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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for October 8, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- How energy-efficient is cloud computing?- 'Express lanes' for ions: By aligning carbon nanotubes in electrodes, researchers boost performance
- Using cancer's weapons against it
- Rowheel wheelchair is pulled to move forward
- Backyard astronomer in Ireland finds supernova
- Single-crystal films could advance solar cells (w/ Video)
- Plants kick-start evolutionary drama of Earth's oxygenation
- Using complex systems approach to study educational policy
- Neurons cast votes to guide decision-making
- Discovery of an extrasolar earth-sized planet
- NASA mission to asteroid gets help from Hubble Space Telescope (w/ Video)
- PayPal lets people deposit checks using iPhones
- Experts say direct-to-consumer genetic tests need innovative oversight
- Measurements of CO2 and CO in China's air indicate sharply improved combustion efficiency
- How niacin fights high cholesterol: New research gets to the heart of the problem
Space & Earth news
Study cites illegal means, threats to farmers in company's bid to control China's forests
A new study released today in Washington, DC and Beijing suggests that one of the world's largest and "greenest" paper companies, in concert with local officials and other middlemen, used illegal means to gain control over thousands of hectares of Chinese forestlands, with a goal of acquiring 120 thousand hectares for a eucalyptus plantation in the Guangxi Autonomous Region of southern China.
Count down for ESA's MagISStra mission to Space Station begins
In Latin magistra means 'female teacher', and now Europe’s third long-duration astronaut mission to the International Space Station will carry almost the same name: MagISStra.
'The Year of the Solar System' to begin
To mark an unprecedented flurry of exploration which is about to begin, NASA announced yesterday that the coming year will be "The Year of the Solar System" (YSS).
Modeling Pakistan's flooding
The catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, which began with the annual monsoons towards the end of July 2010, has affected nearly 62,000 square miles -- or one fourth of the entire surface of the USA and Alaska. Six million are homeless. Eight million children are at risk of disease. More than 1,600 are dead already. Flood waters have washed away entire towns, thousands of miles of roads and railways, and damaged the infrastructure of a large portion of the country. Thousands of health facilities are destroyed and rising waters have inundated crop-producing areas, threatening a food crisis. The Pakistani government now struggles to rescue and provide aid to millions -- while still fighting with militant Islamist forces in many of the hardest-hit regions.
Rocket with US-Russian crew blasts off
(AP) -- A Russian rocket with a U.S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts onboard blasted off successfully early Friday for the International Space Station, with flame-haired Russian spy Anna Chapman making an unexpected appearance at the cosmodrome to wave them goodbye.
Just how low can Mars go?
There are few places on Mars lower than this. On the left of this image, the floor of Melas Chasma sinks nine kilometres below the surrounding plains. New images from ESA’s Mars Express highlight the complex history of this enormous martian canyon.
'A-Train' satellites search for 770 million tons of dust in the air
Using data from several research satellites, scientists will spend the next three years trying to understand the climate impacts of about 770 million tons of dust carried into the atmosphere every year from the Sahara Desert.
NASA thruster test aids future robotic lander's ability to land safely
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., collaborated with NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, N.M., and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., to successfully complete a series of thruster tests at the White Sands test facility. The test will aid in maneuvering and landing the next generation of robotic lunar landers that could be used to explore the moon's surface and other airless celestial bodies.
Reversing climate change: Is charcoal the answer?
It's black, it's gritty, it's essential for barbecues -- and it just might save the world from global warming.
Hungary's red sludge nearly equals Gulf oil spill
(AP) -- The mighty Danube apparently absorbed Hungary's massive red sludge spill with little immediate damage Friday but laboratory tests heightened concerns about possible longer-term harm caused by toxic heavy metals in the slurry.
ISS mission delayed after damage to Soyuz craft: director
The next mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for December 13, has been delayed following "idiotic" damage to the Soyuz spacecraft, the mission director said on Friday.
Twins scheduled to orbit Earth together
It's pretty remarkable to have one astronaut in a family. But having two? Who happen to be identical twins? And will be in space together at the same time?
Climate change remains a real threat to corals
(PhysOrg.com) -- Hopes that coral reefs might be able to survive, and recover from, bleaching caused by climate change may have grown dimmer for certain coral species, according to new research by University at Buffalo marine biologists published online this week in PLoS One.
Webb Telescope sunshield passes launch depressurization tests to verify flight design
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope continues to make significant progress, successfully completing a series of sunshield vent tests that validate the telescope's sunshield design.
Titan's haze could hold ingredients for life
Simulating possible chemical processes in the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, a UA-led planetary research team found amino acids and nucleotide bases – the most important ingredients of life on Earth.
Mars mysteries could be answered through airplanes
There are regions on Mars where the ground is much too rugged for a rover to explore. Instead, a robotic, rocket-powered airplane could be the ideal way to investigate some of these intriguing but as-yet inaccessible areas.
Measurements of CO2 and CO in China's air indicate sharply improved combustion efficiency
A collaborative, six-year study of carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in Beijing and surrounding provinces suggests that combustion efficiency, a component of overall energy efficiency, is improving in the region.
Discovery of an extrasolar earth-sized planet
(PhysOrg.com) -- There are now over 490 confirmed extrasolar planets. The vast majority are gas giants like Jupiter, but they are much stranger because many orbit close to their stars and so are much hotter than Jupiter (some are even closer to their star than Mercury is to the sun).
NASA mission to asteroid gets help from Hubble Space Telescope (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of the large asteroid Vesta that will help scientists refine plans for the Dawn spacecraft's rendezvous with Vesta in July 2011.
Backyard astronomer in Ireland finds supernova
(PhysOrg.com) -- An amateur astronomer working from his backyard shed in Ireland was the first in the world to spot a supernova explosion last month. The discovery is the biggest ever in amateur astronomy in Ireland.
Plants kick-start evolutionary drama of Earth's oxygenation
An international team of scientists, exploiting pioneering techniques at Arizona State University, has taken a significant step toward unlocking the secrets of oxygenation of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
Technology news
Premier: China won't block rare earth exports
(AP) -- China is not using its control over supplies of rare earth - exotic metals crucial in advanced manufacturing - as a diplomatic "bargaining chip," state media quoted Premier Wen Jiabao as saying during a visit to Europe.
Questions and answers about BlackBerry objections
(AP) -- Some questions and answers about the threats to ban the use of BlackBerry's messaging and Web services:
Obama signs technology access bill for disabled
(AP) -- Blind and deaf people soon will be able to more easily use smart phones, the Internet and other technologies that have become staples of life and the workplace.
UAE, BlackBerry resolve dispute, averting ban
(AP) -- The United Arab Emirates backed off a threat to cut key services on BlackBerry smart phones Friday, just days before the ban was set to take effect.
With Twitter blocked, Chinese micro-blogging thrives
When a huge mudslide swamped a Chinese town in August, killing at least 1,500 people, word first reached the world thanks to a digital camera-wielding, 19-year-old micro-blogger who idolises Lady Gaga.
Mobile and 'cloud' computing key future job skills: IBM
US technology titan IBM says the job skills of the future include savvy with smartphones, tablet computers and software hosted in the Internet "cloud" rather than standard desktop computers.
GetJar out to make mobile phone applications free
The world's second largest online shop for mobile phone applications is out to change the economics of the booming industry by making the popular mini-programs available for free.
Nobel laureate worries for literature in digital age
Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of this year's Nobel Prize for literature, likes books printed on paper and worries that something precious may be lost in an age of ebooks and digitization.
Privacy fears as eight in 10 kids have photos online
Eight out of 10 children under the age of two have their pictures online via sites like Facebook, raising privacy and even paedophilia concerns, an Internet security company said on Friday.
Microsoft boss silent on possible Adobe acquisition
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer refused to comment Friday when asked if the titan was interested in buying US software maker Adobe.
Steve Ballmer upbeat on new mobile phone operating system
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer said Friday he was confident the company's new mobile phone operating system would help it claw back market share from rivals, days after Goldman Sachs downgraded its assessment of the firm's stock.
Imagine: Google pays tribute to John Lennon
Google paid tribute to former Beatle John Lennon on Friday by replacing its celebrated logo with a video featuring his classic song "Imagine."
Earthquakes: Bracing against the shaking
(PhysOrg.com) -- An Arizona State University geotechnical engineer says the U.S. should learn from what New Zealanders did to withstand a recent powerful quake – and how they could have prepared even better.
PayPal lets people deposit checks using iPhones
A PayPal application that lets people deposit checks by scanning them with cameras built into iPhones was considered a budding success on Friday.
Rowheel wheelchair is pulled to move forward
(PhysOrg.com) -- Wheelchairs have a basic problem because the occupant must push the wheels forward to turn the chair’s wheels, but this action is physically stressful on the anterior deltoid muscles in the shoulder and the triceps and flexor carpi muscles in the arms. Using these smaller and relatively weak muscles can result in muscle and joint pain and degredation, torn rotor cuffs, repetitive stress injury, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Now a new wheelchair, the Rowheel System, uses the much more natural pulling (rowing) motion to move the chair forward.
How energy-efficient is cloud computing?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Conventionally, data storage and data processing are done at the user's own computer, using that computer's storage system and processor. An alternative to this method is cloud computing, which is Internet-based computing that enables users at home or office computers to transfer data to a remote data center for storage and processing. Cloud computing offers potential benefits – especially financial ones – to users, but in a new study, researchers have investigated a different aspect of cloud computing: how does its energy consumption compare with conventional computing?
Medicine & Health news
Ultrasound device improves poor bone healing
Ultrasound can speed the healing of fractures. A randomized controlled trial reported in the open access journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders has found that the use of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in patients with tibial fractures which showed inadequate progress toward healing resulted in 34% greater bone mineral density (BMD) in the fracture area after 16 weeks than use of a sham device.
New report: How will the affordable care act affect 15 million uninsured young adults?
Young adults continue to represent one of the largest groups of Americans without health insurance, with nearly 15 million people aged 19-29 uninsured in 2009—an increase of more than 1 million over 2008, according to a Commonwealth Fund report released today. However, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is poised to make a significant difference for this population, as up to 12.1 million could gain subsidized insurance once all of the law's provisions go into effect in 2014.
Frequent inaccuracies in testosterone testing lead to call for standardization
The use of testosterone assays for patient care and research is on the rise as new research links testosterone to a variety of diseases and conditions. Although the assays are heavily used, discrepancies and inaccuracies in measurements resulting from the various assays are widespread. Seeking to address this critical health issue, a multidisciplinary group of experts convened by The Endocrine Society and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just issued recommendations for improving and standardizing testosterone testing in a consensus statement to be published in the October 2010 issue of The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
The link between health and emotions
While the connection between our environment and our emotions has been well explored what is less understood is the profound connection between our emotions and our physical health.
Connecting through design for dementia patients
Frustrated by their inability to communicate with their parents with dementia, two Human Ecology professors are using custom-built furniture and digital photos to help families connect with loved ones suffering from Alzheimer's and other brain diseases.
Childhood asthma reduces chance of smoking in teen boys
A boy who has asthma is less likely to smoke as a teenager, according to a new study from Italy.
Shift work and cancer
Shift work can cause cancer. In the new issue of the Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[38]: 657-62), Thomas C. Erren and colleagues describe the current state of knowledge in this area and point out the challenges lying ahead.
Risks in multiple pregnancies
The complication rate during pregnancy with twins is about 40%. Women with multiple pregnancies often develop pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hemorrhages during the term of their pregnancy. Joachim W Dudenhausen from the Charite Berlin University Medicine and Rolf F Maier from Magdeburg University Medical Center, investigate which risks can be minimized by close monitoring in multiple pregnancies (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[38]: 663-8).
Children's agitation after surgery may be preventable
Temporary combativeness after surgery—a complication affecting up to half of anesthetized children—may be preventable with drugs that decrease epinephrine production, according to a Medical College of Georgia pediatric anesthesiologist.
HSAN 1: Identification of new mutations, more accurate diagnosis and improved genetic counseling
Belgian researchers at the University of Antwerp have identified several mutations that play an important role in the development of Hereditary Sensory and Autonomous Neuropathy Type 1 (HSAN 1). HSAN 1 is a rare genetic disorder of the peripheral nervous system. Identification of the mutations will lead to a more accurate diagnosis of the disease in patients as well as improved genetic counseling and prenatal diagnostic tests for couples who are carriers and planning a pregnancy.
Targeted therapy promising for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
A new type of breast cancer treatment has shown encouraging activity as a first-line therapy in HER2-positive metastatic disease, researchers reported at the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Milan, Italy.
Men perspire, women glow
Women have to work harder than men in order to start sweating, while men are more effective sweaters during exercise, according to new research published in the journal Experimental Physiology.
Missing self-injury behavior in youths with eating disorders, study finds
An alarming number of adolescents already battling eating disorders are also intentionally cutting themselves, and health-care providers may be failing to diagnose many instances of such self-injury, according to a new study from Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
Low Apgar score at birth linked to cerebral palsy
A low Apgar score at birth is strongly associated with cerebral palsy in childhood, concludes a study from researchers in Norway published in the British Medical Journal today.
Popular prostate cancer treatment associated with bone decay
Using novel technology allowing "virtual bone biopsies" researchers have found that a common treatment for prostate cancer called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with structural decay of cortical and trabecular bone. The study has been accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Prohibition of cannabis counter-productive
Prohibition of cannabis in the United States may be counter-productive, with a new study showing that a period of increased law enforcement against the drug coincided with an increase in the number of young adult cannabis users smoking cheaper and more potent produce.
Damaged spinal cord tissue repaired by stem cells
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown how stem cells, together with other cells, repair damaged tissue in the mouse spinal cord. The results are of potential significance to the development of therapies for spinal cord injury.
Fewer fatal heart attacks may be linked to Massachusetts smoking ban
A new study finds that the number of deadly heart attacks in Massachusetts fell by more than 7 percent after the state outlawed smoking in workplaces, a possible sign that the ban contributed to better health as fewer people found themselves around smoke.
Heavy metals in Chinese cigarettes pose high risk: study
A new international research project has found high levels of heavy metals in Chinese cigarettes, with some containing three times the level of lead, cadmium and arsenic of Canadian brands.
Bloodstream infection surveillance inconsistent between institutions, study shows
A new study looking at how hospitals identify pediatric patients who develop catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSI) found significant inconsistencies in the methods used to report the number of patients who develop them.
Autistic children are not good at covering up their lies: study
Children with autism will tell white lies to protect other people's feelings and they are not very good at covering up their lies, according to a Queen's University study.
Abbott withdraws diet pill in US, Canada
(AP) -- Abbott Laboratories said Friday it will withdraw its diet pill Meridia in the U.S. and Canada, almost a year after studies showed the drug increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with a history of heart disease.
Studying illnesses caused by worms: Scientists are learning how immune cells communicate
A billion people living in underdeveloped areas around the world are infected with parasitic helminthes, worms that survive by residing in and feeding on their hosts. These infestations can cause chronic intestinal (and occasionally systemic) illnesses leading to long-term disability. Irah King and Markus Mohrs, biomedical researchers at the Trudeau Institute, are investigating illnesses caused by these gut-dwelling worms in an effort to decipher how immune cells send and receive signals that determine the specific immune response to mount.
Improving sonography requires improving sonography school admissions
Diagnostic ultrasounds are the most widely used medical tests in the world. Though the technology is more than 50 years old, scientists continue to discover new uses for it, ranging from more targeted cancer treatments to liposuction. As the technology becomes more complex, a sonographer's skill level is even more important. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri may have found one of the keys to becoming a successful sonographer: spatial ability.
No longer pandemic, H1N1 flu still hangs on in new flu season
With frantic efforts to gird for the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic still etched on the public mind, some health officials have been gearing up weeks earlier than usual to do battle with the 2010 flu season.
People apply principles inconsistently, study finds
Is it morally appropriate to sacrifice the life of an innocent person to save the lives of several others? David Pizarro, Cornell assistant professor of psychology, put a fresh spin on this classic question from philosophy.
Hepatitis C virus damages brain cells
A University of Alberta researcher specializing in neurological infections has discovered that the hepatitis C virus injures and inflames brain cells, resulting in neurological issues for some patients living with the disease. Until now, no one has been able to prove this.
How niacin fights high cholesterol: New research gets to the heart of the problem
High blood lipids are a big risk factor for developing heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately one of every six adult Americans has high blood cholesterol and about every 25 seconds, an American will have a heart attack, and nearly one every minute will die from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts say direct-to-consumer genetic tests need innovative oversight
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests available from retailers and the Internet let people learn about their genomes without going to a doctor, but they raise the question of who is responsible for oversight and regulation of these tests. Critics worry about safety risks if consumers base important lifestyle or medical decisions on inaccurate or misunderstood test results.
Neurons cast votes to guide decision-making
We know that casting a ballot in the voting booth involves politics, values and personalities. But before you ever push the button for your candidate, your brain has already carried out an election of its own to make that action possible. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that our brain accumulates evidence when faced with a choice and triggers an action once that evidence reaches a tipping point.
Using cancer's weapons against it
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tumours seem to pacify our immune system by tapping into our bodies’ codes, but we may be able to use this trick against them in our bid to hunt them down.
Biology news
'Miracle rice' finding proves we can never stop rice breeding
Environmental changes are to blame for a 15% drop in the yield of "miracle rice" – also known as rice variety IR8 – since the 1960s when it was first released and lauded for its superior yields that helped avert famine across Asia at the time.
Dairy cows and mycotoxins: Testing and vigilance can reduce risk for producers
(PhysOrg.com) -- Heavy rains have led to a warm-up in South Dakota, and these conditions have dairy producers concerned because of the potential threat mycotoxins pose to their cows. South Dakota Cooperative Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro Garcia said dairy cows pose a particular challenge because of the wide-ranging variety of feeds that make up their diets.
Female fish flaunt fins to attract a mate
For the first time, biologists have described the evolution of the size of a female trait which males use to choose a partner. The research, published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology, shows that male cichlid fish prefer females with a larger pelvic fin and that this drives females to grow fins out of proportion with their body size.
Turtle, dugongs 'at risk under climate change'
The "turtle and dugong capital of the world", the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate change from human actions such as fishing, hunting, onshore development and pollution.
Can the past secure pygmy possum's future?
Australia's ancient past may provide vital clues about how to secure the future of one of Australia's most endangered animals, the charismatic mountain pygmy possum, according to leading palaeontologist Professor Mike Archer.
West Nile virus discovered in Texas quail population
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers with a conservation alliance based at Texas Tech University have found a quail loaded with high levels of the antibody that fights West Nile virus.
Claim: White flower has world's longest genome
An ordinary-looking white flower from Japan may carry something quite extraordinary within its pale petals - the longest genome ever discovered.
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