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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for October 7, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- High-purity hydrogen generated from a single device- 3M shows photovoltaic film for windows
- Physicists localize 3-D matter waves for first time (w/ video)
- An oracle for object-oriented programmers
- Graphene shows unusual thermoelectric response to light
- Colored solar cells could make display screens more efficient
- Researchers figure out a way to create zeolite nanosheets with better filtration properties
- Can brain scans be used to detect pedophiles?
- Tracing the canals of Mars
- Measuring elusive neutrinos flowing through the Earth, physicists learn more about the sun
- Removal of restrictions can decrease music piracy
- EU approves Microsoft's Skype takeover
- Caltech beats out Harvard for top ranking
- Babies show sense of fairness, altruism as early as 15 months
- It's all in the mind - how an athlete wins head-to-head competition
Space & Earth news
Chilean court overturns ban on giant Patagonia dam
A Chilean court on Thursday overturned a three-month suspension of a project to build a giant hydroelectric dam complex in the Patagonian wilderness, which environmentalists say will destroy a unique habitat.
NEEM ice core drilling in Greenland provides comprehensive new results
The drilling through the ice sheet at NEEM (77 N, 51V) was completed in August and now scientists can begin to review whether the drilling was a success. 14 nations participated in the scientific work at NEEM, a project of the International Polar Year. The primary scientific objective was to drill an ice core that contains ice from the present, the last ice age, the previous interglacial period (the Eemian) and the last ice age prior to that in order to study trends in the climate, greenhouse gasses and the chemical composition of the atmosphere over more than 150,000 years in an unbroken sequence of layers.
Brussels plans green EU farming policy
In a radical overhaul of its controversial Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU plans a greener, fairer farm policy by tying subsidies to environmental concerns, according to documents seen by AFP.
Airlift for drought-stricken Pacific island
New Zealand and Australia will Friday begin an airlift to help supply fresh water to the tiny drought-stricken Pacific nation of Tuvalu, which is under a state of emergency due to the crisis.
Astrophysics and extinctions: News about planet-threatening events
Space is a violent place. If a star explodes or black holes collide anywhere in our part of the Milky Way, they'd give off colossal blasts of lethal gamma-rays, X-rays and cosmic rays and it's perfectly reasonable to expect Earth to be bathed in them. A new study of such events has yielded some new information about the potential effects of what are called "short-hard" interstellar radiation events.
NASA's moon twins going their own way
NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL)-B spacecraft successfully executed its first flight path correction maneuver Wednesday, Oct. 5. The rocket burn helped refine the spacecraft's trajectory as it travels from Earth to the moon and provides separation between itself and its mirror twin, GRAIL-A. The first burn for GRAIL-A occurred on Sept. 30.
Mars Express observes clusters of recent craters in Ares Vallis
(PhysOrg.com) -- Newly released images taken by ESA’s Mars Express show an unusual accumulation of young craters in the large outflow channel called Ares Vallis. Older craters have been reduced to ghostly outlines by the scouring effects of ancient water.
Taking the pulse of marine life in stressed seas
The Earth currently has more than 400 so-called "dead zones"--huge expanses of deep ocean that, because of human activities, become too oxygen-starved during the summer to support most life.
The cause of asteroid Scheila's outburst
(PhysOrg.com) -- A remarkable discovery was made by astronomers on 12 December 2010: an asteroid named Scheila had changed its appearance and looked more like a comet, complete with bright tail. An international team of scientists have used innovative modeling techniques to support the idea that the cause was another object impacting Scheila, ejecting material from the asteroid. The lead scientist of this study, Fernando Moreno of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía in Granada, Spain, will present the group’s theory — complete with up-to-date and refined estimates of impact date and size — on Friday 7th October in Nantes, France at the joint meeting of the European Planetary Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences.
NHC: Jova could become hurricane over Pacific
Forecasters say Tropical Storm Jova is expected to become a hurricane sometime in the next day or so over the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Runoff key to reducing certain toxic aquatic blooms
(PhysOrg.com) -- Many scientists believe that an unfortunate perfect storm of climate change and nutrient runoff will synergistically increase toxic cyanobacterial blooms globally in coming years.
Tracing the canals of Mars
In a remarkable discovery, images taken over the past five years by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which circles Mars to photograph the planet, seem to indicate the presence of water there. For decades, space scientists searched the red planet without detecting the life-sustaining liquid, and concluded that it was bone-dry.
Subtly shaded map of moon reveals titanium treasure troves
(PhysOrg.com) -- A map of the Moon combining observations in visible and ultraviolet wavelengths shows a treasure trove of areas rich in Titanium ores. Not only is Titanium a valuable mineral, it is key to helping scientists unravel the mysteries of the Moon’s interior. Mark Robinson and Brett Denevi will be presenting the results from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission today at the joint meeting of the European Planetary Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences.
Series of bumps sent Uranus into its sideways spin
(PhysOrg.com) -- Uranus’s highly tilted axis makes it something of an oddball in our Solar System. The accepted wisdom is that Uranus was knocked on its side by a single large impact, but new research to be presented on Thursday 6th October at the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting in Nantes rewrites our theories of how Uranus became so tilted and also solves fresh mysteries about the position and orbits of its moons. By using simulations of planetary formation and collisions, it appears that early in its life Uranus experienced a succession of small punches instead of a single knock-out blow. This research has important ramifications on our theories of giant planet formation.
Almahata Sitta meteorites could come from triple asteroid mash-up
(PhysOrg.com) -- Analysis of fragments of the Almahata Sitta meteorite, which landed in Sudan in 2008, has shown that the parent asteroid was probably formed through collisions of three different types of asteroids. The meteorites are of particular interest because they contain material both primitive and evolved types of asteroids. The results will be presented at the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 in Nantes, France, by Dr. Julie Gayon-Markt on Friday 7th October.
Technology news
Americans recall personal impacts of Jobs' vision
(AP) -- Steve Jobs urged people to think different, and wowed them when his own different thinking put thousands of songs in their pockets, the power of the Internet at their fingertips and a whole world of possibilities in the palm of their hands.
South Koreans start using mobiles at 10: survey
More than 90 percent of schoolchildren in South Korea own a mobile phone and they start using them at an average age of 10 years and fours months, according to a survey published Friday.
Carlos Slim ups stake in NY Times to 8.1 percent
Carlos Slim, the Mexican magnate believed to be the world's richest individual, has increased his stake in the The New York Times Co. to 8.1 percent, regulatory filings showed Thursday.
Disney CEO Iger renewed through March 2015
(AP) -- Disney CEO Robert Iger will remain in his job through March 2015 and then serve as executive chairman for another 15 months to help break in a new chief executive, the company said Friday.
Apple fans reach for Jobs' devices to mourn him
(AP) -- He was a conjurer, a modern magician who reached into tomorrow and came up with things that changed millions of lives. And as people gathered at Apple Stores from Sydney to San Francisco to mourn Steve Jobs, the feeling was more than grief for an executive or even an inventor. It was something closer to awe for a wizard.
Apple's mystique may grow with Steve Jobs' death
(AP) -- In the end, Steve Jobs left the world to his own devices. As macabre as it might seem, Jobs' death Wednesday will only add to the Apple mystique - and profit. The iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac will, no doubt, get a sales boost as consumers pay the ultimate tribute to one of America's creative geniuses.
Oracle fined $200 million for overcharging US govt
Business software and hardware giant Oracle was fined nearly $200 million dollars for overcharging the US government, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Hong Kong student's Apple tribute is Internet hit
A Hong Kong design student said Friday he was overwhelmed and felt "unreal" after his sombre logo in tribute to Apple founder Steve Jobs caused a worldwide Internet sensation.
Steve Jobs helped build Pixar with vision, cash
Steve Jobs is best known for turning the ailing Apple into a global icon, but for many his transformation of a small digital graphics firm into animated movie giant Pixar showed equal vision.
Wikipedia in Italian reopens after media law protest
Internet database Wikipedia restored access to its pages in Italian on Thursday following a protest over a law being debated in parliament that would have legally obliged websites to correct any content if there was a complaint.
Battle to sell the iPhone heats up in Japan
Japan's third-largest mobile carrier Softbank on Friday unveiled a lower monthly fee for the new iPhone than bigger rival KDDI, as competition for smartphone users heats up among the nation's mobile firms.
Two cellphones in one
More and more companies are providing their employees with smartphones. While companies seek the best security available for their data, employees would also like to install apps of their own. Security experts have now developed equipment software with two separate areas: the business area and the personal area. Researchers will unveil this development at the it-sa trade fair held October 11-13 in Nuremberg (Germany).
Sprint: No more Clearwire devices after 2012
(AP) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. said Friday that it will stop selling phones and other devices compatible with Clearwire Corp.'s network at the end of next year, as it switches customers to its own higher-speed, fourth-generation data network.
Rdio extends free trial period for music plan
(AP) -- Music startup Rdio has joined several competitors in a crowded field of all-you-can-listening services by taking the time limit off its free trial.
YouTube launches online movie rentals in Britain
YouTube on Friday began letting people in Britain rent movies for viewing online at the Google-owned video-sharing website.
Smartphone war pauses as world mourns Steve Jobs
The launch of a hot new Google smartphone was delayed on Friday as the world mourned the loss of legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and sales began of the latest iPhone.
EU approves Microsoft's Skype takeover
European anti-trust officials approved on Friday US technology giant Microsoft's $8.5-billion takeover of Internet voice and video leader Skype.
Review: Offline Gmail app good for casual use
Google's new software for using Gmail without an Internet connection comes across as a throwback to an era when we weren't connected all the time and on all sorts of devices, from phones to iPads.
3M shows photovoltaic film for windows
(PhysOrg.com) -- 3M drew press and viewer interest earlier this week at CEATEC with its show of special film that the company has developed to coat ordinary, existing windows and convert them into solar panels. The product was shown on curved and regular glass surfaces. This “windows-transformative” film is to debut next year. Not only does the panel generate energy in sunlight, but it also serves as a heat-blocking layer.
An oracle for object-oriented programmers
In the last 40 years, the major innovation in software engineering has been the development of what are called object-oriented programming languages. “Objects” are, effectively, repositories for the computational details of a program, which let the programmer concentrate on the big picture. A complex computer program, with millions of lines of code, can be distilled into some fairly intuitive interactions between objects.
Medicine & Health news
Timing is crucial for family consent in brain dead organ donors
Hearts used in transplants can only be sourced from donors that are brain dead before circulation to their heart has ceased. Data from a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care indicate that the time at which organ donation in brain dead donors is first discussed with family members could affect whether or not they consent to donation.
Concern over accuracy of suicide rates in England and Wales
The increasing use of "narrative verdicts" by coroners in England and Wales may be leading to greater underestimation of suicide rates, warn experts in the British Medical Journal today, based on ongoing research part funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
Strategy for improving health care for uninsured, low-income, and minorities in the US
A new set of strategies released today by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System could dramatically improve how the U.S. health care system serves vulnerable populations—those in the U.S. who are uninsured, low-income, or members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
Delayed onset muscle soreness a real pain after exercise
For the fitness-inclined, a hard workout can actually feel good: a chance to loosen up tight joints, sweat out the day’s stress and push through the burn of those last few reps.
Study tracks mutations causing CDA II back to the Roman Empire
Many of you might know that Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia type II (CDA II) is a rare blood disorder, due to a failure in final part of erythropoiesis. What will surprise you is the fact that some mutations responsible for the disease can be tracked 3.000 years back. A study led by the ENERCA member Prof. Achille Iolascon, from CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies (Naples, Italy) and the University of Naples Federico II, analyzes two mutations (E109K and R14W) of the SEC23B gene and discovers one of them is responsible for the higher frequency of CDA II in Italian population. The first mutation, E109K, may have originated in the Middle East about 2.400 years ago and may have spread in the heyday of the Roman Empire. The other one may have originated in Southern Italy about 3.000 years ago.
Dutch to ban coffee shops from selling 'strong' cannabis
The Dutch government on Friday announced it would ban coffee shops from selling "strong" cannabis whose active chemical ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is higher than 15 percent.
Panel advises against prostate cancer screening
Those PSA blood tests that check for prostate cancer do more harm than good and healthy men should no longer receive them as part of routine cancer screening, a government panel is recommending.
Pregnant mothers at risk from air pollution
A Californian-based study has looked in detail at air quality and the impact of traffic-related air pollution on premature birth. Published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health, results from this study show that traffic-related air pollution, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), is associated with up to a 30% increase in premature births, and that seasonal changes and vicinity to the coast affected concentration of toxic pollutants in the air.
Ability to ride a bike can aid differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in any setting
In a new study published today in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, Japanese researchers report that the ability to ride a bike can differentiate between atypical parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease, regardless of the environment or situations for bicycling.
Neural stem cell transplant may tackle diabetes
Researchers in Japan have discovered how a patient's neural stem cells could be used as an alternative source of the beta cells needed for a regenerative treatment for diabetes. The research, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine today, reveals how harvesting stem cells could overcome a lack of beta cell transplants from donors.
Systemic inflammation, age, cardiac risk linked
(Medical Xpress) -- Systemic inflammation, the immune system's defense against disease or injury that can contribute to problems like cancer and diabetes over time, increases with age in people with heart-disease symptoms, while inflammation specific to vascular disease does not, a UC Davis study has found.
Possible tool to help cocaine users kick the habit
Medicines which increase levels of the brain chemical dopamine may hold the key to helping those addicted to cocaine and amphetamines kick the habit, researchers from the University of Cambridge have found.
Researchers find alterations of a single gene associated with intellectual disability, epilepsy and autistic features
(Medical Xpress) -- Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers, working with an international team of colleagues, have identified a gene that may play a role in causing a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes intellectual disability, seizures and autism spectrum disorder.
Researchers engineer new way to inhibit allergic reactions without side effects
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from the University of Notre Dame have announced a breakthrough approach to allergy treatment that inhibits food allergies, drug allergies and asthmatic reactions without suppressing a sufferer’s entire immunological system.
Researchers make neurological disease breakthrough
(Medical Xpress) -- Results of a study by a group of University of Notre Dame researchers represent a promising step on the road to developing new drugs for a variety of neurological diseases.
A global push to unlock the genome
A Northeastern chemistry professor is a leader in the international effort to advance the understanding of human genetics and genomics by assigning each of the 23 pairs of human chromosomes for in-depth study by research groups in different countries.
Extra calcium during pregnancy has no benefits, except to prevent hypertension
Most physicians instruct pregnant women to increase their calcium intake, but a new evidence review of potential benefits of calcium supplementation for mom and baby found none, except for the prevention of pregnancy-related hypertension.
Taking blood pressure drugs at night slightly improves control
Patients who take certain popular types of blood pressure medication once a day are able to achieve somewhat better control of their hypertension if they take their daily dose at bedtime, according to a new systematic review. This finding throws into question the usual way in which most people with hypertension take their blood pressure drugs, whether singly or in combination, first thing in the morning upon arising.
Bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and can slow their growth
Bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) participate in the growth and spread of tumors of the breast, brain, lung, and stomach. To examine the role of BMDCs, researchers developed a mouse model that could be used to track the migration of these cells while tumors formed and expanded. Their results, published in the November issue of The American Journal of Pathology, strongly suggest that more effective cancer treatments may be developed by exploiting the mechanism by which bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and retard their proliferation.
Raising 'good' cholesterol levels reduces heart attack and stroke risk in diabetes patients
Increasing levels of high-density lipoproteins, better known as HDL or "good" cholesterol, reduced the risk for heart attack and stroke among patients with diabetes. That's according to a new study appearing online today in The American Journal of Cardiology.
Specialized motor proteins help control immune activation
Specialized immune cells called T cells can recognize threats and induce immune responses through T cell receptors (TCRs), but these receptors do not act alone. Multiple receptors gather together at the cell surface to cooperatively switch on T cells. “The minimum unit for triggering T lymphocyte activation is known as the TCR microcluster [TCR-MC],” explains Takashi Saito of the RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology in Yokohama. “These are the key structure for T cells to recognize antigens and become activated.”
Jonesing for java: Could caffeine use predict risk for cocaine abuse?
Parents of young caffeine consumers take heed: that high-calorie energy drink or soda might present more than just obesity risk. In fact, according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined responses to stimulants, an individual's subjective response to caffeine may predict how he or she will respond to other stimulant drugs, possibly reflecting differences in risk for abuse of other more serious drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and cocaine.
FDA approves first diabetes-cholesterol combo pill
(AP) -- The first combination pill for the millions of people with the dangerous combination of diabetes and high cholesterol won U.S. approval Friday, offering convenience - and savings - to patients taking multiple pills.
CAMH study confirms genetic link to suicidal behavior
A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found evidence that a specific gene is linked to suicidal behaviour, adding to our knowledge of the many complex causes of suicide. This research may help doctors one day target the gene in prevention efforts.
Study discovers new targets for treating inflammatory, autoimmune diseases
Researchers have discovered a cellular pathway that promotes inflammation in diseases like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. Understanding the details of this pathway may provide opportunities for tailored treatments of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Imaging agents offer new view of inflammation, cancer
A series of novel imaging agents could make it possible to "see" tumors in their earliest stages, before they turn deadly.
Chemical makers say BPA no longer used in bottles
(AP) -- Makers of the controversial chemical bisphenol-A have asked federal regulators to phase out rules that allow its use in baby bottles and sippy cups, saying those products haven't contained the plastic-hardening ingredient for two years.
21 deaths now linked to listeria in cantaloupe
(AP) -- Federal health authorities say a nationwide outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe is now responsible for 21 deaths and the number may continue to grow.
Obesity: America lightens up, but just a little
The percentage of Americans who are overweight or obese fell slightly in the third quarter of this year, but they still make up a majority of the population, a Gallup poll showed Friday.
Scientists turns liver cells directly into neurons with new technique
(Medical Xpress) -- Fully mature liver cells from laboratory mice have been transformed directly into functional neurons by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The switch was accomplished with the introduction of just three genes and did not require the cells to first enter a pluripotent state. It is the first time that cells have been shown to leapfrog from one fundamentally different tissue type to another.
Researchers find that the brain smells what it expects rather than what it sniffs (w/ video)
(Medical Xpress) -- In the moments before you “stop and smell the roses,” it’s likely your brain is already preparing your sensory system for that familiar floral smell. New research from Northwestern Medicine offers strong evidence that the brain uses predictive coding to generate “predictive templates” of specific smells -- setting up a mental expectation of a scent before it hits your nostrils.
Study uncovers why anti-rejection drugs for transplant patients cause hypertension
Modern medicine's ability to save lives through organ transplantation has been revolutionized by the development of drugs that prevent the human body from rejecting the transplanted organ.
It's all in the mind - how an athlete wins head-to-head competition
We've all seen the moment an athlete pushes themselves at the last second to try and win a head-to-head race, and now a sports scientist has discovered how they do that.
Can brain scans be used to detect pedophiles?
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry describes how the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery, or fMRI, is able to detect and diagnose pedophilia with greater accuracy than current options.
Babies show sense of fairness, altruism as early as 15 months
A new study presents the first evidence that a basic sense of fairness and altruism appears in infancy. Babies as young as 15 months perceived the difference between equal and unequal distribution of food, and their awareness of equal rations was linked to their willingness to share a toy.
Biology news
'Non-invasive' cultivar? Buyer beware
Cultivars of popular ornamental woody plants that are being sold in the United States as non-invasive are probably anything but, according to an analysis by botanical researchers published in the October issue of BioScience. Tiffany M. Knight of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her coauthors at the Chicago Botanic Garden write that the claims of environmental safety are in most cases based on misleading demographic evidence that greatly underestimates the plants' invasive potential. What is more, the offspring of cultivars do not usually "breed true" and may be more fecund than their parents, especially if they cross with plants from nearby feral populations.
Near-extinct Philippine eagle shot dead
An endangered Philippine eagle, one of only a few hundred left in the world, has been shot dead, a conservation group that had previously rescued the bird said Friday.
Market transactions and economics in general affect biological invasions
Biological invasions, i.e. the spread of introduced, non-native species, not only serve as ecological model systems, but also bring out the importance of economic activities on ecological processes. Two recent books have shown the extent and variety of the interaction of economics with invasion science and also the variety of approaches to tackling these problems.
Prague's 88 nature reserves threatened by invasive plant species
Cities are generally regarded as hostile for wildlife and urbanization a dramatic form of destruction of natural habitats. Still, they are far from dead zones. Their biodiversity may even exceed that of surrounding landscapes, owing to heterogeneous environments and frequent localization in naturally rich areas that historically supplied diverse resources for their human inhabitants.
Rare albino alligator goes on show in US
An extremely rare albino alligator from the swamps of Louisiana is taking up residence in Washington, dazzling visitors with her brilliant white skin.
New technique to help pine forests adapt to climate change, bioenergy use
A breakthrough in pine tree breeding will lead to forests better adapted to climate change and bioenergy use, University of Florida researchers report.
Researchers participate in network science to challenge long-held ecological theory
(PhysOrg.com) -- For decades, ecologists have toiled to nail down general principles explaining why some habitats have so many more plant and animal species than others. Much of this debate is focused on the idea that the number of species is determined by the productivity of the habitat. Some would argue: Shouldn't a patch of prairie contain a different number of species than an arid steppe or an alpine tundra?
Britain attracts rare moths in autumn heatwave
Record-breaking autumn temperatures have attracted hundreds of rare moths to Britain in what experts have called the best migration of the insects in years.
Learning to live in mountain lion country
Researchers at Stanford's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve often encounter signs of mountain lion activity, from lion scat to the occasional deer carcass covered with leaves. But few have actually caught a glimpse of the shy feline.
New research: Are global honey bee declines caused by diesel pollution?
Scientists are investigating a possible link between tiny particles of pollution found in diesel fumes and the global collapse of honey bee colonies.
Gray jays' winter survival depends on food storage, study shows
A new University of Guelph study shows that gray jays hoping to survive and reproduce through Canada's harsh winters need to be able to store food in the right kinds of trees.
Rare seahorses found in Thames
Evidence of a colony of rare seahorses has been discovered in the Thames, during a routine fisheries survey at Greenwich, the Environment Agency said on Friday.
New boulder frog discovered
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered two new species of boulder-dwelling frogs, hidden in remote areas of rainforest in north-east Queensland.
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