|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 3:04:57 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 6, 2009 3:04:57 GMT 4
Geologists Map Rocks To Soak Carbon Dioxide From AirScienceDaily Mar. 5, 2009www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305131812.htmTo slow global warming, scientists are exploring ways to pull carbon dioxide from the air and safely lock it away. Trees already do this naturally through photosynthesis; now, in a new report, geologists have mapped large rock formations in the United States that can also absorb CO 2, which they say might be artificially harnessed to do the task at a vastly increased pace. The report, by scientists at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey, shows 6,000 square miles of ultramafic rocks at or near the surface. Originating deep in the earth, these rocks contain minerals that react naturally with carbon dioxide to form solid minerals. Earth Institute scientists are experimenting with ways to speed this natural process, called mineral carbonation. If the technology takes off, geologic formations around the world could provide a vast sink for heat-trapping carbon dioxide released by humans. Lead author Sam Krevor, a graduate student working through the Earth Institute’s Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, says the United States’ ultramafic rocks could be enough to stash more than 500 years of U.S. CO 2 production. Conveniently, most of them are clustered in strips along the east and west coasts--some near major cities including New York, Baltimore and San Francisco. "We're trying to show that anyone within a reasonable distance of these rock formations could use this process to sequester as much carbon dioxide as possible," said Krevor. So-called carbon sequestration has become a hot area of research, but so far, most work has focused on storing liquid or gaseous CO 2 underground where there is room: in saline aquifers, depleted oil wells and porous coal seams that are not commercially viable. However, concern about leaks has scientists pursuing natural chemical reactions within the earth to turn the carbon back into a solid. Ultramafic rocks generally form in earth’s mantle, starting some 12 miles under the surface and extending down hundreds of miles. Bits of these rocks—peridotite, dunite, lherzholite and others-- may be squeezed to the surface when continental plates collide with oceanic plates, or, less often, when the interiors of continents thin and develop rifts. Because of their chemical makeup, when the rocks are exposed to carbon dioxide, they react to form common limestone and chalk. A map accompanying the report shows that most such rocks are found in and around coastal mountain ranges, with the greatest concentrations in California, Oregon and Washington, and along the Appalachians from New England to Alabama. Some also occur in the interior, including Montana. Worldwide, other formations are scattered across Eurasia and Australia. Klaus Lackner, who directs the Lenfest Center, helped originate the idea of mineral sequestration in the 1990s. The U.S. survey is the first of what Lackner hopes will become a global mapping effort. "It's a really big step forward," he said. Krevor produced the map as part of his PhD. dissertation, with help from another Columbia student, Christopher Graves, and two USGS researchers, Bradley Van Gosen and Anne McCafferty. By combining more than a hundred existing maps, the researchers were able to pinpoint the areas nationally where ultramafic rocks are most abundant. Another rock, common volcanic basalt, also reacts with CO 2, and efforts are underway to map this in detail as well. The U.S. Department of Energy has been working on a basalt atlas for the northwestern United States as part of its Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership; extensive mapping in Washington, Oregon and Idaho has already been done through Idaho State University. The major drawback to natural mineral carbonation is its slow pace: normally, it takes thousands of years for rocks to react with sizable quantities of CO 2. But scientists are experimenting with ways to speed the reaction up by dissolving carbon dioxide in water and injecting it into the rock, as well as capturing heat generated by the reaction to accelerate the process. “It offers a way to permanently get rid of CO 2 emissions,” said Juerg Matter, a scientist at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where a range of projects is underway. Matter and his colleague Peter Kelemen are currently researching peridotite formations in Oman, which they say could be used to mineralize as much as 4 billion tons of CO 2 a year, or about 12 percent of the world’s annual output. And in Iceland, Matter is about to participate in the first major pilot study on CO 2 sequestration in a basalt formation. In May, he and three other Lamont-Doherty scientists will join Reykjavik Energy and others to inject CO 2-saturated water into basalt formations there. Over nine months, the rock is expected to absorb 1,600 tons of CO 2 generated by a nearby geothermal power plant. Matter and another Lamont-Doherty scientist, David Goldberg, are also involved in a study by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which will eventually inject 1,000 tons of CO 2 into formations beneath land owned by a paper mill near Wallula, Wash. One model is to capture CO 2 directly from power-plant smokestacks or other industrial facilities, combine it with water and pipe it into the ground, as in the upcoming Iceland project. Lackner and his colleagues are also working on a process using “artificial trees” that would remove CO 2 already emitted into the atmosphere. Combining rocks and carbon dioxide could provide an added benefit, as Krevor points out. For decades, some large U.S. peridotite formations were mined for asbestos, used for insulation and other purposes. After a link between asbestos and cancer was proven, the substance was banned for most uses, and the mines were closed. Mine tailings left behind, at Belvidere Mountain in Vermont and various sites in California, provide a ready supply of crushed rocks. These potentially hazardous tailings would be rendered harmless during the mineralization process. The report, Mapping the Mineral Resource Base for Mineral Carbon-Dioxide Sequestration in the Conterminous United States, is available online. Adapted from materials provided by The Earth Institute at Columbia University.What information is available to correlate this process with tectonic plate and volcanic activity?
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 5:20:38 GMT 4
Post by nodstar on Mar 6, 2009 5:20:38 GMT 4
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO MEMBERS[/SIZE] I you are a member and do not post here .. your account will be deleted after a reasonable period of time. If you have something to say .. then SAY IT Please don't PM me with intrigue about why you cannot post this or that. I always reply to PMs and appreciate the time and effort taken by the members here to interact and communicate. ;D I enjoy the correspondence If you are here for reasons OTHER than forum interaction .. PLEASE don't waste my time .. I've become VERY skilled at ferreting out the negatives and won't hesitate to click the BAN button . Thanks Nodstar*
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 7:18:00 GMT 4
Post by ninathedog on Mar 6, 2009 7:18:00 GMT 4
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 8:00:43 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 6, 2009 8:00:43 GMT 4
A dust factory around a dead star RAS PN 09/7 Contributed by Robert Massey Tuesday, 24 February 2009www.ras.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1561&Itemid=2The image above shows the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, with the overlaid lines indicating the polarisation signal from the cold dust. The underlying image is a composite from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. The red colours are infrared light from hot dust at 10°C, yellow is optical light from gas at 10,000°C and the blue/green colours show X-rays from gas at 10 million °C. Credit: Submm: Loretta Dunne, University of Nottingham; X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech. A team of astronomers, led by Loretta Dunne from the University of Nottingham, have found some very unusual stardust. In a paper to be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr Dunne and her team find new evidence for the production of copious quantities of dust in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, the remains of a star that exploded about 300 years ago. Interstellar dust is found throughout the cosmos. It is responsible for the dark patches seen in the Milky Way on a moonless night. It consists of carbon and silicate particles, about the size of those in cigarette smoke. The dust helps stars like the Sun to form and subsequently coagulates to form planets like Earth, and the cores of giant gas planets like Jupiter. It is found in great quantities in galaxies, even very early in the history of the Universe. The origin of all this dust is, however, a mystery. Does it condense like snowflakes in the winds of red giant stars or is it produced in supernovae –the violent death-throes of massive stars? Supernovae are a good way to produce dust in a blink of the cosmic eye, as massive stars evolve relatively quickly, taking a few million years to reach their supernova stage. In contrast lower-mass stars like our Sun take billions of years to reach their dust-forming red giant phase. Despite many decades of research, astronomers have still not found conclusive evidence that supernovae can produce dust in the quantities required to account for the dust they see in the early Universe. Using the SCUBA polarimeter on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, the scientists searched for a signal from dust grains spinning in the strong magnetic field of the supernova remnant. If the dust grains are slightly elongated (like little cigars) they tend to line up the same way and produce a polarised signal. When the polarimeter detector is rotated, the strength of the signal changes – much the same as if you look at the sky with polaroid sunglasses held at different angles. The polarisation signal from the supernova dust is the strongest ever measured, anywhere in the Milky Way, so the supernova dust must be quite unusual. It emits more radiation per gram than regular interstellar dust and the alignment of the grains must be very orderly to produce such highly polarised emission. “It is like nothing we’ve ever seen” said Dr Dunne. “It could be that the extreme conditions inside the supernova remnant are responsible for the strong polarised signal, or it could be that the dust grains themselves are highly unusual” Team member Professor Rob Ivison of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh comments further. “It could be that the material we're seeing is in the form of iron needles – exotic, slender, metallic whiskers. If these grains are distributed throughout the Universe they may be re-radiating microwaves. This has major consequences for our understanding of the cosmic microwave background – one of the most important building blocks of the Big Bang model of our Universe”. Alternatively, the grains could be a more pristine version of the dust found elsewhere in the Galaxy, with the same composition but able to produce more radiation due to the nuances of its 3-D structure. A final verdict requires further observations using the Herschel Space Observatory, set to be launched by the European Space Agency in April. CONTACT Dr Loretta Dunne The Centre for Astronomy and Particle Theory The School of Physics and Astronomy University of Nottingham University Park Nottingham NG7 2RD United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)115 951 5132 Mob: +44 (0)7968 250 834 E-mail: loretta.dunne@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Rob Ivison Astronomy Technology Centre University of Edinburgh Royal Observatory Blackford Hill Edinburgh EH9 3HJ Tel: +44 (0)131 668 8361 E-mail: rji@roe.ac.uk
Dr Larry Rudnick Department of Astronomy School of Physics and Astronomy Institute of Technology University of Minnesota Tel: +1 612 624 3396 E-mail: larry@astro.umn.edu
Dr Haley Gomez School of Physics and Astronomy Cardiff University Tel: +44 (0)2920 874058 E-mail: haley.gomez@astro.cf.ac.uk
IMAGES AND CAPTIONS Images of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A and the signal from the associated dust can be found at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/~ppzld/casA.html
THE JAMES CLERK MAXWELL TELESCOPE The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre, on behalf of the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, and the National Research Council of Canada.
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 12:06:55 GMT 4
Post by fr33ksh0w2012 on Mar 6, 2009 12:06:55 GMT 4
Robin Williams needs heart surgery 6 March 2009, 10:56am - AEST Tell a friend Robin Williams needs heart surgery and must cancel the remaining performances of his one-man comedy show, Weapons of Self-Destruction, his publicist said on Thursday. The 57-year-old actor needs an aortic valve replacement, Diane Rosen said in a news release. Williams' representatives would not say when the comedian was admitted to the hospital or where he was. "I'm so touched by everyone's support and well wishes," Williams said in the statement. "This tour has been amazing fun and I can't wait to get back out on the road after a little tune-up." Williams was already in Florida when he cancelled four shows in the state earlier this week after experiencing shortness of breath. Since September, he had been on the sold-out, 80-city tour, which is expected to resume in the northern autumn, his publicist said.
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 18:47:54 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 6, 2009 18:47:54 GMT 4
Beware the loan modification merry-go-roundMSNBC by Bob Sullivan Posted: Friday, March 6 2009 at 05:00 am CTredtape.msnbc.com/2009/03/theres-been-a-l.html There’s been a lot of talk lately about loan modifications for homeowners facing foreclosure, a discussion that reached a crescendo on Wednesday when the White House announced details of its “Making Home Affordable” plans. A woman I’ll call Mags (we’re preserving her anonymity) had heard the talk too. The suburban Virginia woman in her 60s is homebound, recovering from ankle surgery. Her husband has recently declared bankruptcy. Three months ago, she started contacting her lender to ask for help. She ran into a wall of busy signals and vague answers. So when she heard about a private company that said it could help work with her bank to modify her loan and save her home, she began to investigate. That’s how she landed in my inbox. "How can we tell that this company is legitimate, will do what they say they will?" she asked. "We desperately want to modify our mortgage, but we don't want to be stupid!” There was a red flag right away. Mags said the company wanted a $3,000 up-front payment. I e-mailed Mags that day to ask her what this firm would do that she couldn't do for herself. She didn't write back. A few days later, I called. That morning, she'd sent the company a check for $2,881. And she was very sure she'd done the right thing. She’d checked the company out at the Better Business Bureau and there were no complaints. The employees sounded very competent, she said, and the company was advertising on television. I asked her if she'd seen advice on various Web sites telling consumers not to pay up-front fees for loan modifications. She said she had, and she'd asked the company about this. "They said, 'Has anything else you've done so far worked?" I talked to Mags about how to get free loan modification help, through the list of approved housing counselors on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Web site. I sent her a link to HUD’s “find a counselor” Web page. She said she’d already been to the site, but didn’t find what she was looking for there. “There are so many different agencies listed, how do you choose?” she asked, noting that about three dozen are listed in Virginia. “Are they all free? How can you tell?” In the end she said she relied on the personal recommendation of a co-worker who had also signed up with the for-profit company. Within minutes, Mags politely thanked me, rushed me off the phone and then didn’t respond to my additional e-mails. I had the sick feeling she wouldn't get anything for her $2,881, but for some reason the modification company was more persuasive than I was. She was willing to pay for something that should be free. No answerSo I went back to the HUD site and looked up the counselor that was geographically closest to Mags. When I called, the phone went unanswered. There wasn't even an answering machine to leave a message, and an e-mail got no response. Government efforts so far to help out troubled homeowners have been equally ineffectual. The Hope for Homeowners alliance program announced last year with great fanfare has so far only helped a few hundred mortgage holders. It’s no wonder Mags would turn to a company that promised immediate assistance. In fact, swarms of for-profit companies are advertising loan modification help right now. They are succeeding because consumers still don’t really know where to turn, said Seattle-based mortgage fraud expert Richard Hagar. "They are filling in where our government is failing," he said. "The government says go get a housing counselor, but when you make a call there is not always somebody there." Many consumers have hit similar brick walls when dealing with lenders, Hagar said, creating an ideal opportunity for loan modification con artists. At the unveiling of the White House loan modification program on Wednesday, officials reiterated that consumers don’t have to pay for mortgage help. Still, the pitches by for-profit firms can be very powerful, Hagar said. "They say they have special phone numbers and can get you help right away," he said. The problem for people like Mags is that criminals and government-backed counselors can look identical to consumers who need help. The organizations listed on HUDs Web site – with names like Consumer Credit Counseling Services – seem indistinguishable from for-profit firms at first glance. "Whether it's a scam or it's legitimate, it all starts off the same way," he said. Mortgage brokers piling inTo some struggling homeowners, the salesman behind the mortgage modification sales pitch might sound familiar, says Curtis Novy, a California-based mortgage broker who is also an expert on mortgage fraud. He said many of his former colleagues are trying to make a quick buck in the loan modification market. "A lot of former subprime loan officers have discovered all this is a money maker," he said. “They made money selling mortgages people couldn’t afford and are now making money modifying those mortgages.” One online advertisement targeting real estate professionals recently viewed by msnbc.com promises mortgage brokers a healthy new revenue stream if they attend a class and learn loan modification skills. "It just makes sense that you learn how to do loan modifications. A certain percent of the sellers you are coming across will qualify for a loan modification and you should be the one providing this service (and earning a fee for doing it)," it said. Tanisha Warner, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Counseling Credit Services, she said she hears about consumers paying for modification help all the time. "When people find their backs are against the wall, they are willing to believe that someone is going to help them,” she said, while stressing that her firm’s mortgage assistance services are free. Not all for-pay loan help services are scams, though, so it’s hard to give blanket advice, Hagar said. Many consumers find it necessary to pay a lawyer to work out a complicated loan restructuring, for example, and there’s nothing wrong with paying a lawyer an up-front fee. Hagar said he’s also seen some legitimate services that charge a small up-front fee, and ask for larger payment upon the completion of a successful modification. As a rough guideline, he said, consumers should not pay more than a few hundred dollars up front, unless they are dealing with a lawyer. Some government regulators have begun to take notice of potentially misleading modification services. In February, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced his office was investigating a company named H.O.P.E. Alliance after it allegedly asked for $1,500 in up-front payments from consumers. In order to afford the fee payment, the firm told customers to stop paying their mortgage, he said. The firm’s name also deceptively mimics the name of the government-backed, nonprofit modification effort, Blumenthal alleges. On the Web site announcing the new White House loan aid plan – FinancialStability.Gov – federal officials also make clear that up-front payments are not necessary to get help. "Beware of any person or organization that asks you to pay a fee in exchange for housing counseling services or modification of a delinquent loan. Do not pay – walk away!” it reads. Still, that message hasn’t gotten through to consumers like Mags. And when HUD’s Web site lists phone numbers that go unanswered and banks give consumers the runaround, it’s no wonder troubled homeowners are tempted to pay when they finally find someone who will answer the phone. As federal officials continue to create programs to help troubled homeowners, they should be sure their marketing plans are at least as extensive as those designed by con artists. HUDs counselors should be the first link that lands in a Google search, for example. Public service announcements from the president telling consumers where to get free help wouldn’t hurt either. RED TAPE WRESTLING TIPSThere is no reason to pay for mortgage help. When trying to get a HUD-approved counselor, persistence will pay off. Visit the HUD Web site and try several phone numbers until you reach someone who sounds genuinely interested in helping. Msnbc.com reached a counselor on our second try. Beginning this week, you can test your eligibility for a government-backed loan modification at the Financial Stability Web site. If you are tempted to pay someone, don’t do so until you get results. You wouldn’t pay for auto repairs or a home remodel until the work is done, so why pay a mortgage modification company? As a rough guideline, Hagar said, consumers should not pay more than a few hundred dollars up front unless they are dealing with a lawyer. People facing mortgage problems often are embarrassed and try to deal with them privately. If anyone in your family might be in trouble, don’t be shy. Recommend they visit the HUD Web site – take them to a computer and show them the site if need be. HUD counselors can offer a variety of solutions to consumers. Warner said a surprising number of consumers are able to refinance and avoid foreclosure, thanks to new government-backed programs.
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 19:28:07 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 6, 2009 19:28:07 GMT 4
Corporate America's giants crumblingCorporate giants, long thought too big to fail, now at riskMSNBC updated 12:37 a.m. ET, Fri., March. 6, 2009www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29541470/Bill seeks $500 billion for FDIC fundLegislation would boost credit line in exchange for trimming new bank feesMSNBC updated 5:56 a.m. ET, Fri., March 6, 2009www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29543959/The World According To TARPIf banks don't like the scrutiny that comes with bailout funds, why don't they just return the money?Newsweek updated: 9:12 a.m. ET Mar 4, 2009www.newsweek.com/id/187542Stocks rise after latest jobs reportNation shed 651,000 jobs in Feb.; terrible, but not as bad as fearedMSNBC updated: 10:03 a.m. ET March 6, 2009 www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3683270/Unemployment rate soars to 8.1 percentNation has lost 4.4 million jobs since recession began in Dec. 2007Associated Press updated: 10:02 a.m. ET March 6, 2009www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29538287/Now, there's a trend here ... follow the money trail. You really need to take a good long look and the banking industry, stock market and investment funds - scrutinize those behind the scenes.
The President inherited a manipulated mess. I see "blinds" being frantically put in place to skew the focus toward corporate failures, consumer defaults, market skepticism and the "Hill of Beans" tirades against pork barrels.
This isn't just happening in America - it's global. The same trends are occurring everywhere.
I see your dirty little hands in this, goobers. We've moved to "Plan C" now.
Let's devalue the impact of the greedy little fools - I don't buy into your greed mindset. I certainly don't believe you can control the entire game board, either. Things have a way of "righting" themselves.
Let the pendulum swing! The balance is being reset.
Your favorite pest PS - Don't up the ante either. You won't like the results. It will backfire on you.
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 19:34:07 GMT 4
Post by skywatcher on Mar 6, 2009 19:34:07 GMT 4
Geologists Map Rocks To Soak Carbon Dioxide From AirScienceDaily Mar. 5, 2009www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305131812.htmTo slow global warming, scientists are exploring ways to pull carbon dioxide from the air and safely lock it away. Trees already do this naturally through photosynthesis; now, in a new report, geologists have mapped large rock formations in the United States that can also absorb CO 2, which they say might be artificially harnessed to do the task at a vastly increased pace. After a link between asbestos and cancer was proven, the substance was banned for most uses, and the mines were closed. Mine tailings left behind, at Belvidere Mountain in Vermont and various sites in California, provide a ready supply of crushed rocks. These potentially hazardous tailings would be rendered harmless during the mineralization process. Adapted from materials provided by The Earth Institute at Columbia University.What information is available to correlate this process with tectonic plate and volcanic activity? Quote edited for length.Will geologists do further damage to our planet by injecting Carbon Dioxide into the rocks? What will it do to the delicate balance, already on the precipice of the Earth? In our haste to undo what society has done in its need for bigger, faster, better, will we be hurting the Earth further?
Until these studies have been completed, Mother Nature has shown us a way, by planting trees instead of cutting them down for McMansions, strip malls, junk mail, strip mining, etc., etc., etc. . . and the list could go on. Call you local Arbor Society, get saplings, and plant them for our future. Trees are more than decorative lawn landscaping, we need them to live.
Blessings, Nancy
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 19:37:25 GMT 4
Post by skywatcher on Mar 6, 2009 19:37:25 GMT 4
Corporate America's giants crumblingCorporate giants, long thought too big to fail, now at riskMSNBC updated 12:37 a.m. ET, Fri., March. 6, 2009www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29541470/Bill seeks $500 billion for FDIC fundLegislation would boost credit line in exchange for trimming new bank feesMSNBC updated 5:56 a.m. ET, Fri., March 6, 2009www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29543959/The World According To TARPIf banks don't like the scrutiny that comes with bailout funds, why don't they just return the money?Newsweek updated: 9:12 a.m. ET Mar 4, 2009www.newsweek.com/id/187542Stocks rise after latest jobs reportNation shed 651,000 jobs in Feb.; terrible, but not as bad as fearedMSNBC updated: 10:03 a.m. ET March 6, 2009 www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3683270/Unemployment rate soars to 8.1 percentNation has lost 4.4 million jobs since recession began in Dec. 2007Associated Press updated: 10:02 a.m. ET March 6, 2009www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29538287/Now, there's a trend here ... follow the money trail. You really need to take a good long look and the banking industry, stock market and investment funds - scrutinize those behind the scenes.
The President inherited a manipulated mess. I see "blinds" being frantically put in place to skew the focus toward corporate failures, consumer defaults, market skepticism and the "Hill of Beans" tirades against pork barrels.
This isn't just happening in America - it's global. The same trends are occurring everywhere.
I see your dirty little hands in this, goobers. We've moved to "Plan C" now.
Let's devalue the impact of the greedy little fools - I don't buy into your greed mindset. I certainly don't believe you can control the entire game board, either. Things have a way of "righting" themselves.
Let the pendulum swing! The balance is being reset.
Your favorite pest PS - Don't up the ante either. You won't like the results. It will backfire on you. Hey Sally Anne: I've missed your goober stomp, glad to see you have your sh**kicking boots still on. ;D
Smiles to you, Nancy
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 6, 2009 20:27:17 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 6, 2009 20:27:17 GMT 4
Hiya Nancy!
Hope things are well with you and yours!
Yeah, the waders are still in place - love them waders - keeps the goober glop off the socks (even the missing ones, hey Noddie ).
I'm thinking about a correlation between the research being done for carbon sequestering and the energy goobers. The point is they need to keep fossil fuels in our faces so it continues to roll. What better way then come up with "innovative" ideas to remove the CO2 by pumping up the planet. Did you notice that most oil and coal companies are "looking into this solution"?
Another "innovation" that concerns me is the process (I'll have to look through my files for the articles) that looks to chemically reducing the CO2 to H2O and methane. METHANE - what's up with that highly volatile release - other than the explosive tendencies? Even the EPA has words to say about that little gas: www.epa.gov/methane/.
Geez - whatever...
Fossil fuels need to remain in the earth.
Peace and Joy Always
Sally Anne
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 7, 2009 2:06:24 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 7, 2009 2:06:24 GMT 4
Molecule tracking reveals mechanism of chromosome separation in dividing cellsReasons proposed for strong but dynamic attachment of spindle fibersEurekAlert Public Release: 6-Mar-2009www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/uow-mtr030609.phpUniversity of Washington (UW) researchers are helping to write the operating manual for the nano-scale machine that separates chromosomes before cell division. The apparatus is called a spindle because it looks like a tiny wool-spinner with thin strands of microtubules or spindle fibers sticking out. The lengthening and shortening of microtubules is thought to help push and pull apart chromosome pairs. Understanding how this machine accurately and evenly divides genetic material is essential to learning why its parts sometimes fail. Certain cancers or birth defects, like Down syndrome or Trisomy 18, result from an uneven distribution of chromosomes. In a study published March 6 in the journal Cell, a team led by UW scientists reports on the workings of a key component of this machine. Named a kinetochore, it is a site on each chromosome that mechanically couples to spindle fibers. "Kineochores are also regulatory hubs," the researchers noted. "They control chromosome movements through the lengthening and shortening of the attached microtubules. They sense and correct errors in attachment. They emit a "wait" signal until the microtubules properly attach." Careful control over microtubules, they added, is vital for accurate splitting of the chromosomes. The lead researchers on the study were Andrew F. Powers and Andrew D. Frank from the UW Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Daniel R. Gestaut, from the UW Department of Biochemistry. The senior authors of the study were Charles "Chip" Asbury, assistant professor, and Linda Wordeman, associate professor, both of physiology and biophysics and both members of the UW Center for Cell Dynamics; and Trisha Davis, professor of biochemistry, and director of the Yeast Resource Center. Asbury is known for research on molecular machines and motors, Wordeman for work on chromosome movement, and Davis for studies of spindle poles. All are part of the Seattle Mitosis Club led by Sue Biggins at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. To understand how the kinetochore functions, the scientists sought to uncover the basis for its most fundamental behavior: attaching microtubules. The most puzzling aspect of this attachment, according to the researchers, is that the kinetochore has to be strong yet dynamic. It has to keep a grip on the microtubule filaments even as they add and remove their subunits. "This ability," the researchers said, "allows the kinetochore to harness microtubule shortening and lengthening to drive the movement of chromosomes." The same coupling behavior is found in living things from yeast cells to humans, indicating that it was conserved during evolution as a good way of getting the job done. The question is how this mechanism works. Previous studies implicated a large, multiprotein complex, Ndc80, as a direct contact point between kinetochores and microtubules. However, researchers had only a static view of the complex. The UW researchers used special techniques to manipulate and track the activity of the complex in a laboratory set-up. The researchers were able to show that the Ndc80 complex was indeed capable of forming dynamic, load-bearing attachments to the tips of the microtubules, probably by forming an array of individually weak microtubule binding elements that rapidly bind and unbind, but with a total energy large enough to hold on. The mechanism will produce a molecular friction that resists translocation of the microtubule through the attachment site. Other scientists have dubbed the mechanism a "slip clutch." This kind of coupler, the researchers added, is able to remain continuously attached to the microtubule tip during both its assembly and disassembly phases. The coupler also can harness the energy released during disassembly to produce mechanical force. Coupling may depend on positively charged areas on the complex that interact with negatively charged hooks on the microtubules by electrostatic force. Based on their findings, the scientists propose arrays of Ndc80 complexes supply the combination of plasticity and strength that allows kinetechores to hold on loosely but not let go of the tips of the microtubules. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a Searle Scholar Award, and a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering.
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 7, 2009 2:20:20 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 7, 2009 2:20:20 GMT 4
Cooperative threat reduction programs should be revamped to address 21st century threatsEurekAlert Public Release: 6-Mar-2009www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/naos-ctr030609.phpUnder White House leadership, cooperative threat reduction programs should be revamped to address 21st century threats WASHINGTON -- The White House should lead the reformulation of U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) programs to focus on combating international terrorism and other current threats, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. The government's first CTR programs were created in 1991 to eliminate the former Soviet Union's nuclear, chemical, and other weapons and prevent their proliferation. Originally designed to deal with immediate post-Cold War challenges, the programs must be expanded to other regions and fundamentally redesigned as an active tool of foreign policy that can address contemporary threats from groups that are that are agile, networked, and adaptable. "A bold vision is again required," said Ronald F. Lehman, director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report. "The Department of Defense and the entire federal government should re-examine what CTR has already accomplished and refocus efforts to promote global security engagement in the 21st century." The report calls this new approach CTR 2.0. "The programs need a broad upgrade to meet the magnitude of new security challenges, particularly at the nexus of WMD and terrorism," said co-chair David R. Franz, vice president and chief biological scientist at the Midwest Research Institute in Frederick, Md. Under the CTR 2.0 model recommended in the report, the White House should engage departments across the government -- not only those traditionally associated with security such as Defense, State, and Energy, but also departments often considered outside the security realm. For example, the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency could participate in CTR projects and should be given the appropriate legislative authority to support their involvement. The U.S. also should engage the nongovernment sector -- academia, industry, and other organizations -- and seek international partnerships, including under the G8 Global Partnership Against Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. The report recommends that Department of Defense CTR programs be an integral part of this new approach. DOD should continue traditional CTR programs -- including completing current projects in Russia and the former Soviet Union -- and also expand into new activities, partnerships, and countries. A geographic expansion of CTR would enhance U.S. national security and global stability, the report says. A key to the United States' future security will be the ability to build a broader network of partners who are committed to enhancing global security; this network of partnerships can be a tripwire to warn the U.S. of potential dangers. The report notes a wide array of possible opportunities to cooperate with other nations on threat reduction. For example, many countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia may be willing to partner on efforts to bolster emergency and disaster preparedness, strengthen port security, and combat smuggling. They may also be willing to partner in broadening efforts begun by DOD to improve disease surveillance and give early warning to the U.S. about potential biological attacks or disease outbreaks. The U.S. government's CTR programs have accomplished much, the report says. For less than a total of 7 billion dollars over 15 years, the programs have deactivated thousands of nuclear warheads, neutralized chemical weapons, safeguarded fissile materials, converted weapons facilities for peaceful use, and redirected the work of former weapons scientists and engineers, among other efforts. However, the report argues that current programs must be made more flexible and responsive, with a stronger focus on building partnerships with other nations and with international and nongovernmental organizations. The report also highlights the role of personal relationships and professional networks in building trust and transparency. Greater flexibility and authority should be given to those who plan and implement CTR projects to improve the projects' timeliness and effectiveness, the report says; contracting procedures also need to be streamlined. In the past, heavy bureaucratic requirements often slowed the implementation of projects, and partner countries have sometimes interpreted these delays as a U.S. reluctance to collaborate. And new ways to gauge the success of projects will be needed given the heightened focus on partnerships and relationship-building, which contribute directly to national security but which are more difficult to measure than the number of weapons destroyed. The report was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. The Research Council is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. A committee roster follows.
Copies of GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT: A NEW MODEL FOR COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at WWW.NAP.EDU. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above). In addition, a podcast of the public briefing held to release this report is available at NATIONAL-ACADEMIES.ORG/PODCAST.
[ This news release and report are available at NATIONAL-ACADEMIES.ORG ]
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL Division of Policy and Global Affairs Committee on International Security and Arms Control
COMMITTEE ON OPTIONS FOR STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAM
DAVID R. FRANZ (CO-CHAIR) Vice President and Chief Biological Scientist Midwest Research Institute Frederick, Md.
RONALD F. LEHMANN II (CO-CHAIR) Director Center for Global Security Research Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore, Calif.
ROBERT B. BARKER Nuclear Weapons Designer (retired) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore, Calif.
WILLIAM F. BURNS Former Director U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Washington, D.C; and Former Commandant U.S. Army War College Carlisle, Pa.
ROSE E. GOTTEMOELLER Director Carnegie Moscow Center Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Moscow
JOHN J. HAMRE President and CEO Center for Strategic and International Studies Washington, D.C.
ROBERT G. JOSEPH Senior Scholar National Institute for Public Policy Fairfax, Va.
ORDE KITTRIE Associate Professor College of Law Arizona State University Tempe
JAMES W. LEDUC Director, Program on Global Health Institute for Human Infections and Immunity University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston
RICHARD W. MIES Private Consultant Fairfax Station, Va.
JUDITH MILLER Independent Consultant Manhattan Institute New York City
GEORGE W. PARSHALL Former Director of Chemical Sciences E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. (retired) Wilmington, Del.
THOMAS R. PICKERING Vice Chairman Hills and Company Washington, D.C.
KIM K. SAVIT Consultant International Business Manager Intelligence, Security and Technology Group, Science Applications International Corporation and Adjunct Professor University of Denver Denver
RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF
ANNE HARRINGTON Study Director
RITA GUENTHER Senior Program Associate
BENJAMIN RUSEK Senior Program AssociateI'll have to think about this one. I remember the Brookings Report was another collaboration - and we know what that said.
I am not against a global collaboration to reduce threats to humanity. I would, however, like to see the list of "Who's Who in Negotiating CTR" and their complete undoctored personal profiles and all business and financial affiliations before I would render a decision on this "suggestion".
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 7, 2009 3:16:21 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 7, 2009 3:16:21 GMT 4
Unexpected Source Of Gamma Rays Discovered In SpaceScienceDaily Mar. 6, 2009www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305150921.htmAn international team of astrophysicists, involving several research groups in Spain, has discovered a source of very high energy gamma rays in the region of the distant galaxies 3C 66A and 3C 66B. This new gamma emission, observed from the MAGIC telescope in La Palma (Canary Islands) is not consistent with what scientists expected to find, and has resulted in them suggesting three hypotheses to explain their origin. In 2007, the MAGIC telescope, located in the Roque de los Muchachos observatory on the Canary island of La Palma, spent more than 50 hours examining the 3C 66A galaxy region, which is about 3 billion light years from Earth. The results of those observations led to the discovery of a source of very high energy gamma rays (over 150 billion electron volts), as published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters journal. The researcher, Errando Manel, from the Institut de Física d'Altes Energies (IFAE), one of the institutions involved in the study, explained to SINC that very high energy gamma rays "are a type of extremely high energy light which rarely occurs in nature". They are generally associated with violent phenomena such as supernova explosions or jets of high energy particles that form around black holes.With regard to the data collected by MAGIC, Errando indicates that neither the position nor the properties of gamma emission exactly match what was expected from a galaxy like 3C 66A, which is considered a quasar (celestial body that emits large amounts of radiation) emitting a jet of particles that points directly towards Earth.Scientists suggest three hypotheses for explaining this unexpected source of very high energy gamma rays, which they have called "MAGIC J0223+430", due to the celestial coordinates where they found it. The first option is that the emission is actually from the quasar 3C 66A, assuming that its active nucleus had different properties to those attributed to it to date, or that this galaxy is not as distant as previously thought. Another possibility, supported by data from the energy spectrum taken by MAGIC, is that the source of gamma rays comes from another far closer galaxy, 3C 66B, about three million light years from Earth. "This galaxy is similar to 3C 66A, but its jet of particles does not point directly towards us," commented Errando. "If confirmed that the 3C 66B galaxy is the source, it would only be the second radio galaxy observed to date (the first was M87) that emits VHE gamma rays, and these types of galaxies would be established as a new source of emission of very high energy gamma rays", SINC was told by Maria Victoria Fonseca, another of the study participants from the High Energy Group at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). The third hypothesis is that the astrophysical gamma rays do not originate from 3C 66A or 3C 66B, but rather from an unknown source not yet detected, not even by the observatories that analyse the sky at lower energies. Over the next few years scientists will continue to study that region of space, also observed by many telescopes apart from MAGIC, to find the correct explanation. Apart from the UCM and IFAE, also taking part in the study were the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands (IAC), the University of Barcelona (UB), University of La Laguna (ULL), the Institut de Cienciès de l'Espai (IEEC-CSIC) and the Astrophysical Institute of Andalusia (CSIC), together with other research centres in Finland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Armenia, Bulgaria and the United States. Full bibliographic information: E. Aliu et al. (MAGIC Collaboration). “Discovery of a very high energy gamma-ray signal from the 3C 66A/B region”. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 692:L29–L33, febrero de 2009. Journal reference: Aliu et al. Discovery of a very high energy gamma-ray signal from the 3C 66A/B region. The Astrophysical Journal, 2009; 692 (1): L29 DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/692/1/L29
Adapted from materials provided by Plataforma SINC, via AlphaGalileo.2007, huh...
Okay, is that GST (Galactic Savings Time)?
I assume your next update will be in 2011, huh...or is that after Planet X arrives?
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 7, 2009 3:28:13 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 7, 2009 3:28:13 GMT 4
Assembling Cells Into Artificial 3-D Microtissues, Including A Tiny GlandScienceDaily Mar. 6, 2009www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305091046.htmA 3-D reconstruction using deconvolution fluorescence microscopy of a single multicellular structure encapsulated in agarose gel. Cells are stained different colors according to the oligonucleotide sequence attached to their surfaces. (Credit: Bertozzi lab, UC Berkeley)As synthetic biologists cram more and more genes into microbes to make genetically engineered organisms produce ever more complex drugs and chemicals, two University of California chemists have gone a step further. They have assembled different types of genetically engineered cells into synthetic microtissues that can perform functions such as secreting and responding to hormones, promising more complex biological capabilities than a single cell alone could produce. "This is like another level of hierarchical complexity for synthetic biology," said coauthor Carolyn Bertozzi, UC Berkeley professor of chemistry and of molecular and cell biology and director of the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "People used to think of the cell as the fundamental unit. But the truth is that there are collections of cells that can do things that no individual cell could ever be programmed to do. We are trying to achieve the properties of organs now, though not yet organisms." While the synthetic tissues today comprise only a handful of cells, they could eventually be scaled up to make artificial organs that could help scientists understand the interactions among cells in the body and might some day substitute for human organs."We are really taking this into the third dimension now, which for me is particularly exciting," said first author Zev J. Gartner, a former UC Berkeley post-doctoral fellow who recently joined the UC San Francisco faculty as an assistant professor of pharmaceutical chemistry. "We are not simply linking cells together, we are linking them together in 3-D arrangements, which introduces a whole new level of cellular behavior which you would never see in 2-D environments." Gartner and Bertozzi, the T.Z. and Irmgard Chu Distinguished Professor at UC Berkeley and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, report on their assembly of three-dimensional microtissues the week of March 3 in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. One type of cell that needs other cells to make it work properly is the stem cell, Bertozzi noted. Theoretically, using Gartner and Bertozzi's chemical technique, it should be possible to assemble stem cells with their helper cells into a functioning tissue that would make stem cells easier to study outside the body. "In principal, we might be able to build a stem cell niche from scratch using our techniques, and then study those very well defined structures in controlled environments," Bertozzi said. Bertozzi noted that most of the body's organs are a collection of many cell types that need to be in actual physical contact to operate properly. The pancreas, for example, is a collection of specialized cells, including insulin-secreting beta cells, that "sense glucose from the environment and respond by producing insulin. A complex feedback regulatory loop goes into all of this, and you need more than one cell type to achieve such regulation." "If you really want to understand the way these cells behave in an organism, especially a human, you would like to recapitulate that environment as closely as possible in vitro," Gartner said. "We are trying to do that, with the aim that the rules we learn may help us control them better." Gartner and Bertozzi assembled three types of cultured cells into onion-like layers by using two established technologies: DNA hybridization and Staudinger chemistry. DNA hybridization is like a "programmable glue," she said, that can stick cells together because of the highly precise nature of binding between complementary DNA strands: One strand of the DNA helix binds only to its complementary strand and nothing else. By putting a short DNA strand on the surface of one cell and its complementary strand on another cell, the researchers assure that the two lock together exclusively. To get these specific DNA strands onto the cells, they used chemical reactions that do not interfere with cellular chemistry but nevertheless stick desired chemicals onto the cell surface. The technique for adding unusual but benign chemicals to cells was developed by Bertozzi more than a decade ago based on a chemical reaction called the Staudinger ligation. After proving that they could assemble cells into microtissues, Gartner and Bertozzi constructed a minute gland – analogous to a lymph node, for example – such that one cell type secreted interleukin-3 and thereby kept a second cell type alive. "What we did is build a little miniaturized, stripped-down system that operates on the same principle and looks like a miniaturized lymph node, an arrangement where two cells communicate with each another and one requires a signal from the other," she said. "The critical thing is that the two cells have to have a cell junction. If you just mix the cells randomly without connection, the system doesn't have the same properties." She expects that eventually, clusters could be built on clusters to make artificial organs that someday may be implanted into humans. "Our method allows the assembly of multicellular structures from the bottom up. In other words, we can control the neighbors of each individual cell in a mixed population," she said. "By this method, it may be possible to assemble tissues with more sophisticated properties." One interesting aspect of the technique is that DNA hybridization seems to be temporary, like a suture. Eventually, the cells may substitute their own cell-cell adhesion molecules for the DNA, creating a well-knit and seemingly normal, biological system. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy as well as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Gartner was supported by a fellowship from the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund. Journal reference: Zev J. Gartner and Carolyn R. Bertozzi. Programmed assembly of 3-dimensional microtissues with defined cellular connectivity. PNAS, March 2, 2009
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Berkeley, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
|
|
|
NEWS
Mar 7, 2009 3:35:42 GMT 4
Post by towhom on Mar 7, 2009 3:35:42 GMT 4
'Holy powder' ingredient makes membranes behave for better healthEurekAlert Public Release: 6-Mar-2009www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/uom-pi030609.phpANN ARBOR, MI---Revered in India as "holy powder," the marigold-colored spice known as turmeric has been used for centuries to treat wounds, infections and other health problems. In recent years, research into the healing powers of turmeric's main ingredient, curcumin, has burgeoned, as its astonishing array of antioxidant, anti-cancer, antibiotic, antiviral and other properties has been revealed. Yet little has been known about exactly how curcumin works inside the body. Now, University of Michigan researchers led by Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy have discovered that curcumin acts as a disciplinarian, inserting itself into cell membranes and making them more orderly, a move that improves cells' resistance to infection and malignancy. "The membrane goes from being crazy and floppy to being more disciplined and ordered, so that information flow through it can be controlled," said Ramamoorthy, a professor of chemistry and biophysics. The findings were published online March 3 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The research project melds Ramamoorthy's past with his current scientific interests. As a child in India, he was given turmeric-laced milk to drink when he had a cold, and he breathed steam infused with turmeric to relieve congestion. Now as researcher he is fascinated with proteins that are associated with biological membranes, and he uses a technique called solid-state NMR spectroscopy to reveal atom-level details of these important molecules and the membranous milieu in which they operate. "Probing high-resolution intermolecular interactions in the messy membrane environment has been a major challenge to commonly-used biophysical techniques," Ramamoorthy said. His research group recently developed the two-dimensional solid-state NMR technique that they used to probe curcumin-membrane communication in this study. Scientists have speculated that curcumin does its health-promoting work by interacting directly with membrane proteins, but the U-M findings challenge that notion. Instead, the researchers found that curcumin regulates the action of membrane proteins indirectly, by changing the physical properties of the membrane. Ramamoorthy's group now is collaborating with chemistry professor Masato Koreeda and U-M Life Sciences Institute researcher Jason Gestwicki to study a variety of curcumin derivatives, some of which have enhanced potency. "We want to see how these various derivatives interact with the membrane, to see if the interactions are the same as what we have observed in the current study," Ramamoorthy said. "Such a comparative study could lead to the development of potent compounds to treat infection and other diseases." In a related line of research, Ramamoorthy's team is using the same methods to investigate the effects of curcumin on the formation of amyloids---clumps of fibrous protein believed to be involved in type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and many other maladies. In addition, the researchers are looking to see whether other natural products, such as polyphenols (compounds found in many plant foods that are known to have antioxidant properties) and capsaicin (a pain reliever derived from hot peppers), interact with membranes in the same way as curcumin. Along with Ramamoorthy, the paper's authors are undergraduates Jeffrey Barry and Michelle Fritz, post-doctoral fellow Jeffrey Brender, graduate student Pieter Smith and a visiting professor from South Korea, Dong-Kuk Lee. This research was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health. For more information on Ramamoorthy, visit: www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/public/experts/ExpDisplay.php?ExpID=1170Journal of the American Chemical Society: pubs.acs.org/journal/jacsat
|
|