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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for December 3, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Mucus in the nose changes perception of smells- Ammonites were probably eaten by fellow cephalopods
- Your web surfing history accessible via JavaScript: researchers
- Apple patents an inexpensive 3-D projection system
- China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record
- Researchers find key to gender differences in processing stress
- Stanford students create 'do not track' software
- Greener cement offers concrete environmental benefits
- Fear of being envied makes people behave well toward others
- Researchers uncover culprits in life-threatening clotting disorder
- Unlocking bacteria's survival aid
- Sensitive testosterone detector linked to less aggression
- NASA postpones Discovery launch to February 3
- Electronic cigarettes are unsafe and pose health risks, new study finds
- Researchers discover a way to simultaneously desalinate water, produce hydrogen and treat wastewater
Space & Earth news
3 Questions: Sara Seager on the discovery of a 'new' form of life
Yesterday, NASA announced the discovery of a bacterium that can grow on a diet of arsenic and thus doesn't share the biological building blocks traditionally associated with all life forms. The discovery raises the possibility that organisms may exist in configurations that weren’t previously thought possible — either here on Earth or elsewhere.
Soil nutrient management for organic production
Organic producers are faced with somewhat different challenges in maintaining their soil nutrient levels than are conventional producers. The new Montana State University Extension bulletin Soil Nutrient Management on Organic Grain Farms in Montana presents options for organic producers to maintain or build soil nutrient availability.
Snow from space: Satellite images of snow-bound UK
Earth observation scientists at the University of Leicester have recorded stunning images of the UK's winter landscape by orbiting satellites.
Climate: a million deaths a year by 2030: study
By 2030, climate change will indirectly cause nearly one million deaths a year and inflict 157 billion dollars in damage in terms of today's economy, according to estimates presented at UN talks on Friday.
Indonesia downgrades Mount Merapi volcano alert
Indonesian scientists Friday downgraded the alert status of Mount Merapi from its highest level after it killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions that started in late October.
STAR TRAK for December
The moon will pass through Earth's shadow on the night of Dec. 20-21, producing the first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years. Weather permitting, people across North America and the Pacific Ocean will be able to see totality.
Anesthetic gases heat climate as much as 1 million cars
When doctors want their patients asleep during surgery they gently turn the gas tap. But Anaesthetic gasses have a global warming potential as high as a refrigerant that is on its way to being banned in the EU. Yet there is no obligation to report anaesthetic gasses along with other greenhouse gasses such as CO2, refrigerants and laughing gas.
Solar observation mission celebrates 15 years
On December 2, 1995, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory or SOHO was launched into space from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas IIAS rocket. The joint ESA/NASA project began its work observing the sun at a time when the term "solar weather" was almost never used.
Heaven on Earth melting away
On a November evening, with the spring sun in northern Antarctica slowly setting about 11 p.m., the view from the top of the Marr Ice Piedmont - a glacier nearly 40 miles long by 20 miles wide - was all ice and sky. Through the dust-free atmosphere, I gazed at mountain peaks 120 miles to the south, their summits enveloped in rivers of ice that dropped sharply to the Southern Ocean. The sea itself was frozen, its surface studded with countless icebergs. The scene in front of me, devoid of any sign of man, glowed with a cool, blue purity. And as the mountains that form the spine of the 900-mile Antarctic Peninsula were lit with a pale golden light, two thoughts ran through my head: This is as close to heaven as I'll ever get on Earth, and if all this ice starts to melt in earnest, the world will be a sorry place in which to live.
NASA postpones Discovery launch to February 3
The space shuttle Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station will be delayed until February 3 as engineers try to figure out technical problems, NASA said Friday.
Technology news
WikiLeaks 'tweets' Kennedy speech on secrecy
WikiLeaks, defending its decision to publish thousands of classified US diplomatic cables, sent out a link on Twitter on Thursday to excerpts of a speech by John F. Kennedy in which the former US president denounced excessive secrecy.
Samsung promotes chairman's son to president
(AP) -- A scion of the family that founded the sprawling Samsung conglomerate has been promoted to president at the flagship electronics business, sending its shares to a record high.
University of Minnesota licenses sensor technology to a startup
United Science, a Minnesota startup company, has licensed sensor technology developed at the University of Minnesota that could prevent toxic byproducts of mining and other industries from ending up in the environment and improve productivity at the same time.
Google vows quicker, tougher copyright enforcement
(AP) -- Google Inc. is promising to do a better job of weeding out copyright violations on the Internet.
WikiLeaks dropped by domain name provider
(AP) -- WikiLeaks' American domain name system provider, EveryDNS, has withdrawn service to the wikileaks.org name after the secret-spilling website once again became the target of hacker attacks.
China promises new support to solar development
(AP) -- Beijing is promising new subsidies to develop China's solar power industry - policies already under fire from the United States as a possible trade violation.
Nissan rolls out Leaf electric car in Japan
(AP) -- Nissan showed off its Leaf electric car Friday, trumpeting its zero-emission technology and practicality with video of the hatchback zipping through snow and water.
Amazon invests $175M in Groupon competitor
(AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that it invested $175 million in social coupon service LivingSocial - the latest sign that the online retailer is delving into promising new methods of e-commerce.
Star Wars studio goes from apprentice to master in Singapore
As an 11-year-old boy, Steven Ong dreamt of being a fighter pilot in the Singapore Air Force and emulating the heroic exploits of Tom Cruise's character in the 1986 action flick "Top Gun."
WikiLeaks switches to Swiss domain after attacks
(AP) -- WikiLeaks was forced Friday to switch over to a Swiss domain name, wikileaks.ch, after a new round of hacker attacks on its system prompted its American domain name provider to withdraw service.
Man pleads not guilty to running vast spam network
(AP) -- A Russian man accused of masterminding a vast worldwide spamming network has pleaded not guilty in a Wisconsin federal court.
Virtual training gets real
Computerised training systems are getting an extra dose of reality, thanks to an EU-funded research project led by the University of Leeds.
Putting old tires to new use in transportation projects
Civil engineers at Purdue University helped the Indiana Department of Transportation save more than $1 million over the past two years by using shredded tires as a new low-cost material in construction projects.
Ethanol in crosshairs as tax deadline nears
Ethanol, once seen as an answer to US energy problems, is seeing political support waning as a deadline nears for Congress to decide on extending tax subsidies for the widely used biofuel.
India says no BlackBerry solution so far
India said Friday no solution has been found to an ongoing standoff over BlackBerry's messaging services, which it has threatened to shut down unless its intelligence agencies can monitor them.
WikiLeaks accuses 'cowardly' Amazon of lying
WikiLeaks lashed out at Amazon on Friday for kicking the whistleblower website off its servers, accusing the US company of lying and being "cowardly."
Viacom appeals ruling in YouTube copyright case
(AP) -- Viacom Inc. is appealing a court decision that YouTube obeyed copyright laws even though the Internet video site used to show thousands of pirated clips.
China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record
(AP) -- A Chinese passenger train hit a record speed of 302 miles per hour (486 kilometers per hour) Friday during a test run of a yet-to-be opened link between Beijing and Shanghai, state media said.
Energy use in the media cloud
The increased availability and access of broadband around the world has meant a rise in global demand for online media services and this could have implications for a society that is living within environmental limits. New research has analysed the potential future demand for downloaded data worldwide, such as social networking sites and on-demand TV programs, and the resulting energy requirements.
US military spacecraft back on ground after 7 months
An unmanned US Air Force spacecraft with a vaguely defined military mission landed early Friday in California after a seven-month mission, officials said.
Researchers discover a way to simultaneously desalinate water, produce hydrogen and treat wastewater
(PhysOrg.com) -- Fresh water and reusable energy. Humans are on a constant hunt for a sustainable supply of both. Water purification requires a lot of energy, while utility companies need large amounts of water for energy production. Their goal is to find a low-energy-required treatment technology. Researchers from the University of Colorado Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science may have discovered an answer.
Stanford students create 'do not track' software
As a government agency pushes for a "do not track" mechanism to protect online consumer privacy, a pair of Stanford researchers is developing the technology to make it work.
Your web surfing history accessible via JavaScript: researchers
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Web surfing history saved in your Web browser can be accessed without your permission. JavaScript code deployed by real websites and online advertising providers use browser vulnerabilities to determine which sites you have and have not visited, according to new research from computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego.
Apple patents an inexpensive 3-D projection system
(PhysOrg.com) -- The U.S. patent office has granted Apple a patent for a 3-D projection system that doesn't require the use of bulky 3-D glasses. This gives the viewer more freedom of movement and viewing angles.
Medicine & Health news
Cholera rages in rural Haiti, overwhelming clinics
(AP) -- A gray-haired woman, her eyes sunken and unfocused from dehydration, stumbles up a dirt path slumped on the shoulder of a young man, heading to a rural clinic so overcrowded that plastic tarps have been strung up outside to shade dozens who can't fit inside.
Breast CT imaging system marches forward as pain-free tool to aid mammograms
While questions persist about the best ways to detect breast cancer early, a CT imaging system developed at the University of Rochester Medical Center and first unveiled five years ago is in a better position today to enter the fray -- at least in a supporting role to conventional mammography.
FDA scrutinizes weight loss pill from Orexigen
(AP) -- Scientists for the Food and Drug Administration said Friday a pill to treat obesity from Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. helped patients lose weight, though it didn't meet all the criteria set forth by the agency.
Effect of 6 mT SMF on phagocytosis depends on macrophage differentiation degree
A paper from researchers of the University of Salento led by Luciana Dini offers evidence that the exposure to 6 mT SMF field affects removal of dying cells. They found that monocyte/macrophages differentiation degree is very important in driving cell response in presence of SMF during phagocytosis. This results can be used to design therapeutical exposure of patients to medical machinery producing moderate intensity SMF in order to avoid an inflammation or a chronic condition.
Coping with anxiety in an anxious time
Americans' danger detectors are cranked up way too high these days, but we don't have to be held hostage by our anxiety, according to a new book on coping with stress by a Northwestern Medicine psychologist.
'Challenges ahead' for end-of-life care at emergency departments
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research led by a nursing expert at the University of Birmingham suggests that medical professionals need more training to help them to meet the specific demands of older people and people with terminal illnesses increasingly attending hospital emergency departments for end-of-life care.
Researchers study older adults' plans for relocation
(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Kansas study helps family members and urban planners predict which seniors will relocate and what the effects will be.
Marijuana use suppresses immune functions, study shows
(PhysOrg.com) -- Smoking marijuana can trigger a suppression of the body’s immune functions, making cannabis users more susceptible to certain types of cancers and infections, according to a new study led by a University of South Carolina researcher.
Data mining depression
Could information technology and data mining techniques be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of depression? That's the question scientists in Australia hope to have answered in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalised Medicine.
Dynamics of chaperone protein critical in rescuing brains of Alzheimer's mice from neuron damage
Dynamic regulation of the chaperone protein Hsp27 was required to get rid of abnormally accumulating tau in the brains of mice genetically modified to develop the memory-choking tau tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease, a University of South Florida-led study found.
Preventing physician medication mix-ups by reporting them
The most frequent contributors to medication errors and adverse drug events in busy primary care practice offices are communication problems and lack of knowledge, according to a study of a prototype web-based medication error and adverse drug event reporting system.
Ridding yourself of Restless Leg Syndrome (w/ Video)
It makes no sense: You’ve had a long day, and you’re ready for a restful night’s sleep. But as you lie in bed, you experience an uncontrollable urge to move your legs—perhaps accompanied by unpleasant sensations such as tingling, crawling or even pain.
New clue in leukemia mystery: Researchers identify 'poison' employed by deadly enzyme mutations
There is new hope for people with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Research led by Weill Cornell Medical College and published today in the online edition of the journal Cancer Cell reveals a surprising and unexpected cancer-causing mechanism. The investigators discovered that newly identified mutant enzymes in AML create a chemical poison to cause leukemia. Their findings should prove useful in treating patients by providing a molecular target against which to develop new drugs against one subset of AML as well as other cancers.
Discovery could lead to breakthrough for non-small cell lung cancer
Research at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center led by Charles E. Chalfant, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular Biology, discovered a previously unknown mechanism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells that contributes to their ability to maintain and grow tumors. Narrowing in on this mechanism could provide a breakthrough for the development of effective therapies for NSCLC and other cancers.
Nicotine exposure in pregnant rats puts offspring at risk for learning disabilities
Exposure to nicotine during pregnancy leads to a decrease in adult stem cells and a change in synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus of the offspring, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego in November. Researchers say this could be a possible cause for behavioral problems such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) seen in children whose mothers smoked.
Tracking Huntingdon's with new brain imaging tests
(PhysOrg.com) -- A range of new clinical, functional, and neuroimaging tests developed by researchers at UCL make it possible to track the progression of Huntington’s disease long before noticeable symptoms appear.
Potential vaccine to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV after birth to start trial
The Medical Research Council (MRC) together with researchers from Kenya, The Gambia, United States of America, Sweden, and Spain, has opened enrolment in two infant HIV vaccine trials, known collectively as PedVacc. These trials are examining the safety of a new type of HIV vaccine, MVA.HIVA, in infants.
Potential new target for treating triple negative breast cancer
UCD Conway scientists in collaboration with colleagues in Dublin City University may have found a new target for treating triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the more difficult breast cancers to treat successfully and for which there is currently no targeted therapy.
EU steps up generic pharma anti-trust probe
Europe stepped up action against drug companies snarling up the entry of cheaper generic medicines onto markets, announcing Friday spot inspections confirmed by British No.2 AstraZeneca.
Third of Americans have gotten flu shot this year
(AP) -- The flu season is just getting under way, and health officials say already about 1 in 3 Americans have gotten vaccinated.
'Brain maps' track how humans reach
(PhysOrg.com) -- A ballet dancer grasps her partner's hand to connect for a pas de deux. Later that night, in the dark, she reaches for her calf to massage a sore spot. Her brain is using different "maps" to plan for each of these movements, according to a new study at UC Santa Barbara.
The gene-environment enigma
Personalized medicine centers on being able to predict the risk of disease or response to a drug based on a person's genetic makeup. But a study by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that, for most common diseases, genes alone only tell part of the story.
Researchers find key to gender differences in processing stress
This is a stressful season in a stressful time, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that women are more prone to emotional stress and and depression than their cool male counterparts. Tracey Shors, a professor of psychology in Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, has uncovered a clue to why men and women handle stress so differently in the brains of male and female rats.
Fear of being envied makes people behave well toward others
It's nice to have success -- but it can also make you worry that the jealous people will try to bring you down. New research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, has found that the fear of being the target of malicious envy makes people act more helpfully toward people who they think might be jealous of them.
Researchers uncover culprits in life-threatening clotting disorder
Thanks to findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers, individuals with a potentially life-threatening condition predisposing them to blood clots, or thrombosis, might someday receive therapy to prevent the condition.
Sensitive testosterone detector linked to less aggression
Questionnaire results and DNA samples volunteered by a group of University of Alberta students has broken new ground in the study of aggression. U of A Psychology researcher Peter Hurd was looking at the link between an individual’s sensitivity to testosterone and aggressive behavior.
Electronic cigarettes are unsafe and pose health risks, new study finds
Electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes), also called "electronic nicotine delivery systems," are increasingly used worldwide even though only sparse information is available on their health effects. In the United States, e-cigarettes are readily available in shopping malls in most states and on the Internet. But how safe are e-cigarettes?
Mucus in the nose changes perception of smells
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study in Japan has shown for the first time that enzymes in nasal mucus change the way we perceive smells.
Biology news
Vietnam's planned sale of tiger paste protested
(AP) -- A local conservation group voiced opposition Friday to the planned sale of tiger paste by Vietnamese authorities, amid warnings by the international community that the animal's survival is in serious jeopardy.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Katharina Ullmann is on a mission. "Where have all the flowers gone?" she asks.
Recirculating systems for warm-water marine fish developed by USDA scientists
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed water recirculating systems for warm-water marine fish that have a number of advantages over pond systems. Using recirculated water optimizes fish growth and reduces the incidence of pathogens and disease, conserves water and removes animal wastes. These systems can potentially provide a continuous supply of fresh, healthy fish to consumers near or far from coastal areas.
Moving puppy from naughty list to nice with obedience training
It might be cute to watch a puppy chew up a holiday stocking on Christmas morning, but pet owners might want to consider the gift of behavior training to ensure a happy life with their pet, says a Purdue University veterinarian.
A breakthrough in the struggle against the increasingly resistant malaria parasite
About every minute two children die from malaria caused by a parasite in the genus Plasmodium. Researchers have recently identified pivotal regulators controlling the malaria parasite’s transmission and found that more than a third of them can be disrupted. This is a breakthrough in the struggle against the increasingly resistant malaria parasite and the search for improved drugs and effective vaccines.
Wolf negotiations resume, but no consensus
(AP) -- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and governors from three Northern Rockies states resumed negotiations Thursday to remove the region's wolves from the endangered list, but reached no conclusions.
Buying a real Christmas tree is a good thing: expert
The question of whether it is environmentally correct to buy a real Christmas tree has been asked repeatedly in recent years, and an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences wants to lay it to rest permanently.
Trigger that prepares animals for the season... whatever the weather
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Manchester scientists have helped identify the key trigger mechanism in the ‘internal clocks’ of animals which means they are prepared for the season whether snow comes in November or the sun shines in March.
Unlocking bacteria's survival aid
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have worked out how to control a protective mechanism found in many bacteria that helps them grow and stay alive.
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