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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for November 26, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Cassini finds oxygen-carbon dioxide atmosphere on Saturn's moon Rhea- Collisions of two galaxies may have formed Andromeda (w/ Video)
- Large Hadron Collider experiments bring new insight into primordial universe
- More than 600,000 people killed by 2nd-hand smoke
- The rate of star formation
- Sex and the single chromosome
- Scientists find eyeless cave fish in Indonesia
- Revealing the secrets of chemical bath deposition
- Can we grow crops on other planets?
- The end of hamburger disease
- 'Fourth generation' Internet arrives in Hong Kong
- Japan iPhone craze attracts global app developers
- Soyuz carrying Americans, Russian lands
- Designing catalytic materials: Innovative techniques allow researchers to study interfaces with great precision
Space & Earth news
Ex-UN climate chief: Cancun won't bring success
(AP) -- The former U.N. climate chief says he doesn't expect the upcoming summit in Cancun, Mexico, to produce big results and is encouraging delegates to focus on reaching small goals rather trying to secure a major treaty.
Two new Earth observation missions chosen for further study
As part of the procedure to realise ESA's series of Earth Explorers, two new mission proposals have been selected for further development. The missions, called FLEX and CarbonSat, now vying to be the eighth Earth Explorer both address key climate and environmental change issues.
Possible eruption on brink for symbiotic variable star
November 23rd, astronomers from the Asiago Novae and Symbiotic Stars collaboration announced recent changes in the symbiotic variable star, AX Persei, could indicate the onset of a rare eruption of this system. The last major eruption took place between 1988 and1992. In the (northern hemisphere) spring of 2009, AX Per underwent a short outburst that was the first time since 1992 this star had experienced a bright phase. Now AX Per is on the rise again. This has tempted astronomers to speculate that another major eruption could be in the making.
China launches hourly air quality data index
China has started publishing hourly air-quality information for major cities across the country as the world's top source of greenhouse gas emissions tries to rein in its notorious pollution.
Soyuz carrying Americans, Russian lands
(AP) -- A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Americans and a Russian from the International Space Station touched down Friday in Kazakhstan in a landing that the Russian space program's chief described as ideal.
Can we grow crops on other planets?
Science fiction lovers aren’t the only ones captivated by the possibility of colonizing another planet. Scientists are engaging in numerous research projects that focus on determining how habitable other planets are for life. Mars, for example, is revealing more and more evidence that it probably once had liquid water on its surface, and could one day become a home away from home for humans.
The rate of star formation
(PhysOrg.com) -- New stars continue to appear in the night sky, as the gas and dust in giant interstellar clouds gradually coalesces under the influence of gravity until nuclear burning begins.
Cassini finds oxygen-carbon dioxide atmosphere on Saturn's moon Rhea
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a flyby past Rhea, Saturn's second-largest moon, NASA's spacecraft Cassini has revealed the presence of a thin atmosphere of 70 percent oxygen and 30 percent carbon dioxide, which is apparently sustained by chemical decomposition of the moon’s ice-covered surface.
Collisions of two galaxies may have formed Andromeda (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- New computer simulations suggest the nearest galactic neighbors to our own Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds and the Andromeda Galaxy, may have been shaped by the massive collision of two galaxies billions of years ago.
Technology news
UK company to transform electronics for security scanners, cancer detection
A new UK company set to transform the use of terahertz electronics for applications in security imaging, telecommunications and cancer detection has won (Wednesday 24 November) a prize in Research Councils UK (RCUK) Business Plan Competition 2010.
US briefs allies about next WikiLeaks release
(AP) -- U.S. allies around the world have been briefed by American diplomats about an expected release of classified U.S. files by the WikiLeaks website that is likely to cause international embarrassment and could damage some nations' relations with the United States.
22 charged for prank emails, texts after S.Korea attacks
South Korean police said Friday they had charged 22 people with spreading rumours and false information online or in text messages after North Korea shelled an island in the South, a news report said.
Fujitsu expands lineup of 8-bit LCD driving microcontrollers
Fujitsu Semiconductor today announced the forthcoming release of a new series of high performance 8-bit microcontrollers with segment-display LCD controller built in.
Australian Senate approves $35B broadband network
(AP) -- The Australian Senate on Friday approved legislation that enables the government to roll out a 36 billion Australian dollar ($35 billion) high-speed national broadband network.
Powerful LED flash for smartphones
Researchers from Osram Opto Semiconductors have developed an LED chip that makes it possible to offer smaller pocket projectors, vehicle headlights, and cell phone camera flashes. In combination with a new package the new UX:3 chip is 50 percent brighter than the precursor package. In combination with an optimized lens, the light is much better distributed. The chip is used in the Oslux LED, which is therefore considerably more efficient at high currents than previous LEDs and is impressive for its very high luminous efficiency over a small area.
Convictions upheld in Pirate Bay file-sharing case
(AP) -- A Swedish appeals court on Friday upheld the copyright convictions of three men behind The Pirate Bay, a popular file-sharing site that remains in operation despite attempts by authorities to shut it down.
Tech industry insider makes waves in China
It is just a simple piece of plywood, but it is a striking symbol of the frenzied adoration Kai-Fu Lee, perhaps China's most prominent technologist, elicits in this country.
OnLive instant video game streaming box could become the Netflix of games
I've been playing with OnLive's new video game streaming box for a few days now - the MicroConsole - and I am very impressed.
Japan iPhone craze attracts global app developers
(AP) -- The iPhone's popularity in Japan is cracking open an industry long thought inaccessible to outsiders.
'Fourth generation' Internet arrives in Hong Kong
The latest generation of wireless Internet that will allow people to watch a crystal clear movie or live sporting event on the street or atop a hill is being deployed throughout Hong Kong.
Medicine & Health news
Experts question whether patients will use performance data to choose their care
Expectations are high that the public will use performance data to choose their health providers and so drive improvements in quality. But in a paper published in the British Medical Journal today, two experts question whether this is realistic.
Red Cross scolds 'failed' HIV policy among nations
(AP) -- The spread of HIV and AIDS among millions of people could be slowed if addicts who inject drugs were treated as medical patients rather than as criminals, the International Federation of the Red Cross said Friday.
Monitoring of heart attack and stroke patients improved by new test
Experts in cardiovascular medicine at The University of Nottingham have won a package of benefits worth £40,000 to develop a simple test which will improve the monitoring and care of heart attack and stroke patients.
In Brief: Guiding cancer cells to their fate
It is often said that the best way to spur change is to work within the system. Here, researchers create control devices based on RNA, which can be used to synthetically rewire cellular behavior, making the cells more sensitive to a drug that causes cell death.
A high BMI in childhood linked to greater heart disease risk in adolescence
Children who have a high body mass index (BMI) between 9 and 12 years of age are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels (all risk factors for developing heart disease) by the time they reach adolescence, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Team finds mutation involved in macular degeneration
Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research in Manchester have revealed more about how a particular genetic change significantly raises the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
Sleep apnoea linked to changes in brain structure
Obstructive sleep apnoea occurs when someone stops breathing while sleeping, because their airway at the back of the throat becomes blocked. This can lead to excessive sleepiness, increased risk of stroke and heart attack, and cognitive impairment.
Subconscious saves the day when hungry brain fails
Complex decisions should be made subconsciously rather than consciously. This is the conclusion of Dutch researcher Maarten Bos. Hungry brains have difficulty making complicated decisions, but our subconscious functions fine even when hungry. The more intricate a decision seems, the more we should rely on our subconscious. Bos gained his doctorate from the Radboud University Nijmegen on 29 October 2010.
Genetic profile guides search for the right blood pressure drug
We are swimming in a sea of options when it comes to treating high blood pressure; there are currently more than half a dozen different classes of drugs on the market for the condition. Yet there is little rationale for giving individuals one particular drug over another.
Colorado weighs difficulties of pot regulations
(AP) -- What's in that joint, and how can you be sure it's safe?
More than 600,000 people killed by 2nd-hand smoke
(AP) -- Secondhand smoke kills more than 600,000 people worldwide every year, according to a new study.
Biology news
Critics say Obama lagging on endangered species
(AP) -- Environmental groups are criticizing the Obama administration for what they say is a continuing backlog of plants and animals in need of protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Adipose tissue produces cells involved in immune response
French researchers from CNRS and the Universite Paul Sabatier have demonstrated the existence, in adipose tissue, of stem cells similar to those found in bone marrow. These cells are capable of differentiating into mast cells, i.e. immune cells involved, in particular, in allergic and inflammatory responses. It was previously thought that mast cells were only produced in bone marrow. This study, published in the journal Stem Cells, paves the way for an as yet unexplored field of investigation on the role of adipose tissue in immune response and could lead to new therapeutic applications.
Asian carp create nagging fear in Lake Erie towns
Well before dawn, Todd Loop takes his fishing tug onto Lake Erie in pursuit of yellow perch, walleye and other delicacies — a livelihood that has sustained his family for three generations but faces a future as murky as the freshwater sea on a moonless night.
17 rare sea turtles rescued off Cape Cod, Mass.
(AP) -- Seventeen rare sea turtles suffering a variety of ailments are recovering at the New England Aquarium after being rescued over the past two days off of Cape Cod, Mass.
The end of hamburger disease
Hamburger disease, a debilitating form of food poisoning, may be a thing of the past. New findings from an international research collaboration conducted by the French National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA), involving the Université de Montréal are the first to show how the contaminating E.coli bacterium is able to survive in the competitive environment of a cow's intestine by scavenging specific food sources.
Scientists find eyeless cave fish in Indonesia
Eyeless cave fish and a frog that carries its offspring on its back are among the new species a team of scientists have discovered in Indonesia's eastern Papua region.
Sex and the single chromosome
Is there value to sex? For higher organisms, absolutely. Animals, plants and fungi that reproduce only by cloning are scarce as hen's teeth, suggesting the gene shuffling of sex pays handsome dividends.
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