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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 1, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- 'Nanosponge vaccine' fights MRSA toxins- Nuclear cooling in neutron stars deepens mystery of hot surface
- Human stem cells converted to functional lung cells
- China readies to launch first moon rover mission
- China launches first moon rover mission (Update)
- New family of proteins linked to major role in cancer
- Colon cancer researchers target stem cells, discover viable new therapeutic path
- Startup has plans for power plants in sky with drones
- Journal retracts controversial GMO cancer study
- Online sales soar in Black Friday two-day shopping frenzy
- Indian craft leaves Earth's orbit on way to Mars
- British project uses 3D printing for prosthetic eyes
- Did Comet ISON survive? Scientists see tiny hope (Update)
- Smartphone app to give earthquake warning
- Mice can 'warn' sons, grandsons of dangers via sperm
Space & Earth news
Strong earthquake hits Indonesia; no casualties
A strong, shallow earthquake rocked parts of eastern Indonesia early Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Weaker than expected Atlantic hurricane season ends
The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on Saturday as the quietest since 1982 and the sixth least active since 1950, the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Anticipation builds for China's first moon rover mission (Update)
China Sunday made final preparations to launch its first lunar rover mission, the latest step in an ambitious space programme seen as a symbol of its rising global stature.
Scientists find signs Comet ISON may have survived flyby of the sun
Has Comet ISON survived its suicidal flyby of the sun? Scientists expected the dirty snowball to break apart as it flew within 730,000 miles of the sun on Thanksgiving, but NASA reported Friday that its nucleus may have survived.
Did Comet ISON survive? Scientists see tiny hope (Update)
A comet that gained an earthly following because of its bright tail visible from space was initially declared dead after grazing the sun. Now, there is a sliver of hope that Comet ISON may have survived.
China readies to launch first moon rover mission
China will launch its first ever moon rover mission on Monday, state media said, as Beijing embarks on the latest stage in its ambitious space programme.
Smartphone app to give earthquake warning
A smartphone app designed to give early warning of earthquakes could be ready as early as next year, according to scientists at the World Science Forum in Rio de Janeiro.
Indian craft leaves Earth's orbit on way to Mars
India's Mars orbiter mission left Earth's sphere of influence early Sunday after performing a maneuver to put it on its way to orbit the red planet.
China launches first moon rover mission (Update)
China launched its first moon rover mission early Monday, state TV showed, the latest step in an ambitious space programme seen as a symbol of its rising global stature.
Nuclear cooling in neutron stars deepens mystery of hot surface
Research by a team of scientists led by a Michigan State University physicist has shed new light on the properties of neutron stars, super dense stars that form when a large star explodes and collapses into itself.
Technology news
China claims victory in scrubbing Internet clean
The Chinese government has declared victory in cleaning up what it considers rumors, negativity and unruliness from online discourse, while critics say the moves have suppressed criticism of the government and ruling Communist Party.
Apple unhappy with e-books monitor pay and power
Apple wants to rein in the pay and power of a monitor hired to watch over the company as punishment for conviction in an e-book price-fixing case.
Berlin startup factory targets peer lending market
Serial startup firm Rocket Internet is targeting the growing market for peer-to-peer lending with the launch of a new site in Germany.
Water decontamination system in trouble at Japan's Fukushima
A trouble-prone system used to decontaminate radioactive water at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant was switched off Sunday because of a chemical leak, the plant's operator said.
More Americans spend less on Black Friday sales
More Americans took advantage of early holiday season sales than last year, but they spent less—and online sales fared better than brick-and-mortar stores, a survey showed Sunday.
British project uses 3D printing for prosthetic eyes
(Phys.org) —A collaboration between UK's Fripp Design and Research and Manchester Metropolitan University has resulted in 3D printed prosthetic eyes/ The eyes are another advancement from Fripp, a product design and research consultancy having gained special attention recently for its work in harnessing digital modeling technologies to create facial prostheses. The eyes now are making news: Fripp is said to be able to make 150 eyes in an hour, and at a fraction of the cost of eyes traditionally made by hand. The time and money difference is especially seen as potentially advantageous for places globally where poor people cannot afford expensive prosthetics of any sort, including prosthetic eyes. Hand-painted eyes take a longer time to produce and cost in the several thousands whereas Fripp Design would be able to turn out prosthetic eyes at less cost.
Online sales soar in Black Friday two-day shopping frenzy
Online US shopping for Black Friday deals soared to $3 billion during a two-day period beginning Thursday, with tablets and cell phones as top must-have items, estimates showed Saturday.
Startup has plans for power plants in sky with drones
(Phys.org) —Here is the idea: flying power plants in the sky as a means of providing clean, renewable energy. Here is more of the idea: this would be a high-altitude aerial power plant that harvests energy from solar, wind and other sources, and beams it wirelessly to the ground. Now the idea gets more interesting: The power plant would be using networks of unmanned drones. The company is New Wave Energy UK, formed in 2012, self-described as "an upcoming energy provider within the UK currently working towards researching and constructing our own novel form of power plant." (New Wave Energy UK is not associated or affiliated with US-based New Wave Energy Corp.)
Medicine & Health news
Japan's top drugmaker appoints first foreign boss
Japan's top drugmaker said Saturday it had picked a GlaxoSmithKline executive as its next president in a rare example of overseas head-hunting by a major Japanese firm.
Coping tips for winter skin
(HealthDay)—The cold, dry air of winter can deplete your skin of moisture and cause "winter itch."
Obamacare website vastly improved, bugs fixed: aide
The troubleshooter appointed by President Barack Obama to overhaul a bungled health care website rollout said Sunday that improvements had made a "night and day" difference in handling online traffic.
Conn. university to test pot for contaminants
The University of New Haven is developing a new process for identifying mold, bacteria and other contaminants in marijuana by using DNA profiling and analysis.
HIV rates in Haiti drop over decade
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince says the number of Haitians who have tested positive for HIV has declined over the past decade.
Report: Iran HIV cases increase dramatically
Iranian state television is reporting that the number of HIV-positive citizens in the country has risen by 80 percent annually over the last decade.
Visit Obamacare website off-peak: US health chief
Individuals seeking to sign up for health coverage on the US government's troubled website were urged to visit the crisis-hit portal during off-peak hours on Friday.
White House: On track for health care website goal
The Obama administration says it will meet its self-imposed deadline of fixing the troubled federal government health care website, a key component of the president's signature domestic initiative. The stakes are high for President Barack Obama at a time when his poll numbers have been steadily dropping and his fellow Democrats are nervously looking ahead to next year's elections when control of Congress will be at stake.
Colon cancer researchers target stem cells, discover viable new therapeutic path
Scientists and surgeons at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have discovered a promising new approach to treating colorectal cancer by disarming the gene that drives self-renewal in stem cells that are the root cause of disease, resistance to treatment and relapse. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world.
New family of proteins linked to major role in cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists have described a new family of proteins that appear to play a key role in cancer and might be targets for future cancer drugs. A major new study in the journal Nature sets out the structure of the new family, called glutamate intramembrane proteases – the founding member of which plays a critical role in transforming healthy cells into cancer cells.
Journal retracts controversial GMO cancer study
The journal Food and Chemical Toxicology is retracting a highly controversial French study it published last year linking genetically modified maize to cancerous tumors in rats.
Mice can 'warn' sons, grandsons of dangers via sperm
Lab mice trained to fear a particular smell can transfer the impulse to their unborn sons and grandsons through a mechanism in their sperm, a study said Sunday.
Biology news
Showdown looms for lucrative tuna industry
The future of the world's largest tuna fishery will be decided at a meeting in Australia this week, with Pacific island nations demanding tighter controls on a catch now worth US$7.0 billion a year.
US zoo names panda cub 'Bao Bao'—or 'Treasure'
Washington's National Zoo named its giant panda cub Bao Bao on Sunday but fans will have to wait a month before they can get their first glimpse of the furry creature.
Human stem cells converted to functional lung cells
For the first time, scientists have succeeded in transforming human stem cells into functional lung and airway cells. The advance, reported by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers, has significant potential for modeling lung disease, screening drugs, studying human lung development, and, ultimately, generating lung tissue for transplantation. The study was published today in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
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