http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Speakers at last week`s AAAS meeting presented abundant evidence that tropical rainforest destruction has accelerated in recent years, at least in part because of the worldwide push to produce more biofuels. http://www.physorg.com/news154625430.html Technology Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:31:08 EST news154625430 In late 2007, hundreds of dead and stranded seabirds washed up on the shores of Monterey Bay, their feathers saturated with water and coated with an unknown substance. After an intensive investigation, scientists determined that a massive "red tide" bloom of marine algae had produced a foamy soap-like substance that stripped the natural waterproofing from the birds' feathers. http://www.physorg.com/news154446627.html Space & Earth Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:52:09 EST news154446627 (PhysOrg.com) -- About half of the oil in the ocean bubbles up naturally from the seafloor, with Earth giving it up freely like it was of no value. Likewise, NASA satellites collect thousands of images and 1.5 terrabytes of data every year, but some of it gets passed over because no one thinks there is a use for it. http://www.physorg.com/news154263841.html Space & Earth Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:06:01 EST news154263841 A study from the Harokopio University of Athens (Greece) determines that adherence to a dietary pattern close to the Mediterranean diet, with high consumption of fish and olive oil and low red meat intake, has a significant impact in women skeletal health. http://www.physorg.com/news154193100.html Medicine & Health Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:25:46 EST news154193100 Scientists in Arizona and New Jersey are reporting that aerogels, a super-lightweight solid sometimes called "frozen smoke," may serve as the ultimate sponge for capturing oil from wastewater and effectively soaking up environmental oil spills. Their study is in ACS' Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. http://www.physorg.com/news154016026.html Chemistry Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:14:09 EST news154016026 When the Drake Oil Well in Titusville, Pennsylvania began seeping crude oil 150 years ago, humanity allowed itself to become engulfed in the ecology of oil, according to a Penn State environmental historian. Now in the midst of an energy transition, the U.S. and the world need to keep moving forward toward alternative methods of power generation. http://www.physorg.com/news153831532.html Space & Earth Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:59:39 EST news153831532 In the past year, maritime shipping has suffered a resurgence of piracy, at a level that the world has not seen since the early 18th century. http://www.physorg.com/news153673901.html Technology Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:14:11 EST news153673901 The first comprehensive analysis of air emissions associated with natural gas and oil production in the Barnett Shale area finds that emissions can be a significant contributor to Dallas-Fort Worth smog formation, comparable to the combined emissions from all Metroplex cars and trucks. http://www.physorg.com/news153514020.html Space & Earth Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:47:41 EST news153514020 Isolongifolenone, a natural compound found in the Tauroniro tree (Humiria balsamifera) of South America, has been found to effectively deter biting of mosquitoes and to repel ticks, both of which are known spreaders of diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease. http://www.physorg.com/news153069801.html Space & Earth Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:23:51 EST news153069801 Researchers of the Catalonian Institute of Oncology (Spain) and the University of Granada (Spain) have discovered that extra virgin olive oil may help to combat breast cancer, according to a paper published in the last issue of the renowned scientific journal BMC Cancer. The scientists have confirmed the bioactivity of polyphenols (this is, natural antioxidants) present in olive oil in breast cancer cell lines. http://www.physorg.com/news153064925.html Chemistry Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:03:01 EST news153064925 Over the past decade, two-thirds of Indiana growers have shifted to planting their soybean crop earlier because they believe that earlier planting increases yield. Planting date is probably one of the most important yet least expensive management decisions that significantly affects soybean yield. Few scientists, however, have studied the effect of early-planting dates on soybean yield components and the impact of early planting on seed composition. http://www.physorg.com/news152804395.html Other Sciences Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:40:29 EST news152804395 Solar-industry executives paint a bright future for their industry, one where photovoltaic panels adorn roofs of homes and businesses and huge power plants capture the sun's rays to generate electricity. But the industry currently finds itself under cloudy skies and buffeted by threatening winds. http://www.physorg.com/news151834908.html Technology Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:22:14 EST news151834908 (PhysOrg.com) -- Picture this: an accurate map of a large underground oil reservoir that can guide engineers` efforts to coax the oil from the vast rocky subsurface into wells where it can be pumped out for storage or transport. http://www.physorg.com/news151162106.html Technology Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:28:26 EST news151162106 University of Oklahoma researchers believe newer, more environmentally friendly fuels produced from biomass could create alternative energy solutions and alleviate dependence on foreign oil without requiring changes to current fuel infrastructure systems. According to Lance Lobban, director of the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, the development of "green" fuels is an important part of the world's, and Oklahoma's, energy future. http://www.physorg.com/news151082899.html Chemistry Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:28:19 EST news151082899 Fish oil protects against deaths from heart problems, but doesn't provide a clear benefit in heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), according a study published on bmj.com today. http://www.physorg.com/news149311364.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:22:44 EST news149311364 Good quality extra-virgin olive oil contains health-relevant chemicals, 'phytochemicals', that can trigger cancer cell death. New research published in the open access journal BMC Cancer sheds more light on the suspected association between olive oil-rich Mediterranean diets and reductions in breast cancer risk. http://www.physorg.com/news148795838.html Medicine & Health Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:10:38 EST news148795838 Researchers in Nevada are reporting that waste coffee grounds can provide a cheap, abundant, and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel fuel for powering cars and trucks. Their study has been published online in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news148149549.html Chemistry Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:39:09 EST news148149549 A traditional Mediterranean diet with an additional daily serving of mixed nuts appears to be useful for managing some metabolic abnormalities in older adults at high risk for heart disease, according to a report in the December 8/22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. http://www.physorg.com/news147980284.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:38:04 EST news147980284 Animal feeding operations are an important emission source of air pollutants including methane and carbon dioxide -known greenhouse gases. Recent inventories suggest that animal manure makes a significant contribution to global methane emissions. As a consequence, greenhouse gas emissions can potentially become a limiting factor in the development and sustainability of animal production and technologies are needed to mitigate pollutant gas emissions. Oil spray has been used as a mitigation technique to reduce pollution from animal buildings. However, little is known about its effect on greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.physorg.com/news147959093.html Space & Earth Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:44:53 EST news147959093 From a quantitative standpoint, mineral oil is probably the largest contaminant of our body. That this contaminant can be tolerated without health concerns in humans has not been proven convincingly. The current Editorial of the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology reflects on this and concludes that this proof either has to be provided or we have to take measures to reduce our exposure - from all sources, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and the environmental contamination. http://www.physorg.com/news146742995.html Medicine & Health Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:56:35 EST news146742995 Oil spills are a major environmental problem because they often occur at sea and in remote, ecologically-sensitive areas where their impact on birds, sea mammals and subsurface life may last for years. http://www.physorg.com/news146328857.html Physics Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:54:17 EST news146328857 Materials engineers have created a new type of membrane that separates oil from water and, if perfected, might be used for environmental cleanup, water purification and industrial applications. http://www.physorg.com/news146228886.html Technology Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:08:06 EST news146228886 Fibre, antispasmodics and peppermint oil are all effective therapies for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and should become first-line treatments, according to a study on bmj.com today. http://www.physorg.com/news145859807.html Medicine & Health Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:36:47 EST news145859807 Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Montana State University and Utah State University a three-year, $900,000 grant to study the oil produced by algae, which could be a renewable source of biodiesel. http://www.physorg.com/news145801168.html Chemistry Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:19:28 EST news145801168 Scientists in Italy have found bacteria in the root of a tropical grass whose oils have been used in the cosmetic and perfumery industries. These bacteria seem to promote the production of essential oils, but also they change the molecular structure of the oil, giving it different flavours and properties: termicidal, insecticidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant. http://www.physorg.com/news144668637.html Biology Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:43:57 EST news144668637 A study has found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. The research was conducted by Professor Anick Bérard of the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Pharmacy and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and Master's student Krystel Moussally. http://www.physorg.com/news144331301.html Medicine & Health Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:01:41 EST news144331301 A unique, patent-pending collection of microbes that can be used both for cleaning up the environment and addressing our energy needs has earned the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory kudos from a newsletter covering the rapidly expanding field of nanotechnology. http://www.physorg.com/news143366174.html Biology Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:56:14 EST news143366174 (PhysOrg.com) -- That nip in the air means fall is here, and many homeowners are facing a drastically more expensive home-heating season. An energy specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says it's not too late to install a secondary heating system to manage those soaring costs. http://www.physorg.com/news142788833.html Other Sciences Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:33:53 EST news142788833 Alternative sources of fossil fuels such as oil sands and coal-to-liquids have significant economic promise, but the environmental consequences must also be considered, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today. http://www.physorg.com/news142677240.html Technology Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:34:00 EST news142677240 Thousands of feet below the bottom of the sea, off the shores of Santa Barbara, single-celled organisms are busy feasting on oil. http://www.physorg.com/news141996817.html Space & Earth Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:33:37 EST news141996817