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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 30, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Prediction or cause? Information theory may hold the key- Zany scientists honored in alternative Nobels (Update)
- 'Artificial leaf' makes fuel from sunlight (w/ video)
- 'Darker-than-black' metamaterial could lead to more efficient solar cells
- Hitachi Maxell announces 'Air Voltage' wireless charger for iPad2
- Social hierarchy prewired in the brain
- Major US atom-smasher closes after 25 years (Update)
- Researchers realize high-power, narrowband terahertz source at room temperature
- Antisocial personality traits predict utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas
- Glucosamine-like supplement suppresses multiple sclerosis attacks
- High-performance simulation, neutrons uncover three classes of protein motion
- Research model shows monsoon change in India may be result of manmade aerosols
- The internet of tomorrow: Faster, better and cheaper
- Cosmic weight watching reveals black hole-galaxy history
- Humans, sharks share immune-system feature
Space & Earth news
Myanmar suspends dam project after rare outcry
Myanmar's president on Friday ordered a halt to construction of a controversial $3.6 billion mega dam following rare public opposition to the Chinese-backed hydropower project.
Unravelling the uncertainties of predicting future heatwaves
(PhysOrg.com) -- As the UK swelters in the grip of a late September heat-wave researchers at The University of Nottingham have warned that while Indian summers could become more common, heat-waves in the future could become even hotter. Moreover, they could have important implications for human health.
China launches first module for space station
China took its first step towards building a space station on Thursday when it launched an experimental module ahead of National Day celebrations.
Physicists consider their own carbon footprint
In October's issue of Physics World, Phil Marshall, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford, calls on physicists to pull their weight when it comes to climate change, drawing on his own research showing that astronomers average 23,000 air miles per year flying to observatories, conferences and meetings, and use 130 KWh more energy per day than the average US citizen.
Snafu as China space launch set to US patriotic song
It was supposed to be a patriotic tribute to China's technological prowess. Instead, a video showing the launch of China's first space station module inadvertently glorified the country's biggest rival.
MESSENGER data paints new picture of Mercury's magnetic field
A University of British Columbia geophysicist is part of a NASA mission that is analyzing the first sets of data being collected by MESSENGER as it orbits Mercury. The spacecraft is capturing new evidence that challenges many previous assumptions about our innermost planet.
Reefs recovered faster after mass extinction than first thought
Metazoan-dominated reefs only took 1.5 million years to recover after the largest species extinction 252 million years ago, an international research team including paleontologists from the University of Zurich has established based on fossils from the Southwestern USA.
Industrial solvent TCE even more dangerous to people
One of the most widespread groundwater contaminants in the nation is more dangerous to humans than earlier thought, a federal agency has determined, in a decision that could raise the cost of cleanups nationwide, including large areas of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
Canadian Arctic nearly loses entire ice shelf
(AP) -- Two ice shelves that existed before Canada was settled by Europeans diminished significantly this summer, one nearly disappearing altogether, Canadian scientists say in new research.
Toxic red tides: Scientists track neurotoxin-producing algae
which can increase the amount of harmful toxins in the shellfish that California residents consume — ramping up in frequency and severity locally, scientists at USC have developed a new algae monitoring method in hopes of one day being able to predict when and where toxic "red tides" will occur.
Heavy metal stars produce Earth-Like planets
New research reveals that, like their giant cousins, rocky planets are more likely to be found orbiting high metallicity stars. Furthermore, these planets are more plentiful around low mass stars. This could have important implications for the search for life outside of Earth.
Cosmic weight watching reveals black hole-galaxy history
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated data analysis tools, a team of astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has developed a new and powerful technique to directly determine the mass of an active galaxy at a distance of nearly 9 billion light-years from Earth. This pioneering method promises a new approach for studying the co-evolution of galaxies and their central black holes. First results indicate that for galaxies, the best part of cosmic history was not a time of sweeping changes.
Research model shows monsoon change in India may be result of manmade aerosols
(PhysOrg.com) -- A research team from Princeton has developed a model that they say shows that manmade aerosols in the atmosphere are in part responsible for the decrease in rainfall in India’s north central regions and for an increase in the south during the annual monsoon season. Massimo A. Bollasina, Yi Ming and V. Ramaswam write in their paper published in the journal Science, that aerosols created by burning fossil fuels has changed the weather dynamic in southeast Asia.
Technology news
Alstom says China needs to 'master' rail technology
Alstom, the French engineering group falsely blamed for a metro accident in Shanghai, said Friday that China needed to "absorb and master" the new railway technology it has acquired in recent years.
New software tools for railway signaling and energy distribution
New tools to improve the design of embedded software systems in automated railway signalling and smart energy distribution are being developed as part of a multi-million Euro project lead by researchers at the University of Southampton.
ABBA dance videogame to hit in November
Ubisoft in November will release a dance videogame based on the music of ABBA, a Swedish band that rocketed to fame in the 1970s and became one of the most successful pop groups in history.
$13.2 mn for Apotheker, $1 pay for Whitman at HP
Ousted Hewlett-Packard chief executive Leo Apotheker is leaving with compensation worth at least $13.2 million while his successor, Meg Whitman, will receive an annual salary of $1.
Researchers unveil innovative solar cooling project
Using solar thermal energy to power an air conditioning unit can be difficult and expensive. But a team of researchers at the University of California, Merced, have added a game-changing advance to the process that could make it much simpler, less costly and more effective.
China 'cracks down' on fake iPhones
Police in Shanghai have arrested five people for making fake iPhones, state media said on Friday, just as Apple fans overseas wait with bated breath for the launch of the US giant's newest model.
US fines Hitachi-LG disk drive firm for price fixing
US justice authorities hit a Japanese-Korean producer of optical disk drives with a $21.1 million fine for bid-rigging and price fixing, the Justice Department announced.
Profound change for Facebook set to 'lock in' users
Facebook on Friday begins rolling out its biggest ever shake-up, in a move observers say will not only profoundly alter how its 800 million users interact with the site, but will keep them coming back for decades to come.
'Driving under influence' test inside car will check driver's finger
(PhysOrg.com) -- TK Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Takata Corporation of Japan, manufacturers of safety belts and airbag modules, will partner with TruTouch Technologies to create an in-car detection device that can tell if the driver is too drunk to drive. The device will check out the driver's blood alcohol level through the skin of the finger. The finger-scanning device is seen as a nonintrusive but reliable way to keep drunk drivers off the road.
The washable wearable antenna
Wearing an antenna – without anyone knowing – is making a splash in the world of search and rescue.
The internet of tomorrow: Faster, better and cheaper
The UA, USC and other institutions are building the future of communications using light.
Medicine & Health news
US, EU alcohol marketers adopt new code of conduct
Leading distillers in the United States and Europe on Friday will enact new social media marketing guidelines they said would promote responsible drinking.
Costly treatment 'ineffective for babies'
(Medical Xpress) -- A worldwide study involving University of Sydney researchers has concluded that a costly and controversial treatment for neonatal sepsis is ineffective.
Researcher calls for mammograms to be tailored to patient
Mammograms are not one-size-fits-all, says noted breast cancer researcher Karla Kerlikowske, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Rather, they should be customized based on a woman’s age, breast density, family health history and other factors.
Tracking breast cancer over decades to save lives
A new way to study and treat breast cancer being launched at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in October will screen women for the disease and provide them with individual assessments of their risk of developing the cancer.
Swallowing 'button batteries' can lead to serious injuries or death
(Medical Xpress) -- Small, coin-sized batteries can cause serious health problems and can even lead to death if swallowed by children, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt wants to educate parents and caregivers on the issue.
Medical packaging can make the difference
(Medical Xpress) -- At the site of a car crash, in an emergency room or at an operating table: The seconds it takes to get a medical device to work properly or to understand the packaging on a device can be a matter of life and death.
Review of stroke treatment could save lives
Doctors are underutilising crucial medication to prevent deadly strokes in those with a common type of heart condition, new research says, leading to fresh calls for a review of current treatment strategies and more research into stroke prevention.
Study shows young adults want to recover from addiction but need help to make it happen
Young adults undergoing addiction treatment arrive ready and willing to make the personal changes that bring about recovery, but it's the help and guidance received during treatment that build and sustain those changes, according to a longitudinal study published electronically and in press within the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The study was conducted collaboratively by the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the Butler Center for Research at Hazelden.
NY to require benching students with concussions
(AP) -- Starting next year, a new law in New York says student athletes suspected of suffering concussions should be immediately removed from games.
Community storage of anthrax-preventing antibiotics should be determined by state
As part of preparations for a possible large-scale anthrax attack, public health officials on the state and local levels should determine where and how anthrax-preventing antibiotics should be stored in their communities, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The report recommends that state, local, and tribal health officials work with the federal government to assess the benefits and costs of strategies that preposition antibiotics close to or in the hands of people who will need quick access to them should an attack occur. These locations include local stockpiles, workplace caches, or possibly homes. However, the report discourages broad use of a home storage strategy for the general population due to possible antibiotic misuse and higher costs.
Alcohol impairs the body's ability to fight off viral infection
Alcohol is known to worsen the effects of disease, resulting in longer recovery period after trauma, injury or burns. It is also known to impair the anti-viral immune response, especially in the liver, including response against Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Immunology shows that alcohol modulates the anti-viral and inflammatory functions of monocytes and that prolonged alcohol consumption has a double negative effect of reducing the anti-viral effect of Type 1 interferon (IFN) whilst increasing inflammation via the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα.
'Back-up system' reduces heart disease deaths
Small bypass vessels which act as a 'back-up system' for the heart's main arteries play a significant role in reducing the mortality of patients with coronary artery disease, according to new research.
Early to bed and early to rise -- study suggests it's keeping kids leaner
Ben Franklin was right, at least on the healthy part. "Early to bed and early to rise" appears to have helped a cross-section of early-bird Australian youths keep slimmer and more physically active than their night-owl peers, even though both groups got the same amount of sleep.
How your brain reacts to mistakes depends on your mindset
(Medical Xpress) -- “Whether you think you can or think you can't -- you're right,” said Henry Ford. A new study, to be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people who think they can learn from their mistakes have a different brain reaction to mistakes than people who think intelligence is fixed.
Beta Blockers could stop breast cancer spreading
(Medical Xpress) -- Cancer Research UK scientists are investigating whether beta-blockers hold the key to preventing breast cancer spread and improving survival. Promising early results will be presented on the eve of breast cancer awareness month at the Royal Society of Medicine, today (Friday).
New drug could combat killer diseases
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from the University of Reading have developed a new drug which could reduce the spread of deadly diseases such as Lassa Fever and Aseptic Meningitis.
Researchers report possible new approach to keeping arteries open after balloon angioplasties
Research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine could help lead to new ways to prevent coronary arteries from reclogging after balloon angioplasties.
New inherited neurometabolic disorder discovered
Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered a new inherited disorder that causes severe mental retardation and liver dysfunction. The disease, adenosine kinase deficiency, is caused by mutations in the ADK gene, which codes for the enzyme adenosine kinase.
Research reveals hormone action that could lead to treatments for type 2 diabetes
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have discovered that the immediate improvement in blood sugar (blood glucose) for those with type 2 diabetes who undergo gastric bypass surgery is related to the increased action of a gut hormone that occurs after the procedure.
Woman with a higher social standing and educational attainment breastfeed for longer
New research analyses maternal breastfeeding in Spain throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Experts believe that its development is associated with socio-demographic factors such as the advice of healthcare professionals, longer maternity leave, a woman's integration into the workplace and her level of education.
Mothers are the most responsible in transferring of sexist attitudes
A study at the University of the Basque Country reveals a link between the sexist attitudes of mothers and that of her sons and daughters. Published this month in the magazine Psicothema, the results also link gender and the family's socio-economic and cultural level to sexism.
'My bladder is full and I can't think!' - Lifespan researcher wins Ig Nobel Prize
Peter J. Snyder, Ph.D., vice president of research for Lifespan, received one of 10 Ig Nobel Prize awards during the annual ceremony last night at Harvard University. Snyder, along with his co-authors and colleagues from the University of Melbourne and Yale Medical School, were recognized for their work which found that an acute urge to void the bladder can have the same impact on impairing cognitive function as small amounts of alcohol or sleep deprivation.
Ohio researchers moving ahead with work to grow new ears
Kyle Figuray eyed the reflection of his ear with intense fascination.
Some exercises yield more damage than progress
Maybe the biggest barrier to working out is time. Barrier, challenge, excuse? So fitness trainers hate to see anyone frittering away precious workout periods or filling them with less-than-effective exercises. Actually, it makes them crazy. We asked a few trainers to point out things they see in the workout world that they really wish they didn't.
Expandable prosthesis resolves advanced aortic valve disease
Among individuals 65 years and older, as many as 30 percent have aortic valve sclerosis or stenosis and as a result of their deteriorating health, they cannot enjoy a normal lifestyle.
Cell-specific mechanism-based gene therapy approach to treat retinitis pigmentosa
In a paper published in the October 2011 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, a team of researchers at Columbia University Medical Center led by Stephen Tsang, MD, Ph.D have achieved temporary functional preservation of photoreceptors in a mouse model for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) using novel bipartite gene therapy.
Fear in Colo. town at heart of Listeria outbreak
(AP) -- Eric Jensen surveys his dusty cantaloupe field and seems equally stunned and puzzled at the fate that has befallen his crop: row upon row of melons rotting on the vine.
Social hierarchy prewired in the brain
(PhysOrg.com) -- If you find yourself more of a follower than a social leader, it may something to do with the wiring in your brain. According to a new study in Science, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Science have discovered a location in the brain that is active in alpha mice but not in their subordinate cage mates.
Antisocial personality traits predict utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas
A study conducted by Daniel Bartels, Columbia Business School, Marketing, and David Pizarro, Cornell University, Psychology found that people who endorse actions consistent with an ethic of utilitarianism—the view that what is the morally right thing to do is whatever produces the best overall consequences—tend to possess psychopathic and Machiavellian personality traits.
Biology news
Russian and US veterinarians collaborate to solve mysterious wild tiger deaths
A team of Russian veterinary colleagues and health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo are collaborating to understand how distemper -- a virus afflicting domestic dogs and many wildlife species -- may be a growing threat to Siberian (Amur) tigers.
University of Toronto Mississauga professor wins Ig Nobel Prize for beer, sex research
It was a case of a besotted male and beer. Love-sick and lonely, the male girded his loins and took immediate action to relieve his unhappiness – but with a surprising outcome, as a U of T Mississauga professor discovered.
Vicious queen ants use mob tactics to reach the top
Leptothorax acervorum ants live all over the Northern hemisphere, but their reproductive strategy depends on habitat. Colonies are polygynous (more than one queen) in the forest of Siberia and central Europe, but functionally monogynous (only one queen reproduces) on sun-exposed slopes in Alaska, Hokkaido and the mountains of central Spain. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology demonstrates that when a colony is functionally monogynous not only do queen ants fight by antennal boxing to become the reproductive queen, but that worker ants reinforce queen behaviour by feeding dominant females and expelling, or killing, their weaker sisters.
Single dose of contraceptive vaccine controls fertility in cats for years
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Florida researchers, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, report that a single dose of an immunocontraceptive vaccine controls fertility over multiple years in adult female cats.
Scientists construct, to maintain complementary DNA libraries of first lizard genome sequence
Scientists at Indiana University Bloomington's Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics are credited with constructing the cDNA libraries for the first-ever genome sequence of a non-bird reptile, the North American green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). The genome study appeared online earlier this month and was published today (Sept. 29) in Nature magazine.
Taking the heat: Asian elephants simply 'ride out' high daytime heat load
Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna's Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology have discovered the mechanism by which Asian elephants are able to tolerate hot daytime temperatures. Their results are published in the current issue of the international Journal of Comparative Physiology B.
Humans, sharks share immune-system feature
A central element of the immune system has remained constant through more than 400 million years of evolution, according to new research at National Jewish Health. In the September 29, 2011, online version of the journal Immunity, the researchers report that T-cell receptors from mice continue to function even when pieces of shark, frog and trout receptors are substituted in. The function of the chimeric receptors depends on a few crucial amino acids, found also in humans, that help the T-cell receptor bind to MHC molecules presenting antigens.
Flight patterns reveal how mosquitoes find hosts to transmit deadly diseases
The carbon dioxide we exhale and the odors our skins emanate serve as crucial cues to female mosquitoes on the hunt for human hosts to bite and spread diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever.
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