Scientists from Royal Holloway are launching a new iPad app to help people with macular disease, the most common cause of sight loss in the UK.
Danger on ice: Android info thaws in cold boot attack
(Phys.org)—Can low temperatures yield access to information in the phone's memory? Researchers found that a "FROST" attack can unlock an Android's phone data. Their research findings discuss how hackers can freeze their way into a phone's sensitive data. Researchers at Erlangen University in Germany showed how their cold boot attack method was able to read information from a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running the latest version of Android.
Microsoft job postings hint at changes coming for Windows Blue
(Phys.org)—Postings on Microsoft's Career web site appear to confirm widely spread rumors that Microsoft is planning to offer regular updates to Windows 8, similar to the way Apple updates its operating system, i.e. on a yearly basis. Code named Windows Blue, updates appear to be targeted at not just the internals' of the operating system, but the user interface (UI) as well.
Medicine & Health news
The quest for a better bionic hand
For an amputee, replacing a missing limb with a functional prosthetic can alleviate physical or emotional distress and mean a return of vocational ability or cosmetics. Studies show, however, that up to 50 percent of hand amputees still do not use their prosthesis regularly due to less than ideal functionality, appearance, and controllability. But Silvestro Micera, of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, is paving the way for new, smart prosthetics that connect directly to the nervous system. The benefits are more versatile prosthetics with intuitive motor control and realistic sensory feedback—in essence, they could one day return dexterity and the sensation of touch to an amputee.
Fighting disease deep inside the brain
Some 90,000 patients per year are treated for Parkinson's disease, a number that is expected to rise by 25 percent annually. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), which consists of electrically stimulating the central or peripheral nervous system, is currently standard practice for treating Parkinson's, but it can involve long, expensive surgeries with dramatic side effects. Miniature, ultra-flexible electrodes developed in Switzerland, however, could be the answer to more successful treatment for this and a host of other health issues.
Nigeria first lady describes mystery illness
(AP)—Nigeria's first lady has described details of a mystery illness she had that the country's presidency refused to discuss.
Customized device tailored to patient's individual anatomy now used to repair abdominal aortic aneurysm without surgery
An abdominal aortic aneurysm - a bulge in the large artery that carries blood away from the heart - can be immediately life-threatening if it grows large enough to rupture. The chance of survival when it ruptures is less than 10 percent.
Research stresses the importance of 'test and treat' HIV strategy
A new study involving a McMaster researcher calls for an aggressive "test and treat" approach to HIV-positive individuals in Africa. The study measures the importance of different routes of transmission in 18 African countries and regions.
Research helps hospitals with energy improvement
As health care professions and patient needs grow nationally, hospitals are looking for ways to be more efficient. Wichita State University industrial and manufacturing engineering professors Michael Overcash and Janet Twomey led a research team that discovered new methods for medical centers to lower energy and material consumption.
New tool to support safer GP prescribing
A new computer tool to help reduce the risk of commonly made drug prescribing errors has been launched by a primary care research team and the PRIMIS business unit at The University of Nottingham.
Post-hospital care the weak link in trauma system
The first study to examine in detail the experience of patients in Victoria's trauma system has found that post-discharge care and poor communication were low points in an otherwise high-quality experience.
Rise in drug costs to hospitals, clinics slowing in 2013
Even though costs for medications will continue to rise in 2013 by as much as 4 percent, the increase is projected to be less than in previous years, according to a report in the advance online publication of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Indonesian newborn dies after rejection from 10 hospitals
A one-week-old baby in Indonesia has died from respiratory complications after being turned away from 10 hospitals, her street vendor father said Monday, adding he could not pay what some demanded.
Excessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behaviour
Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more likely to manifest antisocial and criminal behaviour when they become adults, according to a new University of Otago, New Zealand, study published online in the US journal Pediatrics.
Pathway controlling cell growth revealed
A Melbourne-based research team has discovered a genetic defect that can halt cell growth and force cells into a death-evading survival state.
New therapy uses electricity to cancel out Parkinson tremors
A new therapy could help suppress tremors in people with Parkinson's disease, an Oxford University study suggests.
Brain scientists present groundbreaking work at conference
(Medical Xpress)—Nearly 200 researchers recently met in Dallas to share important new findings and map strategies for identifying age-related dementias as early as possible.
New bowel cancer test gets green light with the public
Almost everyone (98 per cent) who had the new bowel cancer test – soon to become part of the national screening programme – said they were glad to have gone through the experience, according to a study1 published in the Journal of Medical Screening.
Society to blame for binge drinking
Peer pressure has long been blamed for binge drinking among teenagers, yet new research from Flinders University reveals it may not be the root of the problem.
In medicine, the future is light
Light, together with artificial intelligence systems that deliver fast, accurate analysis, has the potential to reshape the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
The regulation of puberty and maturation in cod
FSH and LH are two important hormones which regulate the processes of puberty and maturation. These hormones are secreted by the pituitary gland and are transported in the blood to the genitalia, where they regulate maturation.
Clerical training fostered a predisposition to perpetrate child sexual abuse, study shows
(Medical Xpress)—Clerical training fostered a predisposition to perpetrate child sexual abuse, study shows
Data on novel IL-1 inhibitor protein for topical treatment of dry eye disease published
Eleven Biotherapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company creating novel and differentiated protein-based biotherapeutics, has published preclinical data in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing beneficial effects of EBI-005, the first rationally-designed topically administered IL-1 protein for the treatment of ocular diseases. In the paper entitled "Design of a superior cytokine antagonist for topical ophthalmic use," the scientists, including drug developers from Eleven Biotherapeutics and collaborators from Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University School of Medicine, describe how EBI-005 was designed to specifically bind more tightly to its target than IL-1Ra providing a dramatic increase in potency in vivo. EBI-005 was also shown to have substantially greater stability, potentially providing the convenience of room temperature storage.
Senegal women told 'all black' is beautiful—and healthy
Outraged by adverts urging women to bleach their skin, a spontaneous movement has emerged in Senegal arguing that black is beautiful—and to act otherwise is to risk one's health.
Video capsule accurately detects intestinal blood
(HealthDay)—Video capsule endoscopy can be safely and accurately used to detect blood in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage seen in emergency departments, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Gender influences ischemic time, outcomes after STEMI
(HealthDay)—After ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), women have longer ischemic times and are at a higher risk than men of early all-cause and cardiac mortality, according to research published in the Feb. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Youth smoking, obesity may lead to early death
(HealthDay)—Young adults and teens who smoke, are obese and have high blood sugar levels may be more likely to die before they reach their 55th birthday, new government research suggests.
Researcher probes the stigma of migraine
For years, neurologist William Young of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Headache Center has heard his patients say how bad they felt when other people did not take their migraines seriously.
Bone marrow cells used in bladder regeneration
A new approach to bladder regeneration is capitalizing on the potential of two distinct cell populations harvested from a patient's healthy bone marrow, a new study reports.
New discoveries linking gut bacteria with cholesterol metabolism give hope for the future
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, show that cholesterol metabolism is regulated by bacteria in the small intestine. These findings may be important for the development of new drugs for cardiovascular disease.
Living in an urban environment reduces our ability to concentrate on tasks
(Medical Xpress)—People living in urbanised environments are less able to concentrate on the task in hand than people who live in remote areas, according to research from Goldsmiths, University of London funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Blind brain receives 'visual' cues to identify shape
A significant number of blind humans, not unlike bats and dolphins, can localize silent objects in their environment simply by making clicking sounds with their mouth and listening to the returning echoes. Some of these individuals have honed this skill to such a degree they are not only able to localize an object, they are able to recognize the object's size and shape – and even identify the material it is made from.
A new step towards the understanding of hearing
(Medical Xpress)—The results published in Nature Communications enables us to consider eventual therapeutic strategies to restore the sensorial innervation of the cochlea, an organ essential to hearing.
New study on Hepatitis C drug treatment in vivo and in vitro
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects about 4.1 million in the United States and is the primary cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Current therapy against HCV is suboptimal. Daclatasvir, a direct acting antiviral (DAA) agent in development for the treatment of HCV, targets one of the HCV proteins (i.e., NS5A) and causes the fastest viral decline (within 12 hours of treatment) ever seen with anti-HCV drugs. An interdisciplinary effort by mathematical modelers, clinicians and molecular virologists has revealed that daclatasvir has two main modes of action against HCV and also yields a new, more accurate estimate of the HCV half-life.
Shedding new light on infant brain development
(Medical Xpress)—A new study by Columbia Engineering researchers finds that the infant brain does not control its blood flow in the same way as the adult brain. The paper, which the scientists say could change the way researchers study brain development in infants and children, is published in the February 18 Early Online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Memory appears susceptible to eradication of fear responses
Fear responses can only be erased when people learn something new while retrieving the fear memory. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by scientists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and published in the leading journal Science.
Nursing professor claims teens are "sleep texting"
Nursing professor Elizabeth Dowdell, of Villanova University has reported in an interview with a CBS news affiliate in Philadelphia, that she has discovered a new phenomena she calls "sleep texting." She says it's just like what it sounds like—teenagers sending text messages while at least partially asleep. She notes that it occurs when a teen receives a text, becomes aware of their phone beeping, and then responds—quite often with gibberish, but sometimes with words they never intended to use.
Biology news
Natural soil antibiotics offer alternative to farm chemicals
Several naturally occurring antibiotics can control disease and promote crop health, offering an alternative to chemicals currently used in farming.
Food science expert: Genetically modified crops are overregulated
It has been almost 20 years since the first genetically modified foods showed up in produce aisles throughout the United States and the rest of the world, but controversy continues to surround the products and their regulation.
Buffaloes a divisive link to Hong Kong's past
A short journey from the skyscrapers at the hectic centre of Hong Kong, water buffaloes lumber over jungle-clad hills and through secluded villages where they once worked as farm animals.
Vets warn about swimming pool safety for dogs
Vets working in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Murdoch University are concerned that the numbers of dogs dying or suffering near drowning incidents in swimming pools may be on the rise.
Activists confront Japanese over whale kill
Militant environmentalists Monday accused Japanese whalers of attempting to crash into their ship as they tried to prevent harpoonists from hauling a slaughtered whale on board.
Microbes team up to boost plants' stress tolerance
(Phys.org)—While most farmers consider viruses and fungi potential threats to their crops, these microbes can help wild plants adapt to extreme conditions, according to a Penn State virologist.
Portland State researchers say Columbia River conditions suitable for invasive mussels
(AP)—Researchers from Portland State University say the Columbia River has suitable conditions for invasive freshwater mussels to grow if they get a toehold.
High-stakes fight over soybeans at US high court
(AP)—Vernon Hugh Bowman seems comfortable with the old way of doing things, right down to the rotary-dial telephone he said he was using in a conference call with reporters.
WTO meets to review EU seal products ban
The World Trade Organisation on Monday held its first hearing on the EU's contested ban against the sale of seal products, a decision opposed by both Norway and Canada.
A solution to sinusitis from the sea
A team of scientists and surgeons from Newcastle are developing a new nasal spray from a marine microbe to help clear chronic sinusitis.
As predators decline, carbon emissions rise
(Phys.org)—University of British Columbia researchers have found that when the animals at the top of the food chain are removed, freshwater ecosystems emit a lot more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Study: Hummingbirds migrating earlier in spring
(AP)—Ruby-throated hummingbirds are migrating to North America weeks earlier than in decades past, and research indicates that higher temperatures in their winter habitat may be the reason.
Engineering cells for more efficient biofuel production
In the search for renewable alternatives to gasoline, heavy alcohols such as isobutanol are promising candidates. Not only do they contain more energy than ethanol, but they are also more compatible with existing gasoline-based infrastructure. For isobutanol to become practical, however, scientists need a way to reliably produce huge quantities of it from renewable sources.
New research paper offers insights on 'ecological speciation'
(Phys.org)—new paper by researchers at the University of Notre Dame provides new insights into speciation, which is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise.
New research shows fungi living beneath the seafloor are widespread
(Phys.org)—Fungi living beneath the seafloor are widespread in ocean environments around the world, according to a new paper by scientists at the University of Delaware and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Living organisms need antifreeze to survive in the cold
(Phys.org)—If you thought antifreeze was only something that was necessary to keep your car from freezing up in the winter, think again. Plants and animals living in cold climates have natural antifreeze proteins (AFPs) which prevent ice growth and crystallization of organic fluid matter. Without such antifreeze, living matter would suffer from frost damage and even death.
Cushion plants help other plants survive
Alpine cushion plants help other plants in harsh mountain environments to survive. This is shown by new research involving researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, the results of which are now being publishing in the highly respected journal Ecology Letters.
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