http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Cell biologists believe that gene expression in eukaryotic cells is partly controlled by the uneven distribution of DNA in the nucleus. Colin Stewart and Audrey Wang at the A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore, and their international co-workers, have identified two proteins that control this distribution of DNA. Their findings have important implications for disease and cellular development. http://phys.org/news290841742.html Biology 2013-06-19T07:20:01-07:00 Air pollution is related to forest decline and also appears to attack the protecting wax on tree leaves and needles. Bonn University scientists have now discovered a responsible mechanism: particulate matter salt compounds that become deliquescent because of humidity and form a wick-like structure that removes water from leaves and promotes dehydration. These results are published in Environmental Pollution. http://phys.org/news290845185.html Space & Earth 2013-06-19T07:19:53-07:00 America's economy will hum along its path of moderate growth, adding 4.7 million jobs through the end of next year, say University of Michigan economists. http://phys.org/news290844970.html Other Sciences 2013-06-19T07:16:51-07:00 More data are being created, consumed, and transported than ever before, and in all areas of society, including business, government, health care, and science. The hope and promise is that this influx of information—known as big data—will be transformative: armed with insightful information, businesses will make more money while providing improved customer service, governments will be more efficient, medical science will be better able to prevent and treat diseases, and science will make discoveries that otherwise would not be possible. http://phys.org/news290844886.html Technology 2013-06-19T07:14:55-07:00 Material scientists expect the new multifunctional properties of hybrid nanostructures will transform the development of high-performance devices, including batteries, high-sensitivity sensors and solar cells. These self-assembling nanostructures are typically generated by depositing ultrasmall objects with different properties on the surfaces of tiny semiconducting wires. However, the factors that govern their formation remain elusive, making these structures difficult to control and design. http://phys.org/news290841718.html Nanotechnology 2013-06-19T07:10:02-07:00 Bacteria, for the most part, thrive in extreme temperatures and in arid conditions. But some types of bacteria have the capacity to do this and more: they grow within diverse environments and adapt easily. One such species is the Bacillus subtilis. Known to make its home in soil and in water, researchers have also found evidence that B. subtilis is frequently present in the human gut. http://phys.org/news290842113.html Biology 2013-06-19T07:10:01-07:00 A process known as ethanol steam reforming is creating opportunities for fuel cell researchers, thanks to the recent rise of the bioethanol industry. This technique generates hydrogen gas (H2) directly within fuel cell systems onboard vehicles by decomposing bioethanol in the presence of special catalysts—an approach that could use current gasoline delivery infrastructures to power alternative energy transportation. Currently, ethanol steam reforming suffers from a major obstacle: its multiple reaction pathways can produce toxic carbon monoxide (CO) byproducts that ruin fuel cell membranes. http://phys.org/news290841767.html Chemistry 2013-06-19T07:00:02-07:00 Research led by Lawrence Stanton and Prasanna Kolatkar of the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore has provided valuable insight into embryonic development. Stanton and Kolatkar teamed up with colleagues in Singapore to determine how transcription factor proteins assemble at DNA sequences called enhancers, which help coordinate gene expression. http://phys.org/news290841687.html Biology 2013-06-19T07:00:01-07:00 A 'sandwich' of three iron alloy layers could help to create computer hard drives that can store more data than ever before. Tiejun Zhou and co-workers at the A*STAR Data Storage Institute in Singapore expect that their development, based on a new technology called heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), could boost the capacity of disks. http://phys.org/news290841671.html Physics 2013-06-19T06:50:03-07:00 YouTube has become the primary music service among young adults, finds a new study by Aalto University. 99% of the respondents to a survey on digital music use listened to YouTube at least sometimes, 35% every day. http://phys.org/news290841836.html Technology 2013-06-19T06:50:01-07:00 A new, invasive species of slug found recently in South Texas serves as a good reminder to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating them, according to an expert with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. http://phys.org/news290842159.html Biology 2013-06-19T06:40:01-07:00 Replacing traditional rigid silicon wafers with semiconductors made from flexible polymers would herald an age of advanced, 'wearable' electronics. Switching to these semiconductors, known as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), would also reduce manufacturing costs significantly. However, most plastic materials have trouble moving electrons and their polar opposites—positively charged empty 'holes' inside semiconductor lattices—with sufficient speed for electronic amplification. http://phys.org/news290841648.html Chemistry 2013-06-19T06:30:01-07:00 (Phys.org) —Thousands of pyrotechnic, flashing fireflies are making a rare appearance in Utah this summer, evidence that these bioluminescent insects may be establishing larger populations in the west, according to Brigham Young University researchers. http://phys.org/news290841578.html Biology 2013-06-19T06:19:56-07:00 Singapore's smog problem from forest fires in Indonesia worsened Wednesday as air pollutant levels reached a 16-year high. http://phys.org/news290836065.html Space & Earth 2013-06-19T05:20:01-07:00 Strapped in an orange suit in his spaceship, Yuri Gagarin smiles as the rockets roar and chirpily tells mission control: "Let's go!" http://phys.org/news290836764.html Space & Earth 2013-06-19T05:10:02-07:00 Satellite TV operator Dish Network Corp. said Tuesday it would not submit a revised bid for Sprint, leaving the path open for the wireless carrier to accept what it already considers a superior offer from Japan's Softbank. http://phys.org/news290835981.html Technology 2013-06-19T05:10:01-07:00 The Cape Wind offshore wind project has secured a $200 million investment from a Danish pension fund in what the wind farm's president said Tuesday is a milestone for the long-delayed project. http://phys.org/news290835769.html Technology 2013-06-19T05:00:06-07:00 Researchers at the University of Sydney and Dartmouth College have developed a new way to design quantum memory, bringing quantum computers a step closer to reality. The results will appear June 19 in the journal Nature Communications. http://phys.org/news290793819.html Physics 2013-06-19T05:00:01-07:00 The World Bank on Wednesday warned that severe hardships from global warming could be felt within a generation, with a new study detailing devastating impacts in Africa and Asia. http://phys.org/news290836713.html Space & Earth 2013-06-19T04:58:40-07:00 Netflix is going Dutch. The online video giant says it will expand into the Netherlands, its 41st country, later this year. http://phys.org/news290835811.html Technology 2013-06-19T04:43:40-07:00 A year ago, Julian Assange skipped out on a date with Swedish justice. Rather than comply with a British order that he go to the Scandinavian country for questioning about sex crimes allegations, the WikiLeaks founder took refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. http://phys.org/news290835742.html Technology 2013-06-19T04:42:30-07:00 When Google chose New Zealand to unveil secret plans for a balloon-driven wi-fi network last weekend, it cemented the country's reputation as a test bed for global tech companies looking to trial their latest innovations, industry experts say. http://phys.org/news290834307.html Technology 2013-06-19T04:18:34-07:00 Facebook said Tuesday that more than a million businesses now advertise at the leading social network. http://phys.org/news290834047.html Technology 2013-06-19T04:15:27-07:00 Google's plans to beam the Internet from giant balloons sent to the stratosphere could boost small businesses in rural parts of Asia by connecting them online, the company said on Wednesday. http://phys.org/news290834003.html Technology 2013-06-19T04:13:33-07:00 In spite of considerable human development, the southeastern United States region could provide some of the Western Hemisphere's more heavily used thoroughfares for mammals, birds and amphibians on their way to cooler environments in a warming world, according to new research led by the University of Washington. http://phys.org/news290793692.html Biology 2013-06-19T04:00:01-07:00 If you have just seen a play that you privately think is drivel, will you keep silent when everyone around you demands an encore? http://phys.org/news290829409.html Other Sciences 2013-06-19T02:57:20-07:00 Cancer-causing radioactive substances have been found in groundwater at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, its Japanese operator said on Wednesday, as it pledged to prevent it getting into the sea. http://phys.org/news290828917.html Technology 2013-06-19T02:48:44-07:00 The origins of a young animal might have a significant impact on its behavior later on in life. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, Germany, have been able to demonstrate in hand-reared blackbirds that urban-born individuals are less curious and more cautious about new objects than their country counterparts. This study sheds light on an interesting debate on whether personality differences between rural and urban birds are behavioral adjustments to urban environments, or if there is an underlying evolutionary basis to the existence of different personalities in urban habitats. http://phys.org/news290793526.html Biology 2013-06-18T19:10:01-07:00 Controversial deals that delay generic versions of drugs coming onto the market can lead to consumers paying significantly more for some treatments, according to new research by an academic from the University of East Anglia (UEA). http://phys.org/news290793383.html Other Sciences 2013-06-18T19:00:03-07:00 The history of a new type of crab, nicknamed 'The Hoff' because of its hairy chest, which lives around hydrothermal vents deep beneath the Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean, has been revealed for the first time. http://phys.org/news290793315.html Biology 2013-06-18T19:00:03-07:00