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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 16, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Dust kicked up in Asia strengthens Indian monsoon within a week- Mercury contracted more than prior estimates, evidence shows
- Newly identified small-RNA pathway defends genome against the enemy within
- Smarter HyQ robot squat-jumps and does flying trots (w/ video)
- Planet X myth debunked
- Thermal vision: Graphene light detector first to span infrared spectrum
- Bionic plants: Synthetic nanoparticles enhance photosynthetic activity of plants
- Review: Uneasy first steps with Google Glass
- Nectar: A sweet reward from plants to attract pollinators
- Climate change will reduce crop yields sooner than we thought
- Novel membrane reveals water molecules will bounce off a liquid surface
- Southern Ocean iron cycle gives new insight into climate change
- Better-tasting reduced-fat desserts, dressings, sauces: Coming soon?
- IceBridge starts with sea ice surveys
- Novel gene-finding approach yields a new gene linked to key heart attack risk factor
Astronomy & Space news
Planet X myth debunked
It was an elusive planet that for 200 years appeared to explain Uranus's wobbly orbit. And there was the sister sun theorized to be near our solar system that caused asteroids to swerve toward Earth.
Mercury contracted more than prior estimates, evidence shows
New evidence gathered by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft at Mercury indicates the planet closest to the sun has shrunk up to 7 kilometers in radius over the past 4 billion years, much more than earlier estimates.
Technology news
Fukushima nuclear workers rally against plant operator
Fukushima nuclear plant workers rallied outside the headquarters of operator Tokyo Electric Power on Friday, complaining they were forced to work for meagre pay in dangerous conditions.
Three pieces of evidence point to jet's takeover
There are three pieces of evidence that aviation safety experts say make it clear the missing Malaysia Airlines jet was taken over by someone who was knowledgeable about how the plane worked.
Sina Weibo, 'China's Twitter,' files for IPO in US (Update)
Weibo Corp., the Chinese microblogging service often compared with Twitter, filed Friday for a US stock offering seeking to raise $500 million.
US goes high-tech to help oversee Afghan aid work
The top U.S. aid agency wants to step up its use of smartphones, satellite imagery and GPS cameras to oversee tax-funded development projects that aid workers no longer will be able to observe with their own eyes due to the ongoing exit of American troops.
Malaysian official says missing plane hijacked
A Malaysian investigation into the missing flight 370 has concluded that one or more people with flying experience switched off communications devices and deliberately steered the airliner off-course, a Malaysian government official involved in the investigation said Saturday.
Officers' body cameras raise privacy concerns
Officers at thousands of American law enforcement agencies are wearing tiny cameras to record their interactions with the public, but in many cases the devices are being rolled out faster than departments are able to create policies to govern their use.
Ukraine war already in full swing in cyberspace
With cyberattacks already launched against Crimean separatists, the Kremlin and NATO, the ground war may not have started in Ukraine but computer warfare is already raging.
US to relinquish key oversight role for Internet (Update)
The US government announced Friday it was giving up its key role overseeing the Internet's technical operations, handing over those functions to "the global multi-stakeholder community."
Samsung has assistive tech trio for Galaxy Core Advance
(Phys.org) —Samsung Electronics introduced a trio of accessories on Friday that are designed to help users who are disabled and visually impaired—those with partial or greater loss of vision. Their smartphones can be transformed in this way into tools that enable easier handling of messages and more.
Harnessing everyday motion to power mobile devices (w/ video)
Imagine powering your cell phone by simply walking around your office or rubbing it with the palm of your hand. Rather than plugging it into the wall, you become the power source. Researchers at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) presented these commercial possibilities and a unique vision for green energy.
A battery that 'breathes' could power next-gen electric vehicles
Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) nearly doubled in 2013, but most won't take you farther than 100 miles on one charge. To boost their range toward a tantalizing 300 miles or more, researchers are reporting new progress on a "breathing" battery that has the potential to one day replace the lithium-ion technology of today's EVs. They presented their work at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
US lags as commercial drones take off around globe (Update)
A small, four-rotor drone hovered over Washington Nationals baseball players for a few days during spring training in Florida last month, taking publicity photos impossible for a human photographer to capture. But no one got the Federal Aviation Administration's permission first.
Review: Uneasy first steps with Google Glass
Shaped like a lopsided headband, Google Glass is an unassuming piece of technology when you're holding it in your hands. You feel as if you can almost break it, testing its flexibility. Putting it on, though, is another story.
Smarter HyQ robot squat-jumps and does flying trots (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —HyQ is the latest attention-getter in robotics, a torque-controlled robot that takes its name from its being a "Hydraulically actuated Quadruped." The robot is from the Department of Advanced Robotics at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology or IIT). A video that demonstrates their progress includes notes that "there are no physical springs in the legs or body of HyQ; all compliance results from active adjustment of stiffness and damping by software."
Medicine & Health news
GOP-led House votes 51st time to unravel Obamacare
The Republican-controlled House has voted for the 51st time in 38 months to neuter the nation's health care law.
Shoulder revision repair surgery not as successful two years later, say researchers
Long-term outcomes of revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery is not as successful as in a first-time surgery, according to researchers from the Orthopaedic Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, who are presenting their work today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day.
Socioeconomic factors may contribute to delay in pediatric ACL reconstructions
Research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day in New Orleans highlights evidence that insurance type, household income and age at injury are significant, independent predictors of the rate which Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgeries occurred in kids. Researchers also noted that a delay in pediatric ACL surgery of more than five months correlated with increased severity of other knee injuries in the future.
ACL tears are not the end for college football players
High-level college football players frequently return to the field after an ACL reconstruction, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day. The study added to earlier research by exploring specific factors that affected return to play, including player standing on rosters and year in school.
More osteoarthritis noted later in life in kids who have ACL reconstruction
Researchers presented results today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day in New Orleans that adolescents who have an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction are more likely to demonstrate osteoarthritic changes later in life.
Tommy John Surgery a good solution for MLB pitchers
New data suggests ulnar collateral (UCL) reconstruction, better known as Tommy John Surgery, allows major league pitchers to return to the mound at high rates, and with a positive impact on some performance parameters. The research, presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day, examined 179 major league pitchers from 1986 to 2012.
Young athletes with knee pain may turn to meniscus transplant
Patients undergoing meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) surgery require an additional operation approximately 32% of the time, but overall see a 95% success rate after an average five-year follow-up, according to new research released today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day.
Senegal law bans smoking in public
Senegal's health minister says lawmakers have banned tobacco advertising and smoking in public places.
Newtown struggles to meet mental health demand
Some of the charities paying for mental health care for children and families affected by the Sandy Hook massacre are running short of money and officials don't know how much they'll need—and for how long—to repair the psychological scars from the mass shooting.
Improving EHR interoperability is a national priority: HHS
(HealthDay)—Interoperability of electronic health record (EHR) systems is a national priority of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, according to an article published March 4 in Medical Economics.
Saudi MERS death toll rises to 63
Saudi health authorities said Saturday a young man had died from the MERS coronavirus, bringing the death toll from the respiratory disease in the worst-hit country to 63.
School sick days could be reduced with safe drinking water
Providing free drinking water in schools could be key to helping people in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
ATS releases guidelines on the management of pulmonary hypertension of sickle cell disease
The American Thoracic Society has developed clinical practice guidelines to help clinicians identify and manage patients with sickle cell disease who are at increased risk for mortality from pulmonary hypertension.
Nepal's young women endure painful 'fallen womb' syndrome
Sita Pariyar had barely recovered from childbirth when her uterus slipped out of her body, making her one of hundreds of thousands of Nepalese women struck by a debilitating reproductive condition.
Keep your heart healthy
(HealthDay)—Here's the bad news: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and 49 percent of adults have at least one risk factor for the disease. But the good news is that there are a number of things you can do to keep your heart healthy.
Chronic hyperglycemia tied to worse surgical outcomes
(HealthDay)—Chronic hyperglycemia (A1C >8 percent) is associated with poor surgical outcomes, as measured by an increased hospital length of stay (LOS), according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.
Contagious yawning may not be linked to empathy; still largely unexplained
While previous studies have suggested a connection between contagious yawning and empathy, new research from the Duke Center for Human Genome Variation finds that contagious yawning may decrease with age and is not strongly related to variables like empathy, tiredness and energy levels.
Cancer therapy may be too targeted
Researchers have identified two novel cancer genes that are associated with the development of a rare, highly aggressive, cancer of blood vessels. These genes may now act as markers for future treatments and explain why narrowly targeted therapies that are directed at just one target fail.
Novel gene-finding approach yields a new gene linked to key heart attack risk factor
Scientists have discovered a previously unrecognized gene variation that makes humans have healthier blood lipid levels and reduced risk of heart attacks—a finding that opens the door to using this knowledge in testing or treatment of high cholesterol and other lipid disorders.
Biology news
Rallies in S.Africa to save the king of beasts
Wildlife campaigners joined rallies around South Africa Saturday in an international push to protect the lion and save the king of beasts from being raised in cages for "canned hunting".
Nectar: A sweet reward from plants to attract pollinators
Evolution is based on diversity, and sexual reproduction is key to creating a diverse population that secures competitiveness in nature. Plants had to solve a problem: they needed to find ways to spread their genetic material. Flying pollinators—insects, birds, and bats—were nature's solution. Charles Darwin's "abominable mystery" highlighted the coincidence of flowering plant and insect diversification about 120 million years ago and ascribed it to the coordinated specialization of flowers and insects in the context of insects serving as pollen carriers. To make sure the flying pollinators would come to the flowers to pick up pollen, plants evolved special organs called nectaries to attract and reward the animals. These nectaries are secretory organs that produce perfumes and sugary rewards. Yet despite the obvious importance of nectar, the process by which plants manufacture and secrete it has largely remained a mystery.
Newly identified small-RNA pathway defends genome against the enemy within
Reproductive cells, such as an egg and sperm, join to form stem cells that can mature into any tissue type. But how do reproductive cells arise? We humans are born with all of the reproductive cells that we will ever produce. But in plants things are very different. They first generate mature, adult cells and only later "reprogram" some of them to produce eggs and sperm.
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