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Jul 15, 2011

SCIENCE News, Jul 15, 2011

U.S. astronauts gird for post-shuttle era
Thu,14 Jul 2011 03:10 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoHOUSTON (Reuters) - Former chief astronaut Steve Lindsey announced his retirement on Thursday, the latest in a series of departures from the ranks of NASA's elite corps spurred by the end of the space shuttle program.
 
Atlantis crew unpacks, rocks out to "Rocket Man"
Thu,14 Jul 2011 01:14 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoHOUSTON (Reuters) - The crew of NASA's final space shuttle mission restocked the International Space Station with tons of supplies on Wednesday after waking to the music of Elton John.

Carbon dating technique to aid energy from waste
Thu,14 Jul 2011 07:28 AM PDT
Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A new use for carbon dating will aid the production of energy from wood and waste, said a bio-energy group on Thursday after British regulatory approval of the new test. Full Story

Texas artist's work hurtling through space with Atlantis
Tue,12 Jul 2011 04:12 PM PDT
Reuters - HOUSTON (Reuters) - It's a rare person who can say that her artwork is hurtling through space. Full Story

Spacewalkers pack gear for last shuttle home
Tue,12 Jul 2011 01:59 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoHOUSTON (Reuters) - A pair of spacewalking astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Tuesday to pack up a broken cooling pump and tackle other tasks before NASA's last space shuttle heads back to Earth.

Billions of bugs wiped out on Dutch roads
Tue,12 Jul 2011 10:33 AM PDT
Reuters - AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch motorists kill about 133 billion insects a month, splattering bugs on their vehicles and eliminating important members of the food chain, according to a study released this week. Full Story

Space robot to practice refueling satellites
Mon,11 Jul 2011 02:35 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoHOUSTON (Reuters) - With the end of the space shuttle program in sight, the U.S. government intends to stimulate development of private space transportation and also to lay the foundation for an entire new industry to service satellites in orbit.

Japan idled reactors could restart after stress test
Mon,11 Jul 2011 04:05 AM PDT
Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's idled nuclear reactors could restart work if they pass the first stage of two-step post-Fukushima safety checks, the government said on Monday.Full Story

photoCAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - After the U.S. space shuttle program ends this month, NASA will rely on Russia and its Soyuz craft to deliver Americans to the International Space Station -- at a cost of more than $50 million a seat.

Factbox: Space shuttle Atlantis' final mission
Fri,8 Jul 2011 10:05 AM PDT
Reuters - CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Space shuttle Atlantis is due to launch on Friday on the 135th and final flight in NASA's shuttle program. The mission, scheduled to last 12 days, is intended to stockpile a year's worth of supplies on the International Space Station. Full Story

Analysis: Summer to test Japan resolve over nuclear power
Thu,7 Jul 2011 08:31 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoTOKYO (Reuters) - Two months of baking heat will test Japan's resolve to wean itself off nuclear power and show whether an energy-saving drive set off by meltdowns at the Fukushima plant will bring lasting efficiency gains the way the 1970s oil crisis did.

Shuttle's end a blow to Florida's "Space Coast"
Thu,7 Jul 2011 07:50 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoTITUSVILLE, Florida (Reuters) - The end of the U.S. space shuttle program is the end of the line for Tom Brown and other workers like him at the Kennedy Space Center in central Florida. He is about to join the ranks of the unemployed.

Experts find rogue stem cells in liver cancer
Thu,7 Jul 2011 04:10 AM PDT
Reuters - HONG KONG (Reuters) - Liver cancers are embedded with a type of super cancer stem cells that make them resistant to chemotherapy, spread to other body parts and stage a comeback even after they are surgically removed, researchers in Hong Kong reported on Thursday. Full Story

Last blastoff from Florida to end space shuttle era
Wed,6 Jul 2011 02:07 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoCAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space shuttle Atlantis, carrying a crew of four and food and other supplies critical for the International Space Station, is set to vault into orbit on Friday on the final flight in the 30-year U.S. shuttle program.

NASA's "Final Four" astronauts close out shuttle era
Wed,6 Jul 2011 12:11 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoCAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - It's been 28 years since NASA launched a four-person shuttle crew, but that will be the number of astronauts slated to fly on Atlantis for the program's last flight, a 12-day cargo run to the International Space Station.

HEALTH News, Jul 15, 2011 (2)

Panel backs stricter blood cancer drug label
Thu,14 Jul 2011 03:12 PM PDT
Reuters - SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel backed an experimental drug from Seattle Genetics Inc for treating two rare types of blood cancer, but recommended stricter labeling than the company sought. Full Story
 
U.S. medical devices spending steady: report
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:44 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Medical devices accounted for about 6 percent of the total U.S. health spending in 2009, barely changed from 10 years earlier and slightly higher than two decades ago, according to an industry report. Full Story

Vitamin A may not prevent asthma: study
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:43 PM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite the important role of vitamin A in lung development, researchers have found that giving the nutrient to pregnant women or preschoolers in Nepal doesn't protect kids against asthma. Full Story

Black men survive longer in prison than out: study
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:42 PM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Black men are half as likely to die at any given time if they're in prison than if they aren't, suggests a new study of North Carolina inmates.Full Story

FDA panel backs Seattle Genetics drug for lymphoma
Thu,14 Jul 2011 12:57 PM PDT
Reuters - SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Seattle Genetics Inc garnered unanimous backing from U.S. advisers for a second type of blood cancer. Full Story

EU customs seize $1.4 billion of fake goods in 2010
Thu,14 Jul 2011 11:53 AM PDT
Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Customs officials seized fake goods worth more than one billion euros ($1.4 billion) at European borders last year as they paid more attention to shipments ordered online, the European Commission said in a report on Thursday. Full Story

Vitamin C from food tied to lower cataract risk
Thu,14 Jul 2011 11:41 AM PDT
Reuters -
photoNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who get very little vitamin C in their diets may have an increased risk of developing cataracts, a study in India finds.

Flu vaccine production to double by 2015, WHO says
Thu,14 Jul 2011 11:18 AM PDT
Reuters -
photoGENEVA (Reuters) - Global production of seasonal flu vaccine is expected to double to 1.7 billion doses by 2015, with 11 new manufacturers coming onstream in developing countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Does adrenaline help cardiac arrest victims survive?
Thu,14 Jul 2011 11:14 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who've suffered cardiac arrest usually get a shot of adrenaline to help their heart back on track, but in a controversial study fromAustralia the hormone did little to increase patients' survival. Full Story

Are narrow blood vessels to blame in MS?
Thu,14 Jul 2011 09:12 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite a few well-publicized studies and many hopeful patients waiting for treatment, there is no good evidence that multiple sclerosis, or MS, is caused by a blood vessel condition, a fresh look at the medical literature finds. Full Story

Parents underestimate kids' asthma symptoms
Thu,14 Jul 2011 08:48 AM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents of kids with asthma don't always realize when their children's treatment is inadequate, a new drugmaker-funded survey suggests. Full Story

Landmark lupus drug Benlysta approved in Europe
Thu,14 Jul 2011 08:37 AM PDT
Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Benlysta, the first new treatment for lupus in half a century, was approved for use in Europe, the drug's discoverer Human Genome Sciences and partner GlaxoSmithKline said on Thursday. Full Story

Do tea, coffee drinkers have lower "superbug" risk?
Thu,14 Jul 2011 08:24 AM PDT
Reuters -
photoNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who regularly drink tea or coffee may be less likely to carry the antibiotic-resistant "superbug" MRSA in their nostrils, a new study suggests.

NICE seen at heart of new UK drug pricing system
Thu,14 Jul 2011 07:59 AM PDT
Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's cost-effectiveness health watchdog NICE expects to play a central role in a value-based pricing system for new medicines due to take effect from 2014, according to its chief executive. Full Story

FDA hires former Dartmouth dean to new post as part of rejig
Wed,13 Jul 2011 08:45 PM PDT
Reuters - BANGALORE (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has named former Dartmouth Medical School Dean Stephen Spielberg to the newly created position of deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco, according to an internal letter sent to FDA employees that was obtained by Reuters. Full Story


BUSINESS News, Jul 15, 2011

S&P warns of downgrade if no debt deal reached
Thu,14 Jul 2011 09:00 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoSYDNEY (Reuters) - Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has warned there is a one-in-two chance it could cut the United States' prized AAA credit rating if a deal on raising the government's debt ceiling is not agreed soon.
 
BHP Billiton swoops on gas firm Petrohawk for $12.1 billion
Thu,14 Jul 2011 08:16 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoSYDNEY/PERTH (Reuters) - Top global miner BHP Billiton will buy U.S. gas producer Petrohawk Energy Corp for $12.1 billion, ramping up its bets on the booming but environmentally controversial shale gas industry.

Summit investor Omar Amanat wins tabloid settlement
Thu,14 Jul 2011 04:58 PM PDT
Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - Omar Amanat has won an undisclosed settlement against four British publications who called the Summit Entertainment investor "an impostor." Full Story

UBS wins review of Madoff trustee's $2.6 bln suits
Thu,14 Jul 2011 04:50 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoNEW YORK (Reuters) - UBS AG won review by a Manhattan federal judge of $2.6 billion of lawsuits brought by the trustee liquidating Bernard Madoff's firm, at least the fourth time a bank has obtained access to that court.

BHP Billiton agrees takeover of Petrohawk for $12.1 billion
Thu,14 Jul 2011 04:41 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoSYDNEY (Reuters) - Mining and oil company BHP Billiton unveiled a $12.1 billion agreed takeover of U.S. gas producer Petrohawk Energy Corp on Friday, marking the Anglo-Australian firm's biggest step into the booming shale-gas industry.

Bernanke halts Wall Street rally; Google soars late
Thu,14 Jul 2011 04:23 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Thursday as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke backed off hints additional near-term stimulus could be on the way, removing a possible catalyst from a market already facing plenty of obstacles.

ConocoPhillips to split in two; shares rise
Thu,14 Jul 2011 03:33 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoNEW YORK/HOUSTON (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips will spin off its refining arm in a bid to improve investment returns for shareholders, abandoning the bigger-is-better strategy that drove oil giants into mergers.

Regal adding nine IMAX locations in U.S.
Thu,14 Jul 2011 03:27 PM PDT
Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - Regal Entertainment Group will install nine additional IMAX locations in the United States, the company announced on Thursday. Full Story

Bernanke warns spending cuts could derail recovery
Thu,14 Jul 2011 03:11 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on Thursday that overzealous cuts to government spending in the short term could derail a shaky recovery and said a debt default could wreak financial havoc.

TSX falters as Fed backs off stimulus talk
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:44 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoTORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index closed lower on Thursday with resource shares taking the biggest hit after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke backed away from signaling that he was set to ease monetary policy.

Big oil firms not on course to splitsville
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:40 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoCALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's integrated oil companies are likely to stick to their diversified structures rather than follow U.S. counterpart ConocoPhillips with a split, as their refining businesses act as a crucial hedge to their oil sands and heavy oil production.

CIT Group to prepay $500 million of first lien term loan
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:34 PM PDT
Reuters -
photo(Reuters) - Commercial lender CIT Group Inc said it has given notice that it will prepay $500 million of its $3 billion senior secured first lien term loan on July 15, 2011.

photoTORONTO (Reuters) - Chinese companies may soon find the back door to a Canadian stock listing slammed shut, as regulators weigh tougher rules on a fast-track approach to going public taken by Sino-Forest and other fallen angels.

C$ weakens from 2-mth high on Bernanke comments
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:09 PM PDT
Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's dollar weakened against the greenback on Thursday after earlier hitting a 2-month high, as the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve dampened hopes of that he would offer additional monetary stimulus. Full Story

Wells, Capital One eye HSBC card portfolio: sources
Thu,14 Jul 2011 02:06 PM PDT
Reuters -
photoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Capital One Financial Corp and Wells Fargo are among the bidders for HSBC Holdings Plc's U.S. credit card portfolio, according to sources familiar with the situation.