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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for November 21, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Stanford researchers first to turn normal cells into 3-D cancers in tissue culture dishes- Giant gamma ray bubbles in our galaxy
- In the test tube, teams reconstruct a cancer cell's beginning
- Should airplanes look like birds? Engineers envision more fuel-efficient design
- Genes link puberty timing and body fat in women
- Global CO2 emissions back on the rise in 2010: study
- How hummingbirds fight the wind: Robotic device helps analyze hovering birds
- News Corp. set to unveil iPad newspaper, 'The Daily'
- Peruvian diggers find 2.5 million-year-old tobacco
- Duke cancer researcher quits as papers questioned
- Salesforce shares soaring on cloud computing craze
- Busy microbial world discovered in deepest ocean crust ever explored
- Rare disease reveals new path for creating stem cells
Space & Earth news
Image: Earth from space -- wind-inspired design
The pastel colours and soft, flowing shapes in this Envisat radar image of the Tanezrouft Basin in the Algerian Sahara contradict the harshness of the terrain that has led to it being commonly referred to as the 'Land of Terror'.
Iran to launch new satellites soon: defence minister
Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Sunday that Tehran would soon launch into space a number of its newly designed satellites, Mehr news agency reported.
Astronauts open up world to Earthlings via photos
(AP) -- Earthlings are seeing their planet in a whole new light, thanks to NASA and its astronauts aboard the Internet-wired space station. They're beaming down dazzling images and guess-this-mystery-location photos via Twitter and have even launched a game. Landlubbers the world over are eating it up. From schoolchildren to grown-up business entrepreneurs and artists, the public is captivated and can't seem to get enough.
As world warms, negotiators give talks another try
(AP) -- The last time the world warmed, 120,000 years ago, the Cancun coastline was swamped by a 7-foot (2.1-meter) rise in sea level in a few decades. A week from now at that Mexican resort, frustrated negotiators will try again to head off a new global deluge.
Leaking Siberian ice raises a tricky climate issue
(AP) -- The Russian scientist shuffles across the frozen lake, scuffing aside ankle-deep snow until he finds a cluster of bubbles trapped under the ice. With a cigarette lighter in one hand and a knife in the other, he lances the ice like a blister. Methane whooshes out and bursts into a thin blue flame.
Giant gamma ray bubbles in our galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Gamma rays are the most energetic form of light, typically about one hundred billion times as energetic as optical light.
Busy microbial world discovered in deepest ocean crust ever explored
The first study to ever explore biological activity in the deepest layer of ocean crust has found bacteria with a remarkable range of capabilities, including eating hydrocarbons and natural gas, and "fixing" or storing carbon.
Global CO2 emissions back on the rise in 2010: study
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – the main contributor to global warming – show no sign of abating and may reach record levels in 2010, according to a study led by the University of Exeter (UK).
Technology news
Facebook founder fodder for animated film
A comic book based on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is being turned into a short animated film tailored to television.
NKorea unveils new nuclear plant: US scientist
North Korea has unveiled a secret new uranium enrichment plant equipped with at least 1,000 centrifuges, a US scientist said, raising new fears Sunday about Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
IBM's new architecture can double analytics processing speed
At the Supercomputing 2010 conference, IBM today unveiled details of a new storage architecture design, created by IBM scientists, that will convert terabytes of pure information into actionable insights twice as fast as previously possible.
Amazon lets gift-givers send Kindle books by email
Amazon.com on Friday began letting gift-givers send Kindle electronic books by email as the leading online shop positioned itself to cash in on the year-end holiday season.
Amazon gives hint on number of Kindle users
(AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. is giving a hint about how many people are using the Kindle and related apps.
Apotheker a no-show in Oracle-SAP trial
(AP) -- An industrial espionage trial between Oracle Corp. and SAP AG, two of the world's biggest business software makers, didn't feature after all the testimony of one of its most anticipated witnesses.
Emusic adds major labels, higher price tiers
(AP) -- Digital music subscription club eMusic launched a new pricing plan this week that charges more for new music but adds tunes from major labels in an effort to broaden its appeal.
Social media 'one part' of Google strategy: CFO
Internet giant Google said social media was "absolutely" part of its strategy and would be embedded in "many of our products" but played down its rivalry with networking icon Facebook.
Salesforce shares soaring on cloud computing craze
(AP) -- A hot high-tech concept known as "cloud computing" is lifting Salesforce.com Inc.'s stock to lofty heights.
News Corp. set to unveil iPad newspaper, 'The Daily'
After months of top secret development, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. appears poised to take the wraps off a digital newspaper for the iPad called "The Daily."
Should airplanes look like birds? Engineers envision more fuel-efficient design
Airplanes do not look much like birds -- unless you were to imagine a really weird bird or a very strange plane -- but should they? This question is exactly what a pair of engineers in California and South Africa inadvertently answered recently when they set about re-thinking the ubiquitous tube-and-wings aircraft architecture from scratch in order to make airplanes more fuel efficient.
Medicine & Health news
I-SPY 2 study speeds up treatment for breast cancer
A clinical trial that aims to speed up the study of new treatments for certain subtypes of breast cancer now has a designated study site at the Diane O'Connor Thompson Breast Center at the University of Colorado Hospital.
9/11 rescuers agree huge compensation deal
More than 10,000 rescue workers sickened by toxic dust and debris after the September 11 attacks Friday accepted a huge 625-million-dollar compensation payout, the government insurer said.
UN worries its troops caused cholera in Haiti
(AP) -- It began as a rumor that farmers saw waste from a U.N. peacekeeping base flow into a river. Within days of the talk, hundreds downstream had died from cholera.
Tobacco industry lobbies for flavorful cigarettes
(AP) -- Public health officials from around the world agreed this week on some new anti-smoking rules, but others that could have sharply reduced global tobacco consumption remained out of reach at an international conference Friday.
Race impacts declining kidney function
African Americans—along with some groups of Hispanics—have faster rates of decline in kidney function compared to white Americans, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition.
Elderly can blame fractures and falls on low sodium
Older adults with even mildly decreased levels of sodium in the blood (hyponatremia) experience increased rates of fractures and falls, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition. Falls are a serious health problem for the elderly and account for about 50 percent of deaths due to injury in the elderly.
Analysis: Pope's comments add to debate on condoms
(AP) -- With his striking comment on condoms and AIDS, Pope Benedict XVI has started a new chapter in the complex church debate about morality and preventing the spread of HIV.
New study into bladder regeneration heralds organ replacement treatment
Researchers in the United States have developed a medical model for regenerating bladders using stem cells harvested from a patient's own bone marrow. The research, published in STEM CELLS, is especially relevant for paediatric patients suffering from abnormally developed bladders, but also represents another step towards new organ replacement therapies.
One in five Americans had mental illness last year: survey
Nearly one in five Americans, or 45 million adults, experienced some form of mental illness last year, according to a major US government survey published on Friday.
Drugmaker pulls painkillers from US market over heart risks
Drugmaker Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc. agreed Friday to pull two of its painkillers, Darvon and Darvocet, from the US market over heart risk concerns, the US Food and Drug Administration said.
Scientist: Functional amino acids regulate key metabolic pathways
Functional amino acids play a critical role in the development of both animals and humans, according to a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.
'Natural' sex aid contains Viagra drug, US watchdog warns
The US drug safety watchdog warned consumers on Friday not to use a male sexual stimulant that is marketed as natural but contains the active ingredient found in Viagra.
Kids with larger waist sizes are more likely to have cardiac risk factors
In a study of more than 4,500 children, researchers found those with higher waist circumferences had significantly higher pulse pressures, which is known to increase the risk of heart-related disorders, according to an abstract presented today at the American Society of Nephrology's Renal Week conference in Denver.
US doctors, young mom want overhaul of toxic chemicals law
Dr Linda Giudice has treated thousands of patients over the years with a range of troubling reproductive disorders, and this week, she joined health experts and a young mother in fingering chemicals as the probable cause.
Hong Kong says no sign bird flu spreading among humans
Hong Kong health authorities said Saturday there was no sign of bird flu spreading among humans after the densely-populated city recorded its first case of the virus in seven years.
How mom's health may increase risk of kidney disease
Children with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are more likely to have mothers who were obese or had diabetes during pregnancy, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition, by Christine W. Hsu, MD (University of Washington, Seattle) and colleagues.
Gene linked to worsening kidney disease in African-Americans
In African Americans with kidney disease related to hypertension (high blood pressure), a common gene variant is associated with a sharply increased risk of progressive kidney disease, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition. End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) associated with hypertension occurs in the African American population at a rate 13.1 times greater than that of their white counterparts.
Britain considering plain cigarette packs
Tobacco companies could be forced to sell cigarettes in plain grey or brown packaging in Britain in an attempt to deter youngsters from taking up smoking, the health secretary suggested Sunday.
Duke cancer researcher quits as papers questioned
A Duke University cancer scientist resigned Friday amid concerns about his research that arose after the university started probing whether he'd lied on a grant application.
Genes link puberty timing and body fat in women
Scientists have discovered 30 new genes that control the age of sexual maturation in women. Notably, many of these genes also act on body weight regulation or biological pathways related to fat metabolism. The study, which appears in Nature Genetics, was a collaborative effort by the international ReproGen consortium, which included 175 scientists from 104 worldwide institutions, including Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health.
Rare disease reveals new path for creating stem cells
As debilitating as disease can be, sometimes it acts as a teacher. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have found that by mimicking a rare genetic disorder in a dish, they can rewind the internal clock of a mature cell and drive it back into an adult stem-cell stage. This new "stem cell" can then branch out into a variety of differentiated cell types, both in culture and in animal models.
Stanford researchers first to turn normal cells into 3-D cancers in tissue culture dishes
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have successfully transformed normal human tissue into three-dimensional cancers in a tissue culture dish for the first time. Watching how the cells behave as they divide and invade surrounding tissue will help physicians better understand how human cancers act in the body. The new technique also provides a way to quickly and cheaply test anti-cancer drugs without requiring laboratory animals.
Biology news
The benefits of being bitter: How the cranberry's evolution made it a Thanksgiving staple
In the early days of the American Republic, one tiny, red fruit would become a fixture of the fall harvest and a mainstay of holiday meals. The cranberry -- one of only a few commercial fruits native to North America -- might have even sat beside a roast turkey at the first Thanksgiving feast.
World leaders seek to save the tiger from extinction
The tiger's losing struggle against extinction received a boost Sunday from an unprecedented 13-state summit that aims to double the big cat's population by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022.
Tigers could be extinct in 12 years if unprotected
(AP) -- Wild tigers could become extinct in 12 years if countries where they still roam fail to take quick action to protect their habitats and step up the fight against poaching, global wildlife experts told a "tiger summit" Sunday.
In the test tube, teams reconstruct a cancer cell's beginning
What prompts normal cells to transform themselves into cancerous cells? Researchers from Texas institutions, including the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, have identified factors in the very first step of the process and reconstituted this first step in the test tube. The latter accomplishment was reported Sunday [Nov. 21] in the top-tier journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
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