February 10, 2010

The Quick Or The Dead: A Swift Response Matters Birmingham UK (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Wellcome Trust at the University of Birmingham have carried out "laboratory gunfights" to show that we move faster when we react to something in our environment than we do when we initiate the action ourselves - an idea inspired by cowboy movies but in reality more useful for avoiding oncoming traffic. The re ... more New Computer Vision System For The Analysis Of Human Behavior Barcelona, Spain (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - A consortium of European researchers, coordinated by the Computer Vision Centre (CVC) of Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), has developed HERMES, a cognitive computational system consisting of video cameras and software able to recognise and predict human behaviour, as well as describe it in natural language. The applications of the Hermes project are numerous and can be used in the ... more Seismology Highlights From BSSA February Issue San Francisco, CA (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - A new study identifies earthquakes through July 2007 that have produced 100 of the strongest peak accelerations (PGA) and 100 of the strongest peak velocities (PGV) ever recorded. The threshold for the first list is acceleration of the ground exceeding 7.31 m/s2 (74% of gravity), while the threshold for the second is velocity exceeding 0.65 m/s. Crustal earthquakes dominate the lists. Exce ... more Saving Gorillas Starts With Understanding Their Human Neighbors West Lafayette IN (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - Understanding local human cultures is key to preserving gorillas, elephants and other wildlife in African parks and reserves, according to new research from Purdue University. "Conservation efforts and the management of protected areas are often designed with the best intentions, but sometimes supporting scientific data is missing or incorrect assumptions are made about a local culture or ... more Bioactive Nanomaterial Helps Build New Cartilage Evanston IL (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - Northwestern University researchers are the first to design a bioactive nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new cartilage in vivo and without the use of expensive growth factors. Minimally invasive, the therapy activates the bone marrow stem cells and produces natural cartilage. No conventional therapy can do this. The results will be published online by the Proceedings of the Nationa ... more The Case Of The Disappearing Ducks Form The Prairie Potholes Washington DC (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - The loss of wetlands in the prairie pothole region of central North America due to a warmer and drier climate will negatively affect millions of waterfowl that depend on the region for food, shelter and raising young, according to research published this week in the journal BioScience. The new research shows that the region appears to be much more sensitive to climate warming and drying th ... more Seabed Biodiversity Of The Straits Of Magellan And Drake Passage Southampton UK (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - A study of animals visible to the naked eye and living in and on the seabed - the 'macrobenthos' - of the Straits of Magellan and Drake Passage will help scientists understand the biodiversity, biogeography and ecology of the Magellanic region. "The biodiversity data are from my very first oceanographic cruise with the Chilean Navy in the Magellanic region in 1997, as an early undergraduat ... more Better Food Makes High-Latitude Animals Bigger Chicago IL (SPX) Feb 09, 2010 - New research suggests that animals living at high latitudes grow better than their counterparts closer to the equator because higher-latitude vegetation is more nutritious. The study, published in the February issue of The American Naturalist, presents a novel explanation for Bergmann's Rule, the observation that animals tend to be bigger at higher latitudes. Ever since Christian Bergmann ... more Is Antarctica Melting Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 08, 2010 - Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 08, 2010 There has been lots of talk lately about Antarctica and whether or not the continent's giant ice sheet is melting. One new paper1, which states there has been less surface melting recently than in past years, has been cited as "proof" that there's no global warming. Other evidence that the amount of sea ice around Antarctica seems to be increasing slightly2-4 is b ... more Understanding Past And Future Climate Southampton UK (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - The notion that scientists understand how changes in Earth's orbit affect climate well enough for estimating long-term natural climate trends that underlie any anthropogenic climate change is challenged by findings published this week. The new research was conducted by a team led by Professor Eelco Rohling of the University of Southampton's School of Ocean and Earth Science hosted at the N ... more

Britain builds green towns to reduce CO2 London (UPI) Feb 9, 2009 - The British government is spending $90 million to build four carbon-neutral towns in England. The so-called eco-towns were chosen from a list of 12 finalists. They are St. Austell in Cornwall, near the western tip of England, Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire near London, North West Bicester in Oxfordshire in the southeast and Rackheath in Norfolk, near England's East coast. The mone ... more 3rd Argentine nuclear plant getting ready Buenos Aires (UPI) Feb 9, 2009 - Amid deepening economic woes, Argentine consumers have been told they can look forward to more stable electricity supplies from the country's third nuclear power generation plant before the end of this year. Argentine power consumption has gone up with industrial growth and extension of modern amenities to the country's burgeoning middle classes. But supply has not kept pace with demand ... more Russia, China agree on nuclear construction cost: report Moscow (AFP) Feb 9, 2010 - Russia and China agreed on the cost of constructing the second stage of China's Tianwan nuclear power station, the RIA Novosti news agency reported quoting sources close to the talks. The construction would cost an estimated 1.3 billion euros, the source said, adding that "expanding the Tianwan station on Russian know-how will mean more Russian fuel supplies, services and such that would cos ... more Australian miner admits bungling Chinese name in mega-deal Sydney (AFP) Feb 9, 2010 - An Australian mining company Tuesday admitted giving the wrong name for a Chinese firm involved in a 60-billion-US-dollar coal deal, but insisted the agreement was genuine. A Resourcehouse spokesman said it simply made a mistake when announcing a widely publicised deal with China Power International Development Limited, following a strenuous denial from the company. The deal, touted as A ... more Australia-China $60 billion coal deal Canberra, Australia (UPI) Feb 8, 2009 - Australian mining company Resourcehouse announced Saturday it reached a record $60 billion coal supply agreement with Chinese power stations. Under the deal, Resourcehouse will supply 30 million tons of coal annually over 20 years to China Power International Development Ltd., a unit of major power producer China Power Investment Corp. "This deal with CPI is Australia's biggest e ... more China evades US duties by exporting via third nations: group Washington (AFP) Feb 8, 2010 - Manufacturers in China are evading millions of dollars of US anti-dumping duties on steel wire products by exporting them via third countries, an American industry group charged Monday. The US Coalition for Enforcement of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders said it had developed "compelling evidence how certain foreign manufacturers (in China) are evading duties." In some cases, i ... more Amnesty calls for halt to Vedanta's India mine plans New Delhi (AFP) Feb 9, 2010 - British resource giant Vedanta should not be allowed to mine in an Indian forest held sacred by tribal people until it gets their "informed consent", Amnesty International said Tuesday. The call marked the latest attack on plans by British-based Vedanta Resources, headed by billionaire Anil Agarwal, to mine vast deposits of bauxite in the thickly forested Niyamgiri Hills in eastern India. ... more Enrichment at heart of Iran nuclear programme Paris (AFP) Feb 9, 2010 - Enriching uranium for nuclear power - or building a weapon of mass destruction - lies at the heart of the controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. The point of enrichment, the focus of the latest tensions between Iran and western nations, is to boost the ratio in uranium of the uranium-235 isotope, which splits in a chain reaction and releases energy. Enriching uranium to the ... more Iraq launches fourth state oil firm to oversee development Baghdad (AFP) Feb 9, 2010 - Iraq's oil ministry on Tuesday announced the launch of a fourth state company responsible for overseeing development in recently auctioned fields in the centre of the country. The Midland Oil Company will join the North, South, and Maysan companies as the latest state-owned organisation tasked with boosting production in the war-torn but energy-rich nation. "We decided to establish the M ... more Venezuela mulls partial state of emergency Caracas, Venezuela (UPI) Feb 9, 2009 - Venezuela plans to impose a partial state of emergency to deal with electricity shortages resulting from the worst drought in more than 100 years, President Hugo Chavez announced. "Venezuela is facing the worst drought in a century and needs to be placed under an electricity emergency," Chavez said in a radio program, Suddenly With Chavez, that is aired at short notice when the presiden ... more